Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
Sienna
The following day, after spending half the night naked beneath the stars, we’re lounging by the pool like we have all the time in the world.
I’m stretched out on a thick-cushioned lounger in the shade, legs lazily crossed at the ankles, wearing the tiniest pink bikini I packed and Milo’s oversized button-down draped over it like a half-hearted cover-up.
It smells like him, and every time I shift, the scent wraps around me again, making my chest feel strangely tight.
I tell myself it’s just comfortable.
My body knows better.
Milo is beside me, shirtless in navy board shorts, his skin a warm golden bronze from days in the sun. He’s propped up on one elbow, reading one of my well-worn romance novels aloud in that low, gravelly voice that turns every line into something dangerously intimate.
The book is dog-eared and cracked at the spine, with pages marked by colorful sticky notes I stuck in during past reads. Every few sentences, he pauses to glance at me, checking if I’m still listening. Every time he does, my stomach does a slow flip.
Because I’m not listening.
I’m staring at him hopelessly.
Staring at the way sunlight catches the faint sheen of sweat across his shoulders. The way his abs flex slightly when he shifts to turn a page. The way a few strands of his dark hair keep falling across his forehead no matter how many times he pushes them back.
He looks relaxed in a way I’ve rarely seen him—that almost-smile playing on his lips, as if he’s perfectly content just being here with me instead of in the pool with Ethan or on an excursion with everyone else.
He pauses at the end of a paragraph and glances over at me, one brow raised. “You’re not even listening,” he murmurs, his voice warm with amusement. “You’re distracted.”
“I’m listening.” I lie, my eyes drifting shamelessly down to the defined lines of his chest and abs, following the faint trail of hair that disappears beneath his waistband.
Heat blooms low in my belly. I remember exactly how those muscles felt under my hands last night. I shift on the lounger, thighs pressing together without meaning to. He notices. Of course he does.
His eyes darken, and his voice drops. “You’re staring.”
“I am,” I admit, not even trying to hide it. “You can’t look like that and expect me to pay attention to a fictional man when the real thing is right here.”
Milo closes the book slowly, marking the page with one finger. “Keep looking at me like that, and we’re not making it to the rehearsal walk.”
I bite my lip, fighting a smile. “We still have time.”
“Not enough time for what I want to do to you,” he says, leaning closer so only I can hear. His breath brushes my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “But tonight… after the rehearsal dinner… I’m going to take my sweet, sweet time with you.”
A fresh wave of heat rushes through me. I swallow hard. “Promises, promises.”
He reaches over and brushes a curl from my forehead, his thumb lingering on my cheek. The touch is so gentle it makes my chest ache. “Not a promise, Sienna. It’s a fucking guarantee.”
My heart does that stupid, fluttery thing again. I lean into his touch before I can stop myself. “You’re getting dangerously cocky, Milo.”
He chuckles softly. “You like me cocky.”
“I like you,” I admit, the words slipping out before I can catch them.
Before he can process my words, Aria’s voice carries over from the pool. “Sienna! Milo! You two coming in, or are you just gonna sit there eye-fucking each other all afternoon?”
My eyes roll before I can stop them. “We’re reading. It’s very cultural.”
Aria snorts from her giant unicorn float. “Cultural… sure. Get your asses in here!”
“We’re good,” I reply, waving her off. “Go float somewhere else.”
Ethan paddles up beside her, resting his elbows on the edge of her float, his grin turning wicked. “Oh, they’re too busy being cute. Should we help them?”
Before I can protest, a big splash of water flies through the air and lands on my legs. I squeal as cold droplets hit my skin. “Ethan!” I yelp, sitting up straighter.
Another splash follows, catching Milo’s shoulder. He laughs, closes the book, and tucks it safely into my bag so it doesn’t get wet. The thoughtful little gesture tugs at my heart.
“What’s the matter?” Ethan pouts sarcastically. “Scared of a little water?”
“You two are dead if you splash me again,” I warn, though I’m smiling.
Aria and Ethan are laughing hysterically, already scooping more water with their hands and aiming it at us, but not yet splashing us.
“Come on. Just one dip,” Aria pleads, fluttering her lashes. “You’ve been glued to that lounger all day. I want to spend time with my beautiful sister.”
Milo glances at me. “They’re not going to stop.”
He’s right. Another splash lands directly on my thigh. Aria and Ethan laugh, egging each other on to make another big splash to get us into the pool.
“I’m comfortable,” I insist.
Before I can blink, Milo stands and bends to scoop me up bridal-style, one arm under my knees, the other behind my back. I let out a squeak as my arms automatically wrap around his neck.
“Milo! Don’t you dare—”
Too late.
He’s already striding toward the pool with me in his arms, a wicked grin on his face.
“Yes, Milo!” Aria squeals, clapping her hands together. "Dunk her!”
“Put me down!” I laugh, playfully smacking his chest. “I’m wearing your shirt!”
“And you look fucking beautiful in it,” he replies, his voice warm against my ear.
With one powerful leap, he jumps off the edge.
We hit the water together in a huge splash.
The cool shock steals my breath for a second, but Milo’s arms never let go.
We surface laughing, my legs wrapping around his waist, his hands supporting me effortlessly.
Water streams down his face and drips from his lashes as he looks at me with a cocky smirk.
“You’re such an asshole,” I gasp, pushing wet hair out of my eyes, but I’m smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.
He grins and spins us slowly in the water.
His hands glide down to my waist, holding me close as the water laps around us.
One palm lingers at the small of my back, his thumb tracing slow circles just above the edge of my bikini bottom.
The touch is light yet deliberate, sending little sparks across my skin.
I shrug out of the button-down and toss it onto the edge of the pool. It lands in a damp heap, leaving me in nothing but the tiny pink bikini. Milo’s eyes flick down to me for a heartbeat, darkening with something that has my thighs trembling.
Aria paddles closer on her unicorn float, grinning. “So… how was the catamaran last night?”
“Oh, it was incredible,” I reply, still clinging to Milo. “The sunset from that far out on the ocean was unreal.”
Milo’s fingers flex against my waist. He leans in, his lips brushing my ear so only I can hear. “The best part wasn’t the sunset.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks.
Aria eyes us suspiciously. “What are you two whispering about?”
I open my mouth to tell her to mind her own business when Ethan suddenly jumps onto the unicorn float and tips Aria upside down.
She gasps as she surfaces, then instantly splashes water into Ethan’s face.
She tries to jump onto his back to dunk him, but he’s quicker, grabbing her waist and dunking her.
That’s how we spend the next hour in the pool—splashing, teasing, Milo and I stealing quick kisses when Aria and Ethan aren’t looking. He keeps me close, his hands never far from my waist or back. The water makes everything feel weightless and intimate.
It’s perfect.
As we head our separate ways to shower and get ready for the rehearsal walk and dinner, Milo and I walk hand in hand up the path, dripping wet and still laughing about him jumping into the pool with me.
My fingers tighten around his. The sunlight feels incredibly warm against my already flushed skin, and when he glances down at me, that small, almost-smile curving his lips, something inside me shifts.
For the first time in my life, wanting more doesn’t feel like a trap.
It doesn’t feel like I’m giving up my freedom or signing away my independence.
It feels like coming home.
Like I’ve been running toward something my whole life without knowing what it was, and now it’s right here—walking beside me, holding my hand, looking at me like I’m the best part of his day.
“You okay?” Milo suddenly asks, his thumb brushing my knuckles. “You’re oddly quiet.”
I look up at him, heart full, a little scared, and so, so hopeful.
“Couldn’t be more okay,” I respond, smiling.
And for once, I actually mean it.