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

by Renee Harless

  Ridge moved his talented fingers between her legs, slowly gliding his fingers back and forth across her slit until her hips began rocking on their own. She had no power over their desire to ride his hand.

  Removing her hand from his cock, she lifted her leg over his body until she straddled his hips. Lifting her body slightly, River grasped his shaft until it lined up with her slit, then, inch by agonizing inch, impaled herself on his cock.

  “My god,” Ridge cried out as she sat on him fully to the hilt. Her body felt incredibly full and it took her a few minutes to adjust to his size in the new position.

  She wanted to help him forget everything he had witnessed that night as she rode her body up and down against his erection. River’s muscles began to quake and she knew that her peak was getting close, except she wanted to make it last longer for Ridge. He had another idea. He gripped her waist and held her in place as he thrust upward over and over again, the tip of his cock rubbing the spot no other man had ever found.

  “Ridge!” she cried out as her body convulsed in waves after waves.

  Before she had a chance to catch her breath, River found herself on her back and Ridge hovering above her, a look of lust and determination on his face. He was wild and feral as he pounded into her sensitive area, still quaking from her earlier orgasm.

  “Fuck, I’m going to come, baby.”

  She didn’t know it was possible, but his speed increased as he leaned back, holding her legs apart as he watched his cock slide in and out of her channel. As he spilled his seed deep inside her body, Ridge collapsed on top of her, positioning his forearm and elbow next to her head to bear the brunt of his weight.

  River ran her hand up and down his back as his breathing evened out and she believed he had fallen asleep. She was glad that she was able to take his mind away from the horrific accident he had arrived upon, but she had to wonder at what expense it was to her. Like every other relationship, she had done what she could to take his hurt into herself. This time was in the form of her body. Other relationships had involved money or things she could do for them. It was a vicious cycle she was falling in to again.

  He turned over in his sleep and River tugged the covers over her body, tucking them under her chin as she looked at him snoozing peacefully. The look he had worn when he came home was now long gone. River kept telling herself that Ridge was different, that he hadn’t asked her for anything that she wasn’t willing to give. Even this evening, he hadn’t been the one to initiate their lovemaking, he had been happy just to hold her in his arms, but she had wanted to distract him from his evening. In this case, she couldn’t blame Ridge at all, the decision had been all hers and she had given herself without a second thought.

  River didn’t know how or if things would change in the morning, their casual relationship seeming more serious after that night’s events. She would have to wait and see if Ridge acted differently or if he would even bring it up. He may not have even realized the sacrifice she had given to comfort him, to make him forget.

  There was no going back to sleep as River ran hundreds of scenarios through her head where she ended their tryst and somewhere Ridge finished their relationship because the commitment was becoming too much.

  Either way, River feared that things were headed in a disastrous direction for them, but she was selfish and not ready to end things yet. She enjoyed him and his daughter, but as she had told him weeks before, maybe she really needed to think about focusing on finding a partner that would put her first.

  Except for the more time that passed, River worried that her dream partner didn’t exist.

  Chapter Twelve

  Something was up. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but River had been acting strangely since they woke the next morning after their hurried lovemaking. She rushed back to her home to change for work with nothing more than a quick kiss goodbye.

  Not only was Ridge confused, but Delilah had been searching the house for her friend as well.

  “I know, sweet pea. We’re going to surprise her with lunch, though. Do you think you can wait that long? I mean, I know that I’m boring, but maybe we can get through the morning.”

  After a trip to the grocery store and working with Preston to install the security system at River’s house, they went through the recordings Ridge had on file. Nothing stood out to either of them, but one thing that alarmed them was a black car that traveled through the neighborhood that didn’t belong to any of the residents. Preston assured him that they would run the plates.

  Just as Preston was prepping to leave, Ridge noticed something glitch on the camera. In the dark of the night, something moved on the street, but then it quickly disappeared. Preston took a copy of the tape and said he would clarify the image and better understand what they were seeing. To their naked eye, it could be nothing more than an animal searching for food before winter arrived, but after everything that had been happening with the disappearance of Penny and the arrival of the letters, it could be far more.

  He and his friend had been so engrossed in the videos that he lost track of time. Before he knew it, lunch was approaching and he had already coordinated with Poppy to take River out for lunch. She had readily agreed, but with the sort of look that told him that she intended to divulge that information to the rest of his female cousins.

  Ridge and Delilah arrived at the daycare just before the scheduled lunchtime for the school. Poppy let him inside and escorted him to River’s office, where she sat at her desk sipping on a cup of water.

  “Hi,” he said with a quick knock on her door. His unexpected arrival startled her enough that River sloshed water over the edge of her cup.

  “Oh drats,” she said as she reached for a tissue to attempt to dry off her shirt.

  “Sorry,” he apologized.

  “Don’t be. I was just lost in the world of spreadsheets. So, what brings you two by on your day off?” River asked as she reached forward and tickled Delilah’s stomach.

  “We were hoping we could convince you to join us for lunch.”

  “Oh, I can’t today. It’s my rotation in the center.”

  Even as she tried to explain how the rotations worked, he never let his smile waiver; he had an ace in the hole after all.

  “Of course you can go to lunch,” a vibrant voice said from behind him. Ridge turned sideways to let River’s boss enter her office. “Actually, you can take the rest of the day off. Enjoy your weekend.” Ridge knew he was going to owe Poppy big time after that addition to his request, but he certainly wasn’t complaining. Now if only his cousin-in-law could convince the woman with the pinched expression sitting at her desk.

  “Poppy, that’s really not necessary.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I wasn’t asking. I was telling. Now pack your stuff and enjoy your afternoon. I’ll see you tomorrow at the knitting club.”

  Ridge watched Poppy leave just as quickly as she came, reminding him of the cherry blossoms in the spring.

  Turning his attention back to River, Ridge asked with a raised eyebrow, “Knitting club?”

  “Don’t ask. Besides, are we going to discuss how you managed to pull that off?”

  “I don’t have the slightest idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Mmhmm, sure. Poppy just so happened to be around during the lunch she wasn’t scheduled to cover just so that I could go with you instead.”

  “Intuition?” he suggested with a shrug of his shoulders.

  “What if I don’t want to go to lunch with you? What if I want to spend my now free afternoon and get a massage at the spa?”

  “Come on. You know my massages are better than anything you could get in town.” Which was the truth. And his massages always added a little something extra in the form of naked time at the end. In a last-ditch effort, he used the only weapon he had left in his arsenal. Adjusting his hold of Delilah, he held her out toward River. “And really, are you going to deny this little one a lunch date with her other favorite person?”
r />   “That’s hitting below the belt, Ridge.”

  “Oh, I know. I never fight fair when it’s something that I want.”

  “Fine, let me close out my computer and grab my things.”

  “We’ll meet you outside.”

  Angie’s diner was crowded when they arrived, mostly due to the lunch hour, but he had called ahead and Ethel had set aside a table for him in the back room. She had just taken their order when his phone buzzed on the table.

  “Sorry,” he told her, but she prompted him to answer. Surprised at the number that flashed on the screen, Ridge quickly answered the call before it could be sent to voicemail.”

  “Grady Malone, how the hell are you doing, man?”

  “Doing fine. How are things with you?” Grady asked and Ridge immediately looked over at River. She was trying not to listen to his conversation by entertaining Delilah, but he knew she was eavesdropping.

  “I’m good. Delilah is growing like a weed, man.”

  “Really? Well, I can’t wait to see her.”

  Though he missed his friends, Ridge hadn’t considered even once traveling back to California. He and his daughter had started making a new life in Carson.

  Ridge had grown silent on the call, and Grady interrupted, asking if he was still on the line.

  “Yeah, man. Sorry. I’m at lunch with Delilah and. . .ugh. . .someone I’ve been seeing,” he said nervously, wondering how River would react. A tiny smirk lifted on the corner of her mouth as she continued to color a picture with Delilah.

  “Seeing someone? Dylan will be happy to hear that. You know how much she wanted you to start dating again.”

  “Yeah, I know. She was a bit relentless about it.” Ethel chose that moment to drop off their lunch and refresh their drinks.

  “Hey, our lunch just arrived. Can I give you a call later?”

  “Actually, that was why I was calling. I hadn’t put two and two together until we boarded the plane, but are you free for dinner?”

  It took a moment for Grady’s words to register. “Wait, you’re on your way to Carson?”

  “Yeah, man. Dylan has something she’s working on.”

  “No, shit. Give me a call when you get to town and we’ll plan on something. Where are you guys staying?”

  “We booked a room at the bed and breakfast in town.”

  “Man, it will be so good to see you.”

  They exchanged a few more words and then Ridge ended the call, a new state of elation filling his soul. Grady had been more than just a friend when he lived in Sunnyville, he had been like a brother. And Dylan had been one of the best people he had ever met. She accepted his friend for all his flaws, physical and emotional, and didn’t let that change how much she loved him. Glancing across the table to River, he wondered if he had found the same.

  ***

  River hadn’t known what to expect when she was meeting one of Ridge’s friends. The arrival of him and his girlfriend, Dylan, brought them out of the nice little bubble she and Ridge had created in Carson. Would he act differently? Would he treat her the same? Would she see a side of him that she wasn’t prepared for? River had all these questions as she paced back and forth in the same room where they had eaten lunch.

  Angie’s was the only full-service restaurant in Carson, so they weren’t left with many dinner options with Grady Malone. The downside of small-town living.

  River had excused herself most of the afternoon to spend time at her own home. She claimed she needed to clean and do laundry, but instead, she had wallowed in her self-pity with a cheesy romantic comedy on the television. She was scared. Scared of what had happened the night before. Scared about the emotions she was feeling. And scared about what it meant if Ridge was introducing her to his friends. She tried to rationalize that it was because Grady was bringing his girlfriend along and River’s presence would help Dylan feel more comfortable. Ridge had been friends with both of them. She also considered that maybe Ridge wanted her help with Delilah.

  River had spent so long agonizing over why she was joining them for dinner and making up thousands of excuses not to show up that she almost missed her chance to take a shower and get dressed. Almost. Ridge had shown up at her house thirty minutes before they would have had to leave and insisted she get ready. He wasn’t going to dinner without her.

  “Can you stop pacing? You’re making me nervous and I’ve known Grady for years.” River spun on her heel and stared down at Ridge sitting casually in a chair, his arm along the back of the chair River had occupied.

  “I can’t help it. Meeting new people makes me nervous. Kids I can deal with; adults, that’s a different story.”

  “You have nothing to be nervous about. Believe me.” Sullenly River nodded and returned to the chair she had vacated. Ridge used the arm behind her head to massage her shoulder and River couldn’t help leaning her head toward his.

  Their lips were only a mere inches apart and River sighed with relief when he leaned down and pressed his mouth against hers. Ridge soothed her in a way that no one else could, even more so than the embrace of her grandmother. He was solace in a chaotic world.

  “Well, don’t let me interrupt,” a deep voice said with a chuckle. Ridge pulled back and looked over his shoulder, a wide grin quickly growing on the lips that had just moments ago been brushing against her mouth.

  “Ryker! It’s good to see you.”

  Humiliation seized her lungs and she could feel the deep blush grow from her chest to her hairline. Ryker Connelly, better known to his fans as Ryker James, was the lead singer of Exoneration. She had been to eight of his concerts and was a massive fan of his music. River may have even shed a tear when she discovered he was engaged to his twin brother’s best friend, Norah.

  So far, she had been able to avoid meeting the rockstar in the few months she had lived in Carson, but now her time was up. As River stood next to Ridge, she was surprised to find that she didn’t feel those quivers of awareness in the pit of her stomach like she did when she was with Ridge. Not that Ryker wasn’t attractive. He had been named the number one hottest bachelor in music three times, but at that moment, River simply saw him as Ridge’s cousin, which was a huge relief.

  Now the man that stepped into the room behind Ryker was another story. He was tall and muscled with eyes that drew you in and River immediately swallowed her tongue as he smiled in her direction. Ridge said something to the newcomer, reaching out and embracing the man in one of the one-armed hugs men were known for.

  “River, this is my friend Grady Malone. Grady, this is my. . .friend River.”

  Reaching out, River nervously shook Grady’s hand, hoping that he didn’t notice her palm's sweatiness.

  “Oh, here she is,” Grady said in a low voice as a gorgeous woman with short black hair skipped into the room. “This is Dylan. Dylan, this is Ridge’s friend River.”

  “Sorry, I had to stop by the restroom. It’s so nice to meet you!” Dylan exclaimed as she stepped forward and hugged River, taking her by surprise. “Ridge, it’s good to see you too, of course,” she said with a quick hug for Ridge. “Now, where is that sweet darling girl?”

  As if Delilah knew she was being discussed, she cooed and squealed from her high chair at the table where she had been snacking on puffed cereal. The little girl ate up the attention as Grady, Dylan, and Ryker took their seats closest to her.

  River did her best to follow the conversation between the friends and she laughed at the appropriate moments, but when Ridge and Grady delved into their work as firefighters, she turned her attention to Dylan.

  “So, I may have missed it, but what brings you guys to Carson? Or did you guys plan a surprise visit?” she asked curiously.

  “Well, a bit of both, actually. But Ryker here reached out to me for a song collaboration. Something he wanted to write and perform for his lady love.”

  “Oh, I didn’t even realize that you were a songwriter. Besides being a fan of Exoneration, I don’t follow a lot of musician
s.” River tried her best to ignore the cocky smile on Ryker’s face at her claim.

  “I work mainly on my own stuff now, but I used to write songs for Jett Kroger.”

  River noticed that the woman said the rockstar’s name with a bit of a growl and a sigh. There was bad blood there for sure.

  “Wow, as if you need anyone to tell you, but you’re extremely talented.”

  “Thank you. As I said, I usually write for myself now, but when Ryker James calls you for a collaboration, you don’t turn it down.

  “So, what is it you do, River? How do you know our Ridge?”

  River spent the next few minutes talking about herself. Something she hated to do especially when she mentioned her grandmother’s deteriorating condition and how that was what brought her to Carson.

  Grady and Dylan disclosed that they were only in town for the weekend because they needed to get back to their pet pig, Petunia. But Dylan agreed to join River at the knitting club she had been tricked into attending. Ryker had laughed at her wariness of joining the club, but he explained that Norah went as well. And that more times than not the women drank a little too much and gossiped even more.

  River could tell that Ridge was reluctant to leave, but he had been working nights all week and his eyes were drooping with tiredness. It took Grady pointing it out for Ridge to concede that he was exhausted. Delilah had long since fallen asleep in River’s lap, one of her favorite nap positions.

  As they were leaving, River and Dylan made plans to meet up at the studio in town Ryker was using to record the song. It was strange for her to consider that a handful of celebrities lived in the small town, but after dinner with Ryker, she realized that he was just a regular person. However, she was still a bit starstruck.

  At Ridge’s house, River helped him ready Delilah for bed, who barely opened her eyes as he put her in her footie pajamas. River leaned over the crib where Delilah slept with her teddy bear and wished the little girl peaceful dreams when Ridge came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist.