Page 43 of Heart Set on You

“Only if it’s not one of mine.”

“But yours are my favorite.” I pout and he kisses me again, pulling my bottom lip into his mouth. “Mmm. We can’t start, Miles. We need to be good. If we start, we’ll never stop.”

“I don’t see a problem with that,” he says, cocking a brow. “Are you as hungry as I am for popcorn?”

“I’m always down for popcorn. But how are you hungry? We just finished dinner a couple of hours ago.”

“I can always eat. I may not know how to cook, but I have the number to every take-out restaurant in West Vancouver on speed dial.”

I laugh, knowing he’s not kidding. I really need to teach this man how to cook. Well, maybe we’ll start with boiling water.

While Miles handles the microwave popcorn, I throw together a sad excuse for a charcuterie board. His fridge and his cupboards are practically empty, but I manage to scrape together some cheese, apple slices and a handful of trail mix. We sit on the floor of his living room, our makeshift feast on a tray in front of us, and despite the uncertainty that lies ahead, in this moment I feel purely happy.

We put on a movie – not one of Miles’ – and he pulls me onto the couch. He’s shirtless. The muscles in his abs are cut and lean, his pecs defined with a dusting of trimmed chest hair. His skin is warm and soft, and it takes everything in me to pay attention to the movie and not pounce on him like a cat would a mouse. Finally, the movie ends, and Miles takes my hand and leads me upstairs to his bedroom.

We undress each other slowly, then Miles pulls back the comforter and we crawl into bed. He whispers in my ear, a steady stream of sweet and filthy words, as he sinks inside of me. When he’s all the way in, he stills and white-hot heat rips through me. We both groan. It’s the sexiest sound I’ve ever heard.

Wild lust.

Wild attraction.

The beginning of falling hard.

I’m still coming down from the most intense, mind-shattering, bone-numbing sex when a realization hits me.

That was so much more than sex and you know it.

The next morning, I wake up on Miles’ chest, wrapped around him, his heart beating rhythmically under my ear. I lie that way for a while, enjoying the warmth of his strong body, not wanting this feeling to end. I’m feeling a little… gone. It’s like being this close to him is not enough. I would crawl right into him if I could. I want to stay here, draped over him forever.

Miles stirs underneath me, pulling me tighter into his hard, naked body. His fingers run lines from my shoulder to my elbow. Lifting my ear from his chest, I kiss his pec while my fingers drag over the hair on his chest, then along the grid of his abs. Miles’ dreamy eyes focus on mine. His hair is tousled, and his eyes are sleepy but somehow he looks like he’s just stepped off the set of a photo shoot.

“Hi there,” I say, gazing into his eyes, my voice low. A smile curls his lips, making my heart falter. He can turn me on with just a look, with just that Miles Bennett smile – the one he knows drives me mad. My body lights up like a firecracker, sending a tingling sensation over my skin.

“Good morning,” he says in the most heavenly, raspy morning voice.

I think back to last night. Not just the sex – but yes, the sex is definitely part of it. But it’s also Miles coming home to me in his kitchen, cooking us dinner. It’s the two of us eating together after work like we’re a real couple and not just two people in lust who have no chance of a real future together. It’s me telling him that I’m leaving, and him still choosing to stay. It’s all of it.

My phone vibrates from somewhere on the nightstand, knocking me out of the fantasies running through my head. I reach for it and check the screen to see a text from an unknown number. Swiping the screen to life, I check who it’s from. Hey Rylee, it’s Ellie! Oh, and Olivia, she’s sitting right beside me. We’re having a girls’ day in Vancouver tomorrow and would love for you to join us! Let us know xo

“Who is it, babe?”

“It’s Ellie and Olivia. Did you give them my number?”

“Yes. Sorry, I meant to tell you, Ellie asked me for it yesterday when I was on my way home from set. I hope you don’t mind I gave it to her.”

“Of course not. I’m happy you did. She and Olivia are having a girls’ day tomorrow, I guess when they come back from Whistler, and they want to know if I can join them.”

“Are you going to go?” Miles asks, tangling his feet with mine.

“Yeah, I’d like to, if it’s okay with you?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? You should go. It will be fun.”

It feels like time is ticking on whatever it is that is happening with Miles and I, and even though I want to say yes, part of me just wants to spend every spare second with him. But I know it would be smart to put a little distance between us. Things seem to be moving so fast.

I quickly text back, telling Ellie I’d love to, and then save her as a contact into my phone.

“Come here,” Miles says, motioning for me to kiss him. So I do what he asks. He moves to suck on my neck, and I say a silent prayer that he never stops. Unless he wanted to use his incredible mouth elsewhere. In that case, I wouldn’t protest.

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