Free More of Me by Samantha Chase Page B

handed her the beaded clutch that was on her chair. “Ladies, thank you so much for inviting us to be a part of your niece’s wedding. This was definitely helpful to my decision-making process. We hope that you have a lovely evening.” With a hand placed low on Casey’s back, he waited for her to say her good-byes and then together they left the reception.
    â€œDidn’t you want to stay until the end?” Casey inquired as they were walking out into the lobby. “How do you know you’ll like the way that they do their dessert presentation?”
    Ryder shrugged. “I saw more than enough. I’m not going to lie to you; it’s a tough decision, but I think I’ll be able to sleep on it and know by tomorrow which one is best.”
    â€œYou don’t know right now?”
    He shook his head. “Never make a decision about something this important in the heat of the moment; you’ll always second-guess it. I tend to make myself wait at least twenty-four hours before making a major decision.”
    Casey couldn’t agree more. She had a feeling if she had said yes to Ryder out on the deck moments ago that at some point she would have wondered if it was the right decision or if she was simply caught up in the moment. “That’s very wise.”
    They reached his car, and once he saw that Casey was settled in, Ryder walked around and climbed in. They drove in silence, and when he pulled into her driveway, Ryder could feel the tension rolling off her. “There is nothing I want more than to go inside with you, Casey,” he said softly. “But I know you’re not ready for that. I’m asking a lot from you; I know that, and yet I can’t help the way that I feel. I’m not going to sit here and try and persuade you or seduce you into letting me back into your life. The decision needs to be yours.” Leaning over, he kissed her cheek and then climbed from the car.
    Casey watched as Ryder walked around to open her door for her, indecision screaming in her brain. She wanted to invite him in, wanted him to take the decision from her because it was just too hard. Ryder reached a hand out toward her and she clasped it and rose from the car, standing toe-to-toe with him. She sighed as she leaned into him.
    Wordlessly, Ryder took her by the hand and walked her up to the front door. Taking the keys from her shaking hand, he unlocked the door and gently pushed it open. “I had a great time with you tonight,” he said, taking in the beauty of her face in the moonlight. “Thank you for making the time to go with me so that I can do what’s right for Mac.” Then, he did something that even surprised himself. Ryder took Casey’s hand in his and gently placed the keys in the palm before stepping back and wishing her a good night.
    Casey watched, dumbfounded, as Ryder walked back to his car. That was it? He seriously wasn’t going to do a damn thing to convince her to let him come inside? Didn’t he realize that she was teetering on the edge, and it wouldn’t take much to win her over? She was certain he was going to turn around and stride back toward her and kiss her senseless.
    She hoped that he would.
    Then he turned around, and in that moment, Casey was certain that he was coming back.
    â€œGo inside, Case,” he said. “It’s getting chilly out.” And then he climbed into his car and drove away.
    With no other choice, Casey walked into her house and shut the door behind her before sliding down the cool surface and wondering what in the world had just happened.
    * * *
    It was barely eleven thirty and Casey still hadn’t been able to unwind. It had been a little over two hours since Ryder had dropped her off, and her mind was still in overdrive trying to figure out what had happened. She understood that he was letting her make the decision; he wanted her to be one hundred percent certain of what she was