Page 55 of Heart Set on You

“I….” I slip my hand under his shirt. “What was the question?”

Miles laughs. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

“No, it doesn’t.” Nothing else matters when it’s just the two of us.

Miles sets a warm, strong hand on my thigh. I close my eyes for a second. It’s like his fingers are lighting a fire to every nerve in my body. This intense contact feels possessive, sending heat barreling through me. Being here, where anyone could see us, it feels sexy and taboo. Libido circuit overload.

A moment later, in an unspoken agreement, we get up from the blanket and get into the car. We breeze towards the city and our last night in Reed Point. This trip has been a dream. I love Miles’ family, how close they are and how welcoming. I’m envious of Olivia and Ellie for being able to call Mrs. Bennett their mother-in-law. I imagine what it would be like to share Christmas dinners with them all, to make new memories together. It’s only a fantasy, all of it too good to be true, and I need to remember that.

I need to stop thinking about a future with Miles.

The problem is, it’s way too easy to imagine a life with him.

Chapter Twenty-One

Miles

“What’s with you today?” I tap my fingers on the table between us, tilting my head at Matthew. We’re sitting in a coffee shop 10 minutes from my rental in West Vancouver. A quick meetup to discuss a project I’m hoping to land, among other things. When I’m done there, I have a date with my girlfriend.

“Well, it might be Justin Teller, whose career has just taken a nose-dive, or maybe it’s my wife, who has made it clear she is sick of being married to an apparition. So, if I look a little crazy, now you know why.”

“Shit, man,” I say sympathetically. Justin is an actor who’s been Hollywood’s biggest bad boy for the past few years. He’s a nice enough guy, but his drug addiction has gotten the best of him lately and he’s been stumbling out of bars and starting fights with paparazzi. He’s also one of Matthew’s clients.

“All right, enough about me. The reason we’re here. What’s happening, Miles? This will be easier on both of us if you just fill me in.”

I give him a what-the-fuck-are-you-talking-about look.

He laughs. “Rylee. How serious are things with her? Did you see the photo on the internet this morning?”

“What? No,” I say, sitting up in my chair. “What the hell is it this time?”

Matthew tells me to check my phone, so I do, Googling my name. The photo pops up right away. It’s of Rylee and I walking the beach in Reed Point on the night we met my family for dinner at Catch 22. The photo is dark and a little blurry and if you didn’t know Rylee personally, you wouldn’t be able to tell it was her. The photo is nothing. Thankfully I have nothing to worry about.

“This is it?” I ask, shoving my phone at Matthew.

“Yup,” he says, sitting back in his chair, crossing one knee over the over. He takes a sip of his coffee then rests the cup on his thigh.

“And this photo is a problem, why? You can barely make out who’s in it. They didn’t list her name. It’s impossible to even tell that it’s Rylee.”

“That’s all true,” Matthew agrees. “This time. But I’m going to need you to keep me in the loop from now on so I can control what the media is reporting. I can’t do my job if you’re not upfront with me. How serious is this thing with the two of you?”

I don’t bother asking him how he knows I’m seeing her. The guy is always two steps ahead of me. It’s part of his job. It’s one of the reasons Matthew is so good at what he does.

“It’s serious,” I say.

Matthew says nothing. He only leans forward in his chair, sizing me up. “You don’t do serious.”

“Then why’d you bother asking the question?” I grumble.

“You know how this goes. You know this business. You’re at the top right now and it’s my job to keep you there. I ask the questions and then I decide how much of the real story you are giving me.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “It’s serious,” I say again. “I won’t stop seeing her. End of story.”

“Jesus, Miles. You really like this girl.”

“I do. There’s something else you should probably know.”

Matthew blows out a breath, running his fingers through his thick hair, bracing himself. “Okay, what is it? You know you can talk to me.”

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