Chapter 24

24

Ryder was here. In her home.

Genevieve was too shocked to move. He'd come all the way across the country. For her.

His footsteps lengthened as he crossed toward her, and she could see it in his eyes with each step. He wanted her and nothing else mattered.

He was all that mattered to her too.

She dropped her hand, released a small cry, then flew toward him.

His arms wrapped around her at the same time as she flung hers around his neck. He drew her body against his in a crushing embrace—one that held all his love and desire. He left her no doubt about it.

Sobs swelled in her chest, tightening her throat.

This was where she needed to be... in his arms. And she never wanted to be any place else. He was her home now.

His hands were tight against her back and held her as though he never planned to release her either. And that was fine with her. He could hold her all the time, and she'd never grow weary of it.

"I've missed you so much." She sniffled and pulled back so that she could see his handsome face. His hair was neatly combed and his beard trimmed short, giving him an almost aristocratic look. His eyes were dark and full of heat, so that the merest look melted her insides and made her nothing more than a puddle in his arms.

He didn't say the words in return, but he bent in and let his lips touch hers. The sweetness of tasting him again after so long was more than she'd anticipated, and she found herself greedily responding to him.

As if her welcome was the invitation to lose himself in her every bit as she was in him, he delved in deeper, his need for her containing an urgency that matched hers. They'd almost lost each other, had nearly been ripped apart. And now his kiss was surely his way of telling her that he didn't want that to happen ever again.... At least, she hoped it was.

As if he'd heard her thoughts, he broke the kiss and pulled back enough that he was peering into her eyes, his gaze as intense as always. "I need you to stay married to me in order to keep your stepmother from getting her guardianship back."

She pinched her eyes closed to block out how disastrously this morning could have gone—had almost gone. Thankfully, she'd realized Lenora and Mr. Morgan were scheming before it was too late, and thankfully Emmett had been there to defend her and give her Mr. Andridge's telegram.

He'd continued to defend her all throughout the afternoon too. He'd made sure Lenora left within an hour. And he'd sent for the chief of police so that Genevieve could relay all that had happened and file charges against Lenora and Mr. Morgan. The chief of police had given her the references of several local lawyers, and although she'd contacted them, she'd also sent a telegram to Mr. Andridge, inviting him to become her primary lawyer and relocate to New York City.

His answer had come nearly right away: Yes. Honored to be your advocate and friend.

To say she'd been relieved was an understatement, especially when one of Mr. Morgan's aides had brought over a file holding all the sales Mr. Morgan and Lenora had already made with her papa's investments and businesses. Another file had contained the pending sales worth thousands upon thousands of dollars.

She knew there would be much to sort through in the coming days to repair all the damage. But that hadn't stopped her from packing her bags and making arrangements to leave for Colorado on the last train of the day.

Emmett had insisted on traveling with her. He'd followed her back inside, and she knew he was nearby but being discreet and allowing her a semblance of privacy. Ambrose had also stepped into one of the side rooms the moment she'd reunited with Ryder.

"You haven't already dissolved the marriage, have you?" Ryder's voice was low and distressed.

"No." She offered what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Lenora and Mr. Morgan tried, but they couldn't make me."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "So you'll agree to staying married for your sake?"

She loved the feel of his head against hers, the mingling of their breaths, and the hard pattering of their heartbeats. But she wasn't agreeing to what he was offering. "No."

He tried to lift his head, likely to protest.

But she wove her fingers through his hair to keep him where he was. "The only way I'll agree to stay married is for our sake, Ryder. Because we both want it."

His shoulders relaxed, and his forehead rested against hers again.

"I want to stay married to you," she continued, "because I'm so in love with you that I can't imagine going another day without being your wife."

His hand at the small of her back pressed her in tighter.

"Those are my terms," she whispered, her lips so close to his. "Are you agreeable?"

"Yes." His whisper was soft, reverent. And when he touched his lips to hers, they were soft and reverent too, letting her know in a way that words couldn't convey that he couldn't imagine going another day without her by his side either.