“You want a shot?” I asked, anticipating the touch of her lips on my skin.
She nodded, and I moved away from her. I removed my shirt, poured a shot in the shot glass that I’d grabbed from the kitchen, and tucked it in the waistband of my jeans. I grabbed two slices of lime, placing one in my mouth, flesh side out, and squeezed the other one on my upper chest. I poured salt on my chest. “There you go. Let’s see what you got.”
Ava didn’t flinch as she crawled toward me, wearing nothing but her silky panties. When her hot tongue hit my chest, I closed my eyes and savored the sensation. She licked slowly, sensually. Alternating between raining kisses down my abdomen and licking my flesh, she closed in on the shot of tequila. The cool October air accentuated the spots where her tongue had landed, and it took all of my discipline not to move as she finished her shot. She gulped down the tequila and swiftly took the lime from my mouth, sucking the juice from it as her nose wrinkled at the bitter liquor. I knew she felt the burn in her belly, and I laughed softly at her response.
Ava watched as I prepared to take another shot of tequila. I licked the salt from the back of my hand, emptied the shot glass, and sucked on a slice of lime. “I’d offer you another one, but unless you’re a frequent drinker, you might want to wait until you see how that shot affects you.”
“I rarely drink,” she whispered.
“Smart girl. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen people get completely shitfaced and make complete idiots out of themselves.”
“Have you?”
I grinned. “I’ve been drunk a few times, but I can resist alcohol easier than some and I don’t usually get as mouthy as a lot of drunks. That liquid courage has caused more than one guy to go home with a black eye or two.”
She studied me quietly in the moonlight, and I liked the way she looked at me.
“What’re you thinking?” I asked quietly.
“I’m thinking that I really want you to kiss me.” She licked her lips, and it was all the invitation that I needed. I pulled her into my lap, guiding her legs to my sides, so that she straddled me. Cupping her nape, I pulled her to me until our lips touched. I kept the kiss slow and sensual as long as I could. My hands firmly grabbed her outer thighs as my thumbs worked tiny circles on the inside of her leg, reaching dangerously close to the silken scrap of fabric until they finally brushed against it, and I could feel her moisture.
Hell, it was nearly my undoing. If we didn’t go swimming now, we’d never make it to the pool. Once I had sex with her, there was no going back, and damn it, I wanted her badly, more than I’d ever wanted anyone. But there was something special about Ava, and the last thing I wanted to do was take advantage of her vulnerability. I wanted to protect her, to make sure that she was never hurt again.
She squirmed in my lap, and my mind tormented me as the pros and cons of taking this situation any further ticked off in my head. Hell, I knew I was overanalyzing, but I was worried about Ava. If I allowed things to go further than they should, how would it affect her? I’d already allowed things to go too far once. If I did it a second time, then it was more than being caught up in a moment. It would be a calculated decision on my part.
“Ridge, please,” she whispered, her need evident on her face, as she pushed her crotch against my thumbs.
Shit, I was powerless to resist her soft plea. I wanted Ava to be happy, but more than that, I wanted to be the man who made her happy.
I slid my thumb beneath her panties, finding the sensitive spot that she so desperately wanted me to touch.
I wouldn’t have sex with her, but I would give her pleasure.
***
When my eyes first opened, I had the strangest sensation of having no idea where the hell I was. After the fog cleared from my brain, I realized that I was in my new house, and that realization felt damn good. I also realized that I had insisted that Ava stay the night since we had both been drinking, and I’d given her my bed while I slept on the hardwood floor. My body felt stiff, thanks to the fact that I had no furniture to speak of and the only thing separating me from the unforgiving, wooden planks was a thin blanket that my mom had gotten me for Christmas one year that I’d never opened until last night.
The chilly air reminded me that I wore nothing but a pair of boxers, and the smell of coffee alerted me that Ava had woken before me.
I lifted my head, peering over the top of an empty box to see her moving around in the kitchen in my tee shirt, her hair pulled up in a messy bun. Seeing her in my clothing created a feeling of possessiveness in my chest, a feeling that I never felt regarding women, and I knew that whenever I was with Ava, I was dabbling with trouble. I’d known what would happen, and I hadn’t had the strength to resist her. Even now, she mesmerized me as I watched her without her knowing.
I stood up, stretching my back to alleviate the soreness, and walked toward the temptress who had taken over my kitchen.
“Good morning,” she greeted, smiling brightly. I sat down at the bar, facing her as she moved around the kitchen. She poured a cup of coffee and set it down in front of me. “I boiled some eggs,” she said. “You want a couple? I was going to scramble some, but I couldn’t find a skillet. So boiled eggs won.”
“Yes, I do want a couple, and I’ll add skillet to my list.”
She laughed. “From what I see here, you better add a lot more than a skillet. I was surprised to find the coffee maker.”
“Between getting up extremely early on most mornings and needing to sober Mason up quite often, I had no choice but to buy a coffee maker once I moved into the apartment with him.”
“Good investment,” she said.
I glanced at my phone. With everything going on last night, I’d failed to set my alarm. It was almost six-thirty, and I’d intended to be up by six.
Ava set a bowl in front of me with two, peeled, hard-boiled eggs. I captured her wrist in my grasp before she had the chance to whirl away.
She froze, looking at me with widened blue eyes.
I kissed her palm. “Good morning.” I let my fingertips trail over hers before I released her.
Her lips broke into a smile. “Good morning.”
“So what are your plans today?” I asked, picking up my coffee cup and taking a sip of the steaming liquid.
“Well, since I’ve slowed down on my training and I don’t have any real estate appointments, I don’t really have any plans.”
“Good, because I took the day off and I could really use a woman’s touch to help me pick out some furniture, washer and dryer, all that fun stuff.”
She nodded before I even finished talking. “Sure. I could do that.”
“I’m gonna go for a run first.”
“Okay. I’ll go home and get cleaned up, and I’ll meet you back here.”
I didn’t know what scared me the most: the fact that I’d just asked Ava to spend the entire day with me because I really wanted her to or the fact that I wished she didn’t have to go home to get cleaned up because for a brief moment, I’d wished that she lived here with me.
She was working her way in, and the more my brain entertained thoughts of her, the less it concentrated on the goals on my list.
And the truth was…I was beginning to think that maybe I didn’t give a damn about my list, maybe what I really gave a damn about was…Ava Nottingham.
Chapter 14
Ava
“I think you should put the couch here,” I told Ridge, “and let the back of the couch be an extension of the hallway. And you should put the loveseat near the front door, letting the back of it extend the entryway and face that wall.” I pointed to the wall that ran perpendicular with the main entry. “That way the wall of windows in the front of the house will be unobstructed, and you have plenty of room to hang your TV over the fireplace. What do you think?”
He smacked me playfully on the butt. “I think that’s why I asked you. You point out where it should be, and I’ll do all the calculations to make sure it’s s
traight or level or that it’ll fit.”
The delivery guys deposited the black, leather furniture exactly where we’d asked, and Ridge and I unrolled the mocha-colored rug with black and various shades of brown worked into the design, which tied the taupe walls together with the black furniture nicely. He’d picked out a black and glass coffee table with matching end tables.
After a generous tip, the delivery guys left, and he and I stood back to appreciate the look.
“I like it,” he said, pulling me to him for a kiss.
“Me, too.”
“Come on,” I urged. “We still have a lot to do before your mom and stepdad get here.”
His washer and dryer and kitchen table had all arrived the day before, and while it took Ridge most of the previous evening, he did manage to get the washer and dryer hooked up and ready to go.
When we went shopping a few days ago, Ridge had bought towels and cloths for the bath and the kitchen, as well as a few oversized towels to use for the pool.
“Why didn’t you tell me buying a house was so much work?” he teased, his bicep rippling into motion as he ran his fingers through his hair.
I rubbed my fingertips against the stubble that darkened his jaw. “It’ll be worth it.”
“I hope so. This week is killing me.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist, and he pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head. He got up before daybreak to run or cycle, swam laps in the evening, and had stayed up late all week while we worked to get his house in order.
He was exhausted.
The dryer sang a high-pitched melody, alerting me that it had finished. “Why don’t you sit down and rest a few minutes while I fold the towels?”
“That sounds like a damn good idea.” He yawned, his large fist covering his mouth while he closed his eyes. He stretched his hands over his head, his tee shirt rising to expose his adonis belt, and my eyes were drawn to the V-shape that disappeared below his low-rise jeans.
When his shirt fell back into place, my eyes lifted to his face, and I watched as he collapsed on the couch.
The laundry room adjoined the kitchen, and I scooped the towels out of the dryer and quickly folded them and put them away. I transferred the load in the washer to the dryer and then went back to the living room.
He was sound asleep. As quietly as I could, I walked toward him. Lying on his back with his head propped up on a decorative pillow and one arm folded over his head, Ridge breathed softly as he slumbered. A five-o’clock shadow darkened his well-defined jawline, and I had the urge to rub my fingertips along his cheek. His bronzed skin had faded slightly since the beginning of autumn, and his hair had started to darken. He was the most gorgeous guy I’d ever seen, but perhaps I felt that way because of my feelings for him.
It was odd feeling the tears that stung my eyes because I wasn’t sad at all. The last few months had been difficult for me, but everything had changed the moment that I first saw Ridge. I’d heard him say many times that he didn’t want a serious relationship, but his actions told me that he did care for me. And while I didn’t know what our future held, hope had welled in my chest.
Scalding tears spilled onto my cheeks, and as I stood watching him sleep, I reveled in everything that he represented for me: hope, encouragement, kindness, acceptance. I cupped my cheeks with my palms and used my fingertips to wipe away the tears. Not having the heart to wake him, I rushed back to the kitchen to quietly tidy everything before his mother and stepfather arrived.
“What time is it?” Ridge asked groggily. “Shit. It’s dark outside.” He sounded much more awake after that revelation. “How long have I been asleep?”
“A couple of hours.”
“You should’ve woken me up.”
I walked from the kitchen to the living room. “I’ve got everything under control. Everything’s put in its place. Coffee’s brewing, and your mom and stepdad should be here in about fifteen minutes.”
He reached for me, and I closed the distance between us. Pulling me into his lap, he wound his muscular arms around my waist and squeezed. “Have I told you that you’re pretty damn awesome today?”
I tapped my finger on my chin. “I don’t think so.”
“Well, you are.”
“Am I more awesome or less awesome than shopping for houses?”
“More.”
“Am I more awesome or less awesome than shopping for furniture?”
“Definitely more.”
“Am I more awesome or less awesome than having an inground swimming pool?”
“Well, that depends on whether you’re butt naked inside the swimming pool.” He ran his hands beneath my shirt, massaging my back.
“Does it?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“And if I am?”
“If you are, then I can’t really think of anything more awesome than that.”
To prove his point, his hands curved around my ribs to the front of my body, and he squeezed my breasts.
We heard car doors outside, and Ridge stood suddenly, lifting me to my feet.” I’m going to go brush my teeth and comb my hair. I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared down the hallway, and I sat back down on the couch and waited.
The doorbell chimed, and he called out as he hurried back toward the living room, his long legs covering the distance quickly. “I’m coming.”
I met Ridge at the front door, and he swung it open. “Mom, Ethan, come in.”
“Oh, Ridge, beautiful, absolutely beautiful,” his mother cooed as she entered the room.
“Not bad for my first house,” Ridge agreed.
“Oh, honey, I’m not talking about your house. I’m talking about your girlfriend.”
I bit back a smile, although I wasn’t sure whether it was because she called me beautiful or because she referred to me as his girlfriend.
“Mom, Ethan, I’d like you to meet Ava Nottingham. Ava, this is my mother, Marie Kohl and my stepdad, Ethan.”
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Kohl,” I greeted as his mother grasped my hand between both of hers.
“Please call me Marie. If people start calling me Mrs. Kohl, then I’m gonna have to get a face lift.”
I smiled at her. “Very well…Marie.”
Mr. Kohl held his hand out to me. “And call me Ethan.” He shook my hand firmly and turned his attention to the house. “This is a nice place, Ridge.”
“Thanks. Do y’all want the nickel tour?”
“Of course,” his mother answered, smiling. Kelsey’s hair was dark like her mother’s, and I wondered if Ridge had taken after his father.
I waited in the living room, resting my leg, while Ridge showed them the house. A few minutes later, I joined them as they stepped out back to see the swimming pool. It was dark outside, but the pool light was on, making the water glow a beautiful turquoise.
“I’m so proud of you, Ridge,” his mother whispered, hugging him.
He placed his arm around her shoulders. “I love you, Mom.”
“Love you, too, honey.”
“I’ll go pour us some coffee,” I whispered, not wanting to interrupt their moment. As I entered the house, my admiration for Ridge climbed even higher. Who didn’t love a man who loved his mother?
Marie and Ethan visited with us for another half hour over a cup of coffee. Once they left, Ridge collapsed on the couch and closed his eyes.
“I guess you’re pretty tired, huh?” I asked, sitting beside him and running my hand over the smooth leather cushion.
His eyes opened slowly. “I’m too tired to think.”
Part of me wondered if I made a move now, would he be tired enough to let his brain relax and his emotions take over? Maybe he was just tired enough to not let his damn list take over every conscious thought.
I scooted closer to him and laid my head against his chest while my hand traced an imaginary line down his jean-clad thigh.
He caught my fingers in his hand and brought them to his lips for a kiss.
Then, he leaned down and kissed my forehead. “I hate to be a drag, but I’ve got to get some sleep. I’m exhausted, and I want to get up early to go cycling. The triathlon is two weeks away, and I’ve trained too long to be a slacker now.”
The triathlon would be one more thing he could cross off his list.
He released my hand and stood, stretching and yawning. “You can stay as long as you want. Just lock the door when you leave. I can’t hold my eyes open a moment longer.”
Trying to hide my disappointment, I pasted a smile on my face. “I’ll just straighten up the kitchen, then I’m going home. Good night, Ridge.”
“Good night. See you tomorrow?”
I nodded.
He gave me a brief kiss on the lips and headed down the hall toward his bedroom.
“Oh,” he said, stopping and turning back toward me, “I meant to ask you something.”
I looked at him as curiosity began building within me.
“Our office is having a fiftieth anniversary party Friday night, and they’re going to be announcing promotions. I was thinking earlier how lovely you’d look on my arm, and I was hoping that you’d agree to go with me.”
I knew I couldn’t go, but I nodded my head, unable to deny him anything. Besides, if I didn’t agree, he still had time to find someone else, and the selfish part of me couldn’t stand the thought of Ridge with another woman.
“Great, it’s a date. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Good night, Ridge.”
I watched as he retreated, his broad shoulders slumped from fatigue, and I wished that I had the nerve to go after him.
We’d come much closer over the last few days, but I could tell that he continued to hold back. His carefully measured self-control was still firmly in place, and I longed for the day that he would look at me with unrestrained love, that he would look at me as someone who made his life better, not as someone who was an obstacle standing between him and what he thought he wanted from life.
One of my first observations about Ridge was that he would live life to the fullest because he knew how to get what he wanted, and on some levels, I still believed that. After getting to know him better, I saw one serious flaw with his master plan. He was not allowing himself to love, to really love another person. He kept his heart locked away, always fearing that if he gave himself to someone, it would keep him from reaching his version of success.
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