I laugh. “He actually shellacked it so I couldn’t eat it.”
“He did?” She shakes her head and goes back to clacking away with her needles. “You see my point.”
“We were kids.”
“What about Finn?”
I sit back in my chair like she slapped me. We don’t talk about Finn, ever. I set down my cup. “I should get going.”
“Skye, wait. I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“That’s why it’s a fling. No one has to get hurt.”
I ride home hard,trying to pedal off some of my annoyance. How dare she imply that I will get attached to Miles? That I fall in love with every bloke I ever date. I run through the very short list in my head and pump my legs faster, as I see that she is infuriatingly right. There was Seamus in primary school, then Charlie in secondary school, and then, of course, Finn.
Just because I was serious with all of them doesn’t mean I will be with Miles. I’m older and wiser now. I can see love for what it is—abig, fat farce. Miles and I can just make out a bit while he’s here and say a fond farewell when he goes.
Riding down the road, wind in my hair, excitement bubbles in my throat. This is all going to work out. When Miles leaves, I will have a best-selling romance novel and a secret.
Coming around a sharp corner, I see a figure approaching me on foot. Miles is out for a run—sweat making his tight shirt cling to his torso. His body-hugging running tights leave little to the imagination, his powerful thighs flexing with every foot strike. Slowing down my bike, I hop off.
“Skye.” He waves, speeding up as he runs toward me. It feels like the scene in the airport at the end of the movie. The handsome man running toward the attractive woman with sleek hair, or in this case, me with my curls wild around my face, to tell her he loves her and can’t live without her. I shake those last thoughts out. No, this is just about attraction.
As he gets closer, I throw my bike down, run to meet him, and fling my arms around his neck. In one fell swoop, he hoists me up, his large hands on my ass. I wrap my legs around him. Our mouths meet like they are magnets, unable to resist the force of each other. It feels like years since our last kiss, even though it was only yesterday. I memorize the feel of his lips with mine. Soft, yet firm.
I pull back as I hear footfalls getting closer, and Miles puts me down. Ava runs around the corner, sweat glittering on her forehead. She literally doesn’t sweat; she sparkles. Miles and I move apart quickly like teenagers caught knacking in a car park. But I’m pretty sure Ava didn’t see anything.
“Skye.” She stops when she meets us, her eyes go wide, and she points to my bike abandoned on the side of the road, the back tire still spinning. “Did you get in a wreck?”
“Ah, no,” Miles says right as I say, “A wee one.”
Ava looks between us both. Miles wipes the sweat off his brow with the sleeve of his forearm, then says in a horrible impression of someone surprised, “You did? I didn’t realize.”
I resist the urge to shake my head. How can someone who is a brilliant actor be such a terrible liar?
“Just hit a bump.” I pick up my bike. “It’s fine. The bike’s fine. Everything’s grand.”
Ava smiles. “Ahh, well, we’re only about halfway into a five-miler, right, Miles?”
He nods, but his eyes are drinking me in. Goosebumps ripple the back of my neck. “Do you want to join us?”
I shake my head and put out my leg, pointing to the toe of my boot. His eyes follow the line of my leg all the way up my body to meet my gaze, his brown eyes smoldering. He bites the side of his lip. “Not properly attired.”
Ava waves. “Ahh, maybe next time.” She runs away.
Miles mouths,You’re killing me.I smile. He gives my butt a covert pat before he runs after Ava.
I pedal back to the castle as if my bike has wings.
MILES
Illicit kisses and brief touches fill the next few days. We are always interrupted, and I’m always left wanting more. Skye is a breath of fresh air. She is passionate, not just when we're kissing but when she talks about things. Even when she’s lamenting feeding those stupid chickens, there is a spark in her eyes. I’ve gotten so used to glossy people who try to act like magazine cutouts of themselves. Like an interview is being conducted all the time. But Skye is real.
Finding time to be alone is tricky. Ava insists on coming on my morning runs. That must’ve been her grand idea that I agreed to in the library when she first arrived. I don’t ever remember her asking if she could join me. It’s okay, really. I don’t mind her company, but if she weren’t with me, I might be able to run somewhere and meet Skye.
The evenings are tough, too. Every time we decide to try to sneak into one of our rooms, we are interrupted by one of the many people crawling all over this castle. Hollywood has thoroughly infested it, except for my assistant Jake who as it turns out isn’t coming. He called two days ago. On his way to the airport, he was in a car accident. He broke his leg and will need surgery, but he is lucky to bealive. I told him I’d hop a plane right back and help take care of him for once, but he wasn’t having any of it. His sister took some time off to stay with him.
It would be harder to hide my relationship with Skye if Jake were here. In fact, I know I couldn’t. I’d have to tell him, and that’s not possible. Skye and I agreed to keep it secret. I wasn’t in love with the idea at first. I’m more the wear my heart on my sleeve kind of guy. But I gotta admit, it’s kind of hot. Either way, it’s a necessity if I want to keep my role in this production, which, honestly, I’m not even sure about anymore. Thora is amazing, but I only have a handful of scenes with her. The bulk of my scenes are with Ty, who’s a constant pain in my ass. Natalie’s great, but she demands a lot, always asking me to dig deeper, give a little more. What if I don’t have more to give? What if the performance I’m giving is truly all I have, and it’s not good enough?
