Chapter 22 #2
“Wow,” Seth said wryly. “Warn a guy before you spring a surprise like that on him.”
I looked at Seth, confused.
“Book, don’t get me wrong, you’re kind and supportive and generous to everyone you ever come across.
But not like that. Not like you are with him,” he said, holding my gaze with a meaningful look in his eyes.
“And you nearly chewed my head off over a draft and an unlit boiler. Me. Your favorite brother-in-law.”
“You’re my only brother-in-law,” I pointed out.
“Right, but I’d be your favorite anyway,” Seth said with supreme confidence. “You given any thought to telling him how you feel?”
“What makes you think I haven’t?” I asked, sipping my water again. Definitely menu-worthy, and it’d be good to have more options for people who weren’t drinking, for whatever reason.
“Knowing you,” Seth said, completely flat.
Well.
No arguing with that.
“He’s figuring things out,” I repeated, keeping my voice low. “He still needs me to be safe to do that with.”
“Right, because I always feel insecure around people who I know love me.”
“You know exactly what I mean,” I said, glancing over at Miles again, who was looking my way this time. He broke into a smile that made the rest of the room seem dark and waved at me.
I waved back, shyness washing over me. It’d been so long since I’d felt shy that I’d nearly forgotten what it was like.
But that was the thing. I loved what I had. I had so much more than I’d ever let myself dream of. It was enough. More than enough. More than I would ever have asked for.
If I told Miles how I felt, it’d be like asking him to feel the same, and that was too much. All I wanted was to give him everything he needed. To make him look like he had earlier today when Seth came in with the news.
“You ever listen to that song you play at the end of every night?” Seth asked.
“Every night,” I said. “Obviously.”
“Yeah, but do you listen?” Seth asked. “All I’m saying is, a little faith would go a long way.”
“What are we having faith in?” Miles asked by my shoulder, making me jump.
He laughed, and I couldn’t help laughing too.
“Imagine sneaking up on an old man,” I teased.
“You’re not forty until tomorrow,” Miles said. “I’ll start wearing a bell after that.”
Seth chuckled, slipping away gracefully.
“Having a good night?” I asked.
I wanted to touch him. Just for the sake of contact, just to be near him.
But I could wait. I would wait. For as long as he needed.
“I am,” Miles broke into a broad smile again, all sunshine and happiness. He looked so much better than he had earlier. His dark circles had practically vanished, the weight of worry obviously gone from his shoulders. “Are you not going to tell me I look great?”
“You do,” I said, looking him up and down. “I was admiring you just before Seth came over to talk to me.”
“Good, because I spent an hour in conference with Evie over this outfit.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“She wants to meet you,” Miles said, smile spreading into a full grin, eyes sparkling. “I told her it was for someone special.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah,” Miles said, reaching out and brushing his fingers against the edge of my open flannel shirt, then curling them around it.
I looked down at his hand, then up at the look on his face.
I couldn’t remember anyone ever looking at me like that. Like I was their favorite person and they wanted to see me naked.
Miles bit his lip as I looked right back at him, approximately the same way.
“She said you must be, if I finally figured out I like boys because of you. Men,” he corrected. “You’re not a boy.”
“I can be a boy if you like them,” I said. “Seth, uh. Is under the impression you have plans for me?”
Miles nodded. “I do. But first, I’ve been planning to do this all night.”
My heart stopped as his hand cupped my jaw. It started up again, louder than ever, as he pulled me in for a kiss.
If I’d imagined this moment, I might've expected a quick peck on the lips, a shy retreat, and a shared chuckle of relief that we’d gotten it over and done with.
Miles obviously had other ideas.
He kissed me with his whole body, leaning in, standing on his toes, fisting my shirt and scraping his teeth against my lower lip. Which he’d discovered, through extensive experimentation, was one of my many, many weaknesses.
A wolf whistle split the air, but that only made Miles laugh and kiss me again, harder.
When he backed off, he was flushed and his eyes were brighter than I’d ever seen. I always thought he was beautiful, but right now I was seeing a whole different level of stunning.
He’d kissed me. In front of everyone here.
My head was split between spinning because of the kiss itself and how proud I was of him, how honored I was to be the person he was doing all his learning and exploring with. A wave of affection welled up under my ribs as his fingers slipped into my hand.
“Dance with me?” he murmured.
“Everyone saw that,” I said, brain still catching up.
“I know.” Miles wet his lips. “Was that... wrong? Should I not have—”
“It wasn’t wrong,” I interrupted. “Just… I thought you needed more time.”
Miles shook his head. “I want people to know. I’m so happy to have you. Look at everything you’ve done for this community since I got here.”
I did it for you, I didn’t say. I love you.
“Besides, who wouldn’t want to be seen with Otter Bay’s most eligible sexy older man?” Miles asked, tugging on my hand. “Now come on. I wanna show you off.”
“Shouldn’t I be showing you off?” I asked, following obediently. “You’re the pretty one.”
“Oh, so you do think I’m pretty?” Miles teased, grinning at me so the corners of his eyes crinkled.
I couldn’t have missed the affection there, even if I tried. He really did like me.
“I think you’re beautiful,” I said, flipping his hand over and raising it to my lips to kiss the knuckles.
“And I think you’re devastatingly handsome,” Miles said. “And I can’t wait to have you all to myself.”