Page 33 of Atlas & Miles
Until then, I’d take whatever he’d give me.
“Sounds like you adore her.”
He sniffed, still smiling. “She can be annoying like all siblings are, but I do. She’s incredible.”
I wanted to ask what happened with his parents—I suspected they weren’t in his life given what he’d said—but today, I was keeping things light, so I bit my tongue. “So what do you do for fun around here?”
When he didn’t answer, I took my eyes off the road for a second to study him. His lips were pursed as he stared out the windshield. Did I inadvertently stumble onto a touchy subject?
“Not much. I see Cloudy and Ophelia every week for dinner, and I hang out with a friend, Theo, on occasion, but we’re not super close. Other than that, I lead a pretty quiet life.”
Again, I bit my tongue because I wanted to ask if that was what he preferred. We were still super new, and while he wanted to call me Daddy—and I loved it—I still had to earn the title before I played that card outside of the bedroom. I would respect his privacy for now, until we had the chance to fully flesh out what we wanted our relationship to look like.
I pulled my . . . okay, pretty flashy car into the parking lot of the grocery store and parked, turning off the engine and looking over at Miles with a grin. “Ready?”
He grinned back before we both climbed out of the car, and I pressed the key fob to lock it before pocketing the keys. My eyes briefly flicked to the dilapidated store sign posted on the roof as we passed under it and through the automated front doors.
I’d been here a few times, though I would admit to ordering groceries online from the store in Walhalla that magically delivered to Gomillion when I couldn’t be arsed to get my fabulous behind out of the house.
The selection wasn’t extensive here, but they often had little gems I struggled to find anywhere else. Plus, I was all for supporting a local business.
Miles pulled a grocery cart from the corral just inside the door—under the row of windows half-covered in advertisements and prices painted as high as the glass—and started toward the produce. When I raised my eyebrow at him, he just shrugged. “We’re here for you. I figured I’d push the cart so you could shop.”
I barely restrained myself from smacking my lips to his, instead leaning up to his ear and whispering, “I could kiss you right now.”
I was graced with his adorable blush as I headed toward the grapes.
I’d loaded my cart with a slew of fruits and vegetables with little to no commentary from Miles. But when I stopped at the raspberries, I saw him make a face out of the corner of my eye. I spun toward him, pint in hand. “What?”
He just shook his head, but he couldn’t conceal the disdain on his face.
I eyed the package in my hands then flicked my gaze back to him. “Okay, what do you have against raspberries?”
He stared at me for a few moments before sighing with his entire body. “They’re just so pretentious!”
I cough-laughed. “Excuse me, what?”
He gesticulated at the offending berries. “They are! They’re the most stuck-up fruit, and everyone seems toadorethem. They’re in everything! And they’re truly disgusting. The flavor is sour and off-putting—and the seeds! Holy shit, who needs a million tiny seeds stuck in their teeth all day? And thehairon them. If I wanted to eat hair, I have plenty of my own to gnaw on.”
By the time he was done ranting, my sides were hurting from how hard I was laughing. I was grateful no one was around this time of day except the kid at the front checkout and the clerk restocking the nearby open-air refrigerated case with specialty cheeses and dips. They were both eyeing us curiously as I triedto stop laughing and failed. Miles, apparently amused at my reaction to his soliloquy, joined in a moment later in a bubbling of joy, which only served to make me laugh harder.
When I could gasp out enough breath to speak, I grasped his ridiculously attractive forearm and squeezed. “Goddammit, Miles, you are fucking hilarious!” Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I wiped them away as I tried to regain my composure. It took almost all my strength to get myself under control.
His own guffaws had quieted enough to talk, but mirth still sparkled in his captivating eyes. “Am I wrong?”
I chuckled, holding my side with one hand while using the other to put the raspberries in the cart with my whole chest.
He gasped, throwing his hand to his mouth, and I fucking lost it again.
Chapter ten
Miles
Late March
The one friend I had in town, Theo Brooks, had called me early this morning to see if I could squeeze in a faucet replacement in his second bathroom sometime soon. Since I usually got done with my tasks early on Fridays—by design—I’d let him know I’d be over by three. He told me where the spare key was in case I got there before he did.
That was why I was in my friend’s house alone in the middle of the afternoon installing the new faucet he’d left in a box on his kitchen counter.
