Lani gasped but it was too late. She’d had her chance to shut up. Now it was up to Ridge to do it for her.
Pulling her smack against him he reached his hand up to cup the back of her head then he tilted her so she was perfectly positioned for his kiss. As he lowered his lips she closed her eyes tight but her mouth softened and he could tell she wanted this. Her body would not lie.
Taking his cue from her response Ridge covered her lips with his own, exacting her silence with his kiss, not letting up until her body melted against him, her will yielding to his.
When he finally withdrew and gazed down at her face her eyes were still closed. Slowly he released her so she could again stand on her own.
It was only then that she opened her eyes. Her wide-eyed gaze never leaving his face, she drew in a shaky breath. “I thought you said you wouldn’t force me…to do anything like that.” Her voice had a breathless tone that told him she’d been shaken by his move.
“No,” he said, watching the erratic beat of the pulse at the base of her neck. “I said I’d never make love to you, not if you didn’t want me to.” He gave her a crooked smile. “Now kissing, that’s another matter altogether.”
Her answer was a scalding look which made Ridge laugh as he stepped away, giving her the freedom to move.
As she stepped past him he gave in to the temptation for one last jab. “I think I’ve found the perfect punishment for you so you’d better stay in line.”
He wasn’t surprised when, instead of answering, she flounced off. He only chuckled. Then, as he watched her head off to her room, he muttered under his breath, “Yeah, you’d better watch it, sister. I’d be only too happy to punish you every day of the week.”
CHAPTER SIX
Damn, the man could kiss.
Over a dozen hours had passed since Ridge grabbed her and kissed the anger out of her but Lani could still feel his muscled body stamped on hers and his lips taking full control. She had a test tube in one hand and a pipette in the other but her eyes were staring blankly out the window as she relived those super-hot blazing seconds he’d held her in his arms.
She’d been dead tired when she’d arrived home last night and then he’d gone and annoyed her with his reprimand. And then, in the midst of it all, he lit a fire inside her which raged all night, making her toss and turn into the wee hours of morning. His kiss had awakened a thirst inside, one which could not be quenched until she'd had more of him. All of him. She knew that now.
“I’m beginning to worry about you.”
At the sound of Chris’s voice, Lani turned. “What’s there to worry about?”
“You’ve been standing there, staring out the window for at least five minutes. You on drugs or something?”
“What kind of question is that to ask your boss?” Lani burst out laughing. “You’re something else, do you know that?”
Chris laughed back. “No, I’m just a guy who’s glad he’s got a boss with a sense of humor.” Then his face sobered. “But seriously, though, are you okay? Your mind’s still on that stack of bills that came in before your vacation?”
“No, that’s all taken care of.” This time her smile was full of relief. “The lease payments are up-to-date. In fact, where the bills are concerned, I’d say we’re good till at least the end of the year.”
“Holy…” Chris gazed at her in wonder. “Did one of those big drug companies finally cave and give you the money? What did you do? Hold a gun to somebody’s head?”
“Chris, Chris,” she shook her head, “you have such a low opinion of me. Could you even see me doing something like that?”
He gave her a look which was practically a roll of the eyes. “I’m sure you don’t want me to answer that.”
“Well, don’t.” She gave him a wry grin. “If you want to keep your job you’d better be nice.”
“Yes, boss.” With a grin and a salute he turned and headed back to his side of the lab, leaving Lani to daydream in peace.
And daydream she did, practically the whole morning and part of the afternoon. She wanted Ridge but after the big deal she’d made about him not touching her, how could she admit to the attraction?
After another hour of being less than her productive self Lani gave up. “I’m heading out,” she told Chris. “You’re good until Minerva gets here?”
“Sure. You go on home. You’re looking kind of tired.”
“I am?” Was her sleepless night that obvious? “Well, I guess I’d better go, then.”
“Yeah, go get some sleep, boss.”
Lani left but she had no plans to get any sleep. She was too revved up for that. That evening she decided to try her hand at the wife thing and spent a couple of hours in the kitchen fixing a meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. Cooking had never been her strong point but she felt chastened enough to want to show Ridge she was making an effort. She really should have called him when she realized she would be home much later than usual. She knew she was at fault but at the time it hadn’t seemed like a big deal, especially since they’d spent the past week barely seeing each other, each lost in their own world of work. It had actually crossed her mind that he might not even notice she wasn’t home yet.
Wrong assumption. Based on his reaction Ridge had noticed, and in a big way, and the fact that her cell phone battery had died hadn’t helped matters one bit. She should have thought of that, too. Damn her for being so used to living on her own. She really had to remember that she was living with someone now, someone who might wonder why she hadn’t come home.
But that was all water under the bridge now and all she could do was show Ridge that she was sorry. She just hoped a hot home-cooked meal would do the trick.
Lani set the table and even went as far as to light the scented candles. Then, just as the sun began to set, she took her bath and dressed in a simple emerald-green shift and strappy sandals. She didn’t own many dresses since she was far more comfortable in cargo pants or jeans so, if Ridge knew anything about her, he would know he was a lucky man tonight. She’d gone all out, just for him.
Just as she walked back into the dining room she heard his car pull up. Perfect timing. She went into the kitchen and began sliding the trays from the oven. The aroma of the savoring meat pie filled the kitchen and she ladled the food onto the dinner plates, proud of her handiwork. She was smiling to herself when she heard him call out.