Page 12 of Redemption

"About us." I pause, gathering my thoughts. "I know things have been tough. But yesterday, being with you... it reminded me why we’re worth fighting for."

Her expression softens, and she squeezes my hand, entwining our fingers together. "I’ve been thinking the samething," she admits. "There was a point when I wasn't sure if I wanted to. It felt so heavy and hard. Every time I'd try to get close, you'd push me away. But the further apart we get from who we were, the more I miss feeling close to you, Caleb. I want to work on this. On us. I don't want to leave here without knowing you're coming home with me."

I reach up, brushing her cheek with my knuckles, a warmth spreading through me. My heart pounds in my chest. I've never wanted to lose her, but I realize in this moment how close I actually was. "So do I. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I believe we can find our way back to each other."

We walk in silence for a while, comfortable; the woods wrapping us in the silence and calm. It's everything I wanted when I planned this trip for us. The path leads us deeper, branches arching overhead as if they’re reaching out to connect. Since I've become more introspective, I've been noticing things in the wild that compare to what's happening inside. Those branches are like us, reaching out to find the light in the darkness. It's just like we are, and I hope it's a good omen for things to come.

Suddenly, the sky darkens, and the wind picks up. A low rumble echoes above, and without warning, rain begins to pour, cascading through the leaves and down our bodies. We laugh, the sound loud and spontaneous, as we scramble for cover beneath a large tree. "Holy shit, it's coming down," I chuckle as I reach my arms toward her, wrapping them around her waist, trying to shield her from the worst of the rain.

We're soaked, but I don’t mind. It feels cleansing, like the rain is washing away the remnants of miscommunication and misunderstanding. The fear and fuckedupness I've been feeling for way too long.

Ruby looks at me, her eyes gleaming with a mix of joy and resolve. "I guess we’re in for the long haul," she says, grinning.

I chuckle, wiping raindrops from my face. "Yeah, I guess we are."

Her eyes move down between us, and when I pull my hand from around her waist, she gasps. Grabbing my fingers with hers. I glance down, seeing the black wedding band circling my finger. "You're wearing it again."

"Yeah." I swallow roughly, pulling my lips in between my teeth. "I never should've taken it off in the first place, but I was fucking lost."

Reaching up, she runs her fingers through my hair, before gripping the back of my neck and pulling me in for a kiss. It's out of hand as soon as our lips touch. Ready to go, I turn so that her back is against the tree. Bringing her in for a hug, because that’s what I need most in this world, that I haven't had with her lately, I bury my face in her neck.

We haven’t been this vulnerable with one another, in a long time. I let my hands travel through her hair, before moving down to grasp her waist tightly. After what I think is an eternity, she lets her body relax, trusting me enough to wrap her legs around my waist. Closing my eyes, I let myself enjoy the complete satisfaction I get from the two of us being wrapped up in one another.

“You smell good,” I mumble against her shoulder.

She kisses my wet skin on a whim. Every inch of our bodies is touching, and I would give my life to push us toward a bedroom right now.

I grunt deep in my throat, the sound made even more desperate by the arousal I feel for my wife. “You always smell fucking delectable. I don’t know what it is you wear, but I smell that shit in my dreams at night. Always have.”

Those words seem to please her, and when I turn my head further into her neck, dropping a kiss, the same way she did, we're done for. I want to do a fist pump, give a shout, andmaybe dance a jig. But I can’t. I can’t let Ruby know how much she affects me. Not when I've spent so long pretending that she doesn't.

Tilting my head to the side to give her better access, I bite my bottom lip, releasing a pleased moan, as she uses his tongue along my jawline before she dips down and takes a nip at my flesh.

"I love you," she whispers softly.

“What’d you say?” I stop, grasping her chin between my thumb and forefinger, leveling our gazes at one another.

Her eyes burn hot, darker than I’ve ever seen them before. Arousal rides high on her cheeks.

“I said I love you."

“I love when you say it, because I was so worried I'd never hear you say it again.” I take her hand in mine and lazily move it down to what I’ve been trying to ignore. “Can’t you feel how hard it got me?”

She uses her fingers to caress my hard length “We shouldn’t be doing this. Not out here,” she whispers in my ear before taking the lobe in between her teeth, running her tongue along the earring I wear.

“Why?” I use my weight to push her back against the tree, to hold her while I move one hand up to the curve of her breast, then sneak my thumb to the peak of her nipple.

“Why shouldn’t we do this?” My voice is strained, deep, and needy. My body is humming, skin tight from where she's been touching me, but my conscious is telling my body to slow down.

"Fuck it," she whispers. "Let's do it."

And then it all speeds up, and neither one of us wants to slow down.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

RUBY

"Have you watched it?"He asks, his voice so quiet I almost don't hear it. "The video?"

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