Sunset Thunder (26 page)

“Stop it,” she said.

“That was a close call.” He inched closer.

“That was the last close call. I’ve learned my lesson. I think I have whip flash like an old mother hen.”

He inched closer, each step slower with purposefully seductive movements. “Want me to give your neck a rubdown?”

“No. I want you to keep your distance so I am not jumping out of my skin.”

“You know what I’ve learned?”

Violet shook her head at his question, afraid to ask.

“I’ve learned what a thrill it is to almost get caught doing something you’re not supposed to be doing.”

Violet laughed. “That was not a good thrill.”

“That was a magnificent thrill.” He lowered his voice as he came up in front of her. He didn’t touch her with his hands or his body, but his lips reached over and kissed her.

Violet pulled her lips away, but only her head gave any distance from him. He’d trapped her between the counter and himself.

“Stop,” she said, but even she knew it sounded weak.

“You don’t sound convincing.” He kissed her cheek and the warmth of his lips flushed her skin.

“Ryder...”

“Hmm.” He kissed her ear and nibbled on her earlobe.

Violet melted. Her eyes glanced over at the change room area but no one was visible.

“Ryder...”

He took her hands. “They have gone into the women’s changing area.” Ryder pulled her away from the counter and as he walked backwards, he grabbed a suit off the rack. “I need a new suit for Fright Fest tonight,” he said. He gave her a harder tug and she stumbled forward into his arms.

Violet laughed. “What are you planning on being with a suit?”

“A business man,” he said, as though that were a real costume. She couldn’t wait for his reaction when he saw the outfit she chose. “We should go try this on.” He kissed her lips, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him as he continued toward the change room door.

Violet giggled against his lips. “Oh, this is so not how a mother behaves,” she said, but damn how it felt so good.

“This is how someone behaves when they love someone,” Ryder whispered.

Violet stopped. Loved someone? He’d mentioned that he was falling in love with her, but falling in love and loving someone were two entirely different things...unless Ryder didn’t mean them differently. Unless, he was just mixing up his words and he was still only falling in love with her. What did he mean?

“You heard me,” he said, but she still wasn’t sure exactly what she had heard.

“I’m not sure I heard you right.”

“You just want me to say it again,” he teased.

“I want you to clarify what you meant.”

Ryder kissed her. “My mom always told me about what it felt like to find the right woman. And the day you threw yourself into my life you opened a part of me that I hid from the world and gave me a reason to want to live again. I only wish my parents were here, physically and mentally to meet you. They would love you as much as I do. They would love your strength, your stubbornness. They would love that you made me fight for you.”

With each admission, tears gathered in Violet’s eyes and he continued as though her tears weren’t enough. “And they would see the tender side of you that you don’t show many people. Worse than not telling your kids, is getting caught and confusing them. So if you are ready to tell them, then I’m ready. I’m not in this for a one time fling. Violet I’m in this for life. I want to be
your
happily ever after.”

Her happily ever after? Her happily ever after!
“I gave up on that.”

“I know you did. And I want to spend every day of our lives together showing you that you’re mine.”

That was so romantic and tacky all at the same time, Violet didn’t know whether to laugh or gasp. The only thing her brain could form was an, “I am?”

“Do you have to ask?” The deep love that she saw in his eyes told her as tacky as it might be, Ryder was serious.

“I always thought it was the wedding that made the happily ever after. The perfect day. The vows. The promise in front of all your friends and family. But right now, for the first time in my life, I realize it’s everything that happens before the vows. I was so scared to let you in. I was terrified of the feelings you brought out in me, but deep down under my cloak of caution, over my heart, was love, for you. A love stronger than anything I’ve ever known or felt and that was you, my happily ever after. I love you. I’m ready to tell the kids. I’m ready to tell everyone.

Ryder kissed her. “Let’s try this suit on first.”

“No.” Her objection was weak. She pushed her hands against his chest, which only tightened his grip around her waist. “Ryder...” His lips lavished her neck, his gruff tickling it and she forgot why she was fighting him. Violet giggled like a schoolgirl, loving the feel of every part of this man. She didn’t hear the bell above the door chime when it opened, or the loud footsteps of the person who entered.

“What the hell is going on?” If the question had come from anyone else, with Violet lost in her blissful state, she would have giggled and hid her head in Ryder’s shoulder, hoping he would move them into the back change rooms and out of plain sight. But it wasn’t just anyone else.
It was Joel.

The sound of Joel’s voice sent hot flashes of panic through Violet. His insults, his warnings, the entire conversation they’d had in her office, when Joel had all but threatened her, flickered before her.
Seducing you after a shower, and taking you in our bed, when I knew you didn’t want me. Do you think Ryder doesn’t know what a cold, heartless lay you are?

When they’d met last week to talk about the kids, they’d both put aside the conversation from her office and had been civil. But now...kissing Ryder...Joel knew...

He witnessed the kiss they shared, and it hadn’t just been a kiss...Ryder had been all over her. There was not hiding from this, even if her first instinct was to do exactly that.

Violet had ignored the voice in her head, knowing that one day she would have to face Joel about her relationship with Ryder. But being caught like this, with his sharp words still cutting her insides, she wasn’t ready.

Violet pulled away from Ryder, like Joel was the principal who had just walked into an empty classroom during prom. Ryder let her, but caught her hand and made the next moment theirs...not Joel’s.

Violet’s back faced Joel. Staring down at Ryder’s tight grasp, she felt him squeeze her a promise, that he would step out of the shadows with her.
How could he know she was scared?
Her eyes found Ryder’s watching her with the same promise but lacking the fear consuming her.

You don’t know what he said. Why didn’t I tell him?

With Ryder’s support, Violet turned to face Joel. His pale skin was now piping red and his narrowed gaze was transfixed on her.

This is Ryder’s friend. How is this Ryder’s friend
. As suddenly as they’d been caught, Violet had answered her previous question. She hadn’t told Ryder what Joel said because she was scared of what the outcome would be. She was terrified Ryder would leave...for Joel’s friendship. Ryder was a man of loyalty and they’d been friends since childhood. Even holding his hand, she didn’t know where Ryder’s loyalty stood and that was scarier than telling Joel the truth about them.

Ryder pulled her firmly against his side, widening his body like a protective shield around her. She wished that eased her worry.

What did Joel have to be angry about?
Joel left Violet. He married her for the money he was able to walk away with. Joel had found the love of his life and was marrying Missy in two days. He had no right to be mad. Except that Ryder was his friend and Violet could understand the tension that might bring to their friendship...or the destruction it might cause to their relationship.

The tight grip Ryder had on Violet’s hand almost reassured her that she came first, but without getting past this conversation, she didn’t know for certain.

Violet opened her mouth to ask Joel what he was doing here, avoiding the obvious, but Ryder jumped right in. He ripped the bandage off and Violet felt blood drain from her face.

“Joel, we didn’t want you to find out like this. Violet and I have been seeing each other. I was going to talk to you−”

“Seeing each other? Or screwing each other?”

Ryder tensed.

Violet tensed too and swallowed past the growing lump in her throat.

“This ends now.” The stern, cold tone that came from Ryder had even Violet turning to look at him. He paid no attention to her. His stern glare was solely focused on Joel. “That mouth you can’t seem to control has chewed off its last ignorant remarks regarding Violet.”

There was her answer.
Was Ryder going to punch Joel?

Violet almost cried. Tears she couldn’t control pooled in her eyes and she pushed them away, but didn’t take her eyes off of Ryder.

He chose me. He chose me! Why had she ever doubted him?
After everything they’d been through together, of course he chose her.

Joel tugged for her attention with his snarky remarks. “Talk to me? What for? To ask me or tell me? Because by the looks of you two, this has been going on for a while.”

Ryder answered again and still his voice lacked the sympathy it had carried at the beginning of this confrontation. “To talk and to tell you,” Ryder clarified and if that wasn’t enough he continued, “I certainly wasn’t going to
ask
your permission to date Violet. Our dating has nothing to do with you.”

“Except that you’re dating. Do you do this with all your friends ex’s? Sleep with them? Make them think you’ve gotten a little feeling for them, something special?” Joel looked at Violet. “You’re just another one of his tramps.”

Violet inhaled sharply, and narrowed her eyes on Joel.

Who the hell did he think he was talking to her like that? Tramp? Tramp! Did he forget who he was marrying in two days?

Violet summed up the courage to tell Joel exactly where he could stuff it, but Ryder took the first step. Literally, he released Violet’s hand and closed in the distance between him and Joel.

Violet held her breath.

Ryder hovered over Joel, not only in height, but in width and the hostile way he moved would send any person quivering. Joel didn’t even take a step back and tried his hardest to dictate Ryder’s domineering posture.

“Joel, I will only tell you this one more time, so you better listen closely. You will
never
disrespect Violet again. If I even catch wind that you’ve uttered a tiny ignorance in her direction, it will be my fist you have to deal with.”

Violet opened her mouth to end the threats, but then snapped it shut even quicker. This son of a bitch deserved to be threatened. If Ryder even caught wind of what Joel had said in her office, there wouldn’t have been words exchanged but rather fists.

Ryder continued without lessening his tone. “I do not want this to come between us, but if you’re going to make me choose.” Ryder glanced over his shoulder at Violet and his smile lightened as he sent her a wink. He turned back to Joel. “Don’t make me choose. You won’t like the outcome.”

He said it. Ryder chose her. Ryder chose Violet.
Violet felt like a waterfall, as her eyes filled for the second time. Her restraint to keep from jumping and throwing her arms around Ryder and dragging him into the change room to say thank you, was proving difficult.

There was a long awkward silence between them as Joel and Ryder stared each other down. Finally, Joel’s shoulders lightened and he glanced around. “I came here after Parker texted me and told me Sophia ruined her dress.”

Parker.

Violet stepped forward to stand directly at Ryder’s side and his hand curled around hers. Violet caught Joel’s eyes drop to their connection quickly.

“She did, but Lana is measuring her and will have a new dress by tomorrow. They’re in the change room if you’d like to go see them.”

Joel glanced toward the back fitting room, considering, and then he shook his head. “I have things to do still.” He eyed them both over. Ryder longer than Violet, but when Joel’s eyes met Violet she felt a knowing threat arise. One Ryder would not understand.

Joel grumbled a goodbye as he left, giving the door a little slam.

“I think he took it well,” Violet said. She was still excited Ryder chose her over Joel, but she didn’t want to throw the sensitive decision in Ryder’s face.

When Violet glanced up at his grim face, her smile faltered. “What?” she asked.

Ryder shifted on his feet, his eyebrows drawn together. He was trying to read her.

Violet shifted her weight to one foot and tilted her head at him. “You have something you want to say?”

“Are you going to tell me if I don’t ask?”

Huh-oh, he suspected
. Why was she surprised? Joel’s ignorance had been the reason she insulted Ryder in her office and demanded he leave. “Tell you what?”

Violet was ready to deflect him. There were some things that were better just left alone. Ryder surprised her, when he hugged her. Her legs stumbled at his force, but his strength kept her standing.