Second Place

Steady Increase

Disclaimer: Check chapter one – thanks!

Pairing: Ross/Laura/Riker

Author's Note: Special thanks to everyone who reviewed ;)

SP*SP*SP

If Laura could count how many times she'd found herself under Ross in a compromising position this past year, she wouldn't be able to count that high.

One month into him blackmailing her, they were French kissing. Three months in, they were rolling around the bed, because he could tell she "wasn't kissing him like she meant it." Six months in, he'd taken to pinning her wrists above her head while his free hand outlined her shape, slowly. Eight months in, that same hand was slipping under her shirt and gently groping her bra-encased breasts. Ten and a half months in, he'd reduced them to their underwear as he left lightly colored hickies in places that were easy to cover.

And, finally, Laura was nineteen and Ross was seventeen, and he still hadn't come to his senses like she had hoped. In fact, it was a steady increase… towards his ultimate pleasure of having her completely… and her losing her sanity for good…

Ross slowly pulled away from his current goal: leaving a light hickey on Laura's hipbone. It was the most intimate place he'd ever kissed her so far, but he planned on reacquainting himself there soon. Using his free hand, he pulled her underwear into its proper place before crawling up her body. He smirked.

Laura had learned since the first time he'd done this – she couldn't break his grip on her wrists, so there was no point in her attempting to anymore. He liked seeing her vulnerable and tied down to his every command, he liked it a lot.

"I want to try something different tonight," he whispered, tenderly pressing his lips to her bruised ones. Earlier, he'd been a little too rough with her, so he was going to make it up to her now.

Her attention immediately snapped onto him. Whenever Ross wanted to try something 'different' it always meant her shredded sanity would be stretched to its limits. Again.

"W-What did you have in mind?"

In response, Ross ground his erection against her covered core, making his intentions crystal-clear. One hand still held her in place, so Laura had no choice but to allow him to continue. It wasn't like she hadn't felt his reactions to her before – she dreaded each session until he finally took that step. Which was now.

And, if she noticed how he thrust against clit, forcing her body into feeling pleasure, she tightly closed her eyes and pretended it was Riker pleasuring her, not her best friend…

SP*SP*SP

After Ross came in his boxers and stimulated Laura enough to orgasm with him, he cleaned the small mess it created with a wet towel. When he finished, nothing was keeping the petite brunette from staying, so she scampered around the room to collect her night clothes.

The blonde only watched her, not saying a word. He wasn't an idiot – he knew she thought she could 'fix' him by letting him do whatever he wanted with her body, but that backfired on her within a few weeks of their 'relationship'. Ross wasn't going to change; he was going to push her until she accepted that this was her new life's role with him.

No matter what he had to do to keep her.

When she was properly clothed, Laura paused in front of his door. "Good night, Ross," she quietly said.

He smiled. "Good night, Laura," he returned, equally quiet but with promise. "I'll see you in the morning."

Nodding, she silently left and closed the door with an almost inaudible click.

After a couple of minutes to make sure she didn't suddenly come back – not that it ever happened – Ross stood to change his boxers. Afterwards, he shut off the hidden camcorder he'd used for that night's session. He smirked.

"Laura may think she can end this soon, but this will guarantee that it won't happen."

That night's activities had freaked her out, he could tell. His little almost-lover knew that he would want to have sex within the next few months, if he stuck to the usual pattern. He did, but this was all part of his plan.

Where intimacy was concerned, it was all about the steady increase.

SP*SP*SP

Riker rubbed his eyes sleepily as he exited the bathroom. When he reached his bedroom, he noticed a small, human-shaped lump in the middle of his mattress. He squinted, confused.

"Laura? Please tell me that's you, and not Rocky trying to scare me again."

His wonderful girlfriend poked her head out from under the comforter, smiling sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm not Rocky." She paused. "This time, anyway."

Riker chuckled, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. "I'd rather it be you any day, babe," he replied, "Not that I'm unhappy to see you but, what are you doing in here? You know mom will kill me if she finds you – again."

She scooted closer to him, wishing the light was better so that she could see his physique. From experience, she knew he only wore sweatpants to sleep in. She should feel ashamed about seeing him after finishing a 'session' with Ross, but she couldn't quench the fire in her lower abdomen. Yes, she'd had an orgasm, but Riker's touch was what she craved.

"I miss you," she softly said, imploring him to understand with her tone.

His eyes began to twinkle in that way they did when he was about to pounce on her. He grinned. "Oh yeah?"

"Lose the pants and get into bed, Riker. I need you."

Her words worked as an instant aphrodisiac. The blonde practically tore his pants off before sliding under the comforter to join his beautiful girlfriend.

If Riker noticed the way Ross's cologne lightly clung to Laura's skin, the thought quickly escaped his mind when she mounted him, throwing her head back wantonly. His hands tightly gripped her hips as she began riding him.

Needless to say, neither was getting any more sleep that night…

SP*SP*SP

After sneaking into her room in the early morning hours, Laura hastily grabbed a new change of clothes. She desperately needed a shower, especially after everything that happened. She could still feel Ross's hands and mouth on her, and all she wanted to remember was how tender Riker's caress was. It also didn't help that her first orgasm had soaked her underwear.

On silent footsteps – thanks to having to sneak to and from Ross's room almost every night, Laura thought in despair – the young brunette made it to the bathroom. Once inside, she locked the door to be extra safe.

Breathing a sigh of resignation, she stripped to see the damage.

"It's not that bad…" Laura winced. "Anymore."

It had been true that she'd needed to feel Riker's touch after Ross's, but it was also part of her plan to keep her boyfriend in the dark. If the younger Lynch brother decided to leave his mark in intimate places, like on her hip, she needed another mark to cover it.

Which is where Riker comes in, she thought. Their night time fun had worked perfectly, like she'd known it would. Whenever she took the dominate role in bed, it drove him just crazy enough to leave bruises. Exactly what I wanted, and where.

Ross's newest hickey no longer posed any sort of trouble for Laura, in case she and Riker were intimate and he noticed the mark. All he'd see is a small bruise from where he'd gripped her.

Deciding not to think about the night's activities anymore, the petite brunette hopped into the shower and started scrubbing the memories off her skin. She was just thankful Riker hadn't noticed the way Ross's scent clung to her.

"Stupid," she muttered self-reproachfully. "I better not do that again. I need to be careful, especially after all this time."

And, she knew there had to have been a steady increase of blackmail material… She couldn't exactly walk away that easily, right?

SP*SP*SP

Riker knocked on Laura's bedroom door. After a couple of rounds of nothing but skin-to-skin contact, he had promised to wake her up in time for breakfast. Frankly, he felt half dead, but being with his girlfriend in that way was more than worth it. She was beautiful, inside and out.

How did he manage to get so lucky?

Laura opened the door, a sleepy smile on her face. "Hey, you," she murmured. Leaning against the doorway, she yawned cutely. "Is it time for breakfast already?"

"Afraid so," he replied, smiling. Taking in her outfit, he raised an eyebrow. He wasn't exactly sure what she'd worn to bed, but he knew it hadn't been the plain white, V-neck T-shirt and dark green yoga pants she was currently sporting. "Why did you change clothes?"

She casually shrugged. "I got cold without you next to me." The way she batted her eyelashes in a flirty manner had the two of them laughing.

Riker held out his hand, which she immediately took. Secretly, he loved that. Heck, he loved her, so it wasn't exactly a surprise that he couldn't find any fault in anything she did. "Come on, let's go downstairs. I'm sure everyone else is waiting."

Laura closed her door before following the tall blonde, hands still clasped. "You mean, everyone is waiting, while Rocky is whining about how hungry he is," she teasingly stated, giggling.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," he answered, grinning in amusement as he thought about one of his younger brothers. "Ross would probably be sneaking bites, too, knowing him."

"Not that Stormie will allow that to continue," she added in, smiling. The only good part about her and Ross's secret 'relationship' was the fact he never did anything to her during the daylight hours. It made her crave the sunlight in unexpected ways, but it was the only time she felt safe from his advances.

The couple arrived in the dining room, breakfast piled high in the center, while the family gathered to start their day.

"Finally!" Rocky exclaimed in mock-exasperation. "They're here! Can we eat now? I'm starving!"

Stormie playfully smacked her son on the shoulder. "At least let them sit down, Rocky," she scolded good-naturedly. Turning a smile onto Riker and Laura, she used her other hand to wave at the empty seats left for them. "Sit, sit, you two, sit."

Rydel, in her usual bubbly mood, eagerly stood and pulled the petite brunette away from her older brother. She ignored the way he pouted, used to his antics when such actions occurred.

"Laura, let's have a girls' day," she squealed excitedly. Retaking her seat, she yanked her best friend down next to her. "Please? We haven't done that in forever." Dramatically, she rolled her eyes to add emphasis.

Laura giggled, but couldn't help pointing out, "Delly, we did that, like, yesterday."

"Yesterday was forever ago," was the returned argument.

While the two girls discussed what to do, Riker took the last available chair, which happened to be between Rocky and Ross. Why his family loved torturing him by separating him from Laura, he never could figure out, but he didn't mind. His family adored her, and vice versa. In fact, he was surprised they hadn't adopted her.

But that was okay. For him and Laura, it was all about the steady increase in their relationship. One day, they would both be ready to take the next step: Marriage. Then, Laura would really be a part of the Lynch family.

"So, bro, what should we do today since the girls are going shopping?" Ross asked from one side. Taking a sip of orange juice, he waited to see what the eldest Lynch sibling said.

"Again?" Riker replied, amused. "Didn't they do that yesterday?"

From his other side, Rocky scoffed. "You know Rydel – she loves her girl time. But I thought Ratliff was gonna drop by for band practice?"

Ross checked a nearby clock. "Nah, not for another few hours. I think he said he was taking Kelly out for brunch or something."

Riker shrugged. "Cool. Maybe we should hit some waves, then?"

"Awesome," Rocky and Ross agreed, grinning. "I'll see if Ryland wants to come, too," the latter added.

With the day's plans set, the family enjoyed breakfast with many laughs, stories, and old sibling rivalry to see who could eat the most pancakes. And, of course, Riker and Rydel fought for Laura's attention, though it was more for fun than anything.

SP*SP*SP

Despite having shopped the previous day, the two girls still managed to buy something on their day out. Rydel carried two bags with new tutus and tops, while Laura carried a dress bag along with two boxes of shoes.

"That was so much fun," Rydel bubbled, a large grin on her pretty features. "Let's do that again tomorrow, okay?"

Laura playfully pouted. "Why, so you can watch me get hit on again?"

"Whoa," Riker's voice cut in. Soon, said blonde came into view, still wearing his wetsuit. "Who was getting hit on?"

"Dude, don't track water inside," Rydel reprimanded lightly.

He gave his sister a dry stare. "I'm decently… not wet, at least," he defensively said, though he ruined his response by blushing lightly. He checked his tracks to make sure he hadn't actually left wet footprints.

Laura set her new purchases down, then took her boyfriend's hand. "You're fine, but let's go back outside, okay? Just to be safe."

Nodding, they left the way he came. Standing on the back porch, she took a second to breathe in the beach air. She loved how the ocean was within walking distance, and the scenery was breathtaking.

"So, who was getting hit on?" Riker asked as he picked up his discarded towel. He used it to soak up any moisture that still clung to him.

The brunette rolled her eyes. Sometimes, he could be so single-minded. "Just some guys Rydel and I happened to run into at the stores we entered," she answered, like it was no big deal. In her opinion, it wasn't. She loved Riker, end of discussion.

"Guys?" he asked, eyes wide. "As in, more than one?"

She shrugged, secretly enjoying his reactions. "Yup," she replied, popping the P. "I didn't notice, of course, but Rydel couldn't stop laughing every time we left the store. I didn't understand until she bluntly pointed out that they were flirting with me."

Riker was quiet for a moment as he let her words sink in. "Maybe I should start going with you when you guys go shopping…"

"Why would you do that?" Laura asked, chuckling. "It's not like I notice when a random guy flirts with me." Stepping close, she laid a hand against his cheek. "You're the only one I care about, Riker. Okay? You don't need to go shopping with me."

He sighed as he leaned into her touch. "I just worry you're gonna find some other guy that's better than me," he confessed.

"Impossible. You're awesome," she said, grinning.

The blonde slyly smiled down at her. "Well, you may not think so after I do this…"

"Do what?" Cautiously, she took a step back when he stepped forward. The predatory gleam in his eyes made her nervous. "Riker…?"

He pounced. Wrapping his arms around his squealing girlfriend, he brought her close to his still damp body and hugged her. She was so tiny compared to him, her feet were off the ground and she was helpless to stop his intention of getting her wet.

"Oh gosh, I hate you," she whined.

Her boyfriend laughed. Setting her down, he kept his arms around her slim waist. "That's too bad," he whispered into her ear, "Because I love you, Laura."

A soft smile slipped across her pretty features at his sincere words. "I love you, too, Riker," she whispered back.

SP*SP*SP

When their good friend Ellington Ratliff showed up at the house, he, the Lynch siblings, and Laura, made their way into the basement. All their instruments were located there, and it was the only room in the house that was sound-proof so they didn't end up disturbing the neighbors. They were especially thankful for this when their band practices went late into the night.

Laura took a seat on one of the couches that faced the main stage, where R5 rehearsed. Grabbing Rydel's laptop, she knew the blonde wouldn't mind if she checked her email. Her parents and older sister tended to message her every day, and her manager had promised new jobs for her to consider.

Clicking a few times, she deleted the spam and carefully searched through the rest. Most were from stores she frequented and coupons to places she liked dining at.

"Anything good?" Ratliff asked, taking the seat next to the petite girl. Between his fingers, he twirled his drum sticks expertly.

Laura loved that she and Ratliff got along so well. It was like having a brother she hadn't realized she had wanted. As far as siblings went, however, she still missed Vanessa.

"I don't know yet," she answered, softly frowning. "It looks like more modeling jobs, though." Sighing, she exited her email browser and closed the laptop.

The other brunette patted her shoulder consolingly. "Don't worry, Laura. I'm sure an acting gig will come your way eventually." He grinned. "People just love looking at you. I bet young boys across the U. S. have your pictures hung up on their walls!"

Rocky, who had been walking right behind them, snickered. "You mean like Riker does?" he teased.

Said Lynch sibling crossed his arms over his chest defensively, having heard the comment. "Hey, it's normal for a boyfriend to be proud of the work his girlfriend does."

"Whatever you say, bro," Rocky responded, smirking. Hopping over the back of the couch, he landed with a soft thump on the other side of Ratliff. "So, what's this about more modeling jobs? You should do it."

Laura thoughtfully hummed, considering. "Well, the job sites were pretty tempting, now that I think about it…" she trailed off.

"Where were they going to send you?" Rydel eagerly asked, becoming engrossed in the conversation too. By this point, Riker and Ross also gave up trying to set up their instruments as they listened to what Laura had to say.

She smiled. "New York, of course. One offer was for Paris… And Italy! That one really sounds exciting, especially since I'm half-Italian."

Rydel sighed dreamily as she imagined traveling to all of those places. "I would love to go," she said. "Can you just picture all the stores? All the damage we could do shopping?" Releasing a squeal, she bounced where she stood. "Oh, Laura, do it! Accept those jobs – then take me with you!"

The petite brunette laughed. "I'll see what the conditions are before accepting," she promised. Glancing at R5, she cocked her head to the side. "Wait, shouldn't you guys be practicing?"

The five exchanged looks before scrambling to start rehearsal. Laura just giggled as they got ready, sitting back to watch the show.

Their career as a band and musicians was taking a steady increase to fame, and she couldn't be more proud of them. They were accomplishing their dreams, and she couldn't wait to see where it took them.

Until*Next*Time

Please review, and tell me what you thought! ;) much appreciated! No flames!

~babydoll92