Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
STELLA
The world narrows to Ridge's bedroom, to his hands on my skin, to the weight of him pressing me into his mattress. Outside, the blizzard rages on, but in here there is only heat and hunger and eight years of wanting finally unleashed.
"Tell me again," Ridge whispers against my throat, his voice rough with need. "Tell me what you dreamed about."
I arch beneath him as his teeth graze my pulse point. "Your hands. Your mouth. You inside me."
"Show me exactly where you want my hands." His palm slides over my ribs, pausing just beneath my breast. "Guide me."
I've never been so bold with a lover before, but Ridge's eyes hold such reverence that my usual shyness evaporates. I cover his hand with mine, bringing it up to cup my breast fully. "Here." I guide his other hand lower, over my stomach, to the waistband of my leggings. "And here."
A groan rumbles through his chest as he captures my mouth again, kissing me deeply while his fingers slip beneath elastic to find me already slick with want. The first touch of his calloused fingertip against my center sends lightning through my veins.
"So wet already," he murmurs, wonder in his voice. "Is this all for me?"
"Only you." I gasp as his finger circles exactly where I need him. "It's always been you, Ridge."
His eyes darken at my words, pupils blown wide with desire. "I've imagined this so many times. Touching you. Tasting you. Making you come apart in my hands."
"Show me," I challenge, emboldened by the hunger in his gaze. "Make the fantasy real."
He pulls back just enough to help me out of my sweater, his breath catching as I reach behind to unclasp my bra. The reverence in his eyes as he looks at me makes me feel beautiful in a way I haven't in years.
"Perfect," he breathes, lowering his head to press open-mouthed kisses across my collarbone, down to the swell of my breast. "Even better than I imagined."
When his lips close around my nipple, I cry out, back arching off the bed. His tongue circles the sensitive peak before he sucks gently, sending sparks of pleasure straight to my core. My hands fist in his hair, holding him against me as he lavishes attention on one breast, then the other.
"Ridge," I gasp when his hand resumes its exploration between my thighs. "Please."
"Please what?" He looks up, eyes glittering with something almost predatory. "Tell me what you need, Stella. I want to hear you say it."
"Your mouth," I whisper, past caring about modesty or propriety. "I want your mouth on me."
A slow, dangerous smile spreads across his face. "Where, exactly?"
I guide his head lower, words failing as desire consumes me. He understands, helping me out of my leggings and underwear until I'm completely bare beneath him. He settles between my thighs, broad shoulders pushing them wider, his hot breath teasing my most sensitive skin.
"Look at me," he commands softly, waiting until our eyes lock. "I want to watch you while I taste you for the first time."
The first brush of his tongue against me nearly undoes me completely. His groan vibrates against my center as he explores with deliberate thoroughness, learning what makes me gasp, what makes me moan, what makes my thighs tremble around his head.
"You taste like heaven," he murmurs, voice vibrating against my flesh. "Better than all my fantasies."
When he slides one finger inside me, then another, curling them to hit the spot that makes stars explode behind my eyelids, I cry out his name. He watches my face with fierce concentration, green eyes never leaving mine as he brings me higher.
"That's it," he encourages when my hips begin to rock against his mouth. "Let go for me, Stella. I've waited eight years to see you come."
The combination of his words, his fingers pumping steadily inside me, and his mouth working relentlessly against my center sends me hurtling over the edge. The orgasm crashes through me with unexpected intensity, wave after wave of pleasure radiating outward as I come apart beneath him.
Before I've fully recovered, he's moving up my body, shedding his remaining clothes until there's nothing between us but heated skin. His erection presses hot and hard against my thigh, and I reach between us to wrap my hand around his length.
He hisses through his teeth at my touch, eyes closing briefly. "Careful," he warns. "It's been a while, and I've wanted you for so long."
The vulnerability in his admission makes my chest tighten. I guide him to my entrance, both of us gasping as he notches against me.
"Protection?" I manage to ask.
He reaches for the nightstand drawer, fumbling for a condom. "I'm clean," he says as he rolls it on. "Got tested after my last relationship ended a year ago."
"I'm clean too," I assure him. "And on birth control."
These practicalities handled, there's nothing left but the moment we've both been anticipating for what feels like lifetimes. Ridge braces himself above me, arms flexing on either side of my head, eyes locked with mine as he begins to press forward.
"Tell me if I need to stop," he whispers, entering me with exquisite slowness. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't." I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper. "I need all of you, Ridge."
With a groan that seems torn from his soul, he pushes forward until he's fully seated within me. The stretch burns in the most delicious way, my body adjusting to accommodate his size. For a moment, we're completely still, overwhelmed by the sensation of finally, finally being joined.
"Stella," he breathes, forehead pressed against mine. "You feel like coming home."
Tears spring to my eyes at the simple truth in his words. This is home. Not the cabin or the town, but this man. This connection. This moment of perfect unity.
"Move," I whisper, rocking my hips to encourage him. "Please, Ridge."
He starts slowly, each thrust deliberate and controlled, watching my face for any sign of discomfort. But there is only pleasure, building again with surprising speed as he finds a rhythm that has me clinging to his shoulders.
"That's it," he encourages when I lift my hips to meet his movements. "Take what you need."
Emboldened, I roll us suddenly, surprising us both as I find myself straddling him. His hands immediately grip my hips, steadying me as I adjust to the new position, taking him even deeper.
"God, look at you," he breathes, gaze traveling from where our bodies join up to my face. "So beautiful."
I begin to move, finding a rhythm that makes us both moan. His thumb finds my center again, circling in time with my movements, building me toward another peak.
"That's it," he encourages as my pace quickens. "Let me see you come again. Want to feel you around me."
His words push me over the edge, pleasure crashing through me in waves as I cry out his name. My inner walls pulse around him, triggering his own release. His fingers dig into my hips as he thrusts up one final time, my name a prayer on his lips as he finds his completion.
I collapse onto his chest, both of us panting, hearts thundering against each other. His arms wrap around me immediately, holding me close as if afraid I might disappear. I press my ear to his chest, listening to his heartbeat gradually slow, feeling more content than I can ever remember.
"You okay?" he asks after a moment, hand tracing gentle patterns up and down my spine.
"Better than okay." I lift my head to look at him, finding his expression soft and open in a way I've never seen before. "That was..."
"Worth the eight year wait," he finishes, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
We lie tangled together as our breathing steadies, the storm still raging outside unnoticed and unimportant. His fingers continue their gentle exploration of my skin, tracing constellations between freckles on my shoulders, mapping the curve of my waist, learning me by touch.
"I should check on Chellie," I say eventually, though I make no move to leave the warmth of his embrace.
"She'll sleep another half hour at least." He presses a kiss to my forehead. "Stay a little longer."
So I do, head pillowed on his chest, listening to the strong, steady beat of his heart beneath my ear. This moment feels fragile and precious, this newfound intimacy still too fresh to expose to the outside world.
"What happens when the snow melts?" I ask, the question that's been haunting me finally finding voice.
His arms tighten around me. "That depends on what you want, Stella."
"I want to stay." The admission flows easily, truth I've been avoiding since the moment I arrived on his doorstep. "With you. Here."
"Then stay." His voice roughens with emotion. "Build a life here. With me."
"It's not that simple." I trace patterns on his chest, focusing on the steady thump beneath my fingers. "Rick will find out we're in Whisper Vale. We can’t hide forever Ridge. He could cause problems."
"Let him try." The steel in Ridge's voice makes me look up, finding his expression fierce and protective. "I won't let him near you or Chellie. And neither will my brothers nor half this town once they know the truth."
The certainty in his voice soothes fears I've been carrying for months. This is what I've been missing with Rick, with every man I've known since leaving Whisper Vale. This absolute certainty that I'm not facing the world alone.
Dang it, I’m falling for my best friend. Hell, I may have already fully fallen.
In the distance, I hear Chellie calling for me, voice still fuzzy with sleep. The real world intruding on our sanctuary.
"Perfect timing," Ridge laughs softly against my lips.
But there's no regret in his voice, no frustration. Just acceptance that this is our reality now. Stolen moments and shared responsibilities. A family taking shape in the midst of a blizzard.
And as I reluctantly leave his bed to dress, his eyes following me with newfound possessiveness, I realize I wouldn't have it any other way.