“But from now on, we talk to each other. We figure shit out together.”
Anticipation lights up her whole face.
“I’m going to kiss you now.”
She nods without hesitation.
“And the second I do, sugar…” I lean closer, stopping just inches from her mouth. “You’re mine. No more casual. No more secrets. Deal?”
Her breath catches. “Kiss me already.”
I grin like a lunatic before finally claiming Ms. Penny Levine.
I kiss her like she’s mine now.
Because she is.
And our love story starts for real outside a gas station off I-85.
Chapter 31
Penny
Ifeel Iighter after coming clean to Miles.
Like I’ve been carrying a boulder on my chest for weeks, and he helped me set it down without even trying.
He was so understanding and mature. Didn’t yell. Didn’t judge me. Didn’t make me feel stupid for falling for Easton’s trap.
And whenhe looked me straight in the eyes and told me he was claiming me?
My inner cheerleader nearly blacked out.
Because this man—this incredible man—marched straight into a ballroom of Charlotte’s richest and most powerful people just to make sure I was okay.
Then, when he realized I wasn’t, he made it his mission to make me feel safe.
“We’re here,” Miles says as he turns into the parking lot of a ski resort.
“What is this place?” I ask, staring at the massive lodge ahead of us. The building is all dark wood, stone, and giant windows overlooking the mountains.
“The place where nobody will care who we are,” he says simply as he parks the truck.
“Shit.”
Miles freezes halfway through opening his door. “What’s wrong?”
“If I don’t have my wallet, then I don’t have my ID.” Penny creeps back in. “How are we going to check-in?”
My brain is already spiraling toward calling Mami, asking her to bring my things, and getting dragged right back into the chaos I wanted to escape.
So much for disappearing for a while.
Miles, however, looks completely unbothered.”
“Not true,” he says with a smug little grin.
I narrow my eyes. “What does that mean?”
