“I bet you’re hungry after golfing with the boys,” Grace says to her husband then turns her attention to the leftover lemon cake, cutting him a slice. She slices three more for Liam, Parker and Miles.
“We should get going,” Miles announces after scarfing down the delicious cake. “Can we help load the presents into Ellie’s car?”
“I’m sure your brother would appreciate that,” Grace says.
After too many trips to count, we manage to get most of the gifts into Ellie’s SUV and we all head out. Miles drives, his hand holding mine in my lap. The scenery passes us by like we are in a dream, moving further and further away from the city and the noise. I sneak glances at Miles as he drives, studying his strong profile, and his muscular, strong forearms. His big hand on the steering wheel. I could live a very happy life if I was able to stare at this man every day.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
“Somewhere I want you to see. And where we can be alone.”
“Sounds perfect.”
After a short drive, we park at a lookout overlooking a stunning view of Reed Point. Miles is quiet as he pulls a blanket from the trunk, spreading it out over the grass. We sit, both leaning back and stretching our legs out in front of us, staring at the city below us. He turns his ballcap so it’s backwards on his head. I swoon beside him.
I inhale the warm, summer air and let the breeze cool my skin. “This is beautiful. I can’t get over the view,” I say, wondering how I got so lucky to be experiencing this with him.
“I haven’t been up here in forever, but no matter where I go it’s always one of my favorite views.”
“I can’t imagine what it’s like to travel so much. Do you ever get tired of it?”
“All the time. I miss my family. I miss seeing my friends on a regular basis. I hate that I never really get to know their wives and girlfriends. It’s going to be even harder when my niece or nephew is born, but it’s the way my job goes. I guess you have to take the good with the bad.”
This isn’t the flirty, funny side of Miles that I’m used to, and I’m grateful that he’s letting me in. He’s typically a glass-half-full type of guy, never letting much get the better of him, so seeing this new, vulnerable, soft side of him is nice.
Miles moves his hand so that it covers mine and I lean my head against his shoulder. I cast a sideways look at him. My heart is racing being here with him in one of his favorite spots. It’s also racing because I really want to kiss him.
“I try to come home whenever I can,” he says. “Georgia is good about clearing my schedule every few months so I can make the trip. It helps.”
“I’m glad you have Georgia. She seems to take good care of you.”
“She does. I would be lost without her.”
As we sit overlooking the view, Miles fills me in on his day with his dad and brothers. He laughs, telling me that his dad is having a treehouse built in the yard for Liam and Ellie’s baby. Liam thinks he’s crazy, seeing as the baby won’t be able to use it for years, but his dad doesn’t care. I hear about the summer house that Parker surprised Olivia with last month, about their plans to buy a boat and spend more time on the water. I smile and nuzzle my ear a little closer into his shoulder. It all feels so good, and I almost manage to forget that Miles and I are only temporary.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he says, causing butterflies to dance around in my belly.
“Me too.”
“I missed you today. I thought I’d be able to go a whole day without you, but I was wrong. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
My heart might have stopped beating. “I know the feeling.”
“I knew, Rylee. From the first second I saw you, I knew that you were special. I had never seen anyone more beautiful in my life. You took my breath away. I’m not joking,” he says, twirling a piece of grass between his fingers. “It scares me that I feel this strongly about you. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to watch you go. I don’t want you to leave.”
“I feel the same way. I don’t want to leave you either. Let’s not ruin the night by talking about it. I want to remember this night as one of my favorites with you.”
Miles looks so handsome in the late day sun. He looks good anytime of the day in any type of lighting, but right now he looks like the best thing to ever happen to me. He tosses the blade of grass and looks at me. He looks like he’s trying to find an answer to our problem, an answer that I know doesn’t exist. It feels like there’s so much uncertainty surrounding us right now, but one thing I know for sure is the way he feels about me. I don’t have to doubt that.
I move closer to him, needing to touch him. Miles smiles a mischievous grin, then pulls me into his lap. I wind my arms around his neck, enjoying his athletic body pushed against mine. His hands slide up my spine, warm and hard. My mouth is on his a second later, throwing caution to the wind. Someone could walk by and sees us at any time, but I don’t care. I lightly rock my pelvis over the bulge in his pants and he sighs against my lips.
“Should we do something about this?” I ask him, looking down at his lap.
“I think we should.” He gives me a look so hot it could melt butter. It’s a laser gaze that makes me feel like he’s looking deep into my soul. My pulse races and my heart beats so loudly in my chest I swear he can hear it. It’s a total rush and I can’t look away. He knows what he does to me, and he knows I know it too.
I close my eyes, perfectly lost in him as he whispers in a silky voice against my mouth. “Should we go back to the beach house?”
I feel my neck heat up at the mention of the beach house and all the places we’ve christened in it. A couple of weeks ago, having sex multiple times a day in any room and on any surface would have sounded like someone else’s life and not mine. Now it’s me who loses all control and can never get enough. I’m addicted to Miles Bennett.