bad, and two years altogether. Even when times were good with us, I never felt for him what I do for you in just this short period of time. I know I won’t be able to come back from you, Ridge Beckett.”
Well, fuck me. Kendall Dawson, my sweet girl. She unmans me.
“Jump, baby. Jump and let me catch you. I can’t explain it. There are no words to explain this, or how I feel. I just know that I would never, ever hurt you. I know I want to hear your voice every day. I know a simple text from you changes the outcome of my day. I know I’ve tasted your sweet lips four times, and that’s not nearly enough.” Leaning in, I kiss her.
This time, I trace her lips with my tongue, coaxing her to open for me, and she does. I don’t waste time, sliding my tongue past her lips to truly taste her for the first time.
Fucking addictive.
I have her face cradled in my hands, hers resting atop mine as we get lost in each other. It starts slow and easy, but suddenly that’s not enough. My tongue battles with hers, and I fight to taste more of her. She moans deep in her throat, and it fuels me. I nip at her bottom lip and soothe it with my tongue before plunging back inside. Her hands drop from mine to grip my shoulders, pulling me toward her as if she can’t seem to get close enough.
I know the feeling.
She rocks her hips against me, and that simple act alone lights a fire inside me. My hands fall to her waist, my grip tight as I help her find a rhythm that’s driving us both crazy with need.
“Ridge,” she pleads.
“I got you.” My hands slide down to her ass, cupping each cheek, not breaking the rhythm we’ve created. My lips trail across her neck, nipping, sucking, and licking, driving her crazy.
Who am I kidding? I’m driving myself crazy.
She’s so damn responsive.
“Please don’t,” she gasps.
“I won’t, babe. I’m not stopping until I see you come undone,” I say, reading her mind.
“Please.”
“Open your eyes, Kendall. Let me see those baby blues.”
Her eyes pop open and lock on mine.
“I want you to come for me. I want to look into your eyes and watch you fall apart.” Her head falls back, breaking eye contact, but the moan that falls from her lips tells me she’s losing control. For me—because of me—this beautiful creature is losing her inhibitions.
“Ridge!” she cries out into the night air.
Wrapping my hand around the back of her neck, I pull her to me and crash my lips to hers. She pulls away long before I’m ready to stop and buries her face in my neck.
“I can’t believe I just did that.”
I raise my hips so my rock-hard erection shows her exactly what I think about what we just did. Not her—we.
She reaches for the waistband of my jeans, but I place my hand over hers to stop her. She sits back, settling her fine ass against my cock. “I want to. It’s not fair to you.”
I chuckle. “I got what I wanted, what I needed. I got to make you lose control.”
“Ridge,” she says hesitantly.
“We better head back. They’re going to think we ran off.”
“Not without Knox,” she says, and my heart soars at her admission. He’s a part of me, and she accepts that.
I kiss her again quickly before helping her off my lap. She wraps her arm around my waist and settles into my side as we walk back to the house.
Inside, the guys have the TV sound low. Dawn is sleeping, her head on Mark’s shoulder. Seth and Kent have their eyes glued to the fight, while Reagan and Tyler are talking to what sounds like a soon-to-be-upset Knox.
“He’s hungry,” I announce, alerting them that we’re back.
“I was just getting ready to make him a bottle,” Reagan says.
“I got it.” I kiss Kendall on the temple then take my son from my sister. “Hey, bud, you hungry?” He quiets at the sound of my voice. “Let’s go make you some dinner.” I carry him into the kitchen with me, making his bottle one-handed like I’ve learned to do over the past few weeks.
He whimpers pitifully.
“I know, little man. It’s almost ready.”
Once the bottle’s ready, I head back to the living room. “I’m just going to take him upstairs and feed him. I’ll be back when I get him down.”
“You need help?” Kendall