Page 32 of The No Falling Rule
My little brat has the nerve to cross her arms over her chest, giving her tits a lift. “Not fair. How come I don’t know what we’re doing today?”
I inhale deeply, forcing my dick to stand down. I’m getting hard just by being near her.
“Well, let’s go then, bonita. I don’t want to tell you—I want to show you.” I pull her close and brush a chaste kiss on her lips.
“Okay, lust-birds. Get out of here—I’ll see you later,” Carly says, shooingus out the door.
“She seems to be in a hurry to get rid of you,” I tease as we make our way to the resort’s parking lot. “Good thing I plan on keeping you with me forever.”
Mia stops walking.
Shit. Maybe she doesn’t feel the same way I do?
“What?” I ask, sounding much more put together than I feel.
“You just said it so casually. Like what you just said wasn’t life-altering.”
A small smile breaks free before I can stop it.
Mia gets even more flustered. “What’s so funny? You practically said you have feelings for me. How are you not freaking out?” she whisper-shouts as we reach my SUV.
I open the door and help her climb inside. The scent of leather mixes with the faint tang of ocean air. Warm night breeze brushes against us as I lean in to buckle her seat belt, my arm grazing hers. When I’m done, our faces are only an inch apart.
“Mia,” I murmur, “I swear I’ve never felt this way in my goddamn life.”
Her lips part, but no words come out. I look at her, and it’s like every feeling I have for her passes like a movie behind my eyes.
“How are you even real?” She huffs. “I didn’t even give you head last night.”
I bark out a laugh. “You’re so romantic, baby,” I say, wiping the tears of laughter from my eyes.
“Well, it’s true,” she mutters with a shrug. “Men are one-track-mind creatures.”
She’s not wrong. Normally, I wouldn’t even entertain the idea of dating someone before we’ve been physical. But the way I felt last night, giving Mia the pleasure she was craving, was enough for me to be satisfied. I can’t wait to do more with her.
“That might be true in 99.99 percent of the relationships on this planet, but you and I?” I grin. “We’re the 0.01 percent—the lucky fuckers who found love without even looking for it.”
Her face lights up, her eyes dancing with mirth. “Oh, that tracks,” she says, bumping her nose against mine. “Because you weren’t looking when you met me. You just threw me into the pool.” She bites her lip, fighting a smile.
She doesn’t even blink when I drop the L-bomb.Shit. Maybe she didn’t hear me—or maybe she’s just not there yet. Either way, it stings more than I want to admit.
I shake it off and dive back into the teasing before it gets awkward. “Well, I’ll never be able to apologize enough for that, baby. But I’m so damn happy I met you—no matter how it happened. If that’s what it took for our paths to cross, I’d do it a thousand times over.”
Before she can spout off a witty comeback, I kiss her—hard, the way I’ve wanted to since I first saw her this morning.
My hand finds the back of her neck, her damp hair cool against my heated skin. When I tug gently, she lets out a soft sound that goes straight to my dick.
We can’t go there. Not yet.As much as I want her, I want this Christmas to be perfect—for her.
The thought of her parents sobers me fast. I end the kiss, but she leans in again, hungry for more.
“Later,” I whisper against her lips. “We’ve got a full day ahead of us.”
I close her door and jog around to my side of the truck. “But I promise you—tonight, I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted and then some.”
With a wink, I start the engine and head toward the first surprise of the day for my girl.
“This place is magical,” Mia says in awe as we enter my family’s estate on the island. Her face is glued to the window, taking in everything—the palm trees, the birds, the cloudless sky.
