My legs are shaky from the long ride as I get off. He catches me quickly before I can fall. I look up at him as he holds me with one hand while pulling my helmet off with the other.
“You look beautiful after a long ride,” he tells me, brushing my hair down.
I snort. “I look windblown, you mean.”
He shrugs. “You look wild. I like it.”
I love you.
Now that I’ve thought the words, they are dying to come out. It’s far too soon, though, so I push them back down.
“You look like you own the roads. Like you are one with them.” My tone is soft.
“You ever hear the reason why they call me Ridge?” he asks.
I shake my head no. I can’t believe I have known him since he was a prospect, and I’ve never heard the story of how he got his name. It’s criminal, really.
Then again, it only proves how much I avoided him.
He wraps his arm around me as he leads me up the steps to the house.
“I was angry when I came here. I didn’t talk to many people. I would stand in the shadows and watch everything. Even when Mustang took me under his wing, I still kept to the sidelines. I never truly felt like I belonged. I always waited for them to kick me out. Then there was a fight one night.” He stops long enough to unlock and open the door. “They jumped the other guy I prospected with. They thought they had him locked down, but I showed up out of nowhere and beat the shit out of them. At least, that’s what the prospect told them. Your dad gave me my name after that. He told Cloak that I was like a ridge. Always there inthe distance, rough and rugged, but come at me the wrong way, and I will ruin your day. It stuck.”
He leads me to the couch, sitting down before pulling me down next to him.
“Who was the prospect? I can’t even remember who came up with you,” I ask.
“Well, you avoided the club a lot those days. It was Yak. Saved his life that night. He has annoyed me ever since.” Ridge laughs.
“I had no idea. That’s…” I’m speechless.
“I didn’t do it for the recognition. Yak needed help, and I was there. I would have done it for any of the brothers. I think that’s the day I truly felt like I belonged,” he tells me.
“You do belong. The guys all look up to you. Panther comes to you for your opinion. They all love and respect you.” I turn to him, cupping his cheek so that he looks at me. “You bleed for them, and they see that.”
He leans in closer. “Do you see it too? The way I bleed for you?”
I swallow hard. “I do.”
He moves even closer until he is only a breath away. I know what he is asking.
Is this real? Can I kiss you anytime I want?
I answer him with my lips. At first, it’s a chaste kiss to his lips. When he doesn’t move in for me, I push closer to him until I slip onto his lap, my legs on either side of him. Then I lean in, kissing him harder, my tongue slipping into his mouth.
He moans against me as his hands find my hips.
I could have had this all along. This could have been our life. If only I wasn’t so stubborn.
All thoughts flee my head as he pulls my hips down until I can feel his hard cock between us. I can feel myself growingwarmer as I move my lips against his, my hips finding a rhythm that feels good.
I’m almost there when he stops me, pulling back to catch his breath.
“Rain, this is getting out of hand. I don’t want to take advantage of you,” he tells me.
I smirk at him. “Then let me take advantage of you.”
“Rain, what are you doing?” he asks warily as I slide off his lap and onto my knees.