Meant to Be Read online

  “Stop,” Leo says a moment later. “I’ll grab it now.” The car rolls to a stop and before I can respond, Leo is out of the car and into the coffee shop as if he’s read my mind. Impossible. Sometimes I really think he can read my thoughts. I know it sounds ridiculous. Believe me, if he actually could, he would have taken my virginity months ago or told me that there was no chance. He’s done neither of those things so my dirty thoughts are safe for now.

  He jumps back into the car a few minutes later with a chocolate chip muffin and a latte. He hands me the coffee. I take a sip and it’s perfect. He’s the only one who ever gets my order right. I put it in the cup holder. I look over at Leo and his eyes are glued to my lips again. This time he reaches up and swipes his thumb down the side of my mouth, wiping some of the frothy milk I’m guessing was left from the latte. He immediately puts his finger in his mouth and sucks on it. My own eyes focus on his mouth now as I try and figure out what the hell just happened.

  “Did you eat?” I ask to break the silence that has fallen between us. I see that he doesn't have anything for himself. “You never remember to get yourself something.” I put my muffin down to try and crawl over him so I can get him a simple black coffee and maybe a sandwich. It’s funny how over time you learn a person's likes and dislikes. Especially when it comes to food. Leo loves sandwiches but they have to have meat in them. According to him it’s not a sandwich without meat. He went above and beyond to prove this point by introducing me to my first grilled cheese with bacon. I have to admit he was right. He normally is but to me he is never smug about it. He’s perfect in my eyes and I love his grumpy ass.

  I reach for the door handle to get out of the car but he grabs me right before I can open it. “Go,” he tells the driver. The car jerks, taking off. I fall into Leo’s wall of a chest and end up sitting in his lap. We both stare at each other, our eyes locked. In his lap I feel small and delicate. Leo has always been a big man. While my brother was big in high school, Leo went on to grow bigger all over. I don’t even know how he finds suits to fit his build. Sometimes when he takes his jacket off his muscles look like they’re struggling to be contained by his dress shirt. “You need a seatbelt,” he tells me. I reluctantly try to pull back to get into my seat but he wraps his arms around me, holding me tight.

  “Are you my seatbelt?” I tease him, settling in. I have no problem sitting in his lap. If I’d known it was an option I would have sat myself here long ago. I make a mental note that I can now sit in his lap whenever I want. He opened that door and I am more than willing to walk right through it.

  “People are going to think you’re my girl,” Leo responds, not answering my question. His hold on me tightens a fraction. I let the words my girl play over and over again in my head. How long have I wanted that? I think it was around the time my brother started dating. I was wondering if Leo would begin dating too and this weird feeling that I’d figured out was jealousy shortly after took hold and I knew I was a goner.

  “Does it matter? People already think we have a secret love affair going on.” I catch the small look of surprise on Leo’s face before he masks it.

  “They do?”

  I watch as he searches his mind. Leo might be good at reading people and listening but he doesn’t pay attention to gossip. That’s for sure. The whispers started a year ago while I was still in high school. Everyone was wondering if Leo and I would finally come out about our relationship. That we were hiding it because I was underage then. There was nothing to hide.

  Oh, I would have been willing, but Leo never crossed that line or showed signs of wanting to. I’m still not sure what a sign from him would be. I, like the rest of the world, have yet to catch him with a woman. So I don’t know how he looks when he’s interested in someone.

  “I think it’s because you’re never seen with anyone but me or someone who works for or with you.” I offer. The rumors didn’t bother me. I enjoyed everyone thinking he was mine. This buffer thing is only going to add fuel to that fire. Maybe now Leo will see me as a woman and no longer as a young girl. If everyone is really talking about us being together he might see for himself that there could be an us. It could also backfire and he could push me away faster.

  “I don’t have time to date.”

  I roll my eyes. My heart aches a little too at that. What if Leo did give in to seeing me as more than a little sister? Would it hurt just as much when he put his work before me? I should be used to it. My brother took off to New York. Sure, he’d asked me to go with him but I was still in school. Plus, I couldn't bring myself to leave Leo even if he wasn't mine. My father always picks work too. It’s what all the men around me do. If Dad isn’t traveling for work he is traveling to enjoy life without me. I half swear the man doesn't like me. He’s never outright mean but he’s distant. I think I remind him of the woman who up and left him with two kids. He either resented her or had a broken heart about it. I’m not sure which.

  “I don’t date,” he says again. This time there is a growl in his voice.

  “I do,” I say tartly. I don’t know why. His eyes narrow on me. The hold he has on me tightens so much it’s almost painful. I like it. It’s then I feel it. His hard cock digging into me.

  “Who do you date?” He half yells. “There is no one. I would know.”

  He would because he knows everything about me. I fight to not roll my eyes to poke at him. He’s already worked up. If he knew everything, he’d know I am madly in love with him and touch myself every night pretending it is him.

  “How would you know?” I toss back. The man is always at work.

  “I would.” The air in the car becomes thick and I wonder if he’s so pissed because I’m like a little sister to him and he’s being protective or if it’s something else. His hard cock pressing into me isn’t brotherly at all.

  “Not yet,” I give. “But I will.” My eyes lock with his in a challenge. “Soon,” I add. If there is even a small chance that he is maybe a tiny bit jealous over the idea of me dating I am going to use it. I’ll do anything to get Leo Ridgeway to break.

  3

  Leo

  “Hillary?” I push the call intercom button that goes straight to her office.

  “What?” she snips back. I know she’s annoyed with me that I keep asking her stupid shit just to see what they are up to but I don’t care. Ro has been in her office all morning and not mine. I’m like a child and someone else has taken my toy but Ro is no toy and I don’t fucking share.

  “Is there something I can get you?” Cindy pokes her head into my office. I give her a hard glare that has her backing out just as quick. No one comes into my office without knocking.

  Ro pushes open my office door half a beat later. Except Ro obviously. She doesn’t need to knock. She can do whatever she wants. I rather enjoy the liberties she takes when it comes to me. I want her to feel comfortable.

  “Never mind,” I tell Hillary, flipping off the intercom. I swear I catch her laughing. I should fire her but I won’t because she runs this place and I’d be screwed without her. I’ll never admit that out loud.

  “Will you leave that woman alone?” Ro asks as she makes her way over to me. I scoot my chair back. Normally she sits on the sofa I have off to the side. I’ve slept on it more times than I want to admit. Like the time she’d gone off on a school trip for a weekend. An all-girls one. I’d done my checking. There had been no point to go home that weekend. I only ever went back to the penthouse to see her. Hell, I wasn't even supposed to live there anymore. The Ridgeway estate is now updated and still I never go there. She isn't there. Why would I?

  She passes the sofa coming towards me. I’m taken aback for a moment when she plops down right into my lap. I pulled her into my lap in the car. Now it looks like she is making herself comfortable. I’d given the invitation and she is taking it. It makes me wonder what other doors I can open and have her slip in.

  “I thought you wanted me to help you pick out something for tonight?” I remin
d her. She turns a little in my lap to face my computer. Her hair brushes against my face, the smell of sweet cotton candy filling my lungs. God, she is going to kill me. Her scent is wonderful and unbearable at the same time.

  I wanted to kill every man on the planet when she spoke about dating. That would happen over my dead body. I had to calm myself. I’ve always made sure to keep boys away from her. I’ve had my hand in a lot of places in her life that she knows nothing about to make sure that was so. It is fucked up and wrong but I have no control with her. There isn’t a line I won’t cross. I told myself I was doing it to keep her safe. Too many creeps out there in the world but I am turning into one of them now. She needs more time, I try and remind myself, but I’m never going to make it.

  She wiggles in my lap and I fight a groan as she starts clicking away on my computer. Her lush ass grinds down into my cock. How easy it would be to pick her up and pin her to my desk. To spread her legs and finally know if her pussy tastes like sweet cotton candy. I need something to distract myself before I lose my shit.

  “Cindy!” I shout. Ro jerks in my lap.

  “Do you have to yell?” she asks. I can’t see her eyes but I know she rolls them.

  Cindy pops into my office. “Leo?” she asks. Her eyes go a little round at seeing Ro in my lap.

  “Ridgeway,” I correct. Ro’s body gives a small shake that doesn't help my hard cock. She’s fighting a laugh.

  “Sorry, sir.”

  “I’ll take a coffee. Ro, you want a lemonade?”

  “Yes, please,” she says with a nod, still clicking away on the computer. When summer hits she always goes on a lemonade kick. So many times I’ve wondered if I take her mouth would I taste it on her tongue.

  “This?” she asks, dragging my eyes from her shiny hair that she has loose today to the computer screen. I lick my lips, looking at the pink dress she has pulled up. It would mold to all of her curves. It’s nothing like the boxy suit she has on right now. I want to see her in it. I’m not sure her tits would even fit but I’ll enjoy seeing them try. The dress is exactly her style. It’s just a little more sexy than normal. The cut of the top is going to show some cleavage and it is shorter than her normal. Her gorgeous legs will be on full display with this dress. I want to see her in it, yet I don’t want anyone else's eyes looking at her. I’m in a bit of a conundrum, as is usually the case when it comes to Ro.

  “It’s perfect.”

  She turns to look at me over her shoulder. “You always say perfect.” I always say perfect to her or about her. I wrack my brain to try and remember when else I’ve used the word. Nothing comes to mind. I reserve that word only for her because she is the definition of it.

  “You know what’s not perfect?”

  She turns more in my lap to look at me without having to crane her neck. “What?”

  “You dating.” There, I said it. It’s been fucking festering inside of me. How am I going to stop this idea of hers that she should be dating? Then it hits me. The idea is fucking genius. She wants to play my buffer and that’s exactly what I’m going to let her do, but I’m going to up the ante.

  “I can date if I want to.” She lifts her chin in a defiant way.

  “Not if people think we’re dating,” I challenge. “You said people already think it.” Good. “Now they really will. You’re going to let people think you cheat on me?”

  “I would never!” she half-shouts, turning all the way in my lap until she is straddling me. Fuck I wish she was wearing a dress and not pants. She hates wearing pants and now I hate them too. I want her to have her skin on display for me to touch. It’s all hidden behind the ugly suit that is both a curse and savior to me. “I won’t date.” She gives in.

  Relief hits me hard and fast flooding my system.

  “For now,” she adds. “If I go off to college I won’t be your buffer anymore.” She doesn't sound excited about the idea. Neither am I. She never does when she talks about college.

  “If?” I ask. She gives a small shrug, making her ass wiggle again on my poor dick. She has to feel my cock pressing into her. There is no missing it but maybe she’s not paying attention or she’s too innocent. That shouldn’t turn me on more but it does.

  I try and refocus. She was all set to go to a local college. I was so relieved when she said she would be staying close. It was an inner struggle not to steer her in any one direction. Even though I wanted to pull all the strings money could buy to keep her close, I knew if she made the decision to move that I would have to grin and bear it. I’ve already done enough to keep men away from her. I couldn’t add to my list of indiscretions by trying to keep her close. It would be so fucking selfish. I already have enough to make up to her. I couldn’t take away this from her too.

  “If you keep me I might just stay here.” The air in my lungs stills for a moment. I have every intention of keeping her. “I have to have a job. Dad isn’t going to be okay with me not going to college so I’ll have to get a place.” She is already in her place. My lap. She isn’t going anywhere. “I hate it at home though, anyway, so I’m either finding a place ‘cause I have a job now or I’ll move to the dorm and go to college like everyone wants me to.” Her shoulders drop. I don’t care for any of these ideas.

  “You hate it at home?” She never told me that. I thought she told me everything. My whole body starts to fill with tension. What else have I been missing? I’ve been spending too much time at the office. It is the only way I could stay away from her and not take her. I stayed in contact but at a distance sometimes when I was at the end of my rope so that I didn’t do something impulsive and ruin my chances with her.

  It is too tempting when I’m home and know she’s but a floor below me. Likely alone with her father always gone. At one time I’d spend all my spare time watching movies with her and having dinner. It all became too much. The temptation became too great. I had to pull back for my own sanity.

  Why I’d agreed to this whole buffer thing I have no idea. It is the complete fucking opposite of what I’ve been trying to do. I’ve wanted space between us so I don’t do something too soon but the space I’ve created is eating me alive.

  This all started as her being a buffer for me when I went to events. Our first being tonight. I am grasping at anything I can to keep her close to me even if I know it’s wrong. I’ve starved myself of her and as soon as she made the suggestion of working with me I jumped on it. Maybe I’ve been wrong this entire time. I shouldn’t be staying away from her, I should be spending as much time with her as I possibly can. It’s possible that this buffer thing is going to work in my favor.

  “It’s lonely. Colden is in New York and you and my dad are never home.” Her eyes come up to meet mine and it’s almost my undoing. The sad look in them cuts through me. “You work all the time too. It’s only me.” I know she has a few girlfriends but she has never been super close to anyone but me. Fucking hell, I really am a bastard. I am her best friend and I’ve been pushing her away. Trying to keep some level of space between us so I don’t throw her down on the floor and take what belongs to me.

  “You can stay here as long as you like.”

  Her eyes light up at that. I love seeing her happy but it eats at me that she hasn't been that way the whole time. The more I try and make things right for her or at least what I think is right, the more I fuck it up. I really have no idea what the hell I am doing here. This is a first for me so take it easy on me. I’ve never pursued a woman before and I sure as shit have never loved anyone besides Ro before. I’m learning as I go also.

  “For now.” She nods in agreement.

  “For now?” I question. Why for now? I just agreed she can stay here for as long as she wants and now she is putting a time on it.

  “I can’t be your buffer forever.” She shakes her head at me as if that’s a silly idea. She turns in my lap, adding the dress to her cart. I’ll send someone out to get it for her. She may not be able to be my buffer forever but she can be my wife. I smile
to myself at my brilliance.

  “Why not forever?” I finally ask. She peeks over her shoulder at me.

  “Well, we can’t fake date forever. I’ll want kids and a husband one day.” She hops off my lap. I reach to grab her but she’s too quick. She will have kids and a husband one day. All of those things will be with me. I start to stand to go after her but Cindy knocks on the door.

  “Drinks,” she calls, waiting to be invited in.

  “Come in,” Ro calls back to her before I can. Then she falls back onto the sofa, rolling to her side. She props her head up on her hand. “What do I do all day?” she asks as she takes her lemonade from Cindy, giving her a thank you. It doesn't go unnoticed that Cindy pretends as though Ro doesn't exist. I am going to have to fire another assistant, I think, as she places my coffee down onto my desk.

  “Anything else, Mr. Ridgeway?”

  “Where did you order the dress from, Ro?” I ask. She rattles off the name of store. “Go pick it up. She’ll need it for tonight.” Cindy gives a curt nod before turning to leave.

  “Also—” I say and Cindy stops to turn and look at me. “Let it be known I’m taking Ro with me tonight. If anyone asks, we’re engaged.” Cindy’s eyes go round but the gasp that comes from my Ro has all my attention.

  I didn't even know I was going to say that, but now that it’s out there, I fucking love the sound of it. If people are already gossiping about us, we might as well give them something to talk about. Spread that shit far and wide. Ro is all mine now and forever.