At first, I think I’m going to be disgusted by the taste of my own release, but the deeper the kiss gets, the more Miles’ hunger consumes me. Instead of embarrassment, heat coils low in my stomach, leaving me flushed and aching for more.
“So delicious,” he murmurs against my lips when we finally break apart for air.
“Ready for round two?” I ask breathlessly.
He raises an eyebrow. “That depends.”
“On what?” I ask, narrowingmy eyes.
“On the answer to my question.” He wears that cocky, confident expression so well, but the slight tremble in his lips gives him away.
Beneath all that swagger, he’s actually nervous.
“Yes,” I say softly. “Of course I’d love to enjoy the benefits of spending Valentine’s Day with you.”
His smile could melt the panties off every woman in Western North Carolina. He’s a handsome devil, and he knows it.
And for a few more weeks, he’s mine.
I’d be stupid to deny myself the best sex of my life before committing the rest of my days to a man I don’t love.
That’s what I keep telling myself whenever guilt starts tightening around my chest.
I know I should talk to Miles. I should tell him everything that’s going on.
But I know him. The moment he found out the truth, he’d go after Easton without a second thought. Part of me would probably enjoy the hell out of it.
But the fallout would destroy my father—and his company.
And I can’t let that happen.
Chapter 24
Penny
The doorbell rings right as I’m smoothing a clay mask across my cheeks.
“Ugh. Who could that be?” I murmur, avocado hair mask dripping down the back of my neck as I make my way toward the door.
Could it be Mami? Shit, what if Easton’s mom told her we’re getting married?
Oh hell. I thought I’d have more time to think about how to break the news to my parents—I’m screwed.
I lean toward the peephole, but instead of seeing who’s outside, I smear clay all over the wood.
“Great.” I grab the nearest paper towel from the kitchen. “Now I have to clean that too.”
“Ms. Penny? Are you there?” Gerome, the building’s doorman, calls through the door.
“Yes! One second,” I shout back while spraying disinfectant onto the mess. If there’s one thing I can’t tolerate, it’s a mess.
Especially when everything already feels chaotic enough.
For the first time in my life, my head and my heart seem determined to destroy each other, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t figure out which one I’m supposed to listen to.
Maybe that’s why I came back to Charlotte this weekend. Maybe I just need my mother.
“Oh, Ms. Penny, I apologize. I didn’t realize…” Gerome lowers his gaze the second he sees me.
