Page 49 of Heart Set on You

“You are 12 years old.”

He flicks off the burner and removes the pot from the stove then turns and pulls me against him, lifting me up onto the counter. My ass lands on the cold, hard marble. “And you are beautiful.”

I widen my legs so he can stand in between them, then take each of his ass cheeks in my hands with a squeeze. We fit together perfectly, like we were made for each other. I spread my legs even further, greedily wanting him closer to me. His eyes flicker with excitement and I feel it deep down in my bones.

I shiver when he kisses the edge of my jaw. His lips explore me slowly, moving up to my ear while his hand reaches for the cupboard door next to my head. He opens it, reaching for a mug and then a second one and when he pulls back from me I sigh, wanting more.

“Should we take these to the patio? You’ll love the view.”

“Let’s.”

Miles fills the two mugs and takes them out to the patio, where we sit in large Adirondack chairs and look out towards the beach. We’re all alone, there’s no one for miles and it’s peaceful and calming listening to the sound of the waves. I carefully take a sip of the steaming, chocolatey drink.

“Mmm. Impressive,” I tell him. “You really do know how to make a good hot chocolate.”

“Never doubt me. I can be very useful,” he says, raising his eyebrows.

I laugh at him. “Thank goodness I have you then. You never know when a craving for a good hot chocolate will hit ya.”

Miles chuckles next to me. I look at him stretched out in the chair looking astonishingly content. Still shirtless, he has one arm stretched over his head, a beam of the patio light across his chest. I smile to myself, still not quite believing that he’s chosen to bring me here, to introduce me to his family.

“Will we see your family tomorrow?” I ask, a little nervous at the thought of meeting his mom and dad.

“Yes, my parents were hoping that we could all have dinner tomorrow night. Parker and Olivia arrive tomorrow afternoon and Ellie and Liam are free once she closes up Bloom for the day.”

“You never told me where Parker and Olivia are staying.”

“They’re staying at my parents’ place. They offered the beach house to us when I called them and told them you were coming with me.”

“That was nice of them,” I say, appreciating the gesture.

“They thought you might be more comfortable staying here for your first visit,” he says, and I still. Thankfully his gaze is towards the water and doesn’t notice the look on my face. First visit? Was that just a slip of the tongue or is he already envisioning us coming here again? There’s so much in that sentence to unwrap, I’m not sure where to start.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, ask me anything,” he says, sitting up in his chair, swivelling his body to face mine.

“Are you sure about introducing me to your parents?”

“Of course I am, Ryls. Why are you asking me that now?” His voice is sincere and gentle, a little uneasy.

I swallow, carefully considering what I want to say. “I would understand if you’ve decided that this is too big of a deal for you. That’s all. I want you to know that.”

“Not a chance. I really want them to know you. I want them to know the girl I can’t stop thinking about.” His smile feels like a blanket wrapped around me. And although I’m nervous as heck to meet them, I couldn’t be happier. My heart thumps wildly in my chest. We’re figuring out where we’re going. Discovering if we’re on the same page. So far, it seems we are.

“I want to keep going places with you, Ryls. I want to have experiences with you and see cool places and try new things.”

My heart bites the dust.

I blink once, then again, trying to hold in the emotions that are swirling deep inside me. I’m overwhelmed. I want to do all of that with him too. It sounds perfect. Too perfect. But I choose to believe it can happen. That’s what I’m going to keep telling myself. It makes me feel happy and scared to death all at once.

“Where would we go first?” I ask him, indulging in the fantasy.

He sips from his mug, his eyes twinkling. “I think the first place we go is Deer Lake.”

“Of all the places in the world, you choose Deer Lake? Nothing ever happens there, Miles. If a cow escapes a pasture, it’s headline news. I was thinking Hawaii or Italy or Portugal to see the beaches.”

He laughs. “Well, now I’m imagining you in a bikini sitting on a beach in Sorrento. I’m trying to be good here, Ryls, and the image isn’t helping.”

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