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More and more he’s proving to me how right we are together. How our baby will have two loving parents who like each other, heck, more than like.
If I’m not careful, I could easily come to depend on this man—to love him—and that scares me to death because there’s so much working against us. What happens if we drift apart or in the long run, don’t work out?
An odd rolling sensation prickles up my spine and my chest constricts. Ridge Kincaide could easily be my ruin.
17
RIDGE
“Stay.” Lacy moves backward through her apartment door, beckoning me to follow.
I prowl toward her, but only close enough to land a kiss on her rosy cheek, still chilly from being out in the cold. “I told you; I never have sex on a first date.”
Laughing, she licks her lips, pops the buttons on her coat, and uncoils the scarf from around her neck. “I promise I’ll make it worth your while.”
Fuck, she’s tempting, but it would be too easy to screw this thing up right now. Everything between us is still so tender and new, and my heavy expectations for our future have already risked crushing it all.
The reality of our situation hit home for me when we first viewed the house on Maple—our house. Lacy’s like a new foal. She’s skittish and wary, especially around the topic of our relationship. And there I was, rushing us into home ownership when we’d never even gone on a date. It’s no wonder she was so goddamn hesitant.
This evening, though… Damn, it was near perfection.
Something special’s happening between us. We’re forming a bond like I’ve never experienced before, and I want her to know it. She needs to understand, this is more than sex.
In bed, we’re explosive—a tinderbox waiting to ignite. So amazing, I’ll always want more. But what’s the use of this constant craving if my intensity scares her off? Slowing us down is the only sensible solution.
“Please, Ridge.”
My cock is painfully hard, and hearing her beg only makes it worse. Is she trying to torture me?
Unable to resist, I lean in and kiss her for real, my tongue delving into her mouth, claiming it the way I crave to claim the rest of her. All of her.
She responds immediately, grasping onto the front of my coat like a lifeline, and moans into my mouth.
God, it would be so easy to get lost in her right now. To give in to my body’s constant demand for more.
But waiting only adds to the thrill. That heady combination of pleasure and pain I can’t seem to get enough of with her.
The ecstasy of being in control.
I break away from her, using both my physical and mental strength to put distance between us. “Goodnight, Lace.”
The sound of her objection is a strangled cry of frustration that soon shifts to laughter when I turn and walk away.
Back home in my office and still high off the success of our first date, I struggle to find something productive to do. Preferably something that will take my mind off the fact that I just left my woman standing unfulfilled at her front door.
Except, the work on my desk is minimal and a bit useless, as far as distractions go. I’m about to wrap it up when there’s a light tap on the open door and Mama pokes her head in.
“Oh Ridge, I’m so happy you’re finally here.” Her oddly sweet tone and painted-on smile have me immediately on guard. “It’s been so long.”
“You saw me only a few days ago.” I lean back in my chair, folding my arms over my chest, taking her measure.
She sashays her way into the room, uninvited. “I know, but we haven’t had a chance to talk, and I miss that.”
A chill finds its way up my spine, and like a roped steer, I’ve got no way out. Normally, it wouldn’t bother me one bit, but then I’d usually be on her good side. Now, with this silent battle we’re waging, I have no idea which way things will go.
From the look on her face, she already believes she has the upper hand.
I hide my smile, knowing she’s got a whole heap of disappointment coming her way.
