Behind the Flame: An Everyday Heroes World Book (The Everyday Heroes World)

by Renee Harless

  Her hips wriggled on instinct as his hand slipped beyond the barrier of her lace panties delving between the soaked folds of her center. Ridge wasn’t wasting any time at driving her mad, which suited her just fine because she wanted nothing more than to be handled by him.

  “Ridge,” she moaned toward the heavens, his name a prayer on her lips. She wasn’t religious by nature, but she had never pleaded toward a figure to answer her wish like she was at the moment.

  He switched his attention to her other breast as he maneuvered her panties down her legs, exposing her center to the heated air between them. She shivered in response.

  Letting up for a moment, Ridge eased away from her breast and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before moving his attention between her legs. By impulse, she wanted to close her legs, but he spread them wider and used his broad shoulders to keep them apart.

  Any words she planned to say were stolen from her breath as his talented tongue licked around her swollen folds. River was speechless as he kissed, sucked, and licked at her center, paying particular attention to the swollen nub that caused her hips to shake relentlessly.

  A sensation unlike any other overtook her body and she cried out as the orgasm crested.

  “Oh, Ridge. Oh my god,” she screamed as her back curved toward the ceiling.

  No lover had ever brought her to her release, only knowing how an orgasm felt from her battery-operated friend. But she wasn’t astonished that Ridge knew what he was doing. She should have known he’d be able to play her body like a finely-tuned instrument.

  And he did not disappoint.

  “Condoms?”

  “Um, I don’t. . .” she stuttered because, of course, a small piece of latex had to come between one of her greatest desires. She trusted Ridge though, more than she had ever trusted any other man in her life, and she had been on birth control since she was a teenager.

  She told herself it wasn’t reckless, and as she explained the situation, Ridge leaned his forehead on hers, changing the mood of the moment from wild and crazy sex to passionate and romantic lovemaking.

  “I swear to you that I’m clean. I’d never do something to hurt you.”

  “I know. I trust you, Ridge.”

  Ridge guided his erection toward her sex with a hand around his shaft, gently sliding the mushroom head up and down the slit, coating the skin in her womanly heat. She rocked her hips against his cock, silently urging him to enter her center.

  Slowly he eased his erection inside her core, cursing as her sheath tightened around the hardened muscle.

  “Christ, you’re tight. Fuck, I won’t last long, sweetheart,” he told her as he slipped out of her body then trusted back inside.

  His pace was unhurried and measured, but River knew that Ridge was holding back. She could tell by the way he furrowed his brows and his shoulders remained tight around his ears.

  “Harder, Ridge. Fuck me harder.”

  A growl roared from his chest as he spread her legs wider and increased his speed, his hips driving against hers, pushing her farther back on the bed. Ridge reached out and spread her legs, pinning her body in place as he propelled his cock inside her sex.

  Waves of pleasure began to build in her abdomen and River knew that her body was inching toward its peak again. Ridge must have sensed her coming release by the way her body tightened. He reached down and began to rub the stiff bundle of nerves just above their joining.

  “Yes!” she shouted as her body careened over the cliff of pleasure. River felt as if she had drifted away from consciousness, missing Ridge’s own release into her body.

  Her limbs were weak and she felt weightless until River felt a warm cloth press between her legs. The sensation of the wet towel brought her back to the moment and she leaned up on her elbows as Ridge wiped away his essence from her center.

  “You didn’t have to do that,” she told him, her voice hoarse and dry.

  “I didn’t mind. Would you like a glass of water?”

  She watched him curiously, wondering why he was being so polite, something she wasn’t used to from past lovers.

  “Yeah, if you don’t mind.”

  “No problem. I’ll be right back.” She thought he’d turn and immediately leave the room, but he surprised her again as he tilted his body toward hers and kissed her sweetly on the mouth.

  From her perch on the bed, River watched his firm backside as he strutted from the room.

  While he was gone, River wondered what she was doing. She was in no place to start a relationship, but she was drawn to Ridge in a way that she couldn’t comprehend. But his own life was a tangle of mess with his job and his ex-wife. Not to mention, he had a daughter that he needed to put first all of the time. River had never been a priority to any of her past boyfriends and she felt that it was past time to find that for herself.

  Ridge walked back into the room and handed her a fresh glass of cool water, which she eager gulped down as he searched for his boxer briefs. She was a bit disappointed to watch him cover his cock with the material.

  “What were you thinking about so hard when I came in?” he asked her. River wondered how she should answer. Should she lie or tell him what had been on her mind.

  Ridge continued to watch her curiously as she moved across the bed, set the glass on her nightstand, and then turned down the bed covers for both of them. Regardless of how she felt about a relationship with Ridge, she wanted to savor the time she had with him.

  He slipped between the sheets beside her and then turned his body in her direction, resting his head on his bent arm. Leisurely he reached out and ran his finger back and forth across her waist. It seemed he wanted the connection with her too.

  “It’s nothing,” she said as she moved to mimic his position.

  “Don’t lie to me, sweetheart.”

  Damn, he had her.

  “I was just wondering what we were doing, what this all meant.”

  “What do you want it to mean?” River wasn’t surprised he turned the question around on her. The problem was that she didn’t have an answer.

  Quietly she told him, “I don’t know. A part of me wants to see where this could go because we obviously have an attraction. But the other part of me knows that I deserve more than I think you can give and maybe we should just do something casual.”

  He seemed to ponder what she expressed and River worried that his silence was his way of forming the words to completely break things off. She wouldn’t blame him, though she would miss the chance to experience more nights like this one. Why she had been hesitant to accept his date in the first place, she would never understand.

  “You’re right. You do deserve more. My life is complicated and I can’t offer you any guarantees. And I am sorry about that. My daughter is my priority and fighting fires is all I’ve ever known. Those two things are what define me.”

  “I know that and I admire those things about you. And I would never want to diminish those things in your life. I guess. . .for the first time in my life I want to be a bit selfish, that’s all.”

  “I get it. Believe me. You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know. I have the divorce to prove it.”

  She knew he was trying to make light of the intensity their conversation had taken, but River could see the hurt that lingered in each word.”

  “Ridge, I-” she began, but he chimed in, saying, “How about we give the casual thing a try and we’ll just have to be honest with each other? I won’t stand in your way of happiness, River.”

  “Okay. I can do that.”

  “Great. Now, get over here,” he said with that sexy smirk that she had grown to love. “I’m not through with you yet.”

  River slid closer to his body until they were pressed against each other, his leg sliding between hers. It didn’t take long for her body to accept Ridge again; his erection glided inside her channel effortlessly.

  They made love through the night until River lost count of how many orgasms she had. H
e was already living up to their new agreement, and River hoped that it would be a very long time until they were tired of each other.

  Chapter Ten

  The last few weeks were some of the best Ridge could remember. Not only was Delilah growing by leaps and bounds, but the time he spent with River was better than he could ever imagine. Their casual relationship was working well for both of them, neither party feeling as if they were stuck in a scenario that they weren’t comfortable with.

  On the nights that Ridge wasn’t working, River stayed at his house. He was thankful his daughter was a heavy sleeper and went to bed at a decent hour because he was thoroughly enjoying learning all the aspects of River’s body that set her wild. She was, by far, the single best lover he had ever had. She came off as demure and shy, but she was open to trying any and everything in the bedroom. His vixen of a neighbor had a wild streak he was enjoying every aspect of.

  The days where Ridge spent his time with Delilah while River worked, he treasured their moments together until he left for the fire station. He never wanted to admit it to his uncle, but those were the loneliest times for him. Ridge always had the thought in the back of his mind that River was going to find the man that was worth her time. He would treasure her like the sweet fortune that she was.

  This evening, in particular, was one that Ridge had been waiting for. Not just because it was the weekend or that he, River, and Delilah had made plans together, but that he was able to spend this actual Halloween trick-or-treating with his daughter.

  The previous year, Penny had claimed that their daughter was too small to enjoy the festivities being that she was only a couple of months old. But this year, Ridge got to make that decision and he had been sitting on her costume for weeks, excited to see her in the mounds of green tulle.

  “Dada!” she said excitedly as he changed her diaper then tugged on a long-sleeve green shirt and a pair of white tights. It was going to be a warm night for late October, but Ridge wasn’t taking any chances at his baby being cold. Once he had finished untangling the tights from her feet and sliding them up her legs, Ridge slipped the green fairy costume over her head, completing the ensemble.

  “Well, aren’t you just the cutest thing I have ever seen?” he asked as he sat her up on the changing table before lifting her into his arms. “Are you excited to see everyone in their costumes?” Delilah ignored his question, her focus on the green tulle making up her skirt. She puffed the material up and down, enticing giggles along the way. “Yep, you’re a pretty fairy. Let’s go get daddy changed.”

  Ridge had been torn on what to wear or if he should dress-up at all, but he finally decided on a pirate costume he had seen in the store. This one was less like Captain Hook and more like a leather-wearing, billowing shirt kind of pirate. Ridge wanted to feel comfortable as he walked through the downtown area with the rest of the town residents.

  Since most of the people that lived in their small town were not in a neighborhood setting, the town began hosting a large trick-or-treat event on Main Street that everyone could attend. It had started ten years prior and had grown exponentially. People from nearby towns came to join the festivities. Businesses from those areas rented spots in the large parking area to participate or started the trend in their own downtowns. The event not only brought in a lot of money for the town, but it provided a safe place for families to bring their kids. And with the number of small families that had recently moved to Carson, the residents were thrilled with the choice of entertainment. Ridge had even heard that his cousin’s world-famous band, Exoneration, would be making an appearance since they were home from tour.

  Ridge had just finished fastening the fake leather belt around his waist when he heard the front door to his house open after a subtle knock.

  “Hello? Where is everyone?” River called out and like clockwork, Ridge’s heart began beating in double time. Gosh, he had it bad for her.

  “We’re back here,” he said as he reached onto the bed and tickled his daughter, who sat in the center with her pink teddy bear.

  “Oh my,” a gasped whisper sounded from behind him. Ridge turned to find River standing at the doorway to his bedroom, fanning her face dramatically. She was dressed in all black. The skintight pants and shirt conformed to her body, showing off her curves. On the top of her head sat a pair of white cat ears that highlighted the sleek ponytail she had pulled her hair into.

  Standing tall, Ridge placed both of his hands on his hips and looked to the far-off distance as he struck a pose. “How do I look?”

  “You just need a sword and your look is complete.”

  “I have one,” he told her, earning himself a soft chuckle.

  “I’m not sure I should go with you all. I’m not fully prepared to walk around town with you dressed as a sexy pirate. I’ll be fighting off women all night.”

  Ridge walked toward her and cupped her cheeks, tilting her face toward his so that he could press their lips together. After savoring her kiss for an extra minute. He pulled back slightly and said, “I can change if you want me to.”

  “No way, you look great. I’m just being silly.”

  “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I think you’re the sexiest cat I’ve ever seen. Maybe later you’ll let me get up close and personal with your pussy.”

  “Ridge!” she exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder to look at Delilah, who was paying them no mind, far too busy fluffing the tulle of her costume. “You’re terrible. Anyway, are you guys almost ready? Poppy said we could park behind Wake and Bake in the employee spots.”

  “Yep. I already put the stroller in the truck.”

  Before stepping back from River, Ridge gently grabbed the edge of her ponytail, yanking slightly for her attention.

  “Are you sure you’re okay about tonight?”

  Tonight was the first time they were making an appearance as a couple of sorts. Since their date, most of their nights and time together were spent at home. Ridge wasn’t sure anyone would actually care that the two of them were casually dating, but River had been nervous since he asked her to join them for the town festivities.

  “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” His eyes bore into hers, searching for any sign of uneasiness, but she seemed sincere in her answer.

  “Alright, if you’re sure.”

  Ridge released her cheeks and stepped away from River, moving toward the bed to scoop Delilah up in his arms.

  “Let’s get this show on the road,” he exclaimed in an exuberant voice that never failed to make his daughter light up in joy.

  As they made their way to the front of the house, River said, “Oh, I brought some mail by today. A lot of those blank white ones again.”

  Ridge stilled in the hallway. He hadn’t disclosed to River that the blank letters had contained Penny’s signature embossed on the lower edge. Nothing had been written inside. But he had passed along each slip of paper to the Sherriff of Carson so that he could run it for fingerprints. So far, they had been unsuccessful.

  “Something wrong?” River said from behind him and he shook his head as he continued to the kitchen where a stack of mail waited. He handed Delilah off to River, who quickly gathered the toddler in her arms.

  Ridge stared in disbelief at the seven or so white envelopes with only his name scrawled across the front. Frustration had been building with each letter he received and he was almost at his wit’s end. And the fact that River had been receiving them as well was not sitting well with him.

  “What are they? I figured they were a card or letter or something.”

  He didn’t know if he should tell her that it was a way his ex was communicating with him, but he was starting to fear for Delilah’s and her safety now. Penny could be unstable and he wasn’t sure what she was capable of, especially if she was on drugs or any other illicit materials.

  Ridge reached into a kitchen drawer before opening the envelope and tugged on a pair of latex gloves. River’s eyes widened in alarm as he reached fo
r the first envelope.

  Slipping his finger beneath the flap, he reached inside for the single piece of white paper, but this time was different. Nestled inside was a magazine cut out of a single letter with Penny’s name still engraved into the paper at the bottom.

  Panic welled inside him and he quickly sifted through the other six letters, laying out each paper with its individual letter buried inside.

  “What is this, Ridge?”

  “It’s a game,” he told her before delving into the series of letters he received previously. “These are either sent out of warning or fear. Preston, the Sheriff, has a team working on it and they’re not sure either. I’m going to let him know about these and maybe I can bring them to him tonight.”

  River nodded as she reached into the drawer he had used and grabbed a glove, blowing it up like a balloon for Delilah to play with.

  “You have a video alarm system, right? How come you haven’t been able to get an image of whoever is dropping these off?”

  Damn, he was falling for her. Instead of freaking out, she went into full investigation mode, asking the same questions he had asked Preston.

  “We’ve tried. Even Preston has staked out a few nights to see if he could find someone tampering with the mailboxes. But we haven’t figured out anything. The mail person is the only one we’ve seen at the mailbox. The post office hasn’t received these letters, or they would have stamped. Everyone is stumped.”

  “So, you’re saying that someone is doing this, but we have absolutely no idea how it’s happening.”

  Leaning onto his elbows on the kitchen counter, Ridge raked his hands through his hair. “Yeah, pretty much. And now I’m worried it’s going to continue to escalate.” Turning his eyes toward her, he hoped she felt the fear he had about this spilling over to her life as well. He didn’t want her to be involved, but unfortunately, it was far past that time.

  “Well, there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do about it except what you’ve already been doing. If I see anything suspicious, I’ll be sure to let you know.”