Page 35 of Falling For Her Cowboy
Melah couldn’t erase the silly grin from her lips. Warm arms wrapped around her from behind. She tried to pull away from them, but their owner was stronger than her. Ridge’s warm chest pressed on her back. The man was insatiable. He hadn’t been lying when he’d said he’d show her how much he needed her. She cleared her throat and again tried to stop grinning like an idiot. Her damn voice even had the nerve to be hoarse from their night together.
“I need to go, Ridge.” She giggled.
God, when had she giggled so much? Who was this woman? She barely recognized herself. His warm breath blew on her neck as he nuzzled his face against her skin. A bulge rested along her bottom.She inhaled sharply and tried to ignore it. She had to report to work today, and the man was acting like she didn’t have a job.
“But what if I don’t want you to?” he replied.
He nipped at her skin, and she moaned. The man had explored her body all night. She’d had barely three hours of sleep the entire night. She was sore in spots she hadn’t even known existed. Her pussy had been stretched out in ways it had never been before. She had doubted the man would fit, but he had showed her she could take him perfectly.
Her core clenched at the way his tongue lazily trailed over her skin. The memory of his head buried between her thighs would be forever etched in her brain.
“I have to go to work.” She pulled her jeans up and got them buttoned. She still had to put her shirt on, but a certain muscular cowboy was keeping her hostage at the moment.
Did she really want to go to work? To be out in the sun, around cattle and other men who would be sweating just as bad as she would be?
Hell no.
She’d rather remain here with Ridge and have an encore of last night’s performance.
“I do know your boss. I can make a call.” He lifted his head and dropped a kiss on her cheek.
“You are not calling your father and telling him nothing.” She whirled around and pressed a finger to his bare chest. There was no way in hell Ridge was telling his father that she couldn’t come to work. That would be embarrassing. What would Andy think if he knew she’d slept with his son? She didn’t want anyone getting the wrong thoughts about her.
“I’m just playing. I wouldn’t do that.” He cupped her face and stared down at her. His smile was gone, and this was the serious side of him. He may be relaxed and joke a lot, but he apparently knew when it was time to be serious. “I wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable in any way around my family.”
“It’s not that. I like your dad and even your brother. I just don’t want anyone else thinking I’m sleeping with you for ulterior reasons,” she admitted.
Been there. Done that. But what happened between her and Theo wasn’t consensual. But to hear his side of the story, she’d wanted his advances, which was an absolute lie. She hadn’t asked to be held down. She hadn’t asked for him to rip her dress?—
She closed her eyes and pushed that night away from the forefront of her mind. Not here with Ridge.
Ridge was nothing like Theo.
“I get it. I do, but I’m not going to hide my feelings for you from no one.” His thumb gently caressed her skin. His eyes darkened into something she’d never seen before. “If someone says anything to you, come to me. I’ll handle it.”
A shiver went through her. She’d never seen this from Ridge. Maybe there was more to him than what he allowed everyone to see. At that exact moment, the expression in his eyes looked familiar.
His brother.
Even though the two were complete opposites, at the moment, she saw the same darkness his brother carried in Ridge’s eyes.
“I can take care of myself,” she said softly.
He tightened his hold on her face. It wasn’t painful, but that darkness clouded his eyes even more.
“I’m serious, Melah. You are not alone. You don’t have to take care of yourself. I’m here with you.” He dropped a kiss to her lips, and when he lifted his head, that look in his eyes was gone.
The Ridge she’d come to know was back. She blinked. Had she imagined it?
“Okay.” She leaned into him and rested her forehead on his chest. This man knew what she neededin the short time they had been together. It was like the weight was floating from her shoulders. She inhaled his warm scent, which relaxed her. She raised her head and smiled. “I still have to go.”
She pushed off him, and he finally released her. She grabbed her shirt and threw it on. Last night Ridge had never got around to grilling. He’d stuck the food in the fridge, tossed her over his shoulder, and they’d ended up in the bedroom.
Her stomach released a growl. She’d get something to eat after a shower before she went out on the ranch for her shift. Who’d have thought the bag she’d packed would come in handy. It had been a little presumptive to think she might spend the night. She was sure when she got back to the bunkhouse that she was going to have to say something to Aimee about her whereabouts.
She zipped up her bag and found him waiting for her by the doorway.
“Got everything?” he asked.
