Chapter Seventeen

K endall placed the final package of napkins on the shelf, then stood back and surveyed his handiwork. There'd been dozens of boxes of inventory when he'd started his project, and he'd unloaded each of them. It was better to stay busy so he wouldn't fixate on everything that had transpired at dinner. Stanton Burkhart had lived rent-free in his head long enough, and Kendall wasn't giving the man any more space, especially when he had someone wonderful who needed the room. He chuckled dryly and shook his head. Kendall had been fixating a lot since Ridge had moved in.

"Hey."

Kendall jolted and turned around. Emmett was leaning against the doorjamb, his dark blond brows slanted in a frown. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

Emmett straightened, crossed the room, and leaned against the shelving unit. The bartender stood a little too close for comfort, so Kendall discreetly eased over and pretended to straighten the boxes of cocktail stirrers. Emmett's light chuckle made Kendall think he hadn't been as subtle as he'd hoped. "You just seem distracted tonight."

Kendall turned to face him again. "Just a lot on my mind."

"Like trying to figure out if I'm straight or just taken? Seems to be the talk of the club since I started working here."

"Don't forget alien," Kendall said.

Emmett laughed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Seriously?"

Kendall nodded. "A recent suggestion by someone who thinks you're too perfect to be human."

"Huh," Emmett said. "I'm not sure if I should be happy or insulted."

"He didn't mean it as an insult if that helps."

A hint of a smile played on Emmett's lips. "Why couldn't I be all those things at once?"

"A straight, monogamous alien?"

Emmett's hint of a grin turned into a full-blown, boxer-scorching smile. "On Earth to save my lover and planet."

Kendall snorted. "I like you."

Emmett threw his head back and laughed. It was dark and throaty and only added to the total package. "Well," the bartender said, "I guess I'll let you live. The rest of the earthlings will not earn a stay of execution."

"Gee, thanks," Kendall said drolly. "I'm doomed to live out the rest of my existence in total solitude." Some might like the notion, but it sounded like a fate much worse than death to Kendall. He was a people person who craved connections. He just couldn't be trusted to make the right ones.

Emmett sighed deeply. "Fine. I'll take you back to my planet with me."

Kendall laughed. "I'd probably stand a better chance of finding love with an alien race."

"Nothing ever happened between you and the marshal?"

"What's your definition of nothing?" Kendall asked. Technically, a lot had happened between him and Ridge, but he doubted Emmett was referring to Kendall getting Ridge hooked on reality television.

"Are you dating?"

"Nope."

Emmett eased closer. "So, you're available, then?"

"Uh…" Old Kendall would've taken Emmett up on the blatant offer he saw in the bartender's eyes. But it would be a mistake, both professionally and personally. Screwing up his personal relationships was nothing new to him, but Kendall had never allowed his mistakes to screw with his professional prospects.

The management position had been a golden opportunity. Not only was Kendall receiving a handsome salary, but he would also earn a percentage of the profits the club made. It was in his best interest to make sure everything ran smoothly and with as few complications as possible. Sleeping with his employees would be the worst kind of trouble, and Kendall wanted no part of it. Besides, the only reason the management position had been open in the first place was because his predecessor had the morals of an alley cat.

Kendall would not make the same mistakes. A knock sounded on the open door before he could clear the air with Emmett. Seth grinned at him as if he'd just won the lottery. "What's up?"

"You have a visitor." The adorable host waggled his brows. "A certain delicious deputy marshal."

"And there's my answer," Emmett said.

Not really, but it was better to let him think Ridge and Kendall were together than to give Emmett false hope over something that wouldn't happen. "Thanks for checking on me."

"Anytime."

"Did I interrupt something?" Seth asked when they were alone in the hallway.

"Not at all," Kendall managed to say, even though his heart was in his throat. "What section did you seat Ridge in?"

"I didn't. He said he needed a private word with you, so I showed the hottie to your office."

A private word at two in the morning? That couldn't be good. "Did he say something was wrong?"

Seth chuckled. "I don't think he's here to arrest you if that's what you're worried about."

"I'm not."

"But," Seth said, "I don't think handcuffs are off the table."

One could only hope .

He and Seth parted ways a few moments later. Kendall came to an abrupt halt when he saw Ridge leaning against the wall outside his office, his head tilted back and eyes closed. Ridge must've sensed him, or maybe Kendall let out a lovesick sigh because Ridge lowered his head and met his gaze. When Kendall just continued to stare, Ridge shoved off the wall and strode toward him. Damn, his long legs gobbled up the distance in no time at all.

"Hi," they both said at once.

"Is everything okay?" Kendall asked.

"I…um…" Ridge rubbed the back of his neck and glanced at Kendall's closed office door. "Can we talk in there?"

Kendall nodded. "Of course. You could've waited inside for me."

"Seth said as much, but I didn't feel right doing it."

Once in his office, Kendall shut the door, but he hadn't retreated too far into the room before Ridge snagged his wrist, halting him. Heat and electricity crackled from their connection and spread up Kendall's arm. He glanced down at his limb, expecting his white dress shirt to look scorched, but the material remained pristine.

Ridge stepped up behind Kendall, wrapped his free arm around his waist, and pulled until Kendall's back met a solid wall of muscle. Ridge splayed his hand over Kendall's abdomen, placed his lips against Kendall's ear, and whispered, "What would make you happy?"

A hard shiver rolled through Kendall, and he turned in Ridge's embrace, resting his hands on broad shoulders. Kendall used his momentum to push the bigger man up against the closed door. Ridge's mouth fell slack for a second before parting into a delighted smile.

"Kiss me," Kendall said as he slid one hand into Ridge's hair. "That would make me really fucking happy."

Kendall wasn't one to wait for someone else to make their move, but it seemed essential to hang back and make sure Ridge knew what he wanted. The man didn't keep him waiting. He swooped down and captured Kendall's mouth, keeping his touch light and tentative at first before tracing his tongue along Kendall's bottom lip. The teasing felt good but made Kendall ache for more, so he raked his nails over Ridge's scalp.

Ridge released Kendall's wrist and cupped the back of his head, then sank his teeth into Kendall's bottom lip. The move shot electricity straight to his groin, and he gasped. Ridge pressed his advantage and plunged his tongue into Kendall's mouth, sending the wait-and-see approach up in smoke.

Kendall became the aggressor, sucking Ridge's tongue into his mouth and trailing his hand over Ridge's chest, eliciting tremors in its wake. Pulling back from the kiss, Kendall smirked at the taller man. "So, this is how you move a mountain, huh?" Said mountain swooped down for another kiss, but Kendall evaded him by stepping free of his embrace. "Not so fast." Ridge stared back at him with a slack expression, and his arms hovered awkwardly in the air. Cursing himself for making a mess of the situation, Kendall stepped back into the space he'd vacated and cupped Ridge's face. "I mean, not here. I want you in my bed."

Ridge smiled. "I just want to shower off my night first."

"A rough one, huh?"

"Some people just make my skin itch," Ridge said.

Kendall leaned forward and kissed him. "I have an idea. How about you hang out here and let me feed you, then we can shower together like we've both been fantasizing about this week." Ridge's head thumped against the door, and his eyes glazed over. Kendall knew the kinds of dirty things he was imagining. "Yes, we can do each and every one of those things."

"I didn't tell you what I was thinking."

Kendall nipped Ridge's lower lip, then ran his tongue over the mark he left behind. "Doesn't matter. The answer is yes."

Ridge sucked in a shaky breath. "You really are trouble."

Kendall nodded and stepped back. "Which is why I won't blame you if you do change your mind. I'm hell on the heart."

Ridge snagged him before he could go too far. "I'll take my chances."

Kendall wanted to kiss him again, but his self-control was slipping. "Make yourself comfortable. We ran out of wings right before you showed up. Do you want to look at a menu, or would you like me to surprise you?"

Ridge pushed off the door and sauntered over to a chair. "I trust you."

Kendall took a deep breath to gather himself before exiting his office. He received a few catcalls when he strolled into the kitchen. "Word travels fast around here."

Matt, one of the line cooks, glanced up from wiping down his station and hooked his thumb toward the cook beside him. "About as fast as Hector handing out his phone number to the pretty boys."

Hector paused his cleaning to flip Matt off, then launched into a rapid stream of Spanish. Kendall wasn't fluent, but he recognized enough to know Hector had accused Matt of being jealous.

Matt laughed and resumed his wiping. "You wish, papí."

Kendall retrieved his dinner leftovers from one of the commercial refrigerators and deflected curious questions while plating and reheating food for his visitor. When he returned to his office, Ridge was sprawled in a chair, looking at his phone. All semblance of nonchalance disappeared when he got a whiff of the food. Ridge bolted upright and relegated his device to the table. "Christ, that smells good. What is it?"

"Boeuf bourguignon. It's a fancy beef stew."

Ridge accepted the plate. "You made that here?"

Kendall snorted. "Heavens no. I had dinner at my mother's house tonight and took more leftovers than I could possibly eat."

"So, you're saying I'm doing you a favor."

"In more ways than one," Kendall replied with a lurid wink.

Ridge looked at his plate with so much longing it was almost comical.

"I'll leave you to it while I finish up my shift. I won't be long. Maybe an hour."

"Okay." Ridge forked a bite of beef and potato stew into his mouth and moaned.

Kendall beat it out of there while he still had the willpower to do so. For the next hour, he made a mental list of all the ways he could make Ridge moan louder than he had over Adelaide's stew.

But Kendall's confidence floundered when he stood outside his office after his shift ended. The man he couldn't stop thinking about was waiting for him on the other side of the door, so why was he hesitating? They were both unattached, consenting adults. So what if Ridge had only been single for a month?

The door swung open suddenly, making Kendall yelp and jump back. "You scared the hell out of me." He clutched his chest and leaned against the wall across from his office.

"Are you done?"

"Yes, we can go now," Kendall said.

Ridge strode from the office and pinned him against the wall. "I meant, are you done talking yourself out of taking me to your bed?"

"I wasn't. I—" Kendall narrowed his eyes. "How'd you even know I was out here?"

"The same way I know you're lying in bed stroking your cock every time I take a shower."

Kendall's body went up in flames, but he didn't bother trying to deny it. "Are we going to pretend you're not fucking your fist at the same time?"

"Hell no," Ridge said gruffly. "Let's get out of here."

He nodded and led Ridge out through the back exit. Just like after the James takedown, Kendall drove Ridge around to his SUV. But the similarities ended there. Ridge didn't just shove open the door and climb out. He cupped Kendall's neck and pulled him into a long, searing kiss.

After they parted, Ridge winked and said, "And now I'm happy."

Ridge got stuck at a red light, which gave Kendall extra time to wipe his sweaty hands on his pants and pull himself together. He didn't fumble the keys, and they didn't engage in awkward chitchat when they entered the house. Ridge and Kendall reached for each other simultaneously, a tangle of limbs, greedy hands, and eager mouths. They toed out of their shoes by the door and left a trail of discarded clothes on their way to the bathroom, stopping every few feet to explore newly revealed skin.

Kendall ran the back of his fingers over the erection straining Ridge's underwear while they waited for the water to heat up. "You could have a successful career modeling briefs if this marshal gig doesn't work for you."

"I'll take that into consideration," Ridge said, then captured Kendall's mouth in another heated kiss.

When steam filled the bathroom, Kendall pushed Ridge's underwear down his thick thighs before reaching for his own.

"Let me," Ridge growled. He made a big seduction out of it, dipping his fingers under the waistband and slowly pushing the fabric down to free Kendall's cock.

Their lips met once more beneath the spray as their soapy hands roamed freely over each other's bodies. When they finished, Ridge hoisted Kendall into the air and pinned him against the shower wall. The shock of the cold tile was tempered by the wall of hot muscle pressing against his chest. Kendall wrapped his legs around Ridge's waist and held on for dear life when the taller man snapped his hips forward, grinding their erections together. Kendall cried out and raked his nails over Ridge's back.

He shuddered hard, hitched Kendall higher, and pinned Kendall's hands to the cold tile above his head.

"You play dirty," Kendall said.

Ridge thrust harder against him, their guttural moans echoing throughout the steamy room. Ridge's head rolled forward, landing on Kendall's shoulder. "You feel so damn incredible." He turned his head and sucked on Kendall's neck before kissing a path upward. "I don't want to be a selfish lover. I want to make this good for you," Ridge whispered against Kendall's lips.

With his hands and body pinned to the shower wall, Kendall had limited weapons available in his arsenal. He tightened his thighs around Ridge and rocked his pelvis. Ridge sucked in a sharp breath and jerked his head up to lock eyes with him, letting Kendall see his doubt and vulnerability.

"There isn't enough room for him in this shower." Kendall wouldn't say Todd's name, and after tonight, he hoped Ridge would forget his ex's existence. "There's only you and me. No bullshit. No doubts. No lies others want us to believe. Just us." Ridge's brown eyes softened, and Kendall could tell the man wanted to believe him. He wasn't quite there yet, but he would be by the end of the night. "Your hands are around my wrists. Feel how my pulse is racing for you and how my body trembles in your embrace. You make me happy. Don't let him win."

Ridge stared into his eyes for a few heartbeats before crashing his mouth against Kendall's.