Sunset Thunder (33 page)

Ryder turned to Joel, a friend, a man who he’d once laughed with, but in recent years had grown apart from. Now, he understood the reasons behind Joel’s attitude toward him.
Ryder
had hurt Joel...but Joel had hurt Violet too.

Ryder felt the guilt of his betrayal to Joel. A betrayal he didn’t remember, a betrayal that twisted his gut with remorse. But right now, Ryder’s loyalty remained with Violet because he had given her his heart too and with that came the urge to protect her, forever.

Ryder lowered his voice. “You left a paper trail. I know all about your illegal activity. The money you took from your friends to invest in a bogus business and Robert stepping in to pay them back, with interest.” The blues and purples around Joel’s eyes darkened his stare. “I want the tape that belongs to me and Violet and your silence in exchange for my silence. And if you ever think of releasing it, I will have your ass in jail.”

“Alright,” Joel said.

That came too easy. “Alright?” he questioned skeptically.

“Alright,” Joel promised.

“
And
you’re not going to hurt Violet again. You’re not going to threaten her, make ignorant jabs in her direction, or go behind my back, because from here on in, it’s me and Violet as one, as a team. You’re in her life, but I’m in her life too and I don’t plan on going anywhere. If I ever get wind that you are harassing her, I phone the authorities.”

Joel nodded.

Ryder released him and said, “I’m sorry I slept with your wife.” Ryder didn’t even bother to mention his memory was so hazy, he didn’t remember it.

Joel rubbed his throat and nodded his understanding. “I’m sorry about yesterday.” Joel glanced between the two. “I will leave you alone.”

“It’s alright.” Ryder crossed the room and grabbed Violet’s hand. It fit perfectly into his and he gave her a little squeeze, sending her a wink. “It’s your wedding day and your room. We will go.”

On their way out the door, Violet called back to Joel, “Go to the salon where the kids are getting their hair done and one of the girls should be able to cover up the darkness around your eyes.”

Ryder loved that she was so thoughtful, even after everything she’d been through with that man. He had something special planned for them, but once they were in the hallway, Violet stopped.

“Ryder?”

He turned to her, their arms stretched between them with only their fingers connecting them, and his heart swelled. She painted a face of makeup and wore outfits that defined her outer beauty, but standing before him, with everything stripped away, she was more beautiful in his eyes than ever before, because he knew what was in her heart.

Ryder couldn’t wait another moment. He kissed her and then pulled her into his arms and simply held her.

They might have come together under the strangest of circumstances, but he was thankful he’d shown up at Joel’s silly wedding planning meeting.

Violet broke the embrace, but she didn’t pull away. She leaned back on her flat shoes to look up at him. “I can’t promise that I’m not going to get scared when things are hard and sometimes my first instinct is going to be to pull away from you and hide. I’ve been alone and done it for so many years that I don’t even know how to let someone in when things go astray. I’m a hot mess of a thing. I thought I was strong and now I see I cut everyone out because I’m weak and it’s easier.”

“Violet, you’re not weak−”

“My dad has a room of files...” Violet paused as a couple got off the elevator.

“Come on, let’s go somewhere private,” he said.

“I know just the place.”

STANDING IN THE silver ballroom, it didn’t matter that this was where Joel and Missy would celebrate their wedding only a few hours from now, Violet and Ryder held hands and shared their own memories of this room. This was their special place and it always would be.

For the Bensen wedding, the room was decorated shabby chic with a touch of country class. Flower-filled chandeliers hung above the tables that held the same cream and purple arrangements spilling over in silver teapots. Lace cream tablecloths matched the chair covers with another splash of purple and teacup favors, wrapped in cellophane around fresh herbs. It was beautiful.

Violet led Ryder to the window seat. Before she had the opportunity to sit, he cupped her face and leaned down to kiss her again. The feel of his lips on hers was like a warm breeze touching her skin and settling her anxiety. How was he able to break through all her barriers and touch the parts of her that she hid? She stretched on her tip-toes in her sandals to get closer to him.

When he pulled away, he spoke first. “Violet Caliendo, I love you. I wanted to confront Joel with you, but you’re head strong and independent and I love those two things about you.”

“Didn’t you call it hiding in the shadows?”

“It’s not one or the other. Just because one thing scares you doesn’t mean you’re weak. There are so many things I love about you. After everything you’ve endured, I don’t blame you for trying to protect yourself. But I promise you, that I will never hurt you. I will never lie to you or make you feel less important than you are. I will spend the rest of our lives together, proving to you that you are perfect even with your quirky flaws. Your mom thinks you need a hero and that I am your Prince Charming. Eliza provided me with the weapons I needed to ensure Joel could never hurt you again.”

Her mother. The files.

“But I don’t want to be your hero. I want to be your partner, your friend, your lover, and the person you trust enough to bring your problems to.”

Violet wanted all those things with Ryder and they sounded magnificent, but she still knew that her life and her emotions were a cluttered disarray.

“Ryder, I’m a mess. My family is a mess. My dad has this room full of files of lives that he’s destroyed. Files my mother plans on sorting and then trying to help the people he’s hurt.”

“That sounds like kindness and love.”

Violet sobered. “Last night I knew that I would be able to find something to use as leverage against Joel and his threat and keep us together. I could have confided in you, but I chose not to. I chose to let you go. So here I am, giving you the option to go. I won’t blame you. I don’t know if I could handle me if I were you. Every time I get scared, I retract so I can figure it out alone.”

“I don’t want you to let me go.”

“Do you really want to be a part of this craziness I call life?”

“Yes.”

His quick answer made her smile.

“I never want to be away from you again. I like crazy and dysfunctional, if I get to do it all with you,” he said.

He sounded crazy and Violet hated dysfunction, but she loved this man. “I didn’t kiss Joel first.”

“I know.”

“On my wedding night...I kissed you first. I shouldn’t have, but even that day with your drunken smile and
really
tacky jokes, I felt a connection with you. I think deep down that’s why I approached you in the lobby washroom. If it had been anyone else I guarantee I wouldn’t have advanced to them.”

Ryder cupped her face with both hands. “I guess it’s my turn.” Ryder covered her mouth with his. He was delicious and warm. His tongue had a loving touch.

He pulled away. “I am ready to sail off into the sunset with you as we begin the rest of our happily ever after, together.”

She moved her arms between them so she could touch the sides of his face. “I gave up on my happily ever after a long time ago. I never thought I would find a man who makes me feel the way you do and that I love as much as I love you. Ryder, yes I want to sail into the sunset with you and start the rest of our lives together. But, it’s not only me. Be warned, my children are part of my package and they are not always sweet angels.” 

He laughed. “Yes. That boy of yours seems to have a lot of you in him. He’s stubborn as all hell.” 

She lightly pinched his chest. 

He kissed her again. “Your mother has agreed to keep the kids for a few nights so we can sail the waters. Just the two of us.”

That sounded perfect, even if nothing was ever perfect, but with Ryder by her side she was ready to let imperfection challenge them.

“I have to stop by my suite and get some clothes.”

“You are not going to need clothes,” Ryder said, kissing her cheek, then her throat. Violet felt her body warming with each kiss, lick and nibble. Her head tilted as she enjoyed his touch and her eyes moved across the room, stopping at the head table.

Violet stiffened.

“What?” Ryder asked, pulling away. “What’s wrong?”

Ryder’s gaze followed Violet’s to the four-foot tall ice sculpture sitting at the head table. It was an entangled naked couple making love to each other.
What was it doing here?

Ryder burst out laughing. “Did you do this on purpose?”

Violet shot him a look. “Of course not. As I recall, it was your fingers that added them.”

“I assumed you would have them removed.”

“I thought I had.”

Ryder let go of Violet and walked around the head table to take in the front view. Violet was afraid to follow.

Ryder’s laughter erupted and echoed throughout the ballroom. “This is magnificent. Wow. The detail is incredible,” he said, and she could see him moving in to examine the sculpture up close. “Violet, you should check this out.”

Violet reluctantly followed and the front of the ice sculpture was extremely meticulous for a naked ice couple.

This was not good.

“This is not funny,” she said, even if a smile was forming on her lips. She had to call maintenance and have it removed. ASAP.

“Yes, it is. This ballroom just keeps getting better and better.”

“Come on.” Violet pulled Ryder out of the silver ballroom and his laughter continued down the hall to her office. She’d left her cell phone in her suite and needed to privately explain the situation to maintenance. Marc met them in the hallway and she quickly gave him the run-down so he could deal with it. The ice sculpture had Marc grinning too.

“Hey, can I talk to you for a minute?” Marc said to Violet, his smile turning into a concerned frown. “It’s about Anya.”

Violet looked at Ryder with a look that said,
See this is the crazy dysfunction of my family
.

Ryder kissed her cheek. “I’m going to grab my car and meet you at your suite,” he said, then whispered in her ear, “You’re craziness won’t scare me away, so don’t even think about backing out.”

Violet was never backing away from this man again. She smirked, watching him disappear down the hall. When she looked at Marc, he was grinning at her.

Her face sobered. “What about Anya?” she asked.

Marc got down to business. “Her key card has been activated at her suite in the early hours of the morning for the last few days.”

“She’s here?” Excitement gripped Violet.

She was okay. Anya was okay.

“She’s sneaking in and leaving. Nobody’s seen her.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know, but I asked Quinn Barker to look into it.”

Violet frowned.

Quinn Barker had been their father’s head of security and although she trusted him, she knew Anya and Quinn hadn’t seen eye-to-eye before she left. It only made her wonder, besides security what exactly Quinn had been involved with, in regards to her father’s extracurricular activity.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? What’s he going to do? Stake out her suite? That sounds creepy.”

“We have to make sure it’s her.”

“Have surveillance rewind the camera system and track her movement in the resort.”

“Violet, she’s not on any of the cameras. If it’s her, she doesn’t want to be seen. If it’s not her, we need to find out who it is.” He was right. “Quinn Barker is the best we have.”

Marc always had their best interest at heart, so if he thought Quinn Barker was the man to go with, then Violet had faith he was making the right decision.

But as for right now, Violet had her bag to pack and the man of her dreams waiting for her at her suite.

***

“YOU STILL DON’T have the hang of this.” 

Violet turned from the snagged line she had...again. How was it that Ryder never snagged his line, yet every time he left her alone she got it stuck? The glare of the sun bounced off Ryder’s sunglasses, forcing her to look down, which only heated her desire, as his bare chest tantalized her sights and heightened her senses. He was gorgeous.

“I thought fishing was supposed to be relaxing,” she snarled, partially at him, but mostly at the pole in her hands. She yanked on the pole again and the damn thing would not budge.

“Why do you insist on touching the pole every time I leave you alone with it?”

Violet set the pole down where he’d instructed she leave it before he went to get them drinks. “Why do you keep leaving me alone?”

He passed her a bottle of water. “I don’t want you dehydrated.”

Violet opened the water and took a sip, smirking at him. “A nice cold shower is the perfect solution. I love it when I’m wrapped in your arms under the stream of water, drinking in the liquid from your hot kisses.”

He smirked back. “I like this devious and naughty side of you.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his lips. “Let’s go under deck and I will show you exactly how naughty I am.” 

He laughed a low, before kissing her again. “I have seen how naughty you can be.”

Violet paused. “Did you watch the tape?”

He smirked. “Did you?”

“Some of it. My dad watched it.”

Ryder frowned. “That’s disturbing.”

“Possibly my momma and my uncle.”

“Are you trying to turn me off?” he growled as a shudder seized his body.

“You’re like a light switch.” Violet stepped out of his arms. “All I have to do it untie the strings of my bikini...”

She dramatically pulled the knot loose and let the strings hang over her shoulders, still covering her breasts, but teasing him none the less. Desire darkened his blue eyes as he watched.

“Or slip these off.” She slid her hands down her side and under the bottoms of her bikini, slowly pushing them down her hips.

“Oh good Lord woman.” Ryder reached out and pulled her toward him, filling in the rest of the space with his step. His mouth crashed against hers, hard and rough. He pried her mouth open instantly and slipped his tongue between her lush cushions. She savored in the taste of him, just as she had done for the last three days travelling the waters with him. He softened the kiss, took his time against her lips, then pulled away. “I think you need a cool down,” he said.

“What did you have in mind?”

Ryder scooped her into his arms and carried her away from the bow of the boat, through the doors. Violet laughed and kissed his throat. When she thought he was taking her down below to spend the rest of the afternoon in bed, he passed the door and continued toward the back of the boat.

“Ryder?”

He didn’t answer, but his smirk said he had something else planned.

He didn’t stop at the ladder.
He was going to throw her overboard.
Just like the first day she spent on his boat. “Ryder, no!” she squealed, wiggling to free herself from his grasp.

He laughed and climbed the ladder, stopping at the edge of the swim platform. “You know, that first day when I threw you in the water changed my life,” he said.

Violet stopped moving and smiled at him. Her fingers traced his rough jaw line, where he hadn’t shaved in three days. She liked this scruffy side of him, the tickle of it on her face and skin.

“It changed my life too,” she told him and gave him a quick kiss. “You changed my life.”

“I learned you can swim,” he said and his grin reappeared.

“Ryder Carlex...” she warned.

The gorgeous grin on his face melted her heart and as he said her full name there was no condescension, only love for her.

THE END