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  “Too late.”

  “Are you sure you would even want to be involved with someone who has a family like that?”

  “It’s not her family I’m interested in,” he said and turned to look around the room. “I don’t know. You were fortunate things worked out the way they did. You and Casey were always meant to be; we all knew it, even back then. It’s not like that for everyone.”

  “I hate that I had no idea you were dealing with something like this for so long,” Ryder said. “I’m sorry.”

  James turned and forced a smile. “Hey, this is supposed to be a happy day. I didn’t mean to drag you down. It was a long time ago and I guess I’m just feeling a little nostalgic right now. Between the wedding, you and Casey, and being so close to…” He cut himself off before revealing too much. “Anyway, no more talk of the past. Weddings are about the future, and there’s a room full of family here that we haven’t seen in a long time. Let’s go mingle.”

  Ryder watched his brother get absorbed into the crowd, but he wasn’t fooled. James was definitely struggling with this situation and he had no idea how to help him. If only he knew the name of the mystery woman, maybe he could help out. Out of the corner of his eye, Ryder saw his uncle walk into the room, and he smiled. Maybe Uncle William wouldn’t mind if someone actually asked for his help in making a match this time.

  Chapter 10

  Ryder had been gone for ten days—three days longer than he had planned. His frustration was mounting, and yet there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to change it. His cousin Christian had volunteered to take a one-year position as the CEO of Montgomerys’ West Coast office, but he was stranded in London on a business deal that he was trying to finish up. Ryder knew that he could leave and come back and that everything would be fine, but there was more to handing over the reins than he had originally thought.

  He talked to Casey every day, several times a day, and yet as time went on, he was beginning to hear the disappointment and uncertainty in her voice. Business was keeping her busy and for that Ryder was thankful, but knowing he was causing her stress was killing him.

  “Christian tells me he should be here by the end of the week,” he said to Casey that night during their call. “All the papers he was waiting for are being signed today; then he has to wrap things up at his office and will be here by Friday. If all goes well, I’ll be home on Sunday.”

  “Okay,” Casey said.

  “Case,” Ryder began, “I know this isn’t going the way we thought it would, and I’m sorry. Do you have any weddings this weekend? Maybe you can fly out on Thursday and be here when Christian gets here and we’ll fly home together.”

  She made a noncommittal sound. “I have appointments on Friday and Saturday with clients who I don’t want to reschedule and a wedding on Sunday. It’s fine, Ryder. You’ll get here when you get here.”

  He knew that tone.

  He hated that tone.

  “If this is going to work, you are going to have to get over what I did, Case. If you doubt me every time I go away, then we’re doomed.”

  She sighed with frustration. “It’s not that I doubt you, Ryder; it’s not. I’m disappointed because, well…I had plans for us, and I hate not knowing when you’ll get here so I can actually put them into play.”

  “Plans? What kind of plans? Sexy plans?”

  Casey laughed. “You’re an idiot, and so I’m not going to tell you what kind of plans. You’ll just have to get your butt back here and find out.”

  “You’re killing me. You know that, right?”

  “Good.” They were silent for a moment. “I miss you.”

  “I know, baby. I miss you too. I hate this. I hate that it’s taking so long to wrap everything up, but I owe it to everyone to make sure that Christian gets here and is ready to take over. He’s going to live here in my house, and we can video conference whenever he needs anything since I’m not doing anything substantial with my time for the next month or so. I could just leave and let him settle in on his own, but I don’t think that would be fair.”

  “I know you’re right,” she said reluctantly. “It’s just that we’ve waited so long to be together, and I want us to start planning our lives. There was so much to do, between Mac and Gina’s wedding, and then all of your relatives being here, and then you having to go back and settle everything in California, that we haven’t talked about…us.”

  “I don’t have to be there for us to have that conversation,” he said softly, wishing more than anything that he were there with her right now.

  “It’s silly, I know, but I want us to be together when we talk. I love our conversations on the phone, but it’s not the same.”

  “We can Skype,” he suggested.

  “Still not the same, Ryder,” she said and then yawned.

  “You’re going to get tired of seeing me so much when I get back, you know,” he reminded her. “I took an extra month off so we’d have some time together, and I guarantee you’re going to get to a point where you want to kick me out the door.”

  “Maybe,” she said with a laugh.

  “Definitely.” Ryder settled in more securely on the sofa and felt himself relax after another long day. “Soon, sweetheart. Soon I’ll be home, and we’ll talk to your heart’s content. I promise.”

  Casey couldn’t wait for that to be so.

  * * *

  A late-afternoon wedding had Casey returning home Sunday night exhausted. Per her last conversation with Ryder, he was boarding a plane to come home, and with a little luck, she’d have some time to shower and change and freshen up before he arrived. This particular wedding had been a handful because the parents of the bride were divorced, so most of the day had been spent making sure no fights broke out.

  It had come close no less than half a dozen times.

  In all the chaos, Casey hadn’t even had time to stop and eat. “Maybe I’ll grab some soup before I shower,” she sighed as she opened the door to the house.

  And froze.

  There were candles lit everywhere.

  Soft music was playing.

  And there, no more than five feet in front of her, stood Ryder.

  “What…? How…? When did you get here?” she asked, dropping her purse to the floor, not sure where to look first.

  “I was already on the ground here when we talked earlier,” Ryder said, walking slowly toward her. Wordlessly, he took Casey by the hand and led her down the hall to the master bathroom, where he had a hot bath ready and waiting for her.

  “How did you know when I’d be home?” she asked, still dazed that he was here.

  “I asked Julie to call and give me a head’s up so I could have everything ready for you.” Finally, Ryder leaned in and kissed her, a gentle kiss meant to soothe, not arouse. He took the clip out of her hair and ran his fingers through it while massaging Casey’s scalp. “I heard that this wedding was a bit more challenging than most, so I want you to relax.”

  Slowly Ryder unbuttoned her blouse while Casey kicked off her shoes. “A girl could get used to this sort of thing,” she said with a small smile.

  “I’m hoping that this particular girl does, because I plan on pampering you tonight.”

  Casey liked the sound of that. Before she could comment on it, Ryder had unzipped her skirt and it pooled around her ankles. She kicked it aside and stood before him in nothing more than two bits of white lace. “I had planned on freshening up before you got home. I’m a mess.”

  “You’re beautiful,” he said firmly, gazing intently into her eyes. “I missed you so damn much.” And then he kissed her with all the pent-up passion of the last few weeks. Casey wrapped her arms around him to pull him close, and Ryder picked her up and carefully placed her on the vanity counter. It was cool against her skin, but she didn’t seem to mind.

  “I missed you too,” she said breathle
ssly as Ryder’s mouth traveled down the column of her throat, nipping at her shoulder before working his way back up. His hands were seemingly everywhere, and suddenly all thoughts of relaxing and pampering were gone; all Casey wanted was Ryder. Right here, right now.

  She shifted slightly and pressed up against the part of him that was the hardest, drawing Ryder’s mouth back to hers. His hand roamed up her spine and deftly unhooked her bra before pulling it away. His mouth never left hers as those skillful hands moved around and cupped her breasts, making her gasp with pleasure.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  Ryder finally tore his mouth away. “I promised myself I’d let you soak in a nice hot tub and relax before we did this, but I can’t wait either. I need you.”

  One mind.

  * * *

  Later, they sat together in the big tub, Casey’s back to Ryder’s chest. They talked about the wedding from hell, and he told her about Christian’s arrival in California and how he expected things to run at Montgomerys without him.

  “I think Christian is going to fit right in,” Ryder was saying as he leisurely played with the bubbles that were covering Casey. He loved hearing her purr with every handful of water.

  “I’m glad it all worked out. I’m sure it’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment for him after living in Europe for so many years.”

  Ryder shrugged. “Maybe. I think he’s been wanting to come back to the States but wasn’t sure where to go or where there’d be a place for him.”

  “Then it’s a win-win for everyone.” She sighed and relaxed more against him, her head resting on his shoulder.

  “What about you?” he asked softly. “What is your schedule looking like?”

  “You’re in luck. I managed to clear my schedule for the next two weeks.”

  Reaching up, Ryder tipped Casey’s head back so she could see the pleased look on his face. “Really?”

  She nodded. “I wanted us to have some time to ourselves. There were a couple of consultations on the calendar, but they weren’t major and my assistant and Julie can easily take care of them. I just needed to get through this one wedding before I could relax.”

  “I’m sorry your day was so rough.” He wrapped his arms around her and held Casey tight. “So what should we do with all this free time we suddenly have?” he asked lightly.

  Casey chuckled. “For starters, we should get out of this tub before we get all pruney.” She felt his chest rumble behind her with his own soft laughter.

  “Agreed.” Ryder shifted a bit so they could both sit up more. “How about this? You dry off and relax, and I’m going to go and grill us some steaks, and we’ll have a quiet dinner out on the deck.”

  “Sounds like heaven,” she sighed and watched Ryder rise from the tub and reach for a towel. No man should look so good, she thought to herself, and then smiled because he belonged to her. Reclining into the tub, she murmured, “Five more minutes,” and closed her eyes.

  * * *

  Ryder retrieved his clothes and got dressed before heading down the hall to the kitchen to get their dinner started. His brain was spinning. It didn’t seem to matter how much time they were together or apart; it didn’t matter how many times he made love to her, he wanted her more.

  Taking the ingredients for their meal out, he smiled. His goal had been to surprise Casey tonight and so far he had. He had a couple more tricks up his sleeve, and he couldn’t wait to see the look on her face when he pulled them out.

  The steaks were on the grill and he was pulling out a salad he had made earlier when he heard Casey padding into the kitchen. She was dressed in silky lounging pants and a cami. Her hair was in disarray and she still managed to take his breath away. He handed her a glass of wine and smiled. “Feel better?”

  “Mmm…much,” she said, declining the wine. “I don’t think I realized how tense I was until I got in that tub and felt it all just melt away. If I drink any of that I’m afraid I’ll fall asleep at the table.” Walking over to the refrigerator, she poured herself a tall glass of ice water and added a slice of lemon.

  Ryder took Casey by the hand and led her out onto the deck. The air was a little cool, so he lit the heat lamp and pulled out a chair for her. “Ryder, I can help…”

  He held up a hand to silence her. “You worked all day. Let me cater to you.”

  Before she knew it, Ryder was placing a plate in front of her loaded with a steak grilled to perfection, a Caesar salad, and freshly baked bread. “Thank you.”

  “My pleasure.”

  They ate in silence, simply enjoying the fact that they were together as they listened to the waves crashing on the shore. When Casey was finished, she sat back in her chair and sighed. “I had planned on having a bowl of soup, but this was way better.”

  Ryder chuckled. “I should hope so.” They sipped their drinks and held hands for a little while until Ryder stood.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I have dessert too.”

  “I thought we had that earlier,” she said with a wicked grin.

  “Sweetheart, that was just the beginning.” Collecting the plates, Ryder went into the house and returned a few minutes later with a bowl of fresh strawberries and another of whipped cream. He placed them on the table and then walked back into the house. He returned with a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

  “Champagne?” Casey said, looking at him with confusion. “What’s the occasion?”

  Ryder sat down and turned his chair so he was facing her. “When I first came back to North Carolina, I always knew I was going to look for you. Never in my wildest dreams did I let myself believe we would end up where we are now.” The look of love on Casey’s face told him she felt the same way. “I know I don’t deserve you and that I have a lot to make up to you.”

  “Ryder,” she began, but he stopped her words with one finger to her lips.

  “We met up again at a pretty chaotic time, and I feel like we missed some key things.” Casey’s brows furrowed as she listened to him. “Part of me wanted to go slow with you, to prove that I was sincere and that I was taking our relationship seriously. But you blew my world away when you showed up at my house that night.”

  She blushed. “We had already lost so much time. I didn’t want to go slow.”

  He leaned in and kissed her. “I love your impatience.” Taking one of her hands in his, he continued. “I told you that I love you and talked about marriage and babies and I forgot one very important thing.”

  “What was that?” she asked softly and then gasped when Ryder dropped to one knee in front of her.

  “I fell in love with you twelve years ago, Casey,” he began solemnly, “and I was foolish enough to walk away. I don’t ever want to do that again. You’re everything to me and I want you to be my wife.” He pulled a small velvet ring box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a brilliant emerald-cut diamond ring.

  “Oh, Ryder,” she sighed as he placed the ring on her finger. “It’s beautiful.” A single tear rolled down her cheek as she reached out and cupped his face. “Yes.”

  Ryder leaned in and cupped a hand around her nape, greedily claiming her lips with his. Waves continued to crash, the moon continued to rise in the sky, and Ryder felt like he could go on kissing Casey forever. Her hands raked up into his hair, and he knew that if he didn’t pull back soon, he would end up taking her right here on the deck.

  Not the most romantic way to end a proposal.

  When he did finally pull back, he wiped away that lone tear and sat back in his seat. “I hate that it took me so long to give this to you,” he said, motioning toward the ring. “I wanted to be back here days ago. I’m sorry I didn’t do something more romantic or take you out someplace. It’s just that…I knew from the first moment I saw you again that I wanted you back in my life forever. And once you said you loved
me too, I was anxious to start working on our own forever.”

  “Mmm…” she purred, alternating between looking at the man she loved and the sparkling diamond on her finger. “I like the sound of that.”

  “How is it going to be planning your own wedding?” he teased. “I’m sure you have a lot of great ideas.”

  Casey reached over and grabbed a strawberry and seemed to contemplate his words. “Actually,” she said with a smile, “I was thinking Vegas.”

  “What? You mean like a Vegas theme?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m talking let’s get on a plane and fly to Vegas and get married in a little chapel and book the gaudiest penthouse suite and have our honeymoon there.”

  The look on Ryder’s face was priceless. “Case, you can’t be serious. Weddings are your business. I thought for sure that you’d want something big and beautiful like you did for Mac and Gina.”

  Sighing, she leaned back further in her chair. “Too much work, and besides, we don’t have that kind of time.”

  Now his expression was one of pure confusion. “Time? Why don’t we have time? I figured we’d do something here on the beach, and my schedule is extremely flexible. Don’t you have any weeks free? Are you booked up this far in advance?”

  She giggled and reached for another succulent strawberry, covered it with cream, and held it up for Ryder to taste. He moved her hand away and she rolled her eyes. “I have plenty of weekends free, and though our calendar is looking very promising for the upcoming year, that’s not what I’m talking about.”

  “I’m at a loss here; you’re going to have to spell it out for me because I don’t understand why you would seriously opt for a cheesy Vegas wedding with an Elvis impersonator rather than something more elegant like what you create for a living.”

  “I never said Elvis impersonator.”

  Now he rolled his eyes. “It’s kind of implied, Casey. So come on. What gives?”

  With a huff, she sat up straight in her chair and put the strawberry down and took both of Ryder’s hands in hers while staring him in the eyes. “We don’t have a lot of time because I have no intention of wearing a maternity wedding gown. I’d like to have wedding pictures while I’m still rocking a slim figure, if it’s all right with you.”