Page 57 of Heart Set on You

She’s right, this is insane. I’ve caught shoppers side-eying me all day. I’ve also seen a few iPhones casually aimed in our direction. Canadians are typically too polite to come up and ask for an autograph or a photo, so we’ve managed to be left alone. But it only takes one photo leaked to the media.

I don’t give a shit.

Joining her behind the store, I don’t hesitate. I don’t waste a second. I kiss her hard on the lips, threading my hand into her hair. One hand on her lower back, the other cupping the back of her head. She moans into the kiss. It’s a feel-it-all-over-your-body kiss, one I feel under my skin, in my toes, behind my zipper.

She breaks the kiss. “Miles…” she whispers softly.

“Have I told you how much I love hearing you whisper my name?” I kiss her jaw, her neck, then her lips. My heart is beating so fucking fast. My feelings for this girl are out of control. All I want is Rylee.

Cupping her jaw in my hand, I trace her lower lip with my thumb, trying not to dwell on the intense feeling in my gut that is telling me this girl is the one. Every second with Rylee is off-the-charts, every kiss with her lights a fire in my soul. I know. I just know that there’s no one on this planet who can make me feel the way she does.

“Have I told you how much I love it when you kiss me there?” she asks, running her fingers over the curve of her neck.

“Noted,” I smile. “Dammit Ryls, I’ve wanted to hold your hand, to kiss you, all day. Anything to touch you.”

She runs her finger down the center of my chest. “I’m really happy you did.”

I’m really happy I did too.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Rylee

I'm sitting in my hotel room thinking about Miles – surprise, surprise. Not just about our amazing afternoon together, or that kiss. I'm thinking about the way I can’t stop obsessing over him. The way I can’t stop wanting to be around him. I’m thinking about all the ways this feels different from my previous relationships. Well, make that relationship. Singular.

I dated Eric for two years, but for the last several months I knew it wasn't going to last. Honestly, I should have known even earlier than that. When I chose to stay home instead of hanging out at his house, when I spent my weekends working extra hours instead of hanging out with him. I should have seen the signs, but I didn't. I was 22 and too naïve to know we were headed for the end.

Eric and I had planned to move in together. It seemed like the right thing to do after we had been dating for so long. He was 24 and in a rush to get married and have kids. I never stopped to think about what I wanted. Being with Eric was safe and easy. We had mutual friends, we knew each other's families. Everything was fine. Our sex life was fine. I could take it or leave it. It’s clear now we had zero chemistry. The way I felt with Eric, it wasn’t even in the same galaxy as the way I feel when I’m with Miles.

Leaving Eric was far too easy and that’s when I knew it was never love. Love shouldn’t be so easy to walk away from. It should hurt like hell when you do. It should feel the way it does right now when I think about having to leave Miles.

My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on my hotel room door.

I answer it to find Abby on the other side, a bag of potato chips in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. It’s our weekly get-together to watch YOU and objectify Joe Goldberg, aka Penn Badgley.

She bursts through the door. “I’m here and I brought the good stuff.”

“Did you go visit the creepy bartender at the bar across the street again?”

“You know I only go there for the cheap wine.”

“I don’t blame you. Now, get in here,” I say, closing the door as she kicks off her flip flops and cracks the bottle. She fills two plastic cups, then hands me one. Abby crawls onto the far side of the bed and gets comfortable. I settle in as well, my cup of wine in one hand, and then prop my laptop on a pillow and find our show.

“Shall we?” I ask, my finger hovering over the play button.

“We shall.”

We watch two episodes of YOU and polish off the bottle of wine. Another wild Wednesday night in the books. When I turn off the laptop, Abby asks the question I know she’s been dying to ask ever since she got here.

“So, how’s Miles? Tell me the latest. You still need to fill me in on your trip.” She sits up on the bed crossed-legged, facing me.

Rolling up the sleeves of Miles’ sweatshirt I’m wearing, the one he gave me on that rainy day and the same one I find myself wearing most nights, I turn my gaze to her. “It went great. His family are the nicest and Reed Point is beautiful. It’s right on the edge of the ocean.”

She makes a snoring sound. “Yada yada. Get to the good stuff, like what happened in the beach house. I bet you had sex all over the place. Speaking of… how is the man in bed?”

I roll my eyes. “I don’t have to answer that.”

“You don’t have to, but you should. The man looks like a fucking God. He must be one in the sheets too.”

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