Jas. The space for the bakery Ridge told Roman to take me to was nice, and I was still looking around before I heard Roman talking to someone in the front room. I was in the back room, where the baking would happen, so I had to go back there to see who it was. “I’ve told you, Julia. You don’t have to come all the way here to ask me that.” I heard Roman said. “But I know you won’t answer my text. What should I do then?” I heard Julia asked back. So Julia was here? I understood the fact that she liked Roman, but I wasn’t sure how he felt about her too. I smiled, before I stepped out into the room. I stepped into the front room just in time to see Julia standing a little too close to Roman, arms crossed, head tilted with that confident, polished grace she always carried. She was smiling… but not at me. Not yet. Roman, on the other hand, looked vaguely uncomfortable. His hands were tucked into his back pockets, his jaw tense the way it always got when he was trying to be polite
Blake’s Pov I chuckle as I pull up the messaging app on my phone, grinning from ear to ear when I saw it was Ridge that texted me. Blake: I thought you were supposed to be in a meeting right now, Ridge. With a small smile, I pressed send and waited, already imagining his face when he read it; probably pretending to be annoyed but secretly amused. I was still at Kenny’s but she had gone inside to bring her supposed wedding gift for me, one she had gotten but unable to send to me, because of how the pack house wasn't receiving any deliveries, and that was why I was able to text Ridge back. A few seconds later, his reply came through. Ridge: I am. But I'm good at multitasking, remember? Thinking about you and negotiating land rights. Guess which one I’m doing better at. I snorted, biting back a smile. Blake: Hopefully not the land rights. Ridge: Correct. You’re a major distraction, Mrs. Sterling. I could feel my cheeks heating up at that, even though no one was around to see i
Blake’s Pov I was meeting Kenny today at our old apartment, so I was beside Roman as he drove me there. We were almost there, but I still couldn't wait to see her. The last time I had seen her was during the wedding. Although, it was only a week and some days ago, but I still couldn't wait. She had been my rock during those years I was suffering this town’s backlash for what my father did. She had been the first person to be nice to me, before some few people joined as well. I couldn't wait to talk to her, get her about everything that had been happening for those few days we've been apart, the Erin drama, the way she was taken away, and then the bond between my husband and I. I glanced out the window as Roman made a left turn onto the familiar street, my stomach fluttering with anticipation. The neighborhood hadn’t changed much; there was still the same uneven sidewalks, same rust-stained fire hydrant on the corner, same sun-faded awning above the tiny bodega that always s
Ridge’s PovWhen I came up the stairs, my only intention was to let Blake know my sisters and mom were heading out. Julia had been fussing with one of her bags and nearly forgot her phone, again, and Mom wanted to say goodbye properly. Nina had suggested to come up and get Blake but I offered instead, figuring I would steal a kiss from my wife while I was at it, before telling her to come downstairs for a minute. But when I stepped into our room, everything changed. The first thing I noticed was the quiet. Not just the absence of sound; but that warm, intimate quiet that only existed when she was here, relaxed and safe. She was curled up in bed, tangled in the sheets, her breathing soft and even. Her hair was a mess of dark waves around her face, her lips parted slightly. She looked peaceful… until she let out a soft moan. I froze in the doorway. She shifted, her legs rubbing together slowly under the sheet. Another sound slipped out of her, this one breathier, needier. My coc
Blake’s Pov Ridge’s eyes were heated as he reached for me. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you naked in my bed. Each night with you has been torture, baby.” He said as he undid my bra and inhaled sharply as it fell away. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve replayed the first kiss we shared? And that day you stood half naked in the store changing room? It took all of me not to touch you then.” For a moment, embarrassment rushed through me, but he took it away with a single kiss. “I want you naked too,” I told him. His lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. “Yeah?” he murmured, voice low and thick. “Then take me.” My breath caught. The challenge in his eyes sent a thrill down my spine, but underneath it was something deeper… reverence. As if he was offering himself to me, not just his body, but everything; his heart, soul, and his trust. I reached for him, fingers trembling slightly as I slid them down his chest. Every line of muscle was tense beneath my touch, and yet
Ridge’s PovI stood there with my breath held like a lifeline, watching her lying on our bed, her bare skin bathed in moonlight. She looked like temptation woven into silk and starlight, and it took everything in me not to fall to my knees in front of her. Maybe even throw in a worship or two, and tell her all the gory details of all I wanted to do to her, but I did none of that. Instead, I just stared, and stared, until I was full, but I didn't get full. She didn’t flinch, and she didn’t shy away either. Her eyes stayed on me; big, trusting, and lit with something fragile but powerful. If I were to analyze what it was, I would call it want or even willingness. God, I wanted her more than I wanted air. I dropped my sweatpants all the way now, kicked them aside, and walked to the edge of the bed. My body was tight with tension, hard in ways that bordered on painful, but I kept my movements slow. Controlled. This wasn’t about the fire that was eating… no, licking away at me f