Page 12 of Heart Set on You

He thinks about me?

My heart leaps. He hasn’t even touched me, and I find myself practically drowning in lust. I tell myself it’s only because I haven’t been with anyone since Eric. That has to be it. Two years is a long time to go without the touch of another person. I try to convince myself that it’s the only reason I have this strange, fluttery feeling in my stomach.

“Why don’t I give you my number and we’ll take it from there? I can’t make any promises.” I say, hoping he’ll go with that. My voice sounds hesitant and a little shaky and I’m mad at myself as soon as I hear the words leave my mouth. Giving him my number is a horrible idea, but I’ve said it and there’s no turning back.

“I’ll take it,” he says, reaching for his phone, unlocking it and handing it over to me. I reluctantly type my number into his contacts and hand his phone back. His fingers brush mine as he takes it, and a blanket of goosebumps rush across my skin in response. I’m not sure whether I’m more nervous or turned on.

“We should get going,” I manage to say, needing to put distance between us. His charm is too much, his good looks are more than I can take.

“We should,” he says. “But I don’t want to.”

What am I supposed to say to that? I sit frozen in place. I need to get up and go, but if I’m honest with myself, I don’t want to. I want to stay here with Miles and his crooked smile, those hazel eyes that have me on edge. Caution signs are flashing in my mind. Go, Rylee. You need to go back to your hotel room. He’s an actor. He probably says lines like this every single day, to just about every girl he meets.

Digging into his pocket, Miles pulls out his wallet and pays the bill. Thankfully, my body finally regains the ability to move, and I turn and slide off of the bench. He stands before I do, flipping his ballcap around, pulling it down low on his head. He offers me his hand. Without thinking, I take it, his palm warm and large against mine.

We head towards the exit and only when we step out onto the sidewalk do I realize I’m still holding his hand. I release it quickly and he chuckles.

The rain has finally let up, and I look up, squinting against the sun peeking out from beneath the clouds. Did I really just have lunch with Miles Bennett? Did that really happen?

Chapter Seven

Miles

Fuck me, I can’t get enough of this girl. I’m following her back up to her hotel room like a lost puppy. She told me she was fine and didn’t need me to walk her to her room, but any extra time I can get with her I’m going to take.

There’s just something I find so compelling about this woman. I want to figure it out. I want to figure her out.

My hand rests on her lower back when we enter the elevator. I lean against the wall, watching her press the button to her floor. The door closes shut and we’re alone in the tiny box. Turning to face me, she dips her chin, hiding a shy smile. It’s ridiculously adorable, and vulnerable too. I feel my insides melt a little. I like it. I like her.

There are a lot of things I like about Rylee, but right near the top of the list is the fact that she really couldn’t care less that I am Miles Bennett. A lot of women would be hiking up their skirts and begging me to bang them – literally, it’s happened before. But Rylee is down-to-earth, she doesn’t seem to want a thing from me. She didn’t even seem to want to join me for lunch. It’s refreshing. I like that I can just be Miles when I’m around her, and not the guy that everyone wants me to be.

It makes me want to get to know her. I need to figure out how to get her to open up and talk to me.

The elevator doors open, and I lower my ballcap on reflex, following her down the hall. When she reaches her room, she hesitates for a second before opening the door.

She turns to face me, and I have to fight the urge to kiss her. I want to feel her lips against mine. There’s something about this girl that has me tied up in knots. Maybe it’s the effortless way she always looks sexy or the look in her eyes when she catches me staring at her. Rylee genuinely has no idea how gorgeous she is. I already know I’ll be thinking about her later tonight in the shower, with my dick in my hands.

“I had a great time with you today,” I tell her. I decide to leave out the part about how much real estate she’s been taking up in my brain lately or how happy I am to finally have gotten a chance to be alone with her. “Is it weird that I’m sort of grateful for the rain today?”

She blushes – like actually blushes. Her cheeks turn the softest shade of pink and it lights me up inside knowing that I did that to her. It makes me wonder what else I could do to her. What color would her cheeks be after sex? What would she look like underneath me, with her dark hair fanned out over my pillow, her lips swollen from my mouth on hers?

Fuck. With images like that in my brain, how the hell am I supposed to focus? My dick is at half-mast just imagining the things I want to do to her.

“I had a good time too. Thank you for lunch, and for saving me from the rain, Miles,” she says, her faint drawl a little more prominent. I try my hardest to hide my grin, but it’s impossible. That faint southern twang is so fucking hot.

I don’t want this day to end, but I know it has to. I want her to invite me in, but I know she won’t. I’m also aware that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to be alone with her in a hotel room right now. I’ve been fighting a hard-on all afternoon just listening to her talk.

So, I lean in and kiss her cheek. When I pull back, her eyes open slowly, her lips are parted. Her tongue traces her bottom lip. Her green eyes linger on my face for a little longer than normal. Fuck, I want to kiss her mouth. I want to run my fingers over her jaw, down her neck to her chest. I want to do a lot of things I know I shouldn’t do. The anticipation is killing me. But a wariness flashes through her deep green eyes. I can see she’s scared, I’m just not sure why.

I lean in closer to her, my lips millimeters from her ear, and whisper, “I want to kiss you.” Her chest rises. Her breath hitches. “But I promised myself I’d be good.”

I watch her skin flush again. I’m hard as a fucking stone now.

“I…” Her voice is quiet. She glances away for a moment, then back at me. “I really need to go. Thank you again.” Her hand pushes the door to her room a little further open, but she pauses before closing the door. An expression of uncertainty flashes across her face.

“Goodbye, Miles.”

I wink. “Goodbye, Rylee.”

---