“It has,” I agreed, folding my arms and leaning against the doorframe. “Do you want to come in?” I tried for casual, as though I didn’t care if he came in or not. I was just being polite. It was technically his cabin, after all. But my voice caught on the last word, and it came out sounding a little too vulnerable.
For a second, he looked like he would take me up on my offer, but then he straightened, a fresh determination appearing on his face. “You know I’d love to, but I’ve got to pack for my trip.”
He grinned and took a step backward on the porch. Suddenly, a ripe annoyance flooded my insides. I had wanted some space. That didn’t mean he needed to give me all of the space. I just didn’t want to proclaim my undying devotion to a man I didn’t even like a week ago. That was all. There had been a lot of changes between us this week. Maybe a bit of reflection and going our separate ways for a few days would be a good thing. It was a very reasonable thought process. But the way he was going about it made me want to snap his overly attractive lumberjack face off.
Or kiss him.
“Wait.” My fingers clenched in a ball as I strode out from the cabin, stopping directly in front of him. His eyes widened with delighted anticipation at my approach. Maybe two could play this game. He wanted me to miss him? Fine. I would make dang well sure he’d miss me, too.
I reached out and grasped the back of his neck with both of my hands and pulled his lips down to meet my own. I could feel Miles resisting for about one second before his arms locked around me, pulling me closer and higher until my toes didn’t touch the ground. Though it was the middle of winter, instant fireworks flew between us. Knowing we wouldn’t see each other for the next ten days made this moment that much more important. Giving him everything I could, I ran my fingers gently across his jawline, feeling him kiss me under my palm. He set me down on the ground, still kissing me. One of his hands found its way to my cheek, his thumb stroking my face gently before moving to trail across my neck, getting lost in my hair.
Though I didn’t want to admit it—and I strongly suspected Miles didn’t either—we both didn’t want to end this kiss, which was why it went on for a good long while.
Finally, when the need for oxygen won out, I pulled back, air filling my lungs. Miles had a slightly dazed expression on his face for a moment before carefully hiding it away.
“I feel like you’re playing your cards a little strong here,” he mumbled, smiling at me. His arms were still wrapped comfortably around my waist.
“That’s where you’re wrong. I don’t even know what game we’re playing.”
He laughed. With a look in his eyes of simmering passion, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to my cheek before releasing me. “See you in ten days, Spanks.”
TWENTY SEVEN
“I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”
Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice
It had been four days since Miles and I said our goodbyes at the cabin. Three days since the goodbye breakfast Miles was unable to attend due to his meetings in the city. Three days since we found out Mom and Russ had won the Bingo Blackout. I hadn’t even realized they were participating, but apparently, they did so in secret. When they won the cruise package, they promptly gave it to Ben and Chloe for a babymoon getaway, offering to watch the girls while they were gone. Chloe and her hormones had her bursting into tears. Well, actually, there hadn’t been too many dry eyes at our table. That was the second time in two days I found myself giving Russ a hug.
True to his word, Miles hadn’t contacted me at all. Which was just fine. Great. He was a man of his word. Giving me space to figure things out. That was good to know. One point for Miles.
Millie had tried calling several times, but I avoided every one of her calls—and the five hundred messages she left via text. She was going to want details I didn’t have for her. I was still a bit miffed at her audacity to set us up like that, as well as the fact that she had been right—played me like a fiddle, to be exact.
For some reason, I just wanted to soak in my bathtub and read something, which lately had been the first three books of the Landfall series by one Miles Taylor. I refused to judge myself for this. It had nothing to do with me missing anybody. The fourth book was coming out in May, and I needed a casual reread to remind myself of all the details I might have forgotten. （Full disclosure, I had forgotten nothing, which happens when you’ve read a book series so many times.） So far, my days at home had consisted of me watching movies, cleaning, and immersing myself in the fascinating world of the dung beetle and their mates. Yes, I had brought the manuscript with me to Vermont and promptly forgotten all about it. It was actually a good thing I’d waited until now. My mind went into editing mode and left me with little else to think about. Although, I now had a few disturbing visuals of a mating pair of dung beetles rolling around in my head. But for the most part, except for the time I spent eating, breathing, taking a bath, and sleeping, I never once thought about Miles.
Tyrok had just climbed to the top of Mount Spurn, barely evading the pirates chasing after him, when my phone dinged with a text. The sudden sound caused me to jolt in the bathtub, the water sloshing against the side. I almost didn’t look at my phone, thinking it was Millie, but it wasn’t. If seeing Miles’s name lit up across my screen didn’t give away my feelings, the smile bursting across my face mixed with my pounding heartbeat sure did.
MILES: This is me not calling you.
ME: This is me not answering.
MILES: I don’t wonder how you’re doing one bit.
ME: And I couldn’t care less if your having a good time in New York or not.
MILES: you’re
ME: That was Autocorrect! Not me!
MILES: What part of our history makes you think I’d believe that?
ME: GIF of Michael Scott’s annoyed face
MILES: GIF of James Franco’s winky face
MILES: It's too cold for me to want to do much here, not that you care. I’ve mostly been sitting in my hotel trying to read an old book my “friend” recommended.
ME: Well a “friend” gave me an old movie for Christmas and I watched it last night. Not that it’s any of your business.
MILES: You watched The Terminator without me?
ME: Are you reading Jane Eyre without me?
MILES: You’re pathetic, Spanks.
ME: Ditto, Taylor.
MILES: I sure don’t miss you.
ME: I don’t miss you either.
MILES: P.S. Jane Eyre is growing on me. But I have to take A LOT of breaks while reading.
ME: Big words can be intimidating. Just keep at it. By the way, I still can’t find one redeemable piece of literature fodder in The Terminator.
MILES: Now THAT is a wound straight to my heart.
ME: I guess my job here is done. Goodnight, you.
MILES: Goodnight, Spanks. I’ll see you in six days, but I’m not counting.
ME: That soon? Wow.
MILES: I’m going to kiss the crap out of you when I see you.
I dropped my phone to the side of the tub so I could laugh and cover my face, finally allowing Miles’s flirtations to go straight from my grinning cheeks to my heart.