In the dim light, she could make out a faint smile. Moonlight suited Miles.
“I don’t need to. You’re the only star in my sky.”
Avery wrapped one hand around his back and cupped his cheek with the other.
“Miles,” she said in a delighted haze. “I’m so happy right now.”
He kissed her softly, and she nibbled at his lower lip. At some point his mouth worked its way to the spot below her ear.
“Help me solve the mystery of your undefinable, unmistakable floral scent,” he murmured, goosebumps blooming on her skin under his breath.
“It’s some kind of flower,” he said into her clavicle. “But I don’t know which one.”
“Magnolia,” she said. “Their flowers can be almost the size of a dinner plate. Their massive blooms sweeten the hot, humid air on summer evenings back home. There was a tree full of them by Mimi’s pool. I used to float in the water at night, ponder the stars, and lose myself in the scent.”
“It’s intoxicating.” He stopped kissing her and ran his thumb up to the band of her bralette.
She shivered into the buzz humming through her. Out on the lake, a loon called.
“We didn’t have loons, but it was a lot like this.”
“Lucky me. I’m getting the best of both worlds.” His thumb slipped under her bralette and slowly traced the curve of her breast. “I’ve waited a long few days and all I want to do is make you see more stars.”
“How about we both see stars? At the same time.”
Out on the lake, Avery savored every inch of Miles’s heavenly body, taking her time, giving him little bits of pleasure until he begged for all of her.
Afterward, she lay in that nook below his shoulder, the heady scent warm pine after an August rain filling her head. His long fingers stroked the length of her spine over and over. The boat swayed, as if still in their rhythm.
“The boat’s not done” She laughed.
“Give her a break.” He kissed the top of her head. “ She just got christened, and I’d say she lived up to her name.”
“So you do understand double entendre,” she said.
“In more ways than one.” He chuckled. “By the way, I didn’t name my boat Pole Position.”
“What?” She covered her face with her hands. “Ugh. I can’t believe I fell for that.”
“Hook, line and sinker.” He arced his hand in the air and plunked it down as if it were a cast fishing line sinking into the water. Miles’s shoulders shook as his laughter grew. “But the way it inspired you? I’m here for it.”
Avery smacked his chest and grinned. “What did you name it?”
“Another Summer,” he said, wiping a happy tear before kissing her forehead. “Because that’s always been the dream.”
“Perfect.” Avery pulled the blanket over them. Their breathing mingled, combined, and became steady. He kissed her forehead and left his lips there as they drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Eighteen
Miles
June 27 - Portland, Maine
Miles lowered himself onto the picnic table bench. Ah, soothing sunshine, salt air, and warm wood. Like getting into a car on a hot day, his entire body melted into a relaxed state. He and Avery had been shopping for furniture in Portland for the last few hours and it felt good to finally sit down and not have to evaluate what he was sitting on. Ever since they’d arrived, he’d tested countless couches and chairs to determine if he liked any of them enough to live with them for the foreseeable future.
“Miles,” she had said on the hour-long drive down that morning. “The goal today is to put you in your comfort zone, not take you out of it. I want you to love coming home. Snap your fingers if you don’t like something.”
A few nights ago, Miles had suggested finger snapping as their safe sign. He’d found it funny when she appropriated it for his interiordecorating anxiety. Picking a piece of furniture only to have to pick another piece in a complimentary color, while keeping the mood of the room consistent, required talent beyond his faculties. Had he been alone, he’d have left the store overwhelmed and empty-handed.
