This is dangerous.
Sheis dangerous.
And the worst part? I don’t want to stop.
Chapter Sixteen
Sienna
The spa doorsswing shut behind us with a soft whoosh, and the midday sun hits me like a slap. My skin is still humming everywhere Milo touched, and I’m aching in places that have nothing to do with muscle knots.
Milo walks beside me, close enough that our fingers brush every other step. Every accidental touch feels electric now, like my body has decided his skin is the only thing that matters. I catch him looking at the strap of my sundress slipping down my shoulder, at the way my breasts move when I breathe, at my lips like he’s remembering how they felt against his last night.
His gaze is heavy. Dark. Hungry. I don’t call him out on it, though. I don’t tease. I just let the silence stretch between us until it’s almost unbearable, thick with everything we’re not saying.
When we round the last curve, the pool comes into view, and I spot my family instantly. They’re under one of the large cabanas, laughing hysterically. Aria’s gaze drifts toward us like twin instinct knew I was coming. Her mouth drops open, her sun hat nearly flying off as she waves enthusiastically at us.
“Sienna! Milo!” she shouts across the pool area, causing heads to turn. “Come over here and eat with us! We’ve orderedway too much food—quickly though, before Dad eats all the shrimp skewers!”
I laugh, the sound bubbling out before I can stop it. Without thinking, I grab Milo’s arm and pull him along. His skin is warm under my fingers, and he flexes slightly, like he’s acknowledging the touch… like he likes it.
There’s a six-foot folding table set between the loungers, draped with a white tablecloth, holding an impressive spread of food. Mom, Dad, and Ethan are already settled on the other side. Milo and I drop onto the same lounger as Aria, so close that our thighs press together.
Mom beams as she passes us plates. “You two look oddly… relaxed.”
“We were just at the couple’s massage.” I sigh dreamily.
Her face lights up. “How was it? Dad and I have ours booked for tomorrow.”
I feel my cheeks heat instantly. Under the table, Milo’s fingers brush my thigh in slow circles that make my breath catch. He’s reminding me exactly what his hands felt like gliding over me. I swallow hard, pressing my thighs together on instinct, but that only traps his hand closer.
I’m soaked. Aching. And we’re literally surrounded by my entire family.
“It was… intense,” I manage, my voice a little breathy. “Milo’s got magic hands. He found knots I didn’t even know I had.”
Milo chokes on his water, coughing so hard I have to thump him on the back. He recovers quickly and side-eyes me, his lips twitching. “It was… educational.”
“Don’t let her flatter you too much,” Dad chuckles. “She’s got a way of twisting compliments into traps.”
Milo nods once. “Noted. I’ll keep my guard up.”
Aria pops a grape into her mouth, grinning. “Good luck with that. Sienna’s been dismantling guards since she was five.Remember the time she convinced the neighbor’s kid his bike could fly if he pedaled fast enough?”
Ethan bursts out laughing. “Did he break anything?”
“Just his pride,” Dad responds. “And the fence. But Sienna talked her way out of it—said she was ‘testing gravity’ for a school project.”
Mom shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “Always the adventurer. That’s our girl—never one to sit still.”
I stab a shrimp a little aggressively and pop it into my mouth. The garlic butter explodes on my tongue, but it does nothing to dull the annoyance bubbling under my skin. I know what’s coming. I can see it in her eyes.
She leans forward. “Speaking of adventures, honey… have you thought any more about what we talked about?”
I swallow the shrimp, and the garlic is suddenly too strong. “Mom, we’re at lunch. Can we not?”
“We’re just saying, Sienna. Aria has found her person. We want that for you too,” her eyes soften. “Happiness and stability.”
And just like that, my perfect day is ruined, once again, by this stupid “settling down” bullshit.
