Chapter 18
Miles
I watch Vivian squeezing the water out of her hair, twisting it over her shoulder, droplets catching the sunlight as they drip down her arm. Her cheeks are flushed, her mascara is smudged just enough to be criminally endearing, and she’s still beautiful.
Her wet clothes cling to her body, every curve accentuated in a way that pulls my attention, and I can’t deny the way she effortlessly takes my breath away. That perfect mix of softness and strength.
We’re all stretched out on the grass now, clothes clinging to us in damp patches, skin warmed by the late afternoon sun. It’s been hours, but none of us are in a rush to leave. The day has been too good. Easy. Golden.
I’ve gotten to know Mindy a little better; she’s wild and sharp with a loyalty that runs deeper than she lets on.
Riley told me all about her sleepover with Mindy while Vivian and I were at the arcade.
Apparently, there were too many sweets, a dance party, and five different voices by Mindy for bedtime stories.
Mindy and Greg sit side by side, the space between them practically non-existent. She leans in, her eyes lighting up as he whispers something in her ear, making her laugh, a soft, breathy sound that has me wondering what exactly he said to get that reaction.
Riley’s crouched by the lake again, poking around near the reeds. Probably frog-hunting, her face pinched in focus like she’s conducting a science experiment.
And Vivian, she’s right here beside me.
Her knees are pulled up to her chest, hair damp down her back, her fingers threading through the grass like she’s grounding herself.
“You warm enough?” I ask her, my voice low.
She glances over, her eyes catching mine. “Yeah. This feels…nice.”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “It does.”
The silence between us stretches, but it isn’t heavy. It’s full of something that hasn’t been named yet.
I study her. The curve of her mouth. The way her fingers absentmindedly brush against mine in the grass. Not enough to hold, but enough to notice.
“I like seeing you like this,” I tell her, honest and easy.
I shift slightly, brushing her pinkie finger with mine again. This time, I leave it there.
She smiles at me, the sunlight shining in her eyes making them look like sweet honey.
“You thinking about jumping back in?” I ask, trying to lighten the moment without letting it go completely.
She glances at the lake. “I’m not sure, I think we should head back soon.”
I want to stay longer with her, so I do something that I didn’t even have to think twice about.
I smirk instead. “You know what I think?”
She raises an eyebrow, wary. “What?”
I push off the ground slowly, stretching like I’m going to walk it off, but then, without warning, I bend down, grab her by the waist, and toss her over my shoulder.
“Miles!” she yelps, laughing and kicking as her fists thump lightly against my back. “Put me down!”
“No can do, Bambi,” I say, grinning like the absolute menace I am.
“Miles, I swear—” Her laughter’s contagious now, full and bright, echoing off the lake and into my chest.
From the edge of the water, Riley spots us and lets out a squeal. “Mommy! He’s stealing you!”
“She’s coming with me!” I shout, and Riley takes off toward the water, arms flailing with glee.
“Traitor!” Vivian giggles breathlessly against my shoulder. “You’re both traitors!”
We reach the edge, and I glance over my shoulder just once. Her hair’s falling down in wet waves, her cheeks flushed, and she’s still laughing like she hasn’t in years.
“You ready?” I ask, tightening my grip.
“Don’t you—”
I jump before she could finish her sentence.
We hit the water with a splash that sends waves rolling toward shore.
Vivian surfaces first, gasping and sputtering, eyes wide and mouth open in half-laugh, half-shock.
Slicking my hair back with both hands.
She splashes me in the face.
Mindy, Greg, and Riley are watching like we’re a sitcom, they are all laughing at what’s just happened.
Vivian floats closer, brushing her wet hair out of her face.
Riley’s giggles echo across the water, with Mindy, who scoops her up and spins her once before settling her on the grass. Mindy gives me a knowing look, one that says more than words could, soft, teasing, and full of support.
“All right, Wild Child,” she says, grabbing Riley’s hand. “Let’s go back and get dried off and maybe we can even brush the horses.”
Riley holds her hand. “Yay!”
Greg helps Mindy up onto Maeve, her smile lingering as their eyes hold for a quiet beat. The moment barely has time to settle before Riley jumps up in front of him, arms lifted high, asking to be hoisted up too.
They both wave at us as Greg turns towards his own horse, swinging into the saddle with ease. He lifts a hand in goodbye as they head back to the ranch.
I turn my attention back to Vivian, but she’s already looking up at me, water droplets catching the tips of her lashes, cheeks pink from laughing. There’s something about her like this, unguarded, loose-limbed, shining under the sun like she belongs out here. Like she’s always belonged out here.
Her eyes meet mine.
“What?” she asks, a little breathless, like she already knows I’m thinking something I probably shouldn’t say.
I shrug, stepping a little closer, water swirling around my waist. “Just thinking.”
She’s waist-deep in the water across from me, the sun casting golden glints over the lake’s surface.
Her hair clings to her neck in wet strands, beads of water trailing down her collarbone.
She hasn’t looked this free since the day I met her.
Not guarded, not grieving—just her, and it hits me square in the chest.
There’s a softness to her I want to wrap myself around. Protect. Earn.
“You’re different out here,” I say, keeping my voice low.
She looks toward the horizon, where the lake meets the tree line, lips twitching like she’s trying not to smile.
“You sound like you’ve been watching me.”
“I have,” I admit. “I notice things.”
She turns back slowly, eyes meeting mine, something quiet and searching behind them. Water laps gently at her arms.
“Like what?” she asks, her voice hushed yet smiling at me.
I take a step closer, the water shifting around me. There’s barely a foot between us now, her bare shoulders glistening in the light.
“Like how you’ve got this contagious laugh. Or how you fidget with your nails when you’re nervous. Or how you’re brave without even realizing it.”
She swallows, her breath catching ever so slightly. I see the flick of her gaze, briefly to my mouth, then away again. Her cheeks flush, even in the coolness of the water.
The current moves around us, but neither of us notice anymore.
Then, without a word, she takes that last step forward.
Now we’re chest to chest in the lake, our bodies nearly weightless in the water.
Her hands come to rest on my shoulders, fingertips light, tentative, like she’s figuring this out in real time.
I slide my arms around her waist, slow and sure, my hands dipping just under the surface as I hold her close.
Her eyes lift to mine.
“Miles,” she whispers, her breath skimming over my lips, soft and warm.
Every nerve in my body fires like it’s been waiting for this, for her, to say my name like that.
“You remember the rule,” I murmur, my voice low and barely holding together. “Just tell me to stop, and I will, Vivian.”
Because fuck, I want to kiss her.
I want a taste, just a taste, but the craving is already something more. It’s been building, slow and steady—every time she smiled, every time she looked at me like maybe I wasn’t just the town’s bull rider or Riley’s favorite distraction. Every second we’ve spent together has led to this.
But she doesn’t say stop.
She doesn’t say anything at all.
Instead, she loops her arms around my neck and leans in.
And then her lips brush mine, soft and tentative. Like a question. Like a confession.
That’s all it takes.
I slide one hand into her wet hair, threading my fingers through the strands as I pull her closer, answering that kiss with everything I’ve been holding back. Hunger, need, want. My other hand grips her waist, anchoring her against me beneath the water.
She kisses me.
And the way she melts into it, the way she sighs my name like a secret, the way she presses closer—all of it undoes me.
Her mouth opens against mine, and a soft, breathy moan slips past her lips. It shatters whatever thin thread of control I was clinging to. I deepen the kiss, tasting her, coaxing her into more, because I can’t help myself.
She responds with a tilt of her head and a slow, sensual press of her body to mine, her hands exploring the back of my neck and my shoulders.
The lake surrounds us, cool and quiet, but all I feel is heat.
Her legs brush against mine under the water, her chest pressed to mine, her hips shifting just enough to make me groan against her mouth.
I pull back for half a second, just enough to look into her eyes. They’re dark with want. Lips kiss-bitten and glistening. Breath shallow.
“Viv,” I whisper. “If we don’t stop now, I won’t want to.”
She doesn’t look away. Doesn’t let go. “I don’t want you to.”
My restraint? Gone.
I kiss her again, slower this time, deeper, taking my time because I want to memorize the way she tastes. The way she feels in my hands. The way she’s letting me have this.
The way she’s giving herself to me in this moment.
My hands slide down her back, fingertips grazing the curve of her ass through the water, and I swear she arches into me like it’s instinct. Like this has always been waiting.
We stay like this, pressed together, kissing like we’ve got nothing else to do but feel.
Because right now?
There is nothing else.
Just her. Just me. Just us.
And it’s perfect.
I’ve never had a moment like this. I’ve always kept it casual—no strings, no mess. But this woman right here?
She’s got me tied in a knot around her goddamn finger.
And the truth is…it scares me.
Just like I know this scares her too.
But here we are.