Page 18 of Heart Set on You

It takes about 10 seconds for his mischievous eyes to find mine and as soon as they do, he flashes me a smile. He’s looking at me like we have a secret, which we most definitely do. I smile back. His eyes gleam, lingering on me for a moment, and somehow it feels like he’s touching me from across the room. My heart drops to the floor as his eyes shamelessly trail over my body. The thought of actually being with Miles is crazy, but try telling that to my ridiculous heart. This is all so easy for him. His heart is certainly not on the line like mine is. This would be fun for him. For me, it can only end in misery. I have to be careful.

Our moment is lost when the birthday boy clasps Miles on the shoulder and brings him in for a hug. Jared takes him by the arm and ushers him across the room.

Despite what happened between the two of us last night, I’m keeping my distance. He called me this morning, but I didn’t have the courage to answer. Then I avoided him all day on set. Looking at Miles across the room, at his easy smile and the way his fingers hold his rocks glass, I’m not sure if I have the strength to steer clear of him.

We are on opposite sides of the bar, but I can still feel him looking at me, sneaking glances that are setting my skin on fire. When I look in his direction, I catch him staring at me, mid-conversation. He smiles and I smile back, then quickly turn my attention back to Abby.

Needing a minute to collect myself, I excuse myself and go to the restroom. It’s located just outside the private room and I’m thankful for that. The space was beginning to feel like it was closing in on me. Locking myself in a stall, I take a few deep breaths to calm my racing pulse, then stand in front of the mirror, washing my hands in cold water. I open the door and take a step into the hallway, where I’m immediately stopped by a warm hand on my wrist. I turn around. Miles.

“I’m sorry you weren’t the first person I said hello to,” he says, rubbing his thumb softly over the inside of my wrist, piercing me with his hazel eyes.

“You don’t need to apologize for that. I saw Jared greet you. You didn’t stand a chance.”

Miles laughs. “I’m glad you’re here. I was hoping you’d come.”

I look over his shoulder to make sure we’re alone. He lets go of the grip he has on my wrist and I miss his touch immediately. “To be honest, I wasn’t going to, but Abby talked me into it.”

“I hope I’m not the reason you didn’t want to come.”

“You… I just didn’t want things to be awkward between us. I didn’t think I could pretend in front of everyone we work with like I didn’t just have the most incredible night with you.”

I watch his shoulders relax. He lets out a breath. His eyes focus on mine and he grins.“Incredible?”

A smile takes over my face.

“You said incredible. I heard it with my own two ears,” he teases. “ And for the record, I’m not asking you to pretend. I feel the same way. Last night was the best date I’ve ever been on and I can’t wait to do it again.”

I’m not sure what to make of this, but his words make me happy. The restaurant and everyone in it seem to go dark. Then his fingers find mine and he holds them there for a second. “Miles, I’m not ready for people to know that we’re… about whatever this is. I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings, that’s not my intention. I just feel a little overwhelmed.”

He sighs. “I understand. That’s fine with me, but so we are clear, if it were up to me, the whole world would know that I’m seeing you.”

I feel my face heat, and I know that I’m blushing. “We should get back to the party before someone sees us whispering in the hallway.”

Miles doesn’t argue. He’s a few steps behind me when we return to the private room. I take my seat next to Abby at the bar, feeling buzzed though I’ve barely touched my drink. I love how assertive Miles is, how he’s not afraid to tell me how he’s feeling. His confidence is sexy as hell.

A little while later, Violet arrives with red lips I could never pull off, her eyebrows perfectly plucked and her hair pulled back dramatically in a tight ponytail. She struts into the restaurant like she has all the time in the world despite the fact that she is almost two hours late. I watch her make her entrance in a little black dress, with a heavy emphasis on the “little.” She looks flawless with her perfect smile and supermodel body. The only thing she doesn’t have going for her is a personality to match. I’ve never met anyone more intolerable. I deserve an Academy Award for masking the sheer disdain I feel for this woman on a daily basis.

Her eyes dart over to Miles at the bar and I bite my bottom lip, watching her find what she wants. Like a heat-seeking missile, she goes in for the kill. Her gaze is penetrating and full of desire.

I feel sick at the way she’s looking at him. I want to tell her to stay away from him, to remind her that she has a boyfriend in Europe. But Miles isn’t mine and I have no right to dictate who he talks to, or who he flirts with. So I look away and try to ignore the pang of jealousy. I hate that Violet has the ability to make me feel jealous.

“We should go sit with them over there,” Abby says, gesturing to two guys sitting in a booth across the room. “Remember the cute blond crew guy I was telling you about, the one who likes threesomes? That’s him. He’s hilarious. Come on.”

I could use the distraction, so I follow her, and we slip into the booth with them. My back is to Miles, saving me from the torture of watching him with Violet.

I introduce myself to Craig and Steven, who I’ve seen around set but haven’t had the chance to meet. They’re nice, easy to talk to, and soon we are deep into a debate about useless skills each of us possess. Abby is emerging as the clear winner as she describes her ability to chug anything cold and never get brain freeze when Miles appears at our table. He asks if he can join us and I notice everyone sit up a little straighter, like Prince Harry has just arrived. He sits opposite me and it takes everything in me not to openly gawk at the man. He’s so beautiful it hurts.

He introduces himself to the table, and I laugh when Abby plays dumb at his introduction. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you work here,” she says. Everyone, including Miles, laughs at her joke.

“Well, I do know how to make a mean gin martini. Maybe I’ll apply for a job if my other one doesn’t pan out.”

“Damn,” Abby laughs. “Miles Bennett has jokes.”

I take another sip of my drink through a smirk. If Abby only knew. The man has a hell of a lot more than a sense of humor. A wave of guilt passes over me thinking about the secret I’m keeping. I can only imagine the look on Abby’s face if she found out I’ve been seeing Miles Bennett. But I’m not ready to talk about it so I push away the thought as a waitress brings over a tray of tiny appetizers. We all take one.

“This is incredible,” I say, after swallowing a bite of the tuna poke stack.

Miles stares at me, his gaze focused on my lips. His eyes have darkened, the look in them making my heart pound. I shift in my seat, nervous that Abby or one of the guys might notice the way he’s looking at me. Needing something to do, I pick up my drink and take a sip.

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