Page 83 of Heart Set on You

“Hey, baby.” The sound of his voice sends goosebumps over my skin.

“Hi. Is it a good time?”

“It’s always a good time to hear your voice, Ryls. I miss you. I miss you so fucking much. I wish you could see the smile on my face.”

It feels like there are butterflies fluttering around in my stomach. I lean my head back against the old seat and close my eyes, steadying myself against the rush of emotions bursting through my body. “I miss you, too. So much. Hearing your voice is helping. I feel happy again.”

“Me too,” he says, his voice quiet. “I feel the same.”

“So how was your day? Have you booked your flight to New York yet?” I ask, changing the subject to something less heart-wrenching. Miles is shooting a campaign for a high-end watch company.

“Georgia booked it for me this morning. I’m leaving next week, then I thought I could come visit you the weekend after.”

“I would love that. I know everyone misses you around here.”

“I miss them all too. But it’s you I’m really dying to see. You better be ready for what I’m going to do to you.”

“Promise?” I ask, knowing what that single word will do to him.

He growls. His voice is rough and low. “You’re killing me, Ryls. Do you know what it does to me when you talk like that?”

“I have a pretty good idea, but you could tell me yourself.”

“I am so turned on right now. I wish you were here with me. I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands.”

I can hear the smile in his voice. My body feels like it it’s vibrating from the sound. “We could FaceTime when you do. I’ll be home in 10.”

As soon as I utter the words, my hand flies to my mouth. I can’t believe I said that.

“Dammit, Rylee.”

Twenty minutes later I’m looking at Miles sprawled out on his L.A. bed, shirtless and wearing gray sweatpants. Gorgeous and driving me wild. I swallow hard.

My gaze is stuck on his abs, which are flexed with a happy trail right below them leading me to another part of his body that I also like a lot. I can see the imprint of him faintly against the fabric. Find the will, Rylee. You can’t touch, but you can still look.

“You didn’t tell me what you did today. I want to hear about it all,” he says, absently bushing his fingers over his abs. I recognize the bedsheets; the same ones we slept in when I stayed there after the Artist Awards. My pulse spikes at the memory.

“You do, do ya?”

“Yes.” He raises one arm behind his head and it’s sexy as hell. My thoughts turn obscene knowing how good his muscles feel under my touch. How good he is with his mouth.

I snap out of it, focusing on his question. “I went out on a lunch date. You’d be jealous. We went to the Sunny Side Up and I had the patty melt. I think it was the best one I’ve ever had there.”

“Killing me. You know I could eat three of those.”

I swear there’s a jealous undertone to his voice when he asks, “Who was your lucky lunch date?”

I decide to tease him. “A guy I know.”

“Really?” he asks. “A guy. Hmm… I’m glad you made a friend but now I’m going to have to knock him out.”

I laugh, knowing I’ve worked him up. Getting a reaction out of Miles is fun. “My brother, you dummy. I went out with Cole.”

I watch the grid of his abs tighten and flex as he laughs. “Thank God. I won’t have to kill someone. Did you see Cara?” he asks. “And the kids?”

“Not today. It was just me and my brother. It was nice. I get the feeling he thinks I’m turning into some crazy old cat lady living at Gran’s. He’s already foreseeing having to watch my two dozen cats one day.”

“He’s probably right.”

---