Ridge (13 page)

“Easy, easy, honey.” He encouraged her to move up and down in a slow rhythm that maddened her.

Her pussy clamped tight on his cock, and he dug his fingers into her hips. Probably bruising her, but she’d proudly wear his marks.

“You’re not allowed to come yet. Do you hear me?”

She bobbed her head and leaned upright, pressing his cock into her deeper. They shared a noise of ecstasy. He gave a low, “Fuck!” And began to pound her. Deep and fast until she was clenching around him over and over, on the verge of letting go. But she held back until he gave the word.

No numbers followed, just a “Now!” And he roared his pleasure. She rode him two more undulations before her orgasm swept her up and away. It took her a long, long time to land.

Chapter 6

Ridge wasn’t feeling the aftereffects of several shots of whiskey so much as he was hungover on cowgirl sex. He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to dispel the images in his mind of Kashley’s plump ass pointed his way, reddened by his handprints.

He was really taking his stupidity to a new level. After they stopped sleeping together, they couldn’t possibly remain friends. Could they?

He’d keep his hands—and mouth and cock—to himself, starting today. He’d had a momentary lapse in sanity, but it couldn’t go on.

By now her face was plastered all over the news and tabloids as the rebound lover. Damn, what had he done? Compromising her reputation was no way to say thanks for all she’d done for him so far.

His knee was stiff as fuck, and he concentrated on not limping as he made his way to the arena. The smells of cattle were welcome—the corn dogs and fried onion blossoms not so much. His stomach rolled over.

Was Kashley in better shape? She’d stopped drinking well before he had, but she was small. Smaller than Anna.

He compressed his lips. Why the fuck was he comparing her to Anna? She was nothing like his ex. If she were, he wouldn’t be with her.

I’m not WITH her.

His body hooted that hell yeah, they’d been together all night long. And this morning she’d come out of the bathroom wrapped in nothing but a towel. He’d taken one look at her wet hair streaming down her back—dayyummm, he had a thing for wet hair—and shot out of bed despite his throbbing head.

He had another throb to take care of.

The minute he’d put his hands on that warm, damp terrycloth, he’d almost lost his mind. When he’d pulled it off her, that was when the real insanity started.

Huffing with surprise and arousal, he stared at two silver clamps on her distended pink nipples. “You’re wearing nipple clamps.”

She’d bitten down on her lower lip and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Where did you get them?”

“Out of my suitcase.”

His cock stiffened in a blink. He’d thought she’d been joking. “You travel with nipple clamps?”

“I like to keep my nipples conditioned to accept them, and I knew I’d be gone a few days.”

He’d choked on his own tongue and drool. “Kash, I…”

“Never knew these things about me? Maybe you should look closer and see what else you find in me.” With that, she’d sashayed toward her suitcase. As soon as she’d bent over to search for something to wear, he’d lost his battle with control. He’d slapped on a condom, hooked an arm around her middle and fucked her hard and fast from behind while lightly flicking the nipple clamps to send her racing toward a huge—noisy—finish.

A rough breath left him, and he barely focused on the situation in front of him before he walked straight into it.

A mob of reporters waited at the entrance to the arena to bombard the Calhouns. Of course, they did interview other competitors, but they seemed to favor his family.

Or him, rather.

He didn’t slow his pace. Might as well face the fires of hell without flinching. He walked into the middle of them and was slammed with questions about his fights and Wynonna’s behavior.

“Ask my sister,” he grunted at that.

Then he’d pushed through them and made it inside the arena to find it was a regular party of competitors talking and joking. He scanned the place, looking for any of his siblings or Kashley. He spotted Asher with his two little girls off to one side, the girls leaning against his legs and his hands on either of their dark, shining heads while he spoke to Buck.

Maybe Ridge didn’t want to find any of his family members, after all.

He pivoted on his heels and made a beeline deeper into the arena, keeping as little weight on his knee as possible. When he caught a flash of red hair, he looked that direction in time to see Wynonna disappearing around the corner. Kashley followed a few steps behind.

His gaze slid to the side to see that fucking asshole Chip Johnson staring after her. The asshole even pushed his hat back to watch her ass.

A rumble of anger started low in Ridge’s body and traveled up his throat. Chip was fucking ogling Kashley? Hell no.

Ridge strode up to him. When Chip didn’t glance his direction, Ridge helped him by locking a hand on the man’s shoulder. Swinging Chip to face him, he said, “Who the hell were you lookin’ at just now?”

Chip was one of those guys that every Buckle Bunny gunned for. He was tall, lean and blond—a lethal combination for females, or so Ridge had heard. But not Kashley. He was not going within a hundred miles of her.

With a snide smile, Chip said, “That pretty little piece you showed up here with. Her ass has gotten better since I had her.”

Adrenaline dumped into Ridge’s veins and slingshot around his body, landing in his clenched fist.

Chip’s smile widened. “Yeah, I had her too. Get in line behind me, Ridge.”

A hand came down hard on Ridge’s shoulder, and he knew without looking it was West. His brother was always in the right place at the right time. Today he’d probably keep Ridge’s ass from being kicked off the show.

Or did he want that? His mind flashed with possibilities as he zeroed in on Chip’s white teeth. He could afford to lose a few and still have plenty left to flash at the ladies.

But not Kashley, dammit. Had this asshole seriously laid his hands on her? And she’d let him?

West squeezed his shoulder. “Circle time, Ridge. C’mon.”

Chip gave a tip of his hat in dismissal, and Ridge tensed, prepared to pin the motherfucker to the floor and take out every tooth in his head.

“Ridge.” West’s gritty tone offered no sympathy. His brother would have no bones about manhandling Ridge out of the arena and using his rope skills to truss him up like a calf.

Glaring at Chip, he barely registered that West had dragged him several steps off.

“Turn around and walk,” West demanded.

“Fuck!” He whipped around and wrenched himself from his brother’s hold. He could still dart back there and smash that smile off Chip’s face.

“Ridge,” West said darkly, as if reading Ridge’s mind.

“Did you hear what that fucker said?”

“No, but I can see how it’s affecting you. He’s an idiot in the best of moments, and I can only imagine that he’s playing you right now. Don’t let him.”

Ridge issued a muffled groan. That seedy fuck-face had put his hands on Kashley?

“Where’s Kashley?” he asked, stalking around a group of people asking for autographs.

West signed one on the fly and caught up to him in a few steps. “She’s with Wynonna.”

“Great—learning bad behavior and sass I’m sure.”

West looked at him hard. “Kashley’s been around this family long enough to know who we are, and she hasn’t been changed yet. Why would she change now?”

Because Ridge didn’t really know Kashley, it turned out. He hadn’t known about her sexual leanings or the nipple clamps or the fact that she’d slept with Chip and God knew who else.

His chest burned. Not Kashley—his friend. His Kashley.

“I have to find her.”

“Calhoun circle, bro. She’ll be there. Now do you think you can make it through this crowd without being arrested?”

Good fucking question.

* * * * *

The minute Ridge walked into the room and joined the circle, Kashley’s body sat up and begged. Her nipples bunched and her pussy flooded with need. The way he filled out that black western shirt and worn jeans was a sin, and she’d gladly head straight to hell for looking. His hat was tipped low enough to cover his eyes, but she knew by his walk that he was pissed.

And trying not to favor the knee.

He took his spot in the opening of the circle, almost directly across from her. But he didn’t look up and catch her eye. Her heart fell a little, dropping like it would on a carnival ride. Why did she feel like being around Ridge was the same as riding a rollercoaster, with big dips and climbs? When she was on the top and able to see the view, she was happier than she’d ever been.

This morning in the hotel room after he’d discovered her nipple clamps had been a high. She’d reveled in the glint of passion in his eyes as he’d looked her over with slow thoroughness.

And every hard stroke of his cock.

He wouldn’t glance up at her. She had a feeling she was about to take a plunge.

“Thanks for everything, yada yada. Good luck with your competitions, guys,” Ridge spouted off.

They stared at him but he avoided every single eye. He was in rare form. What had happened between the time she’d walked out of his hotel room and now? It was likely some fan had needled him, gotten under his skin. But she had a feeling it was more than that.

Buck shot her a look, and she shrugged. These Calhouns were only getting more difficult. Buck was leaning on her to get Ridge through whatever mania he was feeling that moment, and Wynonna was a mess after that fight with the Buckle Bunny.

Apparently all Buckle Bunnies didn’t go after cowboys. Some liked production managers, and this one had told Wynonna that she’d slept with the very man Wynonna had been with.

That had set her off in a big way, and Kashley couldn’t blame her. Wynonna swore she was over the guy, and Kashley noticed they walked in wide berths around each other when they were nearby. But that didn’t mean Wynonna wasn’t still hurt by the infidelity.

Good thing she’d broken things off with the guy. She deserved so much better.

Kashley looked up to find Ridge’s stare on her. His eyes glinted with anger.

She sucked in a breath. What had she done to cause him to look at her that way?

Her heart beat heavily and she only had half an ear on Buck’s words. When they all said, “For Dad,” she and Ridge’s gazes collided.

He jerked his jaw and turned away from the circle, leaving her no choice but to follow. She straightened her shoulders and went a few yards away from the group where he stood, weight on his strong leg and his dark eyes shooting bullets.

“When were you gonna tell me about Chip?”

Her lips fell open, and a quavering breath escaped.

“Jesus, I didn’t believe it until I just saw your face. Are you fucking kidding me, Kash? You let that sleaze-ball grope you?”

It was more than groping, but she wasn’t about to confess to that. She caught Ridge’s sleeve and steered him farther away. The last thing she needed was the family thinking she was playing Ridge. It wasn’t like that at all.

A flush mottled Ridge’s neck, climbing his angular jaw and burning in his face. His pulse flickered wildly in his throat. “I…can’t believe it. When, Kash?”

She reached for him, but he pulled free of her grasp, breaking her heart a little where it had mended with his recent attention. All those years of wanting him, and he’d finally given her all she needed. Now he was denying her again.

“Jake and I had just ended things. And I went to the bar, had a few drinks. Chip kept them coming.”

Ridge’s eyes bulged. “He got you drunk?”

She shook her head. She couldn’t place all the blame on the guy, whether she liked him or not. “I take responsibility for drinking as much as I did.”

Ridge’s jaw bulged next. “You slept with him.”

“I—” How to tell him that all she remembered of that drunken night of stupidity was Chip’s sweaty body rutting over her while she lay there angry with herself?

“You did.” His tone was flat.

She nodded, unable to find words to explain.

“How many times?”

“Just the once.”

Ridge’s eyelids flickered, and she swore she saw hurt slide behind his eyes. But how could that be? Wasn’t she just a fling to him, something to assuage the pain of his breakup with Anna and distract him from landing in prison for breaking a fan’s neck?

“I should have told you, but I’m not proud of it. Besides, we weren’t confessing our pasts to each other. We’re just fucking.”

He rocked on his heels. Continued to stare at her, mouth set in a firm line.

“I mean…”

“I had to hear that little snake tell me he’d slept with you and that I should get in line behind him. How many more are there, Kash?”

Annoyance struck, and she spread her arms wide. “I don’t know, Ridge. Maybe hundreds! Maybe I’ve worked my way through every cowboy in this building. Hell, the cowgirls too!”

He gave her a warning look and then turned and walked away.

Pain stabbed her deep, and she brought a fist to her mouth to hold in a cry. They hadn’t had a fight since she’d rifled a corncob at his head back in the ninth grade and laid open his eyebrow, resulting in three stitches. He hadn’t spoken to her for weeks afterward, and she’d finally apologized for throwing it too hard when she’d been trying to be playful.

During those weeks, she’d felt so lost and alone, hating his displeasure with her.

“Kashley?” Channing’s concerned eyes loomed in front of her. “You okay?”

She shook her head, and Channing followed her gaze to the place where Ridge had disappeared.