Chapter 19
CHAPTER NINETEEN
MILES
P ulling up to the yellow cottage a short time later, I see my bike sitting in the driveway.
I asked Travis earlier if he could drop it off for me.
I’ve got some work to do at the bar today and plan on driving over there when I’m done with our walk.
With the opening less than a week away, I’ve got a million things left on my to-do list that need to be done.
Scooping up Gizmo, I grab the box of muffins and walk up the front porch. Bee opens the door before I can even knock.
“Miles! You’re here! And you brought Gizmo just like you said you would!”
Gizmo’s butt starts to move like crazy in my arms at the sound of Bee’s voice. He’s just as excited to see her as she is him.
“And I brought you muffins,” I say, holding up the pink box. “Lyla told me which ones were your favorite.”
“Banana chocolate chip?”
“Yep,” I grin. “You have good taste. Those are my favorite, too.”
“They are my momma’s favorite, too!”
Olivia appears in the doorway and smiles when she sees me. Her dimples go straight to my heart as our eyes meet. She has her hair up in a messy bun with little makeup. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more beautiful sight.
“Can Gizmo see my room before breakfast?” I tear my gaze away from Olivia and smile at Bee.
“Sure.” I set him down, and he immediately runs to her as she squats down and hugs him.
“Come on, Gizmo. My room is this way,” she says, walking into the house and leading the way. He happily follows her, and the two disappear around the corner.
Olivia smiles after them before turning back my way.
“Hi,” I say softly. “I really hope you’re more excited to see me than my dog. It appears I have some tough competition with your daughter.”
“Mmmm…depends. Are there banana chocolate chip muffins in that box?”
“There might be.” I rub my jawline and study her. “But it’s going to cost you.”
“And what would that price be?” Her eyes gleam playfully.
“I think I’ll wait to collect my payment. Matters like this need to be handled privately.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“It’s very so,” I grin, stepping inside with her and shutting the door. The air around us swirls with energy. It’s become a common theme whenever we are alone, as we naturally gravitate toward each other.
Reaching out, I finger a strand of hair that has escaped her bun.
“You’re beautiful in the afternoons with the sun shining down on you,” I say quietly, as my thumb runs along her bottom lip.
“And you’re just as beautiful in the evenings with the soft light of the moon, but the mornings…
the mornings might be my favorite,” I murmur, watching the early morning light coming through the windows and dancing across her features.
“Coming out of sleep earlier an d seeing that first ray of light touch your beautiful skin…it’s something I could easily wake up to for the rest of my life. ”
Her light green eyes hold my gaze as my words sink in. I’m trying very hard to go at her pace, but damn, it’s fucking hard to be this close to something and not reach for it when every part of you knows how much it feels right.
“You can’t just say things like that, Miles,” she sighs, and walks toward the kitchen. I stand there like an idiot holding a pink box of muffins, wondering how in the hell I’ve upset her. I follow her and set the box on the counter as I watch her get plates out of the cabinet.
“And why exactly can’t I say how I feel?”
She aggressively rips paper towels off their holder before turning to me.
“Because it makes me feel. And I don’t want to feel until I know this isn’t just your usual flirting and charm to get me in bed again.”
“ That is what you're upset about?” I can’t help the chuckle that escapes, and her eyes narrow.
“I’m not really seeing the humor in this,” she crosses her arms and glares at me.
“One second,” I say, holding up my finger and disappearing down the hall. I peek in on Bee, and she’s curled up on her bed with Gizmo, reading him a story. I quietly leave before they see me and walk back out to Olivia.
Taking her hand, I pull her with me to her bedroom and shut the door. Her back hits the door as I block her in.
“Bee…”
“Is reading a book to Gizmo, so we have a couple of minutes. This needs to be said, and I’m not about to let you think something that isn’t true for one second longer.”
Her head turns as she avoids my eyes, and I gently touch her chin, bringing her back to me. With my other arm on the door blocking her in, she has no choice but to hear me out.
“I want to be very clear on this, and I want you to listen. Do I flirt with you? Hell yes, I flirt with you. It’s been the most fun I’ve had in a long time, and I have no plans of stopping. Will I flirt with you to get you into my bed? If I’m being completely honest, yeah, I probably will,” I grin.
“You’re not doing a very good job here pleading your case,” she lightly snorts.
“That’s because I’m not done,” I say, stepping closer and invading her space until there is nothing separating us.
“I’m going to say this in the least arrogant way possible since you seem to think I’m full of myself.
If all I wanted was a fuck from you, I already got it…
twice, I might add, and I could have easily fucked you again at the party and last night when I had you in your bedroom. ”
Her eyes widen at my brazenness, but she doesn’t dispute what I’m saying because we both know it’s true.
“I know my past doesn’t put me in a good light for relationships, but I can’t do a damn thing to change that.
What I can do is show you how different you are from what I’ve had in the past. I don’t give out my number, so what we did last night on the phone was a first for me.
I don’t do dates, so that dinner we had?
Another first for me. You’ve been on my bike, which I already told you was a first for me, and I sure as hell don’t bring muffins to girls’ houses to get them to sleep with me. ”
My hands come up to grasp her face, so she has no choice but to look me in the eye and see what I’m giving her.
“When I tell you how beautiful you are and how I could easily wake up to you each morning, that’s not me trying to get into your pants…that’s me giving you a piece of myself that I’ve never given to anyone before. That’s me giving you a first.”
I mold our bodies together and let her feel what she does to me. I’m as hard as granite as I press into her. Her body naturally gravitates toward my touch as if it’s been waiting for this contact as much as I have.
“I can’t stop how much my body wants you every time we are together, but I will never say things I don’t mean just to get you in my bed. That’s never been my style, and I’m not about to start now.”
Her hands come up as she lays them on my chest. I can feel my heart beating fast against her palm as her eyes frantically search mine.
“I’m scared,” she whispers. “I’m so scared to let you in and have my heart broken again.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I’m scared shitless too,” I softly chuckle. “You have more power than you realize in this situation. I could easily lose both of you if at some point you decide to walk away.”
“I’m not sure if that’s an option anymore for me,” she admits softly. “I always seem to find myself back in your arms no matter how hard I try to fight it.”
“Maybe,” I say, bending down close to her lips, “it’s because you belong there.”
“Maybe I do.” She breaks out into a smile, and I feel some of the weight she carries being set free.
“Did I finally break through one of those walls of yours?” I lean back and fight a grin.
“There’s a small crack you might be able to squeeze through.” Her eyes light up as she holds back a teasing smile.
“I’ll take it.” I bring my lips to hers and dive into pure heaven.
One kiss with her and I lose every bit of control.
She may be scared that it’s me who will break her, but every time I’m with her, I feel myself falling more and more.
She’ll own me before too long, and my heart will no longer be mine.
I just pray to God I get the same in return .
My tongue tangles with hers as we desperately try to feed this starvation that’s suddenly flowing through our bodies. I feel her hands roam up my chest before settling on the back of my neck. Her fingers sink into my hair, keeping us locked together.
When I feel her tongue swipe my lip ring and give it a gentle tug, it takes everything in me to break away.
“We need to get back out there before Bee comes looking for us.” I step back away from temptation and roughly run a hand through my hair. My dick throbs painfully as I try to keep it together.
“You’re right,” she says, pushing off the door and smoothing out her tank top. I watch fascinated as she lets her hair down before quickly redoing her bun in a matter of seconds. “What?” She smiles when she notices me staring at her.
“Nothing.” I slowly shake my head. “I just love watching you.”
Her dimples appear, and a slight flush lines her cheeks.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She turns and opens the door before looking over her shoulder as our eyes meet. “Maybe I could wake up to you every day, too.” The corner of her mouth twitches as she dangles the admission in my face and disappears out of sight.
Yeah, I’m fucked with a capital F as a cheesy-ass grin spreads across my face.
So this is what pussy-whipped feels like?
Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel as horrible as I thought it would.
I still feel like a man who has his balls intact.
In fact, I feel pretty damn good right now.
I’m breaking down her walls and if me willing to drop to my knees in order to keep her means I’m chained to her then call me Mr. Pussy Fucking Whipped.
Walking back out, Olivia is measuring the coffee for her espresso machine and looks up when I enter.
“Do you want some coffee?”
“I can always use a cup of coffee,” I grin, sitting down at one of the bar stools.
Bee comes running in with Gizmo at her heels.
She’s adorable in her pink sundress and cute ponytail.
Now that I know more of the story, I can’t help but wonder what type of guy wouldn’t want to be part of his own daughter’s life.
I just met her, and she’s already got a piece of my heart.
“Gizmo loves my room. I read him The Little Mermaid. Well, I can’t actually read all the words yet, but I know the story so well that I didn’t need to know them all.” She climbs onto the stool next to me and starts to swing her legs.
“I bet he loved that,” I grin. I’m rewarded with a big smile and dimples just like her momma. I have a feeling I’m in major trouble here. My nieces have me wound around their little fingers, and I will literally do anything for them. Olivia and Bee in the same room? There will be no hope for me.
I glance up at Olivia as she places the mug of coffee next to me.
“I took a chance and made it like I make mine with just a hint of sweetness.”
I take a sip and moan. I can tell she knows what she’s doing. Travis has a similar machine, and when he lived here, I got spoiled on the mornings I was home.
“Yours is better than Travis’s,” I say, taking another sip, “and if you tell him I said that, I will deny every word.”
“My lips are sealed,” she giggles.
“Is that cinnamon I taste?”
“I put a little in the sweetener,” she nods and brings a mug to her lips.
“What do you sweeten it with? I can’t put my finger on it, but it’s subtle, and I like how it doesn’t overpower the taste of the coffee that I love.
She smiles over the rim of her cup, and her eyes sparkle with amusement. “Honey. ”
“Of course it is,” I laugh. “No wonder I love it. It’s my new favorite taste.”
A beautiful flush appears on her cheeks as I hold her gaze. It’s obvious that both our thoughts go straight to all the times I’ve tasted her.
Clearing her throat, she finally looks away and breaks the spell we were under.
“Since I’m Momma’s little bee, honey is her favorite. We get a special kind at the marketplace.” Bee has already opened the muffin box, and her mouth is full as she tries to speak.
“Bee, don’t eat with your mouth open. It’s rude to do that in front of guests.”
“But Miles isn’t a guest. He’s Charlie’s uncle,” she says, with another mouthful. “Since me and Charlie want to be sisters, that makes him family too. Gramps is always chewing with his mouth open. Some things you can get away with in front of family, right, Miles?”
She looks up at me with her big hazel eyes as she chews her muffin. I should probably do the right thing and agree with Olivia, but how can I go against that cute face? She also makes a valid point.
I reach for a muffin and take a big bite. “You can definitely get away with more in front of family,” I say, with a mouthful, causing her to giggle.
I glance at Olivia, expecting her to scold me with the mom look, but she’s trying very hard not to smile. “What am I going to do with you two?” She looks at Bee, and all I see is love shining in her eyes. My heart seems to skip a beat as one thought enters my mind.
I want to be on the receiving end of that look one day.