She pulled the babydoll over her head and it floated down around her in a cloud of lace and silk. Her hands trailed over the smooth fabric, positioning the cups over her now full breasts. It highlighted her new cleavage perfectly and skimmed over her round baby bump. It was also way more comfortable than she’d expected. She went into the bathroom to see how it looked in the full-length mirror.
“Wow. I look hot.” Ridley turned to see the back of the gown and almost choked. Somehow she’d missed that the back of it was completely sheer so her bare bottom was on display.
“Jackson is definitely going to like this one.”
Her husband had always been crazy for her bottom and this sheer nightie was definitely catering to that. It was nice to feel sexy so Ridley used her newfound energy to style her hair into a side part and pulled the top part up into a ponytail so her curls cascaded over her shoulders saucily. Then she put on a little mascara and a soft pink lipstick. When she was done, she grinned at her reflection.
She was definitely getting some tonight!
After cleaning up the bathroom, Ridley decided to wait for Jackson in the bed. She felt weird going downstairs dressed like this, even if she had a robe on, plus if they were going to end up in the bedroom anyway, why bother?
She pulled the covers back and let out a little sigh when she got off her feet. Everything exhausted her lately and all that primping had taken longer than she’d expected. Fifteen minutes went by and Ridley glanced at her cell phone. Jackson should be home soon.
That was the last thing she remembered before she fell asleep.
chapter two
?
Jackson Alexander couldn’t concentrate.
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind so he could focus and get out of the office at a decent hour. There were quite a few outstanding projects that needed his attention and he couldn’t afford to slack. He needed to do as much as possible before the baby came. Last time he hadn’t helped his late wife, Cynthia, as much as he should have. It was still a bitter pill to swallow, knowing that he’d let down a woman he’d loved. But it gave him the determination to change.
This time he was going to get it right.
Somehow he’d managed to convince the best woman in the world to take a chance on him. Ridley was his perfect match and he wasn’t going to do anything to screw it up. Even if it meant driving himself crazy in the process.
His production assistant, Michael MacCrane laughed out loud, drawing Jackson’s attention.
“I haven’t seen you like this since Ridley first came to town. It’s nice to see true love still exists. For the rest of us out here, it’s proof that we’re not just going on all these bad blind dates for nothing. You give me hope, man.”
Jackson accepted the other man’s
teasing with a little smile. He knew his friend meant well and couldn’t know how conflicted Jackson was underneath. Although he was happy to let Mac think his preoccupied state was due to delirious happiness, it was really a combination of worry and fear.
His wife wasn’t happy and he was entirely to blame for it.
Ridley would never tell him she wasn’t happy. She was the sweetest thing and always more concerned about the happiness of others than herself. But a few months ago, after he’d been particularly… demanding in the bedroom, he’d noticed the change. She was tired all the time and he’d seen her wince when putting her bra on.
His older brother, Nick, had loaned him a pregnancy book and he’d read all about how a woman’s breasts became sore and tender. Jackson ran a hand over his hair, grimacing when he remembered how much attention he’d paid to the breasts in question. No wonder she’d looked so miserable the next day. She was too nice to tell her beast of a husband when he was hurting her.
“It’s definitely worth it. Although I’d probably avoid too many of the blind dates. After all, I found my lady when I wasn’t looking. Maybe you will, too.”
Mac nodded. “Sounds like good advice to me. I’m tired of looking. Maybe I’ll just hang out in my backyard and hope a beautiful girl comes along since it worked for you.”
They worked in tandem to clear his schedule so he didn’t have to work over the weekend. His friend’s skills had really improved over the years and Jackson hadn’t hesitated to give him more responsibility and a few independent projects to produce on his own. Although he’d gotten some fame in recent years as a performer, Jackson would never forget that his talent as a producer was his bread and butter. He’d garnered professional respect and acclaim for his production skills and he was happy to have someone to share his knowledge with.
By the time he locked up his studio and waved goodbye to Mac, Jackson was in a much better frame of mind. Work was one of the only things that could take him away from his problems and he’d relied on it more and more lately to keep him from spending too much time at home and annoying his wife.
Ten minutes later, he pulled his car into the garage and grabbed the backpack on the passenger seat. He’d brought home his laptop and a few marketing materials he needed to approve for his sister-in-law’s EP. Kaylee was a talented singer and Jackson was honored to be producing her album and singing on one of the tracks with her. She’d be really excited when he showed her what the independent marketing firm he’d hired had come up with for her album cover.
As soon as he opened the door that led into the kitchen, the smell of smoke assaulted him. Panicked, Jackson dropped his bag and ran into the kitchen. Black smoke billowed from the oven.
“Oh shit!” He stumbled across the room to grab the fire extinguisher from the pantry. After turning off the oven, he opened the door and then jumped back as the flames roared out. Pointing the fire extinguisher, he squeezed the trigger and prayed he was spraying the right place since he could barely see.
By the time the flames stopped, he was sweating and shaking and completely terrified. Where were Ridley and the kids?
“Ridley? Chris? Jase?” He opened all the windows in the kitchen to let out the smoke and then poked his head into the family room. It was quiet on this level. He walked up the stairs and noticed the light in the master bedroom.