Page 24 of Worth the Risk

I loved to swim. It was good exercise, and I paid a lot of money every month to be a member of a private athletic club back in Chicago because they had an Olympic-sized indoor pool.

Swimming in the ocean was a completely different experience. The pool I was used to was heated and full of chlorine. This turquoise saltwater was cool against my skin and punching through the waves was a hell of a lot harder than moving smoothly through still water.

I found that I got tired quickly, and I headed back toward the shore just as most of our group started to gather around a volleyball net set up on the beach. I shook the water out of my hair, knowing that the sun would dry me off in no time, and headed toward the others.

Ryan grinned when I reached them. “Perfect! Ford is on our team.”

The group had split, so I went to stand next to Ryan and Leanne. Jake was standing with the other group on the other side of the net, holding a volleyball.

“I can’t believe you want to do this again,” he said, eyes locked on Ryan with a challenging look. “You remember when we visited Aunt Cathy in Malibu? I kicked your ass at beach volleyball.”

Ryan scoffed. “That was fifteen years ago. We were kids.”

“And I’ve only gotten better with age.” He tossed the volleyball into the air and caught it with a smirk on his face.

“Should we put some money on it?” Ryan asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Why do you two always have to turn everything into a bet?” Zoey asked with one hand on her curvy hip. She was standing next to Heather and Kelsie, like she was planning to play.

Oh, hell no.

Without thinking, I ducked under the net and marched right up to her. “What are you doing? You’re not going to play volleyball.”

I could feel everyone’s eyes on us, but for once, I didn’t care. There was no way I was going to let this happen.

“You don’t get to decide that, Ford.” Zoey rolled her eyes, as if I was being ridiculous.

“You didn’t feel well last night, remember?” I chose my words carefully, aware that she probably didn’t want anyone to know about the pregnancy yet. Most women waited a while before sharing news like that. “I think you should sit this one out.”

“You sick, Zo?” Ryan asked.

“No,” she said, her eyes still on me. I could see the anger simmering there. “But even if I was, I’m a nurse. I can take care of myself.”

Okay, I understood what she was saying. She was a competent medical professional, and she probably did plenty of research about pregnancy and what was safe.

Hell, I did that too, and my rational mind told me that I was overreacting. Zoey was in good shape already, and some light exercise wouldn’t hurt this early in the pregnancy.

But I was finding that it was difficult to be logical when it came to her. It was too hot out. She could overheat. And there were too many people playing. She could collide with someone and get hurt.

“And I’m a doctor,” I said, my voice a little harsher than I intended. “So, go sit in the shade.”

“We’re not at the hospital. You’re not my boss here, Ford.”

I wanted to throw her over my shoulder and take her away, preferably up to my room where I could peel that swimsuit off of her and show her just how bossy I could be.

But I was pretty sure I’d get a knee to my nuts for that. So instead, I took a hold of her elbow and led her away from the volleyball net. She was stiff and grumbling under her breath, but she didn’t fight me as I guided her back to the nearby resort. It was probably because she didn’t want to make even more of a scene in front of everyone else, and I was going to take advantage of that.

“You’re a real piece of work,” she snapped once we were away from everyone else. She pulled her arm free and stopped on the wooden planks that made a walkway from the resort to the beach. “I would have been fine playing a simple game of volleyball. I wasn’t going to dive into the sand or anything.”

I sighed, knowing that she was right.

“Come to the tiki bar with me,” I said, gesturing to the outdoor pool behind the resort. “Just sit with me for a few minutes and talk. Please.”

Maybe it was my pleading that softened her. Or maybe she wanted to talk to me just as much as I wanted to talk to her, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

I didn’t really care why she walked to the tiki bar with me. I just pulled out a chair at one of the little metal tables, urging her to sit down and then opening the umbrella above the table to make sure she had shade.

She looked flushed again, so when a waiter approached the table, I ordered us two bottles of water. Zoey’s lips thinned as she sat back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest. I tried not to notice how it pushed her breasts together, but it was impossible to ignore.