Page 20 of Reckless

“You two were gone for at least forty-five minutes and when you came in Miles was all puffy chested and proud you were at his side. I mean, obviously he should have been. But it was very much clear he’d made some sort of claim and as your lips were swollen and your lipstick was gone, I figured you were okay with that.”

“I made out with him under the stars on a warm summer night. Honestly, I started writing a song about it when his tongue was still in my mouth,” Harlow confessed.

“Excellent! You slutty multitasker. I love it. You don’t seem guilt ridden about it. Good.”

“It was kisses. Not a marriage proposal. We’re fine as long as no one makes a big deal of it.”

Nora rolled her eyes. “Harlow, eventually someone will make a big deal of it. You and I both know it. But what’s important is whatyouthink. And what he thinks. So, when the inevitable comes and some dishrag of a person pops up in the comments with some nonsense about you riding that dick into the sunset for whatever he gives you, I will kick you in the face if you let yourself believe it for more than one second.”

“Tough love?”

“Listen, I gave you a second to feel bad, didn’t I? But that’s all it merits.” Nora’s glare her way told Harlow her friend was serious.

Harlow wasn’t about to argue because Nora was right. “Anyway. It was nice. He’s a great kisser and he definitely listened to all my signals to be sure I was still on board with everything. He’s a lot, but he understands consent. Sexy as fuck.” Harlow fanned herself. Because Miles was sexy, but also because it was a thousand fucking degrees.

“It’s a good thing Brian is amazing in so many other ways because this outdoors hiking shit under the nuclear sun is weird. I love him, so I’ll sit here in the shade and judge him behind his back,” Nora said.

Harlow laughed. “I love that you made him promise to come to the pool when we got back.”

“He loves the heat and he loves the outdoors. Again, he’s amazing in so many other ways and he never makes me go hiking with him. So he can go hiking and nerd it up with his D&D and all that as long as he doesn’t expect it of me, which he does not.”

“That’s love.”

“It is.” Nora nodded. “I’m very lucky I found him so early in my life. If I had to use dating aps I’d die alone.”

Harlow felt that to her toes.

Miles looked at the text Harlow had just sent with a smile and then regret that he wasn’t there. She and Nora were in the pool while someone else—Brian he hoped because Harlow was in a bikini and looked delicious—had taken the picture.

Swimming then dinner. Hope tonight’s show is amazing.

He took a selfie, angling the shot so she could see the intimate stage set up behind him.Looking beautiful. Wish I was there with you. See you tonight after the show?

Miles wasn’t used to this uncertainty with a romantic entanglement. Normally he just saw what he wanted and went for it. Which, he could admit, was what he was doing anyway, but with Harlow he wanted her to be feeling this uncertainty too. What he felt was so intense it left him off balance and vulnerable.

Text when you’re done so I can be awake. Say hey to everyone and that we wished you all good luck tonight.

I will. If it’s too late, I’ll see you in the morning for the trip to Vegas.

I’ll be awake.

Pleasure rolled through him at her words. At the way she’d accepted his need to see her, he hoped because she felt the same.

“Harlow says hello and have a good show,” he told the other bandmembers.

“Why didn’t you invite them tonight?” Silas asked from the stage where he’d been working with his guitar tech. His friend had known him long enough to assume everything Miles did was his business too. And it was a good assumption because Silas was very much like a brother.

“I did. She told me it was good for us to be all about the fans and if she was here she’d just be a distraction or in the way.”

Silas paused and then nodded. “I like that.”

“So, this is an official thing now?” Omar asked. “Not even going to wait until after their dates on the tour are done? You’re not usually so…reckless.”

Maddie gave him a measuring look but kept working.

Reckless? At times it did feel reckless. He knew Omar wasn’t using the word in a pejorative sense. But Miles, especially after his last relationship had died, tended to be more careful.

That had been two years and a tour ago and he’d learned a lot about himself and self-control in the time since. Mostly the hard way, and chances were, he’d have scars for the rest of his life. But pain was instructional sometimes, and in the case of him and whatsherface, he had to touch that hot stove to learn his lesson.

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