Page 45 of Ryder

I think over this, and for a brief moment, I feel worried for Ryder. I know it is silly, but my love for him causes me to worry about his safety.

“What’s wrong?” he asks me, seeing my reservation.

“I just worry about you on the track,” I admit.

“That’s why I’ve got Travis’s team behind me. Remember, I am wearing their custom state of the art safety gear. If anything goes wrong, they can stop me before anything bad happens. Plus, I know to stay clear of this guy, Alex Sweat, is his name.”

He says his name like it leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

Our dinner arrives, and we eat our meal watching the final moments of the sunset.

I feel Ryder watching me as my eyes dance over the magic of the ocean. Turning to him, I smile. “What?”

“I get so lost in your eyes,” he breathes. “You have no idea how much I love you, Scar. I waited my entire life to find someone like you.”

His words take me away to that feeling of heaven. I feel myself blush, but it doesn’t stop me from telling him how I feel, too. “You have given me a reason to live again, Ryder. Before I met you, I was broken. I had allowed someone to take my joy and happiness away. But then you raced into my life and showed me that there were limitless possibilities to what I could have.”

As the words pour out of me, I feel the tears threaten to spill from my eyes. I hate how emotional I have become, but I also know these are happy tears.

Taking his thumb, Ryder wipes away the moisture filling my eyes, all while never taking his eyes off of mine. I gasp at his touch, knowing that his love is everything I need.

“You are too beautiful to cry,” he says.

“They are joyful tears,” I say, laughing a little.

He takes my hand and brings it up to his soft lips. Placing a kiss to my knuckles, Ryder sighs as our eyes lock. “Damn, babe. I know we have only known one another a short amount of time, but I would marry you right now if you would agree to it,” he said, his voice firm and serious.

I almost choke from his admission. Did he really just sort of propose to me?

“Ryder, don’t you think it’s too fast?” I ask.

“No. I love you, and you love me. I’d do it tonight,” he says again, his eyes boring into me. “I don’t want just to be some guy you talk about one day. A memory isn’t what I am to you. I want to be your forever.” He doesn’t even take a moment to ponder the question. He just answers.

The craziest part of this entire conversation is that if he were truly serious, I would do it.

“Scar, I will make you my wife. Remember what I told you when we first met, I always get what I want. And I want you. Forever,” he stated.

And, I believed that. Maybe we weren’t going to run off to Vegas tonight, but in my heart and soul, I just know that one day, I will become Ryder’s wife. The demanding way he possesses me turns me on.

Once before, a man had proposed to me and had left me for someone else. I didn’t love him half as much as I love Ryder. Ittook me a year to just agree to Josh’s proposal, and I wouldn't think twice about marrying Ryder right here.

Leaning in, I lower my lips to his ear, my words coming out soft and slow. “You don’t have to rush this. I’m yours forever.”

Chapter 26

Scarlet

We had spent the rest of the evening and into the early morning hours wrapped in one another's arms. I had stopped by All Our Children after work on Monday to let the boys know they were going to be attending Ryder’s race VIP style. Allison had been more than willing to come with us and loved the idea that Ryder and I wanted to continue working with the boys.

I absolutely loved my new job at Future Leaders. I may not be on the frontlines anymore, working directly with the youth, but I had a much more significant role now. I was working at ways to market our group and other charities so that we could continue to service these kids in need. It was exhausting but so worth the efforts.

By the time the weekend arrived, it was as though I had blinked, and time had just slipped past me. I didn’t mind, though. I was eager to watch Ryder race again and spend some much-needed quality time with Allison and the boys.

I had been spending more nights with Ryder as we had decided to alternate between his house and my apartment. Waking up early on Saturday morning wasn’t ideal, but it meant that I got to watch Ryder get ready for his afternoon race, so it was alright by me.

“What’s that?” I ask, watching Ryder bring a large box into the bedroom.

I was still wrapped in his white sheets, my naked body enjoying the silky fabric of his sheets as he moved about the large room.

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