Page 45 of Waiting for Redemption

CHAPTER17

TANK

Yesterday wasa real eye-opener for me. Spending time with Hendrix, and seeing the impact it made on Ruby to have someone help her with some of the simplest everyday things made me realize how regular I want to make that. I don’t want to just show up for her though, I want to be there before she ever has to call. She’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. She’s the best mom, a loyal friend, and has a way about her that makes me feel like she seesme.She sees through the bullshit, she doesn’t pity me or try to tell me she understands what I’ve gone through, she just helps me see that I can make it through the hard things. Ruby isn’t a ray of sunshine, she’s a raincloud, helping to bring the dead parts of me back to life. So when I show up to open the bar with her this morning, I have actual butterflies about talking to her. Didn’t know until today that guys got butterflies but they’re definitely fucking there.

I’ve walked around the entire bar already and haven’t been able to find her, which is strange because normally she’s bouncing back and forth from the bar to the kitchen to make sure everything is done from the closers. Just as I’m giving up on finding her, I hear the door to Max’s office shut.

There she is.

Looking as fucking beautiful as always with her long black hair down in loose waves, her favorite purple tie-dyed uniform on with a pair of black jeans that make me want to wrap her perfect thighs around me and demand she never let go.

“Hey, there you are,” I say, unable to fight the smile demanding to be present on my face as I look at her. She smiles, making her way next to me at the bar.

“Back at ya.”

“What were you doing in the office?” I ask, nodding towards the door.

“There was a schedule change and Max asked me to put a post-it on his computer so he won’t forget to change it before they’re sent out tomorrow.” She waves her hand like it’s no big deal. Then her demeanor changes to one a little more playful. “You been looking for me Landry?” She smirks, sending my pulse into an irregular rhythm.

“Always.” I smirk, looking down at my feet trying to gain the courage to do what I’ve been thinking about all morning. “Hey, come here.” I tilt my head, guiding her closer to me. She gives me a curious look but does as she’s asked. When she stops in front of me I extend my hand to her and she places her small fingers in the palm of my hand.

God, I bet her hands would look perfect around my cock, and mine would look right at home around her throat.

“Tank?” her voice cuts through the volume of my own thoughts. My eyes shoot up to hers and I stand from my barstool, pulling her closer to me. A small gasp escapes her lips, bringing a smile to my face. I quickly spin her and grab around her waist to set her on top of the bar, as she lets out a little squeal. We’re nose to nose now and damn if I don’t love how it feels to be this close to her. I run the tip of my nose along the bridge of hers and my hands up her thighs, letting my thumb slip through the rip in her jeans, as I listen to the way her breathing pattern picks up. The goosebumps that run down her arms and the quick breath she sucks in as my finger digs into the skin under her jeans has me weak in the knees.

“Tank, what are you doing?” she asks, almost breathlessly.

“Shit, Honey. I wish I knew.” I press my forehead to hers, clenching my jaw as I wish away all the negative thoughts telling me I am about to ruin the only friendship I’ve ever truly had. But dammit, I can’tnottry to have something more with her—the woman who makes me feel like there’s more than just the bad and the terrible things I’ve faced in life.

“Tell me—when you kissed away my anger that night at the concert, did you only do it for me?” I lean back a fraction, trying to read her answer through her honey-brown eyes. “Or did a small part of you want it too?” Her eyes fall to her lap as a redness settles across her face.

“I… I don’t know.” I grip her chin with my index finger and thumb, encouraging her eyes to come back to mine.

“I think you do. Had you imagined it before? What it would feel like to have those perfect lips of yours on mine?” I run my thumb across her bottom lip. “Did you think about the way the taste of you would potentially ruin me for anyone else? Because I can tell you right now, that’s exactly what you’ve done.” My jaw ticks, as I run my fingers through the base of her hair. “Ever since that night–” I nod to where the pool table sits, “when I had to fight every instinct in my body telling me to kiss you because I knew I didn’t deserve you—I’ve wanted to.” Her eyes are glued on to mine as she hangs onto every word.

“Did you want it too, Honey? Because I’m coming apart inside right now trying not to kiss you right here, right now.” I take a small step closer to her, standing between her legs while she’s still perched on the bar top.

“I wanted it. More than I thought I would,” she whispers, her eyes flicking up to meet mine.

“Thank God.” I don’t waste another second tightening my grip on her hair and letting our lips collide.

I grip her ass, squeezing her as I pull her body flush with mine. This bar could be full of people right now and I wouldn’t give a single fuck. Because at this moment, it feels like every doubt I had about not being good enough for her was just a figment of my imagination. Right now, Ruby Ranes feels likemine, and that’s enough to bring my dead soul back to life. When we hear the back door alarm go off, our kiss comes to an abrupt end, the noise sending me into a spiral.

“What happened?” I hear a voice ask urgently. The pain has gotten so bad I can’t bring myself to keep my eyes open, but I know by the numerous beeping machines, overhead speakers, and a code blue being called that we’ve arrived at the hospital.

“A distressed civilian pushed him over a stair railing. He fell two stories and landed on his back. Hasn’t been able to move on his own yet.” I hear Keller explaining, trying his best to mask his concern, but I can make it out clear as day.

Fuck. It was a civilian?

Wait,twostories? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. How the hell am I coming back from this?

“Any feeling in his legs?” I hear the doctor asking.

“I don’t… I don’t know.”

“Yeah. They fucking hurt,” I’m finally able to grumble a response.

“We’ve got him from here.”

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