out her outfit. She sat on her porch watching the sun set behind the trees as she waited nervously for him to show up.
Her stomach did flip-flops when his SUV pulled down her drive and stopped in front of her house. He slid out of the vehicle and she rose with mixed emotions to greet him. She licked her lips as he approached. His jeans hung just right off his hips, and the dark blue sweater stretched across his chest showed a peek of the white shirt underneath. He stopped at the bottom of her steps and held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. “You ready?”
Words escaped her so she nodded and grabbed her purse from the table. She hollered over her shoulder to her friends peering through the window. “Don’t wait up.”
Their giggle s drifted to her ears and put a smile on her face.
Ridge pulled up in front of a log cabin on the other end of town , a place she would have picked herself just for the surrounding woods and sense of peace it gave off.
“Where are we?” she asked sliding out from the passenger seat and meeting him in the front of the SUV. He laced his fingers with hers.
“Welcome to my sanctuary.” He held her hand and guided her up the steps onto the wraparound porch, and slid the key in the lock.
“I thought you lived on base ,” she said entering the cabin behind him. She glanced up at the tall ceiling framed by logs. The place was cozy and homey, and nothing she would have expected from a bachelor.
“I do, but when I take time off or just want some time away from everything, then I come here.” He walked to what she assumed was the kitchen and returned with two glasses of wine. “I hope you like red.”
She took the wine glass from his hand and sipped. “I didn’t think you took time off. I thought you were all about the job.”
He motioned to the couch, and she sat. He poked at an already lit fire, stirring the red embers to life. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Gracie.” He replaced the poker and turned toward her. “But I’d like to change that if you’d let me.”
Gracie felt her face flush. She hadn’t thought about Ridge in any other capacity besides her father’s second -in-command. She took another sip of her wine, letting his comment soak in. “Ridge, be honest with me. Why the sudden interest?”
He moved to sit next to her , slid the wine glass from her hand, and let his fingers lightly touch hers before setting it on the table next to his. He cupped her cheek and leaned in. Before his lips touched hers, he whispered, “I’ve always been interested. Can I kiss you?”
She nodded , unable to speak.
His lips moved against hers. He slid his tongue against the crease of her mouth, and she opened for him placing her hands on his chest. He leaned in closer and, tilting his head, he deepened the kiss, which elicited a moan from her. His heart beat fast beneath her palms. His body betrayed him. He wanted this every bit as much as she did. She ran her fingers up into his hair while he made slow circles on her back. Her breasts felt heavy as she arched, pushing them harder against his chest.
Ridge rested his forehead against hers breaking their heated kiss and gave one last nip to her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, Gracie. I lost myself in the moment. I didn’t want to move this fast.”
Her gaze held his. “Don’t apologize, Ridge. I wanted that kiss as much as you wanted to give it to me.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than she felt the heat creep up into her cheeks. A buzzer in the kitchen sounded, and he pulled away. The heat of his body against hers was instantly gone and left a cold chill in its wake. She moved closer to the fire and called after him, “I wouldn’t have been able to eat until we broke the ice.”
She heard him chuckle as he pushed the double doors open to reveal a table on the wooden deck. “I hope you don’t mind dinner under the stars.”
She walked through the doorway and pulled out a seat at the table.
Her stomach did flip-flops when his SUV pulled down her drive and stopped in front of her house. He slid out of the vehicle and she rose with mixed emotions to greet him. She licked her lips as he approached. His jeans hung just right off his hips, and the dark blue sweater stretched across his chest showed a peek of the white shirt underneath. He stopped at the bottom of her steps and held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. “You ready?”
Words escaped her so she nodded and grabbed her purse from the table. She hollered over her shoulder to her friends peering through the window. “Don’t wait up.”
Their giggle s drifted to her ears and put a smile on her face.
Ridge pulled up in front of a log cabin on the other end of town , a place she would have picked herself just for the surrounding woods and sense of peace it gave off.
“Where are we?” she asked sliding out from the passenger seat and meeting him in the front of the SUV. He laced his fingers with hers.
“Welcome to my sanctuary.” He held her hand and guided her up the steps onto the wraparound porch, and slid the key in the lock.
“I thought you lived on base ,” she said entering the cabin behind him. She glanced up at the tall ceiling framed by logs. The place was cozy and homey, and nothing she would have expected from a bachelor.
“I do, but when I take time off or just want some time away from everything, then I come here.” He walked to what she assumed was the kitchen and returned with two glasses of wine. “I hope you like red.”
She took the wine glass from his hand and sipped. “I didn’t think you took time off. I thought you were all about the job.”
He motioned to the couch, and she sat. He poked at an already lit fire, stirring the red embers to life. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Gracie.” He replaced the poker and turned toward her. “But I’d like to change that if you’d let me.”
Gracie felt her face flush. She hadn’t thought about Ridge in any other capacity besides her father’s second -in-command. She took another sip of her wine, letting his comment soak in. “Ridge, be honest with me. Why the sudden interest?”
He moved to sit next to her , slid the wine glass from her hand, and let his fingers lightly touch hers before setting it on the table next to his. He cupped her cheek and leaned in. Before his lips touched hers, he whispered, “I’ve always been interested. Can I kiss you?”
She nodded , unable to speak.
His lips moved against hers. He slid his tongue against the crease of her mouth, and she opened for him placing her hands on his chest. He leaned in closer and, tilting his head, he deepened the kiss, which elicited a moan from her. His heart beat fast beneath her palms. His body betrayed him. He wanted this every bit as much as she did. She ran her fingers up into his hair while he made slow circles on her back. Her breasts felt heavy as she arched, pushing them harder against his chest.
Ridge rested his forehead against hers breaking their heated kiss and gave one last nip to her bottom lip. “I’m sorry, Gracie. I lost myself in the moment. I didn’t want to move this fast.”
Her gaze held his. “Don’t apologize, Ridge. I wanted that kiss as much as you wanted to give it to me.” No sooner had the words left her mouth than she felt the heat creep up into her cheeks. A buzzer in the kitchen sounded, and he pulled away. The heat of his body against hers was instantly gone and left a cold chill in its wake. She moved closer to the fire and called after him, “I wouldn’t have been able to eat until we broke the ice.”
She heard him chuckle as he pushed the double doors open to reveal a table on the wooden deck. “I hope you don’t mind dinner under the stars.”
She walked through the doorway and pulled out a seat at the table.
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