Page 39 of Chasing Stars
Miles interrupts my thoughts. “When I was fifteen, I had a pretty scary surfing accident. It was much like today, except I wasn’t as strong as I am now. I was with Leo, and we saw the waves. We knew it was risky, there was no one else even trying to surf. But I was cocky and thought I’d be fine. I got caught in a rip current and I had to be rescued. It was the scariest day of my life.I thought for sure I was going to die,” he murmurs. “Today really stirred up those memories.” His brow creases and he pushes his lips together.
My heart constricts.So that’s what Leo was talking about last night.“Oh, Miles.” I pull back, resting my hands on his shoulders. “Why did you keep surfing after that?”
“Because if I give up, the ocean wins. I can’t let it.” Miles's eyes are sharp and assessing, as if he’s searching my face for something. Approval? Agreement? I’m not sure.
Now isn’t the time to tell him my opinion, so I pull his face into my chest and nuzzle him, running my hands through his saltwater curls. “You really scared me,” I purr into his hair.
“I really scared myself,” he admits. “But I know I’ll be back out there chasing the stars again tomorrow. The ocean knocks me down, but it’s also what keeps pulling me back up.”
I sigh and pull back, cupping Miles’s face in my hands, touching my nose to his. “Miles,” I sigh. I’m not sure I can accurately portray my worry for him in words, and I’m not sure it would even matter to him. Miles seems like he’ll do what he’s always done no matter who likes it.
Instead of saying anything, Miles leans forward and kisses me softly and briefly again, leaving me wanting more. I want to escalate things, but he doesn’t seem to want to now. Maybe he’s drained. I know I would be.
He pulls away. “I’m going to get changed. Then, maybe we can watch a movie?”
“Well…I thought we’d be going back to my house, but we’re here and…I have no clothes. So…” I let my words hang in the air.
“I’ll find you something to wear. Come on.” He brushes past me out of the bathroom, unzipping his wet suit as he goes. I give myself a quick once-over in the mirror before following behind. By the time I reach his doorway, he is already shirtless. His wet suit is unzipped and rolled down to his waist. I gasp at the sight.His back is all sharp angles and lean muscle. His waistline tapers at the hip. Miles must hear me—he turns and grins, flashing a perfect six-pack. Butterflies swarm my belly, and warmth invades my lower region. This is the first time I’ve seen him bare-chested, and I am not disappointed.
Miles walks to his dresser and grabs a T-shirt I expect him to put on, but instead, he tosses it to me. It lands on my face, and I get a whiff of laundry detergent and Miles. He chuckles when I pull the shirt off my face and inhale. “Here. Let me get you some pants.” He walks to his closet and grabs a pair of jogger sweatpants that will likely fall off me. This time he walks them over to me and places them in my hands.
Miles’s hands find my waist and he pulls me close. The folded sweatpants separate me from the warmth of his body, and my insides are screaming for more. I melt into his arms, and we stand like that for several minutes.What is happening to me?The raw emotions between us are supercharged and palpable.
“These should work,” Miles murmurs in my ear, sending a shiver up my spine.
“These willnotfit me.” I bite back a grin.
Neither of us pull away. It’s as if we know that when we do, the moment will have passed us by.
“Roll the waistband.” Miles’s low voice hums in my ear, he tugs my hips closer to his. He’s hard, and when I feel it, I let out a gasp.
“I don’t have any underwear,” I whisper.
“I like knowing that,” he replies, his breath lingering on my neck.
My body reacts immediately, and I pull back to look at him. “Miles,” I whimper. “I need you.”
“I know,” he agrees, pressing his forehead into mine. “But…I don’t want to ruin this. I want to take my time with you—make sure it’s right. It’s not time yet.”
I moan in frustration, and Miles cups my face, planting a kiss on my forehead.
“It will be worth the wait,” he promises.
It fucking better be.
20
MILES
Jenna is the only woman I’ve ever been with who makes me this nervous. My feelings for her are growing with reckless urgency, and I am scared to fully give in to them. I know I can be impulsive. I can give in to lust only to regret it later, when it’s quiet and I’m alone. I am having trouble differentiating between lust and falling for Jenna.
We’re on my couch, both pretending to pay attention to the Netflix Original rom-com she picked. I could easily turn up the heat. We’re laying at opposite ends, trading foot rubs. I’m already better just having her here. And when Jenna leaves to go back home tonight, I know it won’t be sex on my mind—it will be her.
What does she do in that house all alone? Does she think about me?
I rub her feet, and she lets out a soft moan that I want to lay claim to forever. No one else should be able to elicit that noise out of her. The credits roll and Jenna yawns.
“Oh, I missed watching a movie on an actual TV.” She sits up, pulling her feet back and stretching. She looks perfect wearing my clothes. She is swimming in them, but the outline of herbare breast through the T-shirt has me hard. Knowing she’s not wearing any underwear under my sweatpants makes my balls ache.
