Instead, he crouched down, swept the pile into the dustpan and carried it to the kitchen trash. Replacing the broom, he walked back over to Andi and took the bottle of wine from her hand.
“Why don’t you go get dressed for bed and I will put this away?” he suggested.
Andi nodded.
They both went their separate directions, but after Ridge placed the bottle back in the fridge, he waited until he didn’t hear her moving around anymore before he turned. Andi’s apartment was a studio, which meant everything was all in one room, except for her bathroom. So, there was no privacy. The living area, bedroom, and kitchen were all open to each other. And while he would have loved to see her naked again, Ridge wanted to give her at least a small bit of privacy. He wished he could just leave her be for the night and give her some space, but he couldn’t. His animal wouldn’t let him. Ridge knew if he tried to go home, Andi wouldn’t be the only one who would lose control of their cat today. So, he tried to do what he could.
Fucking hell! he thought to himself. If the guys from the club saw this shit…
He didn’t even want to contemplate what they would think. Very few guys at the club had mates. But he wondered if the ones who did felt as he was now. How did they go days without seeing their mates? Right now, Ridge didn’t think he could go hours. The beast inside of him was on edge.
“You can turn around,” Andi said softly.
Ridge turned to find her in bed, under the covers. And he wondered if she was bare underneath the blanket. But again, he kept the thought to himself. He knew she would expect an explanation, and normally, Ridge didn’t explain anything. As club VP, the only person he answered to was Lux. But he knew he couldn’t treat Andi like that. He had to be a bit gentler with her.
Running a hand down his face, Ridge stepped over to her bed. He didn’t know exactly how to make her understand, but he knew he at least had to try.
“Look.” He paused. “I know this is all a lot to take in. I get it.” He tried to figure out how to tell her that he was staying, whether she liked it or not. “If you are comfortable here, then we’ll stay here. But eventually, I would like to go out to my place. It’s bigger and there’s more privacy. I can’t teach you how to maintain control of your panther in an apartment.” Ridge shrugged.
“You're staying the night?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I have to.”
“What?”
Ridge groaned. “I can’t leave.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t.”
“Lux ordered you to stay here?” she asked. “To watch me?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Shit! Fuck! Hell!
He didn’t want to say the words out loud. He knew they would make him look weak. But he couldn’t lie to her. It didn’t feel right. So, he just let the truth fall from his lips.
“My leopard won’t let me leave you.”
A small smile pulled at her lips.
“It’s not funny.”
“No.” She shook her head. “It’s not.”
“Then why are you smiling?”
“Because my panther doesn’t want you to leave.”
They both stared at each other and then, out of nowhere started to laugh.
“Well, aren’t we a pair.”
“Apparently.”
Andi moved over to one side of the bed and then patted the mattress beside her. “Come on.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I can sleep on the floor.”
“And have my panther forcing another change and sleeping down there with you?” she asked, sarcastically. “No, thanks.”
Ridge walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. Pulling off his boots he let them thud to the floor before standing back up and unbuttoning his jeans. He slid them down his legs and sat back down to pull them off. He laid back in the bed and tried to get comfortable, but he didn’t think it would be possible. Not only was a beautiful woman lying next to him, but she was his mate. And he couldn’t touch her without scaring the hell out of her. Logically, he knew mating wasn’t in the cards tonight, but that didn’t stop him from fantasizing about having her underneath him. Or above him. Ridge wasn’t picky.
“Good night,” Andi’s quiet voice broke into his thoughts.
“Good night, beautiful,” Ridge replied. “Sweet dreams.”
He waited as she snuggled under the blanket and got into a comfortable position. Then he turned on his side and lightly laid his hand on her hip. Ridge felt her body stiffen but she didn’t try to remove it. She would have to get used to his touch at some point. And since she wasn’t trying to move away from him, he took it as a good sign.
Closing his eyes, he waited for sleep – but it didn’t feel as if it would be coming anytime soon. At least not for him. However, for Andi – it came quickly. Within minutes, her breathing evened out and her body went lax.
Ridge smiled.
If she was able to sleep, that had to mean something, right?
She’s trusting us, his leopard informed.
Ridge agreed.
Remembering that he still had someone at home waiting on him, Ridge rolled over and grabbed his phone from his pants pocket.
I won’t be home tonight. Make sure to lock up. He sent the text and tossed his phone on the bedside table.
Rolling back over, he gently replaced his hand and tried to make himself comfortable. He heard a buzz, indicating a reply, but he didn’t move to look at it. He didn’t want to wake Andi. So, Ridge laid completely still listening to the sound of her breathing and the occasional car that drove by outside.
Finally, hours later, sleep took him under, but it wouldn’t be a relaxed sleep. Ridge’s mind ran wild with naughty dreams of Andi in positions that even the best gymnasts would have found
