Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
Sienna
When we get back to the villa, I make a beeline for the deck. I kick off my sandals and walk to the edge, staring at the dark water sparkling under a sky thick with stars.
My skin is still warm from the wine and Milo’s touch, but the cool night breeze sends goosebumps up my arms. I glance back at Milo. He’s watching me with that steady, intense look that always makes my stomach flip.
“Skinny dip with me?” I ask, a playful grin tugging at my lips.
Milo raises one dark brow, the corner of his mouth twitching. “Right now… in the ocean?”
I don’t wait for a proper answer. I reach for the hem of my sundress, pull it over my head, and let it drift to the floor. The cool night air kisses my skin as I unhook my bra and slide my thong down my legs.
Naked under the stars, I feel wild, free, and a little reckless.
“Sorry, that wasn’t a question. It was more of a ‘you’re doing this with me whether you like it or not,’” I grin, already stepping back toward the stairs that lead down to the beach.
“Come on. Don’t tell me the big, steady Milo Reyes is scared of a little dark water after everything we’ve survived this week. ”
He watches me for a beat, his eyes darkening with heat and something softer. Then, with a low chuckle, he starts undressing—shirt, shorts, boxer briefs. The sight of him makes my mouth go dry.
“You’re going to be the death of me, Sienna,” he mutters, but he’s smiling as he takes my hand.
We run down the steps together, laughing like idiots. The first wave hits my ankles, and I squeal at the chill.
“Oh my God, it’s colder than I expected!” I yelp, but I keep going, tugging him deeper. “Why did I think this was a good idea?”
“Because you’re insane,” Milo replies, his laughter warm. He stays right behind me, his hands on my waist to steady me as the water rises to my thighs, then to my waist. “And I’m apparently just as insane for following you.”
When the water reaches my chest, I turn in his arms and wrap my legs around his hips. He carries me effortlessly as the water laps around us, carrying us deeper. His skin is warm against mine, a perfect contrast to the cool ocean.
We’re far enough from shore now that the world feels like it belongs only to us. The stars overhead are impossibly bright, their light dancing on the gentle ripples. The only sounds are the soft lap of waves and our breathing.
I cup Milo’s face with both hands, my thumbs brushing his jaw. For a long moment, I just look at him—really look. The way starlight catches in his eyes. The faint stubble on his jaw. The quiet strength in the way he holds me like I’m something precious.
My heart does a dizzying flip.
I never expected any of this.
I came to this island for my sister’s wedding. That was supposed to be it. I definitely didn’t expect to meet a tall, grumpy stranger on the flight here, drench his crotch with water, get double-booked into the same villa with him, and then start… falling?
Yet here I am.
“I meant it,” I whisper, so quietly I’m not sure if he can hear me. “What I said earlier. The wine might’ve helped a little, but I really don’t want this to end. Like, I want to see where this goes… you and me, in New York.”
His eyes light up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I nod. “But Milo… I’m scared.”
His arms tighten around me, one hand sliding up my back in a soothing stroke. “Talk to me, baby.”
I rest my forehead against his, our noses brushing. The water rocks gently, as if the ocean itself is holding its breath with me.
“I’ve never been good at staying,” I admit. The words feel raw, vulnerable. “Settling down has always felt like a cage. I’ve spent years running from that feeling, and it’s always worked… until I met you.”
I pull back just enough to meet his eyes. “You make me want to try. And that terrifies me. What if I’m not built for it? What if I ruin this? What if one day I wake up and the restlessness wins and I hurt you?”
Milo listens without interrupting, his gaze steady and warm. When I fall quiet, he brushes a wet strand of hair from my cheek, his thumb lingering on my skin.
“Sienna,” he says softly, his voice deep and reassuring.
“I’m not asking you to settle down and become someone else.
I’m not looking for a quiet life behind a white picket fence if that’s not what you want.
I see you—the girl who needs to chase the horizon, scream from mountaintops, and book last-minute flights wherever the wind takes her.
I don’t want to clip your wings. I just want to be the one who gets to watch you fly… and maybe fly with you sometimes.”
He rests his forehead against mine again, our breaths mingling in the cool night air.
“I know you’re scared. I’d be worried if you weren’t.
But you don’t have to have it all figured out right now.
We live one stupid block away in New York.
We have time. Days. Weeks. Months. However long it takes.
No pressure. No ultimatums. Just… us. Figuring it out together.
One day at a time. Only if you want to, okay? ”
Tears prick at my eyes, mixing with the salt on my lashes. “You really mean that?”
“I mean it,” he says, his voice low, steady, and certain.
“You’re not a project I’m trying to fix.
You’re the person I like being with—exactly as you are.
Chaotic, restless, beautiful you. And if you need to run sometimes, I’ll be right there, packing the bags with you. As long as you come back to me.”
The last of my defenses crumbles. Something warm and bright blooms in my chest, pushing the fear aside, even if only for tonight.
I kiss him then, pouring every unspoken feeling into it. He kisses me back with the same quiet intensity, one hand cradling the back of my neck, the other holding me close to him. The water laps gently around us as the kiss deepens, growing sweeter and more tender.
When we finally pull apart, we’re both breathing harder, our foreheads touching.
“Thank you,” I whisper against his lips. “For not trying to change me.”
“Never,” he murmurs. “I’d never change who you are.”
I smile, then push forward and kiss him again because, for once in my life, the fear I’ve always felt doesn’t feel quite so loud, and that’s all because of him.