by Laura Ann
Sawyer raised his eyebrows. “You tell me. It sounded like you yelled.”
Everly laughed self-consciously and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Oh...I guess this door isn’t as soundproof as it’s supposed to be, huh?”
Sawyer smirked. “Guess not.” His amused look turned to concerned. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”
Everly rolled her eyes. “Yeah. My creative muse left for the day.”
Sawyer nodded in revelation. “Got it. A little artistic tantrum then, huh?”
Everly threw another pencil. “I don’t throw tantrums! You act like I’m some diva or something.”
Sawyer laughed and dodged the projectile. “If you say so,” he teased. “But in all seriousness, do you need to get out of the house or something? We’ve kinda been cooped up here for several days.”
Everly sighed and pursed her lips. “Maybe. I’m not sure what we’d do though. Maybe I just need to step out of the practice room for a while.”
“What do you usually do when you’re having a hard time?”
“Bake,” Everly said automatically. “But with as much stress as I’m feeling, I think I’d bake myself right into a new size of pants.”
Sawyer laughed again and shook his head. “Come on.” He started down the hall with a nod of his head. “Let’s go get your mind off everything.”
Everly followed, not having any better ideas. Once they reached the kitchen, Sawyer plopped himself onto a bar stool.
“What do you want to bake?” he asked.
Everly gave him a look. “You’re just going to sit there and expect me to bake you something? That sounds more like slave labor than an intervention.”
Sawyer spread his hands wide. “I’d help, but I thought we already established that wasn’t a good idea. Nobody wants to eat my stuff if they can help it, and if they can’t, then they most certainly regret it.”
Grinning, Everly grabbed her favorite cookbook. “Well, there’s no time like the present to learn. How do you feel about snickerdoodles?”
“Love ’em.”
“Good. Then get up and I’ll teach you how to make them.”
Sawyer groaned, but stood up and came around the countertop. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Everly grabbed the flour and other dry ingredients out of the cupboard. “Don’t worry. I won’t let you mess up too badly.”
“Gee, thanks. I feel so much better now.”
Everly grinned and they settled into a comfortable routine. That was the best part of Sawyer. After they had gotten over the initial awkwardness, and after Everly had figured out that the boys had pulled a switcheroo with her a couple of times, she had found that Sawyer’s presence was easy. Even though he could be stoic at times, he was also kind and willing to help. He kept her informed of anything that was going on and made sure she understood any update that came through the firm.
Then why am I still wishing that Ridge was here with his overwhelming presence and flirtatious banter? Why can’t I be content with easy and sweet?
“Ridge’s favorite cookies are chocolate chip.” Sawyer’s comment broke through Everly’s wandering thoughts.
She felt an instant blush creep into her cheeks. “Oh?”
Sawyer chuckled. “Don’t act so nonchalant. It won’t work. Every part of your body is screaming otherwise, no matter what your words say.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. “Seriously. Sometimes I need you bodyguard people to notice a bit less.”
Sawyer snorted.
A moment passed and Everly finally took the bait. “Is he just a big chocolate fan in general?”
“That...is a total understatement.” Sawyer turned on the mixer, watching everything begin to meld together. “Death by chocolate would leave Ridge a happy, happy man.”
Everly grinned. “Is he a purist? Or does he like things mixed with his chocolate?”
Sawyer put a hand to his chest in mock horror. “Mixed in? You would dare desecrate the brilliance that is chocolate with something else?”
Everly laughed and she realized their little cooking session had done exactly what she needed it to. She felt much lighter and happier than she’d been in days. “I thoroughly enjoy chocolate, I mean, what woman doesn’t? But I have to admit I’m a fruity dessert girl.”
“Eh...fruit is just a glorified side dish,” Sawyer shot back.
“What?” Everly stopped mixing the cinnamon and sugar to gape at her cooking partner. “What about a pie?”
“It’s fruit.” He shrugged. “Ergo, side dish.”
“Cobbler?”
“Side dish.”
“Popsicle?”
“A very cold side dish.”
Everly threw her hands in the air. “I give up!”
They both laughed before going back to the cookies. Twenty minutes later, just as the first batch was coming out of the oven, Sawyer’s phone buzzed.
He pulled it from his back pocket and glanced at it before frowning. “Excuse me.” Without another word, he stepped out of the kitchen and disappeared.
Everly did her best to ignore her curiosity, but it was difficult. She focused on getting the second pan in the oven and the already baked cookies off the sheet pan.
“Everly?” Sawyer called from the doorway.
“Yeah?” She turned around, hoping to hear what was going on.
“I need to work on my computer for a while. You doing better?”
Everly fought the sigh that wanted to escape. Sawyer may not be Ridge, but he was becoming like a brother to her and it had been nice to get away from things for a while. But he’s here for a job and it’s not okay for me to keep him from it. “Yeah. Thanks. Baking helped a ton. After this last batch is out, I’m going to go back and try to finish that song.”
Sawyer nodded. “Awesome.” He stepped forward and snatched a cookie, moaning as he took a bite. “And thank you for not letting me ruin these. I think my life would’ve been over if I’d ruined one of my favorite treats.”
Everly shook her head and laughed as he grabbed several more, then headed to the family room where his computer and equipment were spread out.
She nibbled on a cookie herself while she waited for the last batch, then headed back to her private space. Time to be a big girl and get this done. Your fans are waiting.
“DUDE, I NEED YOU TO come be me again.”
Ridge frowned, positive that Sawyer was joking, but his tone didn’t sound amused. “What are you talking about?”
“I want to go check out the hit you got on that comment, but I can’t while I’m here with Everly. I need you to come stay with her while I go.”
Ridge pushed a hand through his hair. “Why do I have to be you though? Can’t I just come as myself? Or why don’t you send someone else to check on the hit?”
“Because I’ve just now gotten Everly to trust me. She’s been edgy and nervous, but we’re finally in a good place.Throwing a new bodyguard at her will only mess everything up again. Plus, no one else is as good at digging up dirt as I am. You know that.”
Ridge nodded, even though Sawyer couldn’t see it. Everyone knew Sawyer was the sneaky one. He had a way of getting around and hearing things no one else heard.
“Besides, don’t you want to spend more time with her?”
“Of course!” Ridge almost shouted. Ducking his head, he brought down his voice. “Of course I do, but I want to get to know her as myself, not my brother.”
Sawyer chuckled and Ridge wished they were talking face to face so he could punch him in the nose.
“Oh, man, you’ve got it bad, don’t you? I can’t believe you’ve gone and fallen for a girl you barely know.”
“She’s not a girl, Sawyer,” Ridge growled. “She’s a woman, and I know her better than you think.”
“Watching her on a music video doesn’t mean you know her.”
“Maybe not, but I’ll bet I know as much about her as you do.”
“Look, I’m not going to sit here
and argue with you. Are you going to help me out or not?”
Ridge sighed and rubbed circles on his temple. How do I get myself into these things? Even when I’m not doing anything, trouble finds me. “Okay, but we can’t keep doing this. I know it was my idea in the first place, but it isn’t fair to Everly.”
“Look...” Sawyer took a deep breath. “If it makes you feel better, then you can tell her it’s you. I won’t blame you for that. I agree that we wouldn’t want her falling for me, I mean...we both know who would win if it came down to the two of us.”
On second thought, a punch isn’t enough. He needs a faceplant on the ground. “You wish. You’re just lucky you’re not here where I can put you into a headlock.”
Sawyer laughed. “Keep dreaming’, little bro, keep dreamin’.” He laughed. “Besides, we’ve got kind of a brother-sister thing going on. No worries about me poaching. Can you come over right now? She’s in her practice room.”
“What about Leon?” He could practically hear his brother thinking on the other side of the line.
“He’s still at work and I’ll be back before he’s done with work.”
“You better be. Last time I barely made it through breakfast without suspicion.”
“Scout’s honor,” Sawyer said solemnly.
“Better.”
“See ya.” The line went dead.
Ridge threw his phone on the desk and threw his head back. I have a feeling I’m going to regret this. Wait! He sat back up. “Sawyer said I could tell her it was me.” He tapped his foot rapidly. “Will she be okay with that? Sawyer’s right that she isn’t exactly outgoing or fond of new things. Will switching us out really upset her?” He pushed his hands through his hair and tugged. “ARGH! This is ridiculous. Just go!”
He grabbed his stuff and headed out, praying he could figure out the right path by the time he arrived.
Ridge snuck around Everly’s house, still feeling unsettled. After intense deliberation, he had decided to hold off telling Everly who he was until he was better able to gauge the reaction she might have.
“Hey, bro,” Sawyer whispered, slipping out the back door. “She’s practicing away, and is usually in there for several hours. I left my laptop on the coffee table so you can keep checking the social media accounts.”
“Got it.” Ridge made to go into the house, but Sawyer caught his arm.
“Fair warning—she’s getting cabin fever. She’s scared to go out, but needs to at the same time and is starting to get a little grouchy.” He glanced around quickly, then brought his gaze back to Ridge. “You going to tell her who you are?”
Ridge pinched lips and shrugged. “I figured I’d play it by ear. I want to, but not if it makes her feel uncomfortable.”
Sawyer nodded. “Good luck.” In another second, he was gone.
Ridge took a deep breath and headed into the house, locking the door behind him. Holding still, he listened intently for movement in the house, but nothing stood out. He walked across the room and headed toward the practice studio and put his ear to the door. Very faint strains of guitar could be heard, and for a moment, Ridge closed his eyes to listen. When a sour chord came through, he winced, then grinned when he could hear Everly complaining.
Straightening up, he walked back to the sitting room where Sawyer’s computer was waiting. Ridge spent the next while going through all of Everly’s social media, but nothing more had shown up from the stalker.
He fell back into the couch and scratched his chin. “It seems odd that the guy would go silent. Does he know that she’s got protection now?” He shook his head, unable to figure out what was going on.
Pulling out his phone, Ridge spent some time scrolling through his own accounts, but only a few minutes later, found himself completely bored. “How does Sawyer stand it?” His eyes drifted toward the hall where Everly was shut away. His desire to see her was growing stronger by the minute. How was he supposed to sit in the same house as her and not see her?
He couldn’t take it anymore. Storming down the hall, he raised his fist, only to pause before knocking. What am I doing? This is her career. She needs to practice if she’s going to keep moving forward.
With a sigh, his hand fell to his side and he slowly leaned forward to put his forehead against the door, only to stumble forward when it jerked open.
“Whoa!” Ridge grabbed onto Everly, who was in his path, and he was able to plant his feet enough to keep them from falling to the ground.
Both their chests were heaving and Everly’s beautiful, warm eyes were wide from the shot of adrenaline they’d just experienced. After a moment, Ridge realized he was holding her in his arms. He gulped as tingling warmth began to spread through his limbs. Slowly, he straightened his body, bringing her up with him. His fingers flexed slowly against her back, wanting to wander, but knowing it wasn’t a good idea.
How does she do this to me? What is it about this woman that drives away every good sense I have?
Everly’s eyes were still latched onto his and Ridge couldn’t help but pull her in until their bodies were flush. Her hands shot straight to his shoulders and Ridge could feel them trembling. Knowing she was just as affected as he was bolstered his confidence and he brought his lips to her forehead for a tender kiss. Her hair smelled sweet and her skin was silky smooth, just like he knew it would be. A soft sigh escaped her mouth and her hands tightly gripped his shirt.
Next Ridge moved over to her temple, loving the feel of her acceptance as she pulled him in closer. Her cheek was flushed and warm as his lips moved there next. He paused, breathing heavily as he worked up the courage to move to her waiting lips.
“Kiss me, Ridge...please.” Everly sighed, turning just enough to help their mouths meet.
That was all the encouragement he needed. Their lips met and the world disappeared. Ridge had kissed plenty of women during his life, but nothing had rocked him to the core like the beautiful musician in his arms. They fit together perfectly, like two puzzle pieces completing a picture.
After a couple of soft touches, the kiss intensified. Everly slid her arms around his neck, rising up on her toes to meet him head on. Ridge slid a hand along her jaw and into her hair, guiding her movements while he deepened the action, getting lost in the euphoric sensations.
CHAPTER 12
I’m dead. That’s the only explanation for this. I’ve died and I’ve met an angel...or maybe a devil. The sensations of the kiss and the tender way that Ridge was holding her had Everly gasping to keep up. No man had ever made her feel so cherished and wanted by doing so little.
She had been going crazy in her practice room, hitting all sorts of wrong notes and erasing huge sections of her new songs. Obviously, her baking break hadn’t helped as much as she had hoped. Being cooped up in the house was taking its toll and this afternoon, it had come to a head.
Putting her instrument away, Everly had been prepared to come out and approach Sawyer, begging for him to take her somewhere, anywhere, to get out of this place. Instead, all of her anger and frustration had disappeared when she’d thrown open her practice room door. She had known it was Ridge as soon as he’d stumbled forward and touched her.
The same fluttery sensations she had felt every time she was in his presence had burst to life immediately when he almost knocked her to the ground. However, it was the kiss that had happened afterward that had changed everything. When he began kissing her face, Everly had thought for sure that she was going to melt into a puddle right in the middle of her practice room.
Each touch of his lips had heightened the tension and she was practically salivating by the time he got to her lips. When he paused, Everly knew she wouldn’t be able to handle it if he didn’t follow through, so she had taken matters into her own hands, and it had been magical.
She squeaked when Ridge suddenly jumped away from her, leaving Everly gasping for breath and her footing.
“Wait a second...” His eyes were wild and his hair a mess from where her fing
ers had run through it. “Did you call me...Ridge?”
Oops. Everly ducked her head and grimaced. “Uh, yeah. Sorry. I didn’t mean to break your cover or anything.”
“So you didn’t think you were kissing Sawyer?”
Everly jerked upright and glared at him, fisting her hands on her hips. “Are you kidding me? Absolutely not. What kind of girl do you take me for? That I just go around kissing anyone willy nilly?”
“But you just kissed me.” Ridge’s brows were furrowed and true confusion was on his face.
“Because I wanted to.” Everly threw up her hands. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for weeks, but you never came back.”
“What?” Ridge’s hands went into his hair and stayed there, the curls standing straight up between his fingers. “How the heck did you know it was me? How long have you known?”
Everly fought the smirk crossing her face, she really did, but it couldn’t be helped. Here she had several ex-military men guarding her, but she’d been able to figure out their secret without them knowing. It was just too ironic. “I figured it out on your second swap.”
Ridge’s jaw dropped. “You figured it out...” He huffed. “How?”
Everly kept eye contact while she boldly stepped back into his space. Reaching up, she pulled his hands down and then played with his curls until they laid just how she wanted them to. She couldn’t help but smile when his eyes closed and the tension in his shoulders melted away. “Sawyer doesn’t make my heart race or send tingles through every nerve in my body.”
Ridge’s eyes shot open and the intensity in his gaze brought another round of butterflies.
“Nor do I find my fingers itching with the desire to play with his hair or run my fingers along the stubble on his chin.” She let her fingers do just that as she spoke softly. A pleasant shiver rocked Ridge and Everly loved the fact that he was so responsive to her. “You two might share similar DNA,” she explained, looking up again to meet his gaze, “but he’s not the one I want.”