Chapter 34 Stole Her Heart
STOLE HER HEART
“Here you go, Meredith,” Bethany said, discreetly slipping cash into her hand on Saturday. “We didn’t really pay for your services and it wouldn’t have been nearly as beautiful as it was without you.”
Meredith closed her fist over it and gave the new bride a hug. “Thank you so much. You were stunning and it looked as if everyone had a wonderful time.”
“Best wedding ever,” Bethany said. “I’m going on the record saying that now. I only wish we could have gotten those bottles of hard cider with our names on it as a favor.”
“They aren’t ready yet,” she said. Maybe it was a mistake to put them on the website. They were still testing labels. Or Reenie was. Clay was working on bottles that he liked the best too.
It was getting there between the three of them.
“We’ll be back for my baby shower in the future and maybe I can get them then. Think about having labels for that too. Or bridal showers here.”
“I’ll do that,” she said, giving Bethany one more hug. “And you enjoy your honeymoon.”
“You can count on it,” Bethany said, turning and dashing off in her gown and cowboy boots.
She had to admit the country theme was pretty sweet and she got a lot of pictures.
Most of the guests were leaving now, the bride and the groom seeing them off.
Though the Ridgeways didn’t get paid for the wedding planner services, she was still getting her feet wet with the weddings that had already been planned.
She went to the kitchen and got the rest of the cookies and cake the servers had boxed up and brought them out to put by the gift table so they weren’t forgotten. Clay was cleaning up behind the bar, as technically the wedding was done.
It was eight and dark out, but they’d clean up so they wouldn’t have to come back in the morning.
While the gifts were being loaded, she took the linens off the tables and folded them. She’d return them tomorrow or Monday after school.
She was humming to herself as she worked. The place was empty but for her and Clay.
“Tired?” he asked when he came by her side.
“Very.”
It’d been a long week.
She got through Wednesday night with Clay in bed with her. Thursday by herself, she thought it’d be hard, but it wasn’t. Last night and tonight she was staying here.
It was as if a load was lifted off her shoulders.
Everything could go back to the way it was.
She could focus on the man in front of her she knew stole her heart.
Maybe it was watching the new bride and groom so in love with each other and what had happened a few days ago dig into her brain that she shouldn’t hold in her feelings any longer.
Who knew what could happen in life? She was a prime example of it.
“I’ll go check the bathrooms,” he said.
“I already did,” she said. “They are empty and I pulled the trash out.”
“Then we should be done,” he said. “The cleaners are coming in the morning.”
“Aren’t you glad I convinced you to do that?”
“Yes,” he said. She stood in front of him with her lips puckered.
“Now we can go home and shower and collapse into bed. I think everything is catching up with me.”
“A shower is the first order of business,” he said.
He flipped the lights, set the alarms and they went to his truck, then drove to his ranch.
When they got to his place, he unlocked the doors. He didn’t even have a key. She’d thought about wanting to come and surprise him but couldn’t even do that without him knowing.
Oh well. It’d been a nice romantic thought. Maybe someday.
She had clothes in a drawer here. She was nervous about doing that, but he’d offered, so why not take him up on it and just leave some articles for the weekend?
“I’m going to jump in first,” she said.
“Yeah, go ahead,” he said. “I need to check on a few things out back.”
She was going to ask him what but didn’t need to know.
There were many things he had to do on the land that she wasn’t aware of. He’d made a comment about water backing up in the yard a few days ago. Maybe he was looking into that.
Too many things for her to think about. She was still coming down from her week and content to know Richie wasn’t getting out of jail soon. Her restraining order was in place, and she got to say goodbye to Macy on Friday.
The little girl was moving with her grandmother to another school district. Not that far away, but one where Meredith wouldn’t see her again.
She wouldn’t say she was attached to a child she’d known less than two months, but it’d been an emotional short time.
It was for the best too.
When Clay returned, she was in one of his T-shirts in the kitchen looking for something to warm up for dinner.
“How about some leftover spaghetti from the other night?”
“Whatever,” he said.
She laughed. She didn’t know why she thought of romantic things when it came to Clay. He was one of the most basic men she knew.
It was what she needed in her life all along.
An hour later, they were in bed, the TV on, her lying against his chest, her fingers moving over his muscles.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing. I just like touching you.”
“The same. Sure there isn’t anything else?”
How could he know her so well?
She moved and straddled his hips. “Can I be on top?”
His lip curled up in the corner. “You never have to ask those things.”
“You’ve been distant. I didn’t know if you didn’t feel well. You didn’t touch me last night.”
She understood him not doing it on Wednesday. That was too emotional for them both, and the relief it was over finally hit her.
“I wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Got to get back on the horse.” She pulled the T-shirt over her head, her breasts bare for him. “Or should I say the stallion? No, the stud. I’m going to ride the stud.”
“Meredith,” he said, exasperated.
“Yes?”
“Put a cork in it.” He wrapped her hair around his fist and pulled her mouth to his. She was supposed to be doing the work, but she liked it just as much when he took over.
“I’m on the pill,” she whispered against his lips. “Are you okay with that?”
His hands slid into her underwear on her ass, gripping her cheeks, pulling the material up between her crack, then shifting it to the side.
“Ride me now,” he said. “Just like this.”
Okay. Romance was out the window.
Slow and steady with it.
A strong man ordering her what to do was more like it.
She lifted, moved to line up and made sure the material to her underwear was out of the way. Clay did a good enough job shifting it.
She sat down fast, the fullness of him making them complete in her eyes.
Everything he did with her, everything he touched, it filled her heart with more love than she thought was possible.
She sat back on her knees, her eyes on his, just watching, assessing the situation for the right time to tell him what was in her heart.
His gaze matched hers, he sent her a small smile as if he could read her mind.
She lifted and lowered, then did it again.
A groan escaped, his hands going to her breasts, flicking at her hardened nipples.
“Every time you touch me, a little part of my body gives itself to you even more.”
He was still watching her when she said those words. No reaction. Or not one she could see.
“Touch yourself,” he said. “There isn’t much sexier than that.”
No one had ever told her she was sexy. Or she’d never felt it before.
She felt everything with Clay.
She held the material of her panties to the side so he could watch her do as ordered.
Her body was being assaulted in every direction imaginable.
She was riding up and down slowly, her middle finger swiping around in circles.
He was pinching her nipples, and her body was ready to explode in multiple places.
“Oh God,” she said. “I’m not sure what feels better.”
“Don’t think. Just let yourself go.”
She was moving faster on him. Up and down, his grip on her breasts keeping them from jiggling but his thumb and finger not letting up.
It wasn’t painful. Not to the point she was going to yelp, but enough to make her scream in pleasure when he applied some more pressure.
She came, her body pulsing in numerous places.
How was it even possible?
Her finger dropped away, her hands going to her ankles to lean back and get him deeper as she lifted and lowered her hips the best she could.
He took over from there. Grasping her hips and slamming up into her powerful enough that she almost felt his energy in her body.
When he came, it sounded as if he was in pain just like her.
The lovely kind of pain that was present when you opened your heart and soul to those you love.
For them to see they are your world and you couldn’t be complete without them.
She was drained, physically and emotionally, and dropped on his chest, her legs sliding out as she lay on him.
His hand was rubbing her back in a small soft caress.
The words tumbled out without thought or consequence.
“I love you, Clay.”
He didn’t stiffen. At least she didn’t think he did, but his hand stopped and she was greeted with silence.
Ugh. She should have kept her mouth shut!
As the seconds ticked by, she shifted to get off of him. She had to go to the bathroom anyway.
He didn’t stop her.
How embarrassing. She didn’t know what was worse. No comment or him trying to make up something.
She went to the bathroom, ran the water longer than normal to wash her hands and gather herself, then had to return to face him.
Should she say something else or pretend she didn’t let it slip?
She climbed into bed and held her tongue.
“Listen, Meredith.”
“Don’t,” she said. “Don’t say anything to upset me or make it worse. It’s just words. It’s been an emotional few days and it was the orgasm talking. Let it go.”
“I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Then don’t say anything else,” she said and turned on her back. She wanted to get up and leave, but that would be stupid. He’d never let her go anyway.
Just like the stupid chain he had wrapped around her heart would never be released.