Page 90 of Hooked On Them

Miles

Sleep wasn’t coming.

I’d been staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours, listening to the rhythmic crash of waves through the partially opened window. The guest room was comfortable enough with crisp sheets, a firm mattress, and the perfect temperature, but my thoughts wouldn’t quiet down.

Tonight had shifted something between the four of us. That walk on the beach had been like crossing some invisible threshold. Carter opening up, Dominic being civil, Nora letting her guard down with all of us at once. The usual competition and tension had given way to something that was closer to balance.

And I was lying here, alone, following the rules. Again.

The digital clock on the nightstand mocked me; it was almost one. The house had been silent for hours. Even Nora’s father, who’d been watching us like a hawk all evening, had retired to bed with a gruff goodnight around eleven.

I shifted onto my side, punching the pillow into a more comfortable shape. It didn’t help. My body was wound tight, but it wasn’t just physical frustration. It was something deeper.

When had I become this person? The one who always made space, who stepped back, who put everyone else’s needs ahead of his own? Team captain, reliable friend, the guy who fixed problems instead of causing them.

I thought about Nora’s face when Carter had said something that made her laugh at dinner. The way she’d touched Dominic’s arm when he’d said something surprisingly insightful about her father’s coaching. The casual intimacy she shared with both of them, earned through moments I hadn’t witnessed.

And then I thought about how she’d leaned into me on our walk back, her body finding mine like it belonged there. How she’d squeezed my hand. How she’d looked at me when I found that perfect spiral shell, like I’d discovered something precious.

Fuck the rules.

I sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. The carpet was soft against my bare feet. I was wearing my usual sleeping attire of boxer briefs and a thin T-shirt. For a moment, I considered putting on more clothes, but the impulse died quickly. This wasn’t a negotiation or a careful overture. This was about what I wanted, for once.

And what I wanted was Nora.

I moved silently through the darkened hallway, grateful this wasn’t some old house with creaky wooden floorboards. Moonlight spilled through the window at the end of the hall, casting everything in blue-silver light.

I hesitated outside her door for only a second before knocking softly, loud enough to be heard by someone awake, but not loud enough to disturb her if she was sleeping.

The door opened a few moments later. Nora stood there in an oversized T-shirt that barely reached mid-thigh, her hair slightly mussed, eyes alert. Not sleeping, then. She’d been awake too.

“Miles?” Her voice was a whisper, questioning but not surprised. “Is everything okay?”

I didn’t answer, at least not with words. I stepped forward, one hand reaching to cup her face, the other finding her waist, and kissed her with all the hunger I’d been holding back. No hesitation, no careful approach. Just need, raw and undiluted.

She made a surprised sound against my mouth, her body tensing momentarily before melting into me. Her hands came up to grip my shirt, not pushing me away but pulling me closer, fingers twisting in the fabric.

I walked her backward into the room, kicking the door shut behind us without breaking the kiss. My tongue swept into her mouth, claiming, exploring, demanding a response she eagerly gave. The taste of her made my head swim.

When we finally broke apart, I rested my forehead against hers. “I’m tired of being the good guy who waits for permission and who makes space for everyone else. Tonight, I just want you.”

Her eyes, luminous in the dim light filtering through her curtains, searched mine. “You’ve never needed permission with me.”

“Haven’t I?” I brushed my thumb across her lower lip, swollen from our kiss. “I’ve been so careful. So aware of Carter and Dominic. So concerned about doing the right thing.”

“And now?” Her question was barely audible, but there was a challenge in it.

“Now I’m being selfish.” I slid my hand from her face down her neck, feeling the rapid flutter of her pulse beneath my fingertips. “I’m not asking to share. Not tonight. Tonight, I want you to be mine.”

Her eyes darkened with desire and the recognition of the shift between us. Her hands released my shirt only to slip beneath it, palms hot against my abdomen. “Then take what you want,” she whispered.

Those words broke whatever restraint I had left. I crushed my mouth to hers again, harder this time, one hand tangling in her hair while the other slid down to grasp her ass, lifting her against me. She made a soft sound of surprise and pleasure, her legs wrapping around my waist as I carried her to the bed.

I laid her down on the mattress, following her down without breaking contact. The feel of her beneath me, soft curves yielding to hard angles, sent fire racing through my veins. I drew back enough to look at her, taking in her flushed cheeks, parted lips, and the way her chest rose and fell.

“You have no idea how many times I’ve thought about this tonight.” I slid my hand beneath her shirt, tracing the curve of her waist and the swell of her breasts. “Having you to myself.”

Her back arched into my touch as I brushed my thumb across her nipple. “Show me.”

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