Ryker’s POV:
I don’t try to watch.
But I don’t look away either.
She’s still curled in Max’s lap, folded into him like that’s the only place she’s meant to be. His arm wraps around her waist, steady and secure, fingers resting low against her hip. The room is loud — Enzo arguing, Gabriel laughing, Kai and Lucas tossing comments back and forth.
She shifts slightly, lifting her head to look at him.
And the way he looks at her—
It’s not casual.
It’s not distracted.
It’s focused.
Like he’s memorizing her.
He brushes his thumb gently along her cheek, slow, deliberate.
“You’re so pretty,” he says quietly, like it’s something he’s been meaning to tell her all day.
She rolls her eyes faintly, but her mouth softens. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious.” His gaze drags over her face, not hungry — j
