Swept Into Love: Gage Ryder (Love in Bloom: The Ryders Book 5)

by Melissa Foster

  She leaned closer and whispered, “I love our honeymoon so far. Are they part of the package?” She swore he growled.

  One final twirl, another round of the chorus, and a drum roll earned applause from other guests who had gathered around to watch. One of the Tarzan-looking men removed the top of his drum and withdrew a basket wrapped with a big red velvet bow. He got down on one knee and presented it to them. “The essentials, for our newlyweds.”

  “Thank you.” Sally took the basket and peeked inside. Red rose petals were sprinkled around a bottle of edible strawberry massage oil, candles, champagne glasses and a bottle of champagne, a box of condoms, a booklet called the Naughty Sex Guide, a bottle of lube—Oh God, really?—and an assortment of chocolates.

  Gage thanked the dancers, and they headed toward the elevators. Once they were inside, he set the luggage and the basket aside and said, “Welcome to our cheesy honeymoon.”

  “Lube!” Laughter burst from her lips. “What if their guests get offended? Can you imagine?”

  “Are you offended?” he asked in a seductive voice that made Sally’s heart race.

  She must have waited a beat too long to answer, because he trapped her against the elevator wall with his scrumptious body and began kissing her neck. He knew that did her in every time!

  “Well, bird?”

  Threads of desire weaved around them, binding them together as he tiptoed around her boundaries. It was so much easier to get carried away in a dark bedroom and allow their bodies and hearts to take over than it was to admit her thoughts out loud in a bright elevator. But the hungry look in his eyes shattered her inhibitions.

  “No,” she said confidently.

  The edge of his lips curved up in a sinful smile, and when those lips met hers, his fingers tightened in her hair. He kissed her slow and deep, and so sensually, she felt herself floating away on a tide of pleasure so enticing, she went up on her toes, trying to take more, but he drew back, leaving her panting and needy.

  His thumb brushed over her lips, and when he spoke, his voice was hot as fire. “I will never get enough of you, and rest assured, baby, I’m never going to stop taking and giving.”

  The elevator doors opened, but she was frozen in place. Gage took far too much pleasure in her wobbly legs and lust-addled brain, chuckling as she struggled to swim to the surface. She didn’t know how she managed to walk, much less carry the basket down the hall.

  He pushed open the door to their room and took the basket from her hands. He set it on the floor and swept her into his arms.

  “My bride is not going to walk over the threshold on her honeymoon.”

  God, she loved this man! His handsome face grinned down at her as he carried her inside. She felt weightless and sexy, and so happy, laughter bubbled out as she kissed him. People didn’t get second chances like this, did they? How did she get so lucky?

  A SENSE OF pride and happiness filled Gage as he carried his bride into the room. The light in Sally’s eyes made him want to do things like this every day just to experience her elation. He set her feet beside the heart-shaped bed, wondering what she’d think of the lighted, mirrored headboard, red rose petals strewn across the blanket, and twelve dozen roses he’d had delivered. He brought the luggage and basket inside and closed the door behind them.

  “Oh my goodness!” she said. “Look at this room! Did you do this? The roses?” She turned in a slow circle, taking in the mirrors on the ceiling and walls, the heart-shaped bathtub on the other side of the room, and the roses on nearly every surface.

  “All but the ones on the bed. Wish I’d thought of those, too, but…” He shrugged, and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

  “It’s not cheesy. It’s perfect for us.”

  Music to his ears. “It’s definitely cheesy, but how can you top Elvis, if not with lights and mirrors?”

  He unzipped his suitcase and set their wedding picture on the dresser.

  Sally picked it up with an awed expression. “You framed it?”

  “It’s our wedding picture. Of course I did. I won’t let Rusty see it until we tell him, but I don’t want you to forget.”

  “Forget who I’m married to? Like that could ever happen? I wake up in your arms, remember?” She set the frame down. “I still don’t know how I missed picking up on the fact that you’re a die-hard romantic.”

  “I think it’s because I wasn’t,” he admitted. He grabbed the scarf, hat, and gloves he’d bought for her while they were in Virginia and wound the light blue scarf around her neck. “Until you came along.”

  “You bought me all of this? You really planned ahead.” She rubbed the cashmere scarf on her cheek. “It’s so soft. Thank you.”

  “And it brings out your baby blues.” He put on his own gloves and scarf and reached for her hand. “Come on, beautiful. We have a tree lighting to get to.”

  They followed other guests down a wide path around the resort. The snowy night smelled of hopes and dreams sprinkled with lust and love. A crowd formed around an enormous Christmas tree that must have stood thirty feet tall. Festive music hung in the air, and a white tent sat off to one side, where the staff was dressed as elves, serving champagne and snacks.

  A heavy hand landed on Gage’s shoulder, and he tightened his grip on Sally, turning to find a man dressed up like Santa Claus. Sally cuddled up to Gage, her cheeks pink from the cold.

  “Ho, ho, ho! Happy holidays!” the round, bearded man sang out.

  “Happy holidays,” Gage and Sally said in unison.

  Santa handed them two ornaments. “One for the tree, one to take home.” As quickly as he’d appeared, he moved on to greet another couple.

  Sally held up the ornament, a miniature replica of the lodge that had the year etched into it. “Our first ornament.”

  “Merry almost Christmas, sweetheart.”

  “Merry almost Christmas. I love our cheesy honeymoon.”

  A group of elves began singing Christmas carols, and the crowd moved forward, each couple hanging their ornament. A handful of photographers moved around them, capturing the moments. When it was Sally and Gage’s turn, Gage stole a kiss just as the photographer snapped the picture. He knew when they returned home, he’d have to rein in his desires in public, but until then, he wasn’t even going to try. The photographer handed Gage a card with instructions for claiming the picture online so it would be printed and ready for them when they left on Sunday.

  They sang along with the crowd, huddled together for warmth, enjoying a glass of champagne and a few hors d’oeuvres as the rest of the guests hung their ornaments. A long while later, the music silenced, and the air itself seemed to still in anticipation of the tree lighting.

  Gage leaned in close, speaking directly into Sally’s ear. “I love you, Mrs. Ryder.”

  She turned in his arms and said something at the same moment the crowd cheered, drowning out her voice. He dipped her over his arm in a celebratory kiss. The lights of the tree sparkled in her eyes, and he knew he’d never forget this night, this moment, or the look in his wife’s eyes as she tugged him down for a repeat performance.

  It stopped snowing as the evening wore on, and Gage and Sally made their way to the patio, claiming one of the lounge chairs by the fire. Sally lay with her head on Gage’s shoulder, their hands entwined. Around them, couples danced, snuggled, and mingled. He couldn’t imagine a more perfect evening.

  “Gage?”

  “Hm?”

  “I haven’t skied since Dave’s accident.”

  “I know, babe. It’s fine. I didn’t think we’d go skiing.” She’d told him years ago that she didn’t want to think about skiing ever again. He respected her feelings and had accepted that there were going to be things in their life they avoided because of Dave’s death.

  She rested her chin on his chest, looking gorgeous in the evening light. “Would you mind if we did?”

  Surprised, he took a moment to process what she’d said. “No, babe. Whatever y
ou’d like to do, I’m with you. But don’t feel like you have to because we’re here.”

  “I don’t. It’s time.” Her lips curved up in a sweet smile. “I couldn’t do it before, but I’m ready to move forward. I don’t know if Rusty will ever be, but I sometimes wonder if his hesitation is somehow driven by mine.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her, marveling at her strength. “I’ll be right there by your side, and when Rusty’s ready, I’ll be there for him, too.”

  Chapter Eleven

  SALLY AWOKE TO Gage whispering, “Good morning, Mrs. Ryder. How’s my beautiful wife?” followed by his loving hands and mouth all over her body. After enjoying each other, they had a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Then they purchased ski pants at the shop in the resort, rented skis, and sat on a bench outside the equipment building to put them on. Sunshine brought warmer temperatures, but that wasn’t the cause of Sally’s perspiration. As she secured her bindings, the sights and sounds of skiers brought an onslaught of emotions. Dave had been skiing with Blake when he’d gone off alone to ski Little Hellion, one of the most dangerous slopes in Allure. Although Dave had been an expert freestyle skier, visibility was low on that fateful snowy night. He must have misjudged the angle and distance of his jump and landed in the trees. His neck was broken on impact, and he was killed instantly.

  Gage squeezed her hand. His compassionate eyes searched hers. “Babe, we don’t have to do this. I don’t care if I never go skiing again.”

  She inhaled a ragged breath and gazed out at the mountains, remembering how she and Dave had taught Rusty to ski when he was four years old. Skiing had always been a part of their lives, at least until Rusty hit his teenage years and decided doing anything with his parents was uncool.

  “I care,” she admitted. “I used to love skiing, and even though I’m so nervous I feel like I might pass out, I need to do this and put this fear behind me. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I need to do it for Dave and Rusty as much as for me and you. Once I get past this, it’ll open a door for Rusty that I think he needs. Even if he doesn’t ever want to ski again, at least he’ll know it won’t make his mother sad if he decides to follow in his father’s footsteps. That’s the whole reason I’ve held on to Dave’s share of the business. It’s all for Rusty.”

  “Babe, don’t ever worry about me taking things wrong. You had a whole life before me with a man who loved you, and you had a child together. If Stacy hadn’t done what she’d done, I might have had the same thing—with a woman, that is—and probably the baggage of divorce. I’m glad you were loved, and I’m glad Rusty is in my life. I’ll never see him as anything less than however much of a son he’ll allow himself to be to me. I want to be with you, and that means accepting your love for Dave, being by your side, and doing whatever it takes to keep you and Rusty safe and happy.”

  She hurt knowing he had to even think about her loving anyone else, but starting over was complicated, and she was glad he understood. She finished securing her bindings. The feel of the skis beneath her feet brought an unexpected sense of euphoria. She’d forgotten how skiing had that effect on her. She wanted the freedom to enjoy doing this again without Dave’s death overshadowing her.

  Overshadowing us.

  “I appreciate that, Gage. I am happy. I’m just nervous. It’s not like I think I’m going to ski off the mountain or get hurt. It’s just that when I look at the slopes, it all comes back to me. But I don’t want to spend the rest of our lives with skiing being mine and Dave’s thing, and honestly, I don’t want memories of Dave always living between us. I’m glad we’re doing this, and talking about it, and I know we’ll have times that Dave will be brought up when Rusty’s around and even when he’s not. That part of my life will always be special, but it’s been more than five years. I want to find what’s yours and mine. There’s a big mountain in front of us. I think we should take one final goodbye run down the slopes and then create our own memories.”

  “You can’t imagine how much I love you right this second.” Gage embraced her.

  “I have a great imagination,” she teased. “I bet if I climb into your lap I won’t have to imagine anything.”

  “Hell, baby. Thinking about you on my lap turns me on. What did you have in mind for creating our memories, sexy Sally?”

  Laughter fell from her lips. “Gee, I don’t know, gorgeous Gage.”

  “We could find a cave and test out our body heat.”

  “That sounds cold, and you know…” She lowered her voice and arched a brow. “You might experience shrinkage.”

  He scoffed and took her in a passionate kiss that heated her up all over again.

  “Baby, Alaska isn’t cold enough to make that happen when I’m with you. Hell, no place is.”

  “I think we should go to Alaska one day. Just to test your theory, of course.”

  “Ah. My girl still wants to travel.” He brushed his lips over her cheek and said, “I knew I saw that in your eyes.”

  “Not for weeks on end or anything. Just…” She shrugged. “To see what’s out there. Now that Rusty’s older, I can actually go away like this without worrying so much. Wouldn’t you like to travel a little more?”

  “With you? Absolutely. But for today, how about that cave?”

  “I was thinking of something clothed. Like toboggans or snowboards. Something where I can dominate you.”

  His eyes turned volcanic. “You can dominate me anytime you want. Tie me up. Make me your sex slave.”

  She rose to her feet and grabbed him by the hand, pulling him up beside her. “Let’s do this, Romeo.”

  They waited in line for the chair lift, joking about various forms of domination. When the lift hit the back of Sally’s legs, she settled onto the seat and Gage put his arm around her, pulling her close.

  Crisp mountain air filled her lungs and stung her cheeks. She was proud of herself for finally taking this step. She thought about Dave as the lift climbed the mountain. Nothing had made him happier than skiing. If she were honest with herself, she might admit that sometimes even she didn’t quite measure up, and that was okay. Sally had never felt the need to be his entire world the way some other women wanted to be with their spouses. She’d been happy with Dave, and she was happy with Gage. Happier?

  She glanced at him, knowing she couldn’t begin to compare being married so young after six months of dating and thrust into the responsibility of child-rearing to being married accidentally with a world of experience and years of loving Gage behind her.

  “You okay, bird?” Gage asked.

  “Yes. I am. I’m glad we’re doing this together.”

  When they reached the top of the mountain, the slope lay before them like a magic carpet, and a familiar adrenaline rush kicked in.

  “You’ve got this, bird,” Gage called over to her.

  She squinted against the sun, looking at him and thinking about how lucky she was. Her pulse quickened for a whole different—and better—reason. She knew she could do anything with him by her side. As she skied down the mountain, a sense of releasing the past exploded inside her, and when Gage sped past her, she raced him toward their future.

  “BRR.” SALLY RUBBED her hands together as Gage opened the door to their room several hours later.

  “Come here, baby.” He reached for her, rubbing her icy hands between his. “Why didn’t you tell me you were so cold?”

  “I was having too much fun.”

  They’d learned to snowboard, enjoyed a late lunch at the café, and spent hours practicing, taking silly pictures, and trying to learn tricks from a group of teenagers. They’d spent the afternoon making memories. Sally had been adorable, refusing to give up until she almost mastered the ollie and the nollie, which involved jumping off ramps. She blew him away with her agility and her determination.

  “Let’s take a hot bath,” Gage suggested as he helped her off with her coat. “That’ll warm you right up.”

  Sally disappeared into the bathro
om and he filled the tub, adding vanilla-scented bubble bath and setting the champagne and glasses within reach. They’d been on a dead run since attending the conference in Vegas. A quiet evening was just what they needed. He grabbed a few condoms and set them by the tub, not altogether sure how well that idea was going to work in the tub, but hell, he was looking forward to figuring it out. He gathered candles from around the room and lit them along the windowsill. Perfect. As an afterthought, he snagged the Naughty Sex Guide and set it by the tub, and stripped down to his briefs, taking a last look at their little love nest. Something was missing.

  My wife.

  He saw himself smiling in his reflection in the window and had a feeling the happiness of being married to his best friend would never wear off. He gazed out at the sun skimming the horizon. He felt like a new man, with renewed purpose, since marrying Sally, and although he played it off well, he was also a man with new worries.

  When he’d told his father about Stacy, his father had given him the standard lines parents doled out in painful situations. It wasn’t meant to be. It hurts now, but with time you’ll heal. And then Ned Ryder had set his large, strong hands on Gage’s shoulders, his eyes as serious as ever, and he’d said, “Son, I know you hurt more than anything right now, but do yourself a favor. Try to step back from that hurt long enough to see your years with Stacy for what they were.”

  Gage hadn’t accepted what his father had wanted him to see until last night when Sally had asked him to be there with her when she skied for the first time since losing Dave. There was a world of difference between building a life with a woman who wanted you to be part of it and spending time with a woman who wanted to experience the world without any ties to bind her. It wasn’t the act of skiing, or learning to snowboard, or the way they’d cheered each other on and tumbled into the snow in a tangle of limbs and laughter. It was five years’ worth of moments culminating in a love so deep he couldn’t imagine a life without her. It was helping Sally as a friend to deal with her pain over losing her husband, trying new restaurants together, and the silly stuff, like grocery shopping and calling each other when they’d had a bad or funny dream, just to share it with the person who meant the most to them. It was shopping for presents, even if they found none, and watching movies in their comfy sweats while eating ice cream. It was working together at the center for so many years, building programs and changing lives. It was evenings spent dancing together at their friends’ and his siblings’ weddings knowing he wasn’t going to be taking her to bed that night, no matter how much he’d wanted to. Those moments had built a foundation that he and Stacy never could have had. And he knew in his heart there was no other woman on earth he could build such a remarkable future with.