Until You (The Redemption, #1)(77)

“Are we ready, sir?” the radio at his waist chirps.

Agent Halston looks at me and grins. “No time like the present to be run off the road and killed in a fiery crash, is there?”





CHAPTER FORTY


Tennyson




“Now that your first official Redemption Falls Founder’s Day is underway, is it all you thought it would be?” I ask Crew as I slide a glance his way and chuckle.

“I think that I’ll be in trouble no matter how I answer that.”

“Hey, it’s no skin off my back. All I did was sell signs for sponsorships.”

“And those signs are bright and colorful. Let’s not forget informative and sexy as hell while we’re at it.”

“You’re really laying it on thick, aren’t you?”

“Only for you, my love.” He mock bows, and I roll my eyes.

“You’re used to the grandeur and grandiose of Chicago. I’m sure this seems incredibly juvenile to you in comparison.” I wave to Tanya who’s across the street sharing cotton candy with a grinning little boy I assume is her grandson.

Crew tugs on my hand and pulls me against him so that we’re chest to chest, and I’m forced to look up at him. “It’s not juvenile.” A soft kiss to my lips. “It’s perfect. It’s representative of every single reason I wanted to move the girls here for the summer. The community feel. Everyone knowing everyone. Letting the girls go hang out in the carnival section, knowing they’re going to be safe because once again, everyone knows everyone.” He slides his hands around my waist, puts his hands in my back pockets, and kisses me again. “And it gives me a perfectly good reason to kiss you in the middle of the town square.”

This time when he kisses me, the world falls away for a few seconds, and I allow myself to get lost in him.

I’ve been doing that a lot more than I want to lately. Getting lost in Crew. Allowing myself to.

While I gave myself just one day at the girls’ birthday party, that one day has turned into one week and then that one week turned into another week.

Being with Crew makes it too easy to forget every reason I shouldn’t get lost in him. The irony is the way he makes me feel—adored, wanted, loved, safe—should make me want to protect him more. Should make me keep him at arm’s length simply to keep him safe.

But admittedly, I’m being selfish. Completely and utterly selfish, and no matter how much I try to justify why I shouldn’t be, I can’t help it. Crew is just that good.

It’s only when we start to stroll again that I notice several people are sliding glances our way. This is the first time the town has officially seen us together as a couple.

We just proved the rumors to be true.

“I guess the cat’s out of the bag,” Crew whispers.

“What cat is that?”

His chuckle rumbles. “I could say so many damn things in response, but I’ll be a good boy and refrain.”

I lean up and whisper in his ear. “Please. Don’t. I rather enjoy that dirty mouth of yours.”

“Don’t tempt me to take you behind the school gym and have my way with you, West.”

“Now that’s a proposition you don’t hear every day.”

He stops and looks at me with a devilish grin, and I can only imagine what he’s thinking.

It’s probably along the same lines as what I am: I can’t get enough of you. I should though, because we’re together more often than we’re not. It’s been almost three months, the lust should have faded, but it’s still stronger than ever.

“Dad.” Addy runs up with a funnel cake in one hand and a stuffed animal Crew won her earlier in the other. “You’re not going to believe it. We did a flash mob. All us kids. We did it, and it actually worked.” Her words tumble out in an ongoing sentence. “And guess what? They let me lead it, and it turned out sooooo good.”

Crew glances at me, a tad bit lost. “Flash mob?”

“A spontaneous dance that’s choreographed,” I say. “They’re all over social media. One person starts dancing and then another joins in and, before you know it, a big group of people are—”

“Oh. Yes. How could I have forgotten what they’re called?” He puts the heel of his hand to his forehead as if he’s an idiot, earning the laugh and eye roll from Addy that he was working for.

“Did someone record it?” I ask.

“For our channel?” Her eyes widen, and I take the shocked look in them as a telltale sign that she didn’t get it recorded. “Oh my God. We have to do it again. Right now before everyone leaves—”

“I want to do it.” We both whip our heads over to Crew and his earnest expression. “What? You don’t think I can do it?”

“Dad.” She snorts. “You don’t dance.”

He looks from her to me and then back. “There’s a first time for everything.” He holds his hand out to her. “Lead the way.”

And for the next fifteen minutes, I stand aside and watch the girls try to teach their dad how to dance. There are a lot of frustrated sighs, even more giggles, and about as many heads in their hands as rolled eyes.

And as much as I want to join in and be a part of this with them, I’m having more fun watching Crew be the attentive, silly, incredible dad he is.