Page 40 of Redemption

Excitement?

Winters grabbed Mia into a bear hug as Ace and Clara ran over, yelling. Mia’s laughter became even louder. Maddy moved next to Luke, and Caterina handed Rocco the baby as their son curled into his mother’s side.

A few inches separated him from Victoria, and even she laughed quietly.

“You knew?” He pointed at her with his bottle.

She nodded yes, and Luke threw his hands in the air. “Oh, come on! That’s not fair.”

“Life’s not fair, good-looking.” Mia blew him a kiss.

“Touché, Mia. Congratulations!”

“Another Winters baby.” Rocco clapped. “Job well done, Mia. I don’t know how you put up with that guy, but job well done.”

Ryder closed the distance next to Victoria. Half a day ago, they were under the moon on the boardwalk, arms touching and whispering secrets about the past. Now, with friends and laughter under the warm sun, their bare arms brushed as he stole a glance at her wearing little shorts and a bathing suit top. They congratulated the whole Winters crew, the kids taking most of the attention now, and talked about the future. He couldn’t help thinking that everything with her felt right.

“I’m glad you decided to come out.” Ryder brushed his knuckles against the back of her soft shoulder.

Victoria shivered despite the sizzling summer air. “There was good news to be heard.”

“There was.” He couldn’t help himself; his fingers ran along her arm, and her goose bumps followed his touch. A million things were happening around them, but that was all that he noticed. Her skin reacted to his touch. He sucked in a deep breath and held it. The last thing he needed to do was toreactto her too. His way might be far more noticeable than hers.

“And maybe some laughs.” Victoria fidgeted, taking a hair band off of her hand and pulling pieces of her hair into a bun. She slid sunglasses on top of her head. “It was so worth rushing outside.”

He wanted to calm her thoughts, wipe away her nerves. But every little side glance she gave him pushed him toward touching her, teasing her, seeing why she fidgeted around him. He wanted to know what this girl was really made of, wanted to hold her again.

Ryder moved to her side so that he also faced Mia and Winters. His hand smoothed over her bare back, and she leaned against his side. His heart hammered. There was a difference between stealing private moments by themselves and whatever this was.

Fuck it, he didn’t care. His arm went around her shoulders, and he ducked close to her ear. “Was it now?”

Teasing her, his lips against her hair, her back under his arm on this perfect lake day surrounded by his friends and good news, Ryder tightened his hold around her, touching her more than he should and not giving a damn. It was just for a second, totally on the fly. Everyone was distracted with the pregnancy announcement, and for those seconds, he wondered how much further he could push the line, how much more he could play pretend. Every now and then, they came home from jobs and each man on the Delta and Titan teams turned to something to relax. They had to. They saw despicable crimes and witnessed horrors. Sometimes, Javier fought. Luke too. Rocco would go on reality show binges and would just watch TV for days on end as if he had no mind. Ryder would swim lap after lap after lap until his muscles ached and burned, until his mind was clear of wherever they had gone and whatever he had seen.

He stepped away from Victoria, letting his fingertips skip along her bare back. “Get in the water with me.” He took her fingers and began walking backward. She balked.

Laughing her refusal, she held out the other hand. “No way. We’re celebrating.”

He made a face, squinting and tossing his hand. “We celebrated. They know I love them and that baby-to-be. Come on.” He stepped back and linked their fingers.

Victoria gripped him, taking hesitant steps but still following, and he couldn’t tell if her smile and blush were shy and nervous or if that was the sun making her skin a little pink. “The water is cold, Ryder.”

Their feet splashed in knee-deep water now. “Not going to lie, love. It won’t be hot.”

Her sunglasses slipped down onto her nose, and her nose wrinkled. “Nobody else is swimming.”

They were thigh deep in the lake, and he pulled her close, stomach to stomach. “Do you care what anybody else does?”

She went still, and he pulled her sunglasses up.

“No,” she said quietly.

He let her go and rested both palms on her hips, letting his thumbs tease back and forth over the edge of her shorts, skipping close to the skin of her stomach. What the hell was he doing? Nothing that he should but everything that felt right.

“Come on, Iowa girl. You are used to the cold.”

Her eyes danced, and she licked her bottom lip. “Doesn’t mean I like it.”

Hell.Ryder scooped her into his arm the way he had held her and walked out of the Mikhailov basement when her legs refused to carry her as her tears fell. But this time, she was all smiles and laughter. He spun around and ran into the water. Victoria wrapped her arms around his neck, her face buried into his neck until all he could hear and feel was her.

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