Sunset Thunder (27 page)

“You are a stubborn woman, Violet Caliendo,” he breathed against her head. “I meant what I said, if Joel makes me choose, it’s you.” She loved hearing him say it. “And if I find out he’s responsible for that terror I saw in your eyes, and I suspect he is, you’re going to have promise to bail me out of prison.”

“Ryder, let it go.”

He pulled away and cupped her face. “I will let it go this time, because I know you are strong and I know you can handle yourself. But from here on in, we are a team. If anything inappropriate is passed between you and Joel.
Anything.
I want to know. Agreed?”

Violet had never had someone love her so much that he was willing to step away from the loyalty he held for a friend.

Violet nodded. “Agreed.”

Ryder relaxed. “Are you sure you don’t want to tell me what happened in your office?”

Violet shook her head. “I handled it. And, from your threats, I imagine Joel will think twice next time he talks to me.” Violet reached up and kissed him.

“You know what I really want to do?” Ryder asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tightly against him, telling her exactly what he wanted to do.

“I can imagine.”

“I...” His kissed her chin and she licked her lips wanting more, as the warmth that always found her when she was in Ryder’s arms consumed her now. “Am...” He licked her chin and her legs trembled. “Hungry.”

Violet’s shocked expression found him grinning at her.

“I hear there’s a little hut on the beach that has killer deep fried pickles,” he said.

Deep fried pickles. Deep fried pickles!

Violet laughed and pushed him off her, just as Parker came running from the change room announcing they were done.

“Hey sport, you want to go get some lunch at the beach?” Ryder asked him.

“Yeah! And ice cream,” he negotiated with Ryder.

“Deal.”

“Alright.” Parker high-fived Ryder then tugged his arm. “Let’s go now and the girls can catch up.”

Ryder glanced at Violet for confirmation and when he got it, the two most important guys in her life laughed and joked their way out of the shop.

Now if Lana could finish the dress by tomorrow, everything would be perfect.

RYDER WAS LATE arriving at the pavilion for the Fright Fest.

Originally, he’d intended on picking Violet up early at her suite and meeting Emma for a last minute check list before the party began. But after he’d showered and changed into his suit, he was attending as the very businessman he alleged, his cell phone rang. Sitting in his home office, his time quickly disintegrated on speakerphone with the Kendrick’s, discussing hold-ups and solutions for the re-design.

Although Ryder hadn’t picked Violet up, like the mandatory rules of a date required, when he stepped under the cobweb and bones archway of the pavilion’s front doors and spotted Violet, he knew, for both their sakes, it was good he hadn’t picked her up.

She was beautiful.

There was no way he would have been able to keep his hands off her if they’d been alone in her suite, with her bedroom only down the hall and a perfectly good couch only feet away. He would love to have started where they left off earlier that day.

The pavilion was half-full when he arrived, but the blonde beauty was the only individual that Ryder catalogued. Her beauty radiated across the dark room, like a light at the end of a tunnel. Her hair was loosely braided and draped across one shoulder. It ran down over her magnificent dress, which shimmered against the disco ball and sporadic spotlights.

Ryder tucked his hands in his slack’s pockets and slowed his pace across the room, giving him time to take in the magnificence of the woman he loved.
The woman he loved.
He could get used to that.

The phrase didn’t scare him away, but instead excited him. He could see his future with Violet, doing all the things he’d given up the last couple of years. Summer vacations, birthday celebrations...Christmas.

Christmas had been the most difficult holiday spent alone. Of course. his extended family always welcomed Ryder to their homes, but he’d declined. Wherever he spent his holidays lacked the lavish decorations Kathleen would have used and the love he’d grown up with. But now, he’d found the love of his life and he was ready to celebrate every holiday, to sweep this woman off her feet and whisk her away on his boat for summer vacations. Everything. He wanted everything with her.

Right now, he just wanted to look at her. The thin material slipped off Violet’s neckline, secured around her shoulders and tapered into sheer sleeves. The blue dress hugged her waist, showed off her round derriere and spilled around the floor, with a sheer cape attached to the back.
Beautiful.

Ryder walked straight to her, ignoring everyone around him. The music captivated her exquisiteness and, as he approached, he was glad when the guest she’d been talking to excused herself.

Ryder stopped behind her.

If he wasn’t trying his damnest to give Violet the proper date he’d promised her, he’d scoop her up and find them some privacy.

Ryder caressed the shoulder with her side braid. Her bare skin was silk beneath his fingers and the desire to wrap this silk around him was powerful. He bent down and ran his lips across her exposed shoulder, drinking in her delicious flavor.

Violet leaned into him. “Hey.” The new soft, loving tone of her voice created more desire in him to scoop her into his arms and carry her to the suite. He contained himself.

“Hey.” He kissed her ear before moving in front of her. “You are stunning.”

She smiled at him. The dim lights caught the shimmering white makeup around her eyes and added even more blue to their depth. “Thank you.” She watched him for a moment, then grinned. “You have no idea who I am, do you?”

“Not a clue.”

She laughed. “Rosemary would be very disappointed in you.”

“You better fill me in then.”

Violet did a little courtesy and said, “Blue dress, snowflakes in my hair, glistening around my eyes...” He was clueless. “I’m a snow queen.”

Ryder’s smile fell. “You mean ice queen?” He wished he’d never slipped that nickname out. She was anything but an ice queen.

Violet kissed his frown away and not just a little peck on the lips. Her mouth covered his and he felt her tongue lick his lips. He was taken aback by her quick exposure of them and before he had a chance to kiss her back, she’d pulled away...and smiled at him.

After all their battles and struggles to be together, he’d honestly thought his tiny kiss on her shoulder might possibly cause her to withdraw from him in public. But she’d leaned into him and now, in front of a room full of her family, employees, guests and friends, she’d kissed him.

“Trust me, this ice queen is a well loved movie character to whom every little girl dreams of being.”

Violet kissed him again and this time her tongue slipped between his lips for a taste. Ryder was ready for her and the warmth of her eagerness, giving all she had to offer. He held her a second longer after her body tried to step away. When their lips parted, he kept one arm wrapped around her waist, and held her close.

The loving look her sapphire eyes sent him captured him. Desire and lust were mild emotions when love wasn’t blended into the equation. “I missed you too,” she said softly.

“I wanted to pick you up...”

“I wanted you to pick me up.”

“I don’t think we would have made it out of your suite.’

“You wouldn’t have got a complaint from me.”

Ryder’s moan made Violet grin wider and her teeth caught her lower lip in her mouth. He wanted to catch that lip.

Ryder let her go and stepped back, over a good foot away from her.

Violet cleared her throat as her eyes roamed the guests, proving she’d been lost in that haze with him and unaware of their surroundings.

When she was straightened out, she took a deep breath and ran her eyes over his body. “Let me guess...you’re a...” Violet clamped her lips together and smirked at him.

“What?”

She shook her head.

“Violet...”

“You’re wearing a designer suit with leather loafers. You’re rich and handsome as hell, with an edge of danger and charm that has all the girls swooning...should I continue?”

She was all but calling him the player she’d assumed he was. “I’m a businessman,” he said.

Violet’s bottom lip pushed out in a pout and Ryder laughed to keep from latching onto it. “I was really hoping to get charmed out of my dress tonight,” she teased.

This woman was relentless. He was having a hard enough time staying here in the first place and she was already talking about sex.

“For you, I will be whoever you want. The charming player you once thought I was or the amateur businessman that I was going for.”

“Amateur?” Violet laughed, then she sobered and he watched a spark of fire light her eyes. She took one step and the side of her body rubbed against his. He had to swallow hard to not dip inappropriately into her mouth.

“Caliendo, I swear...” he breathed. His hands were unable to resist sliding down her side.

She laughed again, only this time it held a blaze of desire. “Mr. Amateur Businessman, I’ve been in this industry for a long time.” Her fingers wrapped around the knot of his tie, pulling him even closer. The curves and arches of her lips were painted glossy pink and turned upwards. She slowly slid her fingers downwards, pressing firmly against his shirt. “Maybe I can teach you a thing or two about what happens behind closed doors...” Her lips met his ears, and she whispered, “I have an extra special outfit for the after party.”

He moaned.

“My thoughts exactly,” she said.

Ryder was going to lose it. He grabbed her hand and led her to the darkened dance floor, to distract his body from guiding her to the front door. It also gave him an excellent excuse to pull her body firmly against his, touch, move and rub without causing an unsuitable scene on their first date.

“If you keep up like that, we are going back to your suite,” he gruffly whispered in her ear.

“I’m okay with that,” she whispered back. He felt her tongue slide across his earlobe.

He moaned again.

“Do you like that?” she teased.

“You know I do.” His hoarse voice only prompted another one of her sweet giggles.

“Then let’s get out of here. My mom has the kids for the night and we have the entire suite to ourselves.”

Ryder tipped her head to look at him. “As tempting as that is and trust me, it’s tempting as hell and if you keep teasing me with your lips, your touch and your seductive bedroom voice, everyone here is going to see how much I want you.”

Ryder glanced down at the front of his pants, and Violet blushed, acknowledging his words.

Who’s the amateur now?

“We have all night to lie in each other’s arms. Right now, we are on a date.”

She pouted at him and he continued. “I want to dine and dance with you. I want to stand at your side as we visit your family and friends.” He lowered his voice to the bedroom voice she was so persistent on tormenting him with. “I want
you
to want
me
so badly, that at the end of the night, when you get me, it’s going to be the hottest lovemaking you have
ever
experienced.”

Violet stopped dancing and pulled him away from the dance floor saying, “Let’s get started then. The quicker we make rounds, the faster we can get to this hot lovemaking. This snow queen needs a reset.”

Ryder chuckled as she waved for a couple drinks from one of the servers, dressed in a pink, soda shop fifties outfit.

He sipped the wine, thinking about the last time he’d enjoyed a party of this size. It had been the last Carlex Grocers Christmas party in Oakston.

Ryder remembered it so clearly. He’d known it was the last event his dad planned on attending and Ryder had done his best to observe his behavior with the employees and their families for future reference as he planned on taking over. Donald, being the family man he was, didn’t hold evening parties for only the parents. Instead he had parties for the entire family. That year, they’d rented a private sitting at the De’laine Theater in Oakston, and entertained the children with a carnival show on the stage and small fair games to follow.

As Violet moved Ryder around the room, doing rounds with the socialite regulars, then to her family, Ryder found that even though he hadn’t been looking forward to the crowd tonight, he was smiling, laughing and enjoying himself.

His event presence over the last couple of years had generally been quick, go in, open the bank book and out again. Avoiding the questions regarding his dad had made life easier. Remembering those nights, made him remember his first night on the boat with Violet and her accusations about his dates at galas.

When they had a moment alone, he pulled her to the side for privacy. “Violet?”

“Ryder?” Her teasing relaxed him, even if his next words were hard to say. He might not be a player, but he had slept with other women.

“Remember the night we were on my boat. Sharing the apple dessert?” She nodded. “You asked...or accused me of sleeping with all the women on my arms at the galas.”

Violet’s teasing smile fell. “Ryder, you don’t have to tell me.”

“I don’t want secrets between us.”

Violet took a deep breath and when she blew it out she smiled at him. “Being a player and being single are two different things. What you did when you were single doesn’t interest me. I only want what you’re offering now.”

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against him. “I’m offering you all of me.”

“I greedily accept. Let’s get out of here.”

They were pulled into another conversation with a vacationing couple. Ryder’s attention was elsewhere. He couldn’t believe he found a woman who was so good to him. She was the one. Violet  Caliendo was the one woman, the one love that his mother had told him about. He smiled and sent a private
thank you
to his mother.

When Violet stiffened under his hand pressed on the small of her back, he followed her scrutiny. It was the deceiving pirate that stole her attention.

Ryder’s blood went cold.

Watching the light in her eyes struggle, zeroing in on Joel, irked him.

What had he done to her? Or what had he said? Why did she have to be so damn stubborn that she wouldn’t tell him?

Ryder excused them from the couple, guiding Violet back to the dance floor.

“Take me home,” she pleaded, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He didn’t like that Joel was the reason for the sadness in her tone.

“One dance,” he promised, pulling her closer. He wanted tonight to be about them. When she thought back to their first date, he didn’t want her to remember rushing away because Joel showed up. “Tell me more about this after party you promise.”

When Violet’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, he wished they’d left sooner. He wanted her full attention, not her lost attention.

“Did you talk to Joel today?” she asked instead. So much for keeping Joel out of their night.

He shook his head. “I will see him tomorrow. Tonight, you’re the only person on my mind. You and that after party outfit.”