Vegas Ruby🥀 | Taennie ff |

Chapter 13

Nothing good came free. Even love. You paid for all things. And if you were poor, suffering was your currency." 

― Khaled Hosseini

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Ruby

I got up when Taehyung disappeared in the bathroom to change into his swim trunks. Every morning since I'd moved in three weeks ago, he followed the same ritual. I had occasionally watched him from the window in the beginning until I'd found the courage to follow him outside one day a week ago. Now he always waited for me.

He raised his eyebrows when he saw me putting on my bathrobe and grabbing a book. "Ready?"

"Ready."

I followed him downstairs, my eyes darting to his body. He looked good in his swim trunks. In the last few days, I'd often caught myself staring at him. His body fascinated me, I could admit that, and touching his scar hadn't summoned past demons as I'd feared. His scars and tattoos made me want to find out the story behind each of them. Taehyung's story.

Stretching out on one of the sun chairs, I watched as Taehyung made his way toward the edge of the pool and jumped in elegantly. He always followed the same routine. Two rounds of the butterfly stroke, two rounds of the backstroke, and two rounds of the crawl. Then he repeated everything from the start. He never faltered in his movements throughout the thirty minutes that he swam, and I didn't read a single word. I couldn't take my eyes off him, off the muscles in his arms and back as they flexed. It was mesmerizing and beautiful, graceful.

May mornings in Las Vegas were surprisingly warm, and I relished the feel of the sun on my skin as my eyes rested on my husband.

My husband. It didn't feel real yet. He had kept his word, had never made a move to touch me, and sometimes I caught myself wondering how it would be if he did touch me ... if were closer. I knew it wasn't a possibility I should bother entertaining.

When he swam toward the ladder, I quickly lifted my book and returned my gaze to the page, but above the edge of the book, I watched Taehyung getting out and a small shiver trailed up my spine.

After a moment of Taehyung soaking in the sun—a sight that always halted my breath in my throat and sent spears of heat through my body—he headed my way, dripping water. I handed him the towel he'd put down on the sun chair beside mine and tried not to act like I had been secretly watching him the entire time.

"Thanks," he said and began drying himself. "You can use the pool as well, you know."

"I haven't swam in many years, and I was never very good," I admitted, having a hard time focusing on his face. For some reason, Taehyung's presence was even more overwhelming when he stood right in front of me, soaking wet.

"I can teach you if you want," Taehyung drawled.

"Maybe in a few weeks or so," I said quickly because I wasn't sure if I was ready to be in only swimwear around Taehyung, even if he had already seen me naked on our wedding night. That day seemed like a lifetime ago.

"I have to take out your stitches today. If I hadn't been busy these last few days gathering information on Outfit buildings, I would have done it before. Why don't we do it right away and have breakfast afterward?"