I chide myself for having thoughts like this in the middle of a situation that just keeps getting better by the day.
I’m only human, though. Sex has been the furthest thing from my mind for so long it might as well belong to an alternate universe.
Ridge is a man sculpted with a perfect hand that never touches most mortals.
A rich, powerful, built, and yes, freakishly kindhearted soul who makes me go to pieces because I can’t stand it.
Can’t handle being the one who’s hurting him, messing up his life.
Yesterday, when he’d hugged me in his office, I’d—I swallow.
Damn. It felt good, despite how pissed I was. So good, just being held like that, even when I went off on him like a crazy person for mentioning his mom’s ashes.
I owe him an explanation for lashing out like a crazy woman, but this isn’t the time or place.
He turns, catches me staring at him, and grins.
Welp, here comes the blush. Cornelius’ cherry-red comb isn’t the brightest thing here anymore.
I look away while I still can.
“You okay? All this talk about security isn’t too much, is it?” he asks softly.
I shake my head fiercely.
I’m...totally not fine.
“The house has a top-notch security system,” he goes on. “But I’ve decided to beef it up as a precaution.”
A familiar, crushing weight returns to my shoulders.
“Because of us,” I whisper, hanging my head.
“Because you’re staying,” he says, unabashed. “Because I need to spot any braindead goon stupid enough to step foot on my property so I can kick their asses to Egypt and back. That’s a long damn trip, Grace.”
I burst out laughing. He’s so ridiculous, but I love that it makes this kind of talk less than the fear-fest it’d be otherwise.
“Ridge—”
“Don’t tell me it’s not necessary, because it is, and my mind’s made up. You and your old man are crashing here for as long as it takes.”
Whoa. He’s all kinds of serious, judging by the hot glint in his eye.
He takes my hand, squeezes it, flooding my system with a new deluge of mixed up emotions.
“I do have one favor to ask,” he says.
Part of me wants to laugh. A favor?
I owe him a hell of a lot more for everything he’s already done for us. And I guess if he needs to know more about Clay, about his minions, then maybe it’s time to put on my game face, get over the agony, and tell him.
“Sure,” I say. “What do you need?”
“The items you found in the shed and washed...I know you don’t have time to do everything you wanted to with them, but would you mind giving them to Tobin? Tell him what you had in mind?”
Frowning, because I’m ninety percent sure he’d only gone along with the whole redecorating scheme to appease my father that first morning, I give him a puzzled look.
“I mean...sure. That’s no big deal at all,” I say hesitantly. “But why?”
“Tobin asked me about it this morning. I know he’s a stiff, that’s just Tobin. But he’s also a shameless history buff. He saw everything in the cabin while checking up on you and Nelson and was curious. When I told him those were some of the things you were going to use to decorate the house with, he was...” He swallows what seems like a laugh and shakes his head. “Excited.”
I can’t help smiling with relief.
“I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Tobin genuinely excited before,” he says with a chuckle.
I eye him critically, trying to figure out if he’s trying to appease me so I don’t freak out about the cop coming around.
No, there’s too much amusement dancing in his eyes.
I like this look a lot.
“I’ll do it tonight,” I tell him.
“Seriously,” he says. “Haul a box of that stuff in the house and you’ll see I’m telling the truth. Bet he rips it right out of your hands.”
“All right,” I agree, trying to imagine it.
Tobin seems kind enough in his own way, but he’s very standoffish. I can’t see him getting excited over anything, let alone a few old jars, crocks, and tack from an old farm.
Then again, I’ve been wrong about a lot of things.
The longer I stare at Ridge Barnet and those sneaky smiles that are impossible not to beam back, the more I wonder.
What if he’s everything I need?
It’s late the next day before I fully realize Ridge, once again, was right.
Tobin was excited about the items. He was even more excited about