**
Richie left as soon as he finished the window, but Riley stuck around. Together and three hours of steady cleaning, we’ve put most of the house back together. Four large black construction bags of garbage sit by the side of the road and there’s a mound of clothing to wash, but the place looks nice again.
Riley walked me back to Ridge’s house and checked each room while promising me it was precautionary since Ridge had his house locked up tighter than Fort Knox. It was nice of him to lie. Once he deemed the place clean, Riley left me standing in the kitchen with a promise I’d lock the door behind him and not leave for any reason unless I called him first.
Everything was fine… for the first three minutes. The first problem? Ridge’s large open floor plan feels cold and way too quiet without him or one of his brothers nearby. Hell, I’d be okay if the entire family stopped over. To keep my mind off every small noise — maybe this whole Mario situation has me more worked up than I admitted — I decide to cook Ridge the meal I promised.
But the second problem? I hadn’t learned to cook between this morning when I agreed to cook for him and now. Since I promised not to leave the house and it would be best if I didn’t turn on the stove, my options were limited.
Extremely limited.
Ridge’s truck pulls into his driveway, the lights flicker in the kitchen window, and I have a small heart attack. A tiny one. No ambulance required. I’ve prepared the best I could. A salad with lettuce, peeled carrots, and half a bag of croutons is our appetizer. The main course a turkey and cheese sandwich with a leftover bag of potato chips from Sunday’s dinner as a side. It could be worse. I tucked our meal in the fridge, waiting on Ridge. When he walks in, I’ll pull it out with gusto and pretend I’ve prepared a three course meal.
Ridge opens the back door and I meet him at the end of his kitchen island, my hands tucked behind my back and a huge smile on my face.
He stops, his body half in the room. “Evening,” he pauses, taking in the scene, and then steps the rest of the way in closing the door behind him. “Is there a surprise party or something happening? Should I expect people to jump out at any minute?”
My smile falls. “No. Why?”
“You’re very cheery.” He throws a stack of mail and his baseball cap on the table.
“I made you dinner.”
“You did?” With two steps he glides over to where I stand.
For unknown reasons I grow nervous. “I said I would, remember.”
“I do.” He backs me up to the counter, the edge poking through my thin shirt. “Can it get cold?”
“It’s already cold.”
Ridge lifts my leg around his hip and picks me up, sliding my ass on the counter. “Good.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
“What are you doing?” I ask while Ridge buries his head in my cleavage.
“Looking for my dinner. I’m starved.” He lifts my shirt and pulls my bra down exposing my breasts and pebbled nipples. “Lean back a little, babe.”
With the palm of my hands resting behind me on the counter I lean back, a tinge worried because there’s nothing but open air to catch me.
Ridge spreads my legs and reaches under my skirt tapping my ass twice until I lift. In one fluid move he pulls my underwear down, clutching them in his hand. “I think I’ll eat right here.”
His tongue flicks over my nipple and I arch to get closer. “Didn’t we try this once and Aunt Mary walked in on us?” I ask, nervous about my exposed position on his counter.
He sucks on my nipple in response, squeezing my breasts together. “Shhh. No more talking.” Ridge’s thumb caresses my bottom lip until I open for him, and then he shoves my wadded up underwear in my mouth.
I jerk around the intrusion, but focus on breathing through my nose as he tugs my skirt as far up as he can with me on the counter. His head falls between my legs getting lost under my skirt as he pulls my legs further apart.
His tongue swipes up my core in one quick movement and I hurry to pull my skirt up more, giving myself a better view of the back of his head. “Make sure you’re watching this, babe.”
He sucks on my clit and I moan, the sound bouncing around the quiet kitchen, but I’m too lost in the moment to care. Hell Aunt Mary could walk in right now and I’d tell her to give us a minute. Ridge licks and sucks on my folds working my body higher until I’m too close, but unable to fall over. I need more.
When he sneaks a hand under my skirt and inserts two fingers into my pussy, I grab on to his hair and pull. It speeds him up as he licks and fingers me at an increasing speed. A zipper slides and I look down his body to see Ridge undoing his pants. He pulls his hardened length from his boxers and fists it at a slower speed.
“Don’t stop. I’m so close,” I plead, but my words get lost from the bunched up underwear in my mouth. My eyes close and my head falls back as I attempt to spread my legs more. They catch on my jean skirt, the material unwilling to stretch further.
Ridge uses another finger, the three of them rubbing as his tongue licks at my clit. I squirm, no longer concerned with falling off, until he’s forced to release his dick and wrap his free arm around my ass to keep me still.
I jerk with only one hand to keep me up, the other still full of his hair. My grip tightens as he hedges me closer and closer to the edge of the counter and my impending orgasm. Ridge slows for a millisecond, but my body cries out. He blows across my clit and I tense before losing control. The light behind my eyes flickers in and out until I start breathing again.
I reach up and with a shaky hand remove the wadded up underwear, tossing them on the counter. “Holy shit,” I say to the ceiling, my breathing labored and eyes not ready to open yet. “I was not expecting that homecoming.” It all happened so fast.
Ridge laughs. “Told you I was hungry. Now it’s time for my dessert.”
He slides me from the counter, and my feet hit the ground with shaky legs. I worry about my ability to stay upright, but he keeps a firm hold on my hip using it to turn me around and bend me over the same counter. He lifts my skirt around my hips and pulls my lower half toward him until I’m in an L shape against the counter.
I reach out and hold on the opposite edge prepared for what’s coming. Ridge releases me and tears open a condom as his hand rubs against my bare ass. “This is going to be fast, baby, because watching you come on my counter is fucking hot.”
“Okay.”
Ridge wastes no time. He positions himself and then with one forceful thrust enters me. “Fuck, yes. Take all of me, Tabitha.”
Trying to do what he’s asked, I lean back into Ridge. I push my ass out and hold on to the counter, allowing my head to rest on my outstretched arms. His hands roam all over my body from my exposed hips up to my breasts where he twists and pulls on each nipple with the perfect amount of force. Every time Ridge moves his hand, I tense waiting to see where he’ll stop next until my skin yearns to be caressed by him.
My underarms hit the edge of the counter, the stone material digging into my skin each time he drives his body into mine. The bite of pain ebbs until I push back stretching my arms further. Ridge slips his arm around my chest, covering both my breasts and cupping one with his hand. His other arms snakes around my body and he grabs my mound, two of his fingers sliding next to my clit.
“Oh god, Ridge, I can’t.”
His fingers rub the area on each side of my clit scissoring together and flicking. The zipper of his jeans bites into my ass each time we connect. It’s sensation overload. I’m disoriented and unsure where to give my attention. Ridge increases his speed, his fingers quickening too. I can’t take the continued assault. I tense, trying to stave off an orgasm I fear will be too big — a problem I’ve never experienced before this.
“That’s right, baby. Come on my cock, I want to feel you.”
He rubs his fingers across my folds, skirting the edge of my pussy and then pinches my clit sending me tumbling over the edge. I open my mouth to yell o
ut with the orgasm, but my body is too tight, and it becomes a silent scream into the night.
My legs give out, Ridge releases my clit and moves his hand to catch me. “I got you baby, don’t worry,” he says into my neck as he bends over my body.
I let my head fall to the counter, the cool surface heaven against my heated skin. Ridge pushes himself into me twice, then three times more before he jerks, slamming his body against mine and stilling. His cock pumps into me, sending tiny aftershocks to my clit and I clench after each one.
He leans over, one hand holding me up around my middle, his other resting on the counter. I focus on our two bodies breathing in tandem as he places small kisses along my neck and under my ear. Ridge slips out, his dick falling between us as he removes the condom and throws it away in the trash under the sink. I understand what they mean about a fast fuck being hot after that experience.
“Are you ready for dinner?” he asks.
I moan and fill the room with my own made up alien gibberish, the only thing I’m capable of at the moment. “Can we eat upstairs?” I finally work up the strength to ask.
“In bed?”
“Uh-huh.” I nod my head against the counter still not ready to put in the work required to lift it.
He nuzzles my neck, his tongue running along the outer edge of my ear. “For you, babe, anything.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
A pair of my jeans gets stuck in the back of the front loading washer and I reach in to pull them out. The smell of wild mountain flowers surrounds me. Ridge splurges on the good laundry detergent.
There’s a ringing somewhere in the house, but I don’t feel comfortable answering Ridge’s phone so I continue to shove wet clothes in the dryer. One of Ridge’s shirts wrapped itself around one of mine and I struggle to untwist the sleeves before saying fuck it and throwing them in the dryer together. There’s a sick and twisted satisfaction from our clothes being surrounded together. I’ve totally lost my mind. It’s surely cabin fever from being unable to leave the house for days. Could happen to anyone.
Grabbing the empty laundry basket, I slam the dryer door and start the cycle. The ringing starts again. It gets louder the closer to the kitchen I get. My excitement ratchets up as I realize it’s the new cell phone Ridge gave me last weekend. No one has called and I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a phone you can use for more than Candy Crush.
I do a small jump-skip as I rush to answer it. There’s a number on the screen, but no name since I haven’t programed any contacts. Well, besides Ridge, but he added his own. I plan to change it to Ridley the first time he pisses me off. I prop myself against the kitchen counter and answer. “Hello?”
“Hey, woman, are you still under house arrest over at castle de Ridge?” Katy wastes no time getting to the point of her call.
“Yes, and it’s boring as hell.” I’ve enjoyed playing house with Ridge the last few days, but I’m running out of things to clean. For a single guy, he keeps a neat house.
“I’m sorry. Work has been crazy, but have no fear. Tomorrow I’m going to spring you. We’ll go to the bakery,” she says and then yells at someone in the background.
“Did you know Ridge’s real name is Ridley?”
“Everyone knows that. Never call him Ridley though. It won’t be pleasant.” Someone yells in the background again. “Sorry I have to go. Tomorrow, you, me, and Anessa. She’s testing out new recipes and we get to taste test.”
She clicks off before I get the chance to say good-bye and I finish walking the empty laundry basket up to Ridge’s bedroom. His house is too quiet and while there’s a television in almost every room, I’m bored. Katy’s latest plan came at the perfect time.
**
The phone rings and I race downstairs to answer it. My excitement is understandable. I don’t have a lot going on right now. This time Ridge’s name lights up the screen and I swipe to answer.
“Hey.” I sound like a young school girl and I slap a hand to my forehead to get it together.
It’s quiet for a moment and I almost hang up, but then Ridge’s deep voice comes over the line “Bad news, babe.”
I groan into the phone. Bad news is not what I want to hear. “Yeah?”
“Benny and Larenzo left Clara’s. They’re on the move, but we haven’t clocked them at any other local hotels.”
“Isn’t that good news?”
“Not knowing the location of the perp is bad news.”
“Oh. Well maybe they went back to Oklahoma.” A girl can hope, right?
“Doubtful. They haven’t cashed in their original plane tickets or purchased new ones and they haven’t returned the rental car.”
“What about dinner?” Yesterday, Ridge came home and brought me lunch. Sandwiches from the diner, but today he’s out of town so I ate cereal with the last few ounces of milk.
He’s silent again, but there’s a steady beat of traffic in the background so we haven’t lost connection “Sorry, babe. Riley and I are headed out to the airport to see if they’ve tried to charter a private plane. It will be a late night.”
“If Benny’s not in town, can I go home?” I ask.
“You want to leave my place?” He sounds hurt, definitely confused.
“Just for tonight since you won’t be here. I’m bored and I’ll need to get over my fear of sleeping there sooner or later.”
“The alarm is working so you’ll be fine. Just lock both doors. No idea what time I’ll get home tonight, but I’ll stop by in the morning. Okay?”
We hang up and I settle in to wait for the dryer to beep. Once my clothes are dry, I’ll spend the rest of the day cleaning my place. A lot of deep cleaning to keep busy. If I don’t spend time over there — including sleeping in my bed — I may never again. It’d be easy to use Ridge as my safe haven from my fears and the memories of Benny prowling through my things, but it’s time to pull up my big girl panties and deal with it.
At least that’s what I tell myself as I finish folding my clothes and start the long walk across the yard to my house after the last load.
**
Four hours later, with the sun set and blackness outside the windows, my desire to clean has turned into pacing. Lots of pacing. There are still tons of Aunt Gertie’s possessions I need to go through, but today doesn’t seem like the time.
Instead I cleaned out the cupboards. It was easy since they no longer had dishes in them. I washed the pans that had been on the floor, cleaned out the fridge, and vacuumed the entire place. If I’d had the forethought to steal Ridge’s manly smelling detergent, I’d have washed the sheets. But I didn’t, so I had to get my sniffs in while putting away my washed clothing.
It’s 1 a.m. when Ridge pulls in his driveway. I haven’t been watching for him per se but it’s hard to miss his headlights as they hit my living room wall. There are a few seconds when I consider going over to see what he’s doing. But it’s after midnight and he’s probably exhausted from a long day doing... whatever he did today.
Ridge closes his truck door slowly and almost tiptoes into his house, not turning on a single light. How he sees in the dark is a mystery, but he manages. A light turns on in his bedroom and I decide it’s time for me to step away from my kitchen window and stop being a creeper.
I pour myself another glass of water from the kitchen faucet. If anyone should ask me why I’m tired tomorrow, I’ll tell them I was up all night from peeing too much. It’s a more logical excuse than the truth. Every time I laid down I thought I heard someone trying to get in the front door, or the side window, or the back door, or crawling around in the attic. I assume normal people don’t freak out like this.
I circle the space around the floral couch a few more times, sipping from my glass of water, and give myself a pep talk to go back to bed. The door rattles and I jump, almost dropping the water on the floor.
“Tabitha, come open the door.” Ridge’s deep voice is muffled as he yells.
Even though I’m sure it’s Ridge, I�
��m concerned he didn’t use his key. I sneak to the partition that separates the kitchen and living room. Around the side I try to see out the window to the side of the door. To my dismay, Richie put the curtains up when he finished this morning and the cow shape patterned fabric blocks everything. Probably a print Aunt Gertie ordered from the Country Curtains catalog. From the number of them lying around the house and in the mailbox, she was a frequent shopper.
“I’m using my key,” Ridge yells into the door, and then the handle twists and opens. He steps inside and turns to punch in the code Riley made me set up today to stop the alarm from beeping.
I’m not sure what kind of social call this is, so I’m not up on my etiquette. From the plaid boxers Ridge is sporting I’d say he’s looking for a quick booty call.
I step around the partition. “Hey.”
“You’re still awake?”
“Getting a drink.” I hold up the half empty glass of water as my proof.
He cocks his head like he doesn’t believe a word coming from my mouth. “Spencer said you’ve been up all night.” He takes the glass from me and places it on the counter.
“Spencer?”
“Yeah, he’s our newest recruit. We’re making him take the night shift watching cameras until he proves himself. Riley’s happy he no longer has to do it,” Ridge says pulling me against his chest.
“Cameras?”
“He saw you pacing the living room on camera and called. He seemed concerned.”
I push off his chest, taking a step back. “He saw me on camera? What camera?”
“The one Riley installed in your living room?”
“There’s a camera in my living room!” Why in the hell would he put a camera in my house and not tell me about it? “It’s a total invasion of my privacy. I told you everything about my past, but you didn’t believe me so you installed a camera to spy on me?”
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