Ridge (10 page)

“Down the hall somewhere. I don’t know what room she’s in.”

“Isn’t that her bag there on the floor?”

Behind the door, she plastered her hand to her lips to hold back a horrified giggle. They were probably seeing more than her bag. Her boots, jeans, bra… Her clothing was scattered everywhere.

“Is this an inquisition? I didn’t realize I still had her bag. Now let me take a shower in peace, dammit.”

Her heart throbbed heavily as she waited. The door shut and he opened the bathroom one. She stepped back to make room for his big body. Their gazes met, and laughter burst from them.

As she laughed, she caught their reflection in the big mirror and couldn’t help but think that they looked great together.

Chapter 5

If his siblings threw him and Kashley any more questioning looks, Ridge was going to have to resort to brotherly torture techniques. In the old days he’d give them swirlies or put cow pies in their boots, but now he had bigger ideas.

All it took was one slip to the production manager of some “rumor” he’d heard, and his brothers and sister wouldn’t be able to shake the cameras long enough to even look his and Kashley’s way.

They stood in the Calhoun circle, and Ridge shifted his weight off his knee. At his side, Kashley gave him a concerned look, but he shook it off.

“We ask that all of us are safe and whole after our events, that no injuries befall us…” Buck sure was dragging this out longer each time. Ridge just wanted to bow his head in memory of their father and get on with riding broncs.

“And thank you for the new people joining our circle.”

Kashley started. Her throat worked around a swallow, and her blue-brown eyes slid his way again, so warm. It always intrigued him that her eyes were the same tone—sapphire and warm brown—and seemed to belong together even though they didn’t.

When she’d come undone for him, they’d hazed over with pleasure.

He shook himself. “For Dad,” he said, having missed the rest of Buck’s speech. A camera zoomed in on his face, and he ignored it.

The circle broke apart, or fell into chaos, rather. Wynonna ran her hands over her hair and asked Channing if she looked all right. Buck’s team roping partner, Asher, had his little hellion daughters with him as usual, and they ran into the center of the ring to gallop on invisible ponies, their little matching pink boots thumping the ground.

Joy bounced a fussy Merry on her arm, and Lane checked his phone. A dark look crossed his features, and Ridge zeroed in on that look. If he needed ammunition against Lane later on, purely to protect himself and Kashley of course, then he’d have leverage.

Ridge looked up as his head filled with her beachy scent. “Is your knee okay?” she whispered low enough nobody could have overheard, especially in this ruckus. Fans that had stood on the sidelines now pushed close, yelling for autographs. West and Ryder broke from the group and began signing T-shirts and slips of paper and getting selfies with fans.

“It’s fine,” Ridge said tersely. He didn’t need her giving any clues to the cameras. He was being watched enough.

She searched his gaze, and he started to harden for her again. Damn, he wished he had a few hours to himself to think over what they’d done. It had been amazingly hot, exactly what he’d needed at the moment he’d needed it most.

And he felt guilty as hell.

He hadn’t really gotten over Anna yet, and the idea of using Kashley didn’t set well with him. Plus, he didn’t want to drag her into this mess of the reality show, let alone his insane family.

And she was his oldest friend. If he hadn’t already fucked up their friendship, he would get around to it. Everything he touched got screwed up lately.

He turned to Buck as he approached. Kashley started to move away, but Ridge put out an arm to draw her back, closer to him. Whatever Buck had to say, she could hear too.

“Try not to lose your temper out there. You’re bound to get some hecklers, Ridge.”

“If you don’t want me to lose my temper, then stop telling me not to.” He tugged his hat lower.

Kashley moved a little closer so her body heat sank through his sleeve. He ran his tongue over his lips. He could still taste her.

Buck punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Just hold it together, okay, Ridge?”

“Yeah, because you never tried to beat the hell out of me and Ryder when you thought we were hiding something about Channing.” Ridge hardly remembered the circumstances, just that Buck had lost his cool.

Buck slid his gaze to Kashley, and Ridge moved to block her from his view. He didn’t need her receiving some secret eyebrow wiggles. “Move along, brother. I’ve got stuff to do.”

He started off with Kashley in tow. When they were a distance from the group, several reporters rushed them. “Oh fuck,” he muttered.

“You got this, Ridge. Just ignore the things you don’t want to answer and keep a level head.”

He growled low in his throat as a microphone was shoved under his nose. “Ridge, last time you were at an event you punched a fan. Have you faced any charges for that?”

Grinding his teeth together, he gave a curt, “No.”

“Have you heard anything about the woman you wanted to marry?”

His muscles locked, prepared for a fight. Only Kashley at his side kept him from laying into the person asking the question. He didn’t bother to answer and tried to push through the group.

“Who is this woman you’re with? She looks a lot like Anna—” The man never finished his sentence, because Ridge’s fist was in his face.

“Whoa! Holy shit!” Lane jumped into the fray and locked his arms around Ridge, muscling him away. Kashley was throwing out apologies and the cameras, those fucking horrible things, were everywhere.

West joined Lane, and they dragged him into a hallway that ran under the stands. “What the fuck are you guys? My bodyguard?”

“You need them, you ass. You can’t keep punching everyone who says something to you about Anna.”

It wasn’t the bit about Anna that had set him off—it was their comment about Kashley looking like her, because that wasn’t true at all. They were very different women inside and out.

“Get off me.” He shook away their hands, and they stood glaring at each other.

“I’m just trying to keep you from destroying yourself on this bender of destruction you’ve been on since Anna dumped you—” Lane never finished his thought, because Ridge swung at him. His knuckles glanced off Lane’s mouth.

“Ridge, stop!” Kashley’s voice broke through his anger just as West pinned him against the wall. Ridge huffed with fury as he jabbed a finger Lane’s direction. “Do not talk to me about her.”

“Kashley, I think you’d better put this asshole in the truck and drive him back home. He can’t keep his shit together long enough to compete.”

She put her hand on West’s arm, and Ridge locked his gaze on her fingers, aware of jealousy snaking through him. “You don’t give her commands,” he bit off.

She shot Ridge a narrowed look and gently pushed against West until he released Ridge. “Why don’t you guys go give some interviews, calm the masses, while I talk to him?”

Reluctantly, West and Lane nodded and moved away, Lane holding his mouth that was wet with a smear of blood. Remorse hit Ridge hard.

“Sorry, bro,” he said roughly, but Lane just gave him the finger. Lots of fingers flying lately. He imagined the film crew capturing every one and making a video collage of them, all blackened out to protect the viewers’ sensibilities.

As they left him alone with Kashley, Ridge issued a low groan. He bowed his head and shook out his hand, which ached after punching two men. He didn’t give a damn about the reporter but he felt terrible about Lane.

Kashley’s eyes loomed in front of him, worry creasing her brows. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

“Me either. Just…” He sliced the air with his hand, trying to conjure the words. “When they say things about Anna, I go kind of crazy.”

Hurt crossed her beautiful features. He’d just fucked her and here he was talking about his hurt revolving around his ex. What an asshole he was. He pulled off his hat and rubbed a hand over his face, shifting his weight off his bad knee. “I’m sorry, Kash. I don’t know why I let it get to me.” He leaned closer to her, drawn by her coconut scent and the soft glow in her eyes.

“Oh Ridge.” She put her arms around him and all thoughts of Anna fled. He leaned into Kashley, inhaling deeply. Her neck was especially sweet, and he detected his own scent on her. With a low moan, he nuzzled her throat, down to the top of her breasts.

She sucked in a breath and cupped his head. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”

He nodded against her, closing his eyes at the dizzying need inside him. Right now he wanted to hook her legs around his waist and plunge his cock into her soaking pussy. He had to get control of his life, but first he wanted to erase the vision of her hand on West.

He raised his head and looked into her stormy gaze. “Give me your mouth.”

* * * * *

Kashley bounced on her toes, but it did nothing to release her pent-up energies—both sexual and nervousness. She was burning up after that mind-bending kiss. And Ridge was in the chute.

Please let his knee be all right.

She craned her neck to try to see how he was seated. If he was favoring his knee, then things would go south in a hurry. And the stubborn ass was definitely hurting a little more than he had been earlier. She couldn’t help but think she’d broken him during their playtime.

Despite the heat of the evening, goosebumps broke out on her bare arms. She rubbed them and bounced on her toes again.

A tall woman appeared next to her, standing almost as tall on flat feet as Kashley was perched on the bottom rung of the fence between the stands and arena. She glanced over at Wynonna.

With fiery red hair and wearing a western shirt with pockets covered entirely in rhinestones, she made Kashley feel plain every time she was around. “How’s he holding up?”

Did his family even know about his knee? She wasn’t going to add fuel to the fire. “I got him calmed down.”

With about twelve kisses and a grind-session against the wall.

After that, he’d definitely been distracted from his anger issues.

It hurt her that Anna still meant so much to him, especially when she’d just come under his tongue, hands and cock. But he hadn’t offered her commitment—she had to remember that.

“Is he favoring his knee?” Wynonna’s question socked Kashley in the stomach. She swung her gaze back to Ridge.

“Oh shit,” she said just as the chute opened and the bronco shot out. The animal took two steps and started bucking. Wildly. And spinning. Ridge clung to it for four seconds, and Kashley bounced up and down, this time screaming in excitement. He had a chance. He was going to make it.

Wynonna gave a cry too, but for a whole other reason.

He tipped in the saddle, tried to overcompensate and hit the dirt.

Right on his knees.

Before Kashley looked at his face, she knew he was hurt. That angle he’d fallen…

“Shit, he’s hurt!” Wynonna voiced it before she could find the words. Two cowboys ran in to help him up while the bronco continued to buck away from where Ridge lay.

He pushed onto his knees and collapsed. Kashley leaped down and slipped under the fence to rush to him. But by the time she’d reached him, he was on his feet, leg dangling and telling off the people who were trying to help.

“I got it. Let go of me.”

“I think you’d better see Doc,” the guy holding him up said.

When Ridge looked up, his brow was creased with pain, but as soon as he spotted the cameras aimed his direction, he masked it.

Kashley jogged alongside them as they led Ridge out of the arena to the yelling of fans. As soon as they got into the hall, two Calhouns were there. “We’ll take it from here,” Buck said.

“You know where Doc is?”

“We’ll find him.”

“It’s a her, but okay.” He relinquished his hold on Ridge to his brother, West, but Ridge shoved him away.

“I got it. Leave me be. And I’m not going to a damn doctor.”

“Bro, you can’t even bear weight on that knee.” Buck looked hard at Kashley, and unfortunately, Ridge picked up on it right away.

“Cut that shit out. Kashley, I thought you were on my side.”

She met his gaze, her heart tumbling. “I am, but Buck’s right. Let the doctor check you out.”

With West holding his brother up, Wynonna led the way to the doctor, waving aside fans extending papers and pens at them. Kashley felt helpless as she followed. Soothing Ridge didn’t seem likely—she’d seen him in more than one fit of temper, and he was about to erupt. She couldn’t blame him—rodeoing was his life, and he’d likely be told to sit out the season. Maybe even see a surgeon.

“What happened here?” The familiar voice gave Kashley an instant stomachache. She glanced away from Ridge’s tightly set features to see the guy everyone loved to hate—Chip Johnson. All around asshole.

As they all walked by him without responding, he grinned at Kashley.

“Asshole,” Ridge muttered and pulled free of West’s hold. He took two limping steps and paused.

“I got him,” Kashley said, slipping under his arm to support his weight. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d hauled his injured body somewhere, but he’d packed on a lot of muscle since then.

West and Wynonna let her take over, probably relieved to be out of Ridge’s line of fire. They didn’t have far to go. The makeshift triage was a few steps away. With Ridge’s arm weighting her shoulder, she assisted him behind the white curtain.

“Looks like a knee injury,” the female voice said immediately.

Medics stood by in the arena to help in emergencies, but it was quiet back here, with only the doctor and a nurse standing by.