Page 55 of After You Returned

I wag my finger at him. “Only if I want to catch a wave.”

“Which is the entire purpose of a surfing class.”

“I agreed to attend a surfing class if I lost at bowling – which I didn’t, since you cheated – I didn’t agree to actually surf.”

“There’s nothing to compare to the feeling of standing on your board racing a wave.”

“I’m good.” I motion to the tiny bikini brigade. “Don’t you want to go help the other students?”

“Nope. I want to stay right here with you.”

“But they’ll write you a bad review.”

He snorts. “They’ll write me a bad review anyway unless I flirt with them.”

My stomach sours. This is what Miles’s life is. Flirting with pretty college students. Probably taking one home more often than I care to know about. This is why I can’t give him a chance. I can’t trust him.

Except he hasn’t responded to any of their flirting today. He’s kept his attention focused on me.

“Hey!” Miles squeezes my thigh to bring me closer. “Where did you go?”

I scan the horizon. “Pretty sure I haven’t gone anywhere since I refuse to go any deeper into the water.”

He glides his hand up and down my thigh. I nearly moan at the feel of his hand on me. His hands are big and strong. And yet gentle enough to bring me pleasure.

“Blaze, where did you go in your head?”

I sigh and give in. I might as well tell him. Maybe then he’ll understand why us dating is such a bad idea. “Thinking about all the college students you’ve flirted with in the past.”

“I’m not going to deny flirting with women in the past. It would be an insult to your intelligence. But I’m not a player. I’m not Zane. I don’t have sex with every woman I flirt with.” He clears his throat. “In fact, I haven’t had sex with any other woman for over a year.”

My mouth drops open. “Over a year?”

His cheeks darken. “No woman has interested me.”

“Except me?”

His gaze lifts to meet mine. “Always you, Blaze.”

“Miles!” Tiffany screams and Miles grunts. “I better go help her. You okay here on your own?”

“I can literally touch the sand with my toes.”

He squeezes my thigh before rushing off to help Tiffany.

As I watch, I notice how he avoids touching her and moves out of the way every time she tries to touch him. He wasn’t lying. He’s not interested in another woman. Not even when he could easily touch her in the name of ‘teaching’.

Silly sirens in the sea. I’m going to give in to him, aren’t I? I’m going to give Miles a second chance.

It’ll be fine. He won’t break my heart. He’s going to screw things up soon enough anyway. A few dates won’t hurt. It’ll be a bit of fun. Nothing more. Certainly nothing serious.

Chapter 19

Best surprise ever.

Miles

Relief smacks into me when I finally shake off the surfing class students and their advances to find Hazel putting the gear into the surf shack.