Chapter 15

Chapter

Fifteen

Eva suffered through the minutes, not even distracted by the movie playing on the screen and through her earbuds. She couldn't even tell what the movie was and keeping her eyes shut didn't help. She tried to breathe slow and easy. She could feel Miles's gaze on her.

They movie finished and she thought they had to be getting close to home.

She could keep her distance with Paul in the car, say thank you and goodbye, and never see Miles Coleville again. Her gut stirred with longing, and she had to focus on her ‘sleeping' pose. She was an actress. She'd held odder-looking and more uncomfortable positions for a lot longer than this, but she hadn't been an emotionally overwrought mess.

She should probably give Miles a chance to say his piece, but she couldn't do it. A spell-binding look from those blue eyes, a touch from his magical fingers, and she'd fall into his enchantment. He'd make her feel special, he'd light her up with his kisses, and he might even pretend to love her until he met someone more famous.

She could see it now. Miles would look exceptional in his suit and she'd be on his arm, feeling like she was special and Miles was head over heels in love with her. They'd be at an exclusive party she usually hated going to by herself, but with Miles, she'd be happy to go anywhere. Then he'd notice somebody—a beautiful actress, influencer, or politician. Bermuda Venus or Jezebel Noir. Those two would drool over a real man like Miles, a military hero, a tough cowboy. Miles was too classy to act on their invitations with Eva right there on his arm, but before long, he'd move on, just like every guy she'd dated since she left home.

It was ironic that Miles could stay devoted to one woman for thirteen years and then suddenly shift his loyalties. Eva couldn't sort it out in her mind. She feared he'd been infatuated with her as a star and assumed that meant they had a connection.

What was her excuse, then? She knew they had a connection. It blew anything she'd experienced with any other man out of the water. His touch. The way his blue eyes mesmerized her. Those kisses. Enchanting. Out of this world.

She touched her fingers to her lips and sighed with longing.

Her earbud was removed. The movie she'd been pretending to sleep to had shut off a while ago.

"Eva." Miles's husky voice was too close to her ear. His unique bergamot and pineapple scent made her pulse speed up.

Opening her eyes and pivoting to get a bit of space and focus on him, she sighed louder. The bow in his upper lip, his intriguing blue eyes, the shadow of a beard on his firm jawline. Why did he have to appeal to her on every level ?

"Have we been in the air long?" she asked brightly, pretending she had been asleep.

"Two and a half hours," he said, studying her. His blue eyes were wounded. Well, she was more wounded. He'd kissed her like the world was going to end minutes after kissing his girl. He'd dumped poor Lily because of Eva. That hurt too. She didn't want to be the cause of breaking up relationships. Everything hurt.

"Eva, will you listen to me?" His voice was patient and his eyes begged her to let him explain.

"Miles, it's … whatever." She put up a hand to shield herself and thought she sounded like a valley girl. She took out her other earbud and set them aside, studiously avoiding looking at him. "We had a little fling. I'm over it."

She shifted in her seat and closed her eyes, praying for strength. Her acting skills weren't even helping. She couldn't go through the heartbreak again, and with Miles … it would be a million times worse. She should hardly know him. Instead, she felt like he'd been created for her.

"A little fling?" Miles growled.

Her heart took off at the depth in his voice. She could not let herself look at him. This flight couldn't last much longer. They'd start to descend soon. She'd keep her distance until then.

Help me stay strong for half an hour more. Please , she begged heaven above.

"A little fling?" Miles repeated.

Eva squeezed her eyes shut. If she didn't say anything, she feared he'd do something drastic. What … she had no idea. How drastic could you get on an airplane? He couldn't storm into her space, cup her jawline with those strong hands, promise her forever with one look from his blue eyes, eradicate any fears wi th his beguiling lips. Her heart raced out of control at the mere idea of kissing him again. The brave, humble, enticing Miles Coleville was irresistible to her.

She heard movement and her eyes popped open. She looked over. Miles was out of his seat and stepping up to hers. The determination in those blue eyes knocked the oxygen out of her lungs. He bent down and unbuckled her seatbelt, brushing her arm, her abdomen, her hip bone. Thankfully her shirt covered her abdomen and hip bone. They still tingled.

Her breath came in gulps and her skin prickled with anticipation. That look in his eyes. He was going to kiss her and kiss her and kiss her.

Miles slid his hands under her legs and her lower back and easily lifted her out of her seat.

"Miles!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you doing?" She tried to make her voice sound indignant, but it was breathy and yearning. If she could channel the way Miles made her feel for her next rom-com, she'd sell out theaters around the world. But this wasn't a movie. This was real. Far too real. It was exhilarating and incredible and it hurt. She couldn't pretend and put herself into a role. Not with Miles holding her close.

He didn't answer. His jaw was set, and a muscle popped in it. He turned and settled back into his seat with her cradled against his chest, perched on his lap, her arms around his neck. She released him, and her hands slid along his neck until they rested on his broad shoulders. She relished the feel of his well-developed muscles under her palms and fingertips.

His breath was coming quicker too. "A little fling?" he said for the third time. She wished she could tease him about it, but she couldn't get a breath to do anything but somehow get through the next few moments. "Does this feel like a little fling to you?"

"No," Eva admitted before she could stop herself.

"Eva." Her name came out as a groan. One of his hands stayed around her lower back and cradled her closer while the other came up to frame her jawline, his fingers threading into her hair.

Eva groaned too. She slid her hands along his shoulders and around to grasp his upper back and hold on. His lips angled toward hers, and heaven help her, she arched up to meet him.

The instant of connection was as powerful as their kisses last night. Magic. Another world. Eva couldn't think straight, couldn't worry about a thing. All she could do was respond to the pressure of his ravenous kiss and prove she was even more hungry for him.

His mouth lit up her world and his hands worked an enchantment of their own, making her feel safe and cherished and loved.

They kissed and kissed and she savored each movement, each exchange, each promise of love and devotion.

"Please buckle your seat belts for landing," Paul's voice said over the intercom, dry humor evident.

Eva startled and yanked away, gulping for oxygen.

Miles gave her a conspiratorial grin. "I'm afraid he has a camera up there to make certain all is well back here without a flight attendant on board."

"Oh!" Eva exclaimed, and then she broke from Miles's grasp and scrambled off his lap and into her own seat. She tried to buckle her seatbelt, but her fingers were trembling. Giving up on that, she touched her mouth with her fingertips and reveled in the memory of another series of award-winning kisses .

Miles chuckled softly, and before she knew it, he was leaning over and doing her seat belt up. His fingertips grazed her arm, her abdomen, and her hip again. She was on fire and only wanted to kiss him more.

He took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. Brushing his mouth against her knuckles and bringing tingles to her flesh, he murmured, "We'll have to continue this when I get you home and we're able to talk everything out." He gave her a meaningful look.

Eva was in desperate trouble. She'd let down her guard completely. Again. He could claim this wasn't a fling, but she knew how this went down. She almost ripped her hand free to try to clear her fogged-by-Miles brain, but that would be too telling.

She found herself clinging to his hand as the plane descended quickly. Miles rested their joined hands on his muscular thigh and traced patterns on the back of her hand with his thumb. He seemed comfortable and satisfied that he'd proven his point with his kisses. He'd proven something. If only she knew what. The brain fog from kissing him wasn't clearing.

Once she got home and forced herself to tell him goodbye, then she could think clearly. Then she could get back to her life.

A life without him. Misery. Her glamorous, busy, fulfilling, successful life was all fake, all fluff, no substance, no magical touches, no tingling kisses. She would be in sheer misery without Miles by her side.

She risked a glance at him. He smiled at her, his blue eyes shining with hope. She felt the same hope rise in her own heart.

What had she gotten herself into? How was she going to save her heart from breaking in two? She had to be strong. Better a preemptive strike and explaining to him that they had no future rather than falling any deeper for the mesmerizing cowboy and military man who could devastate her when he walked away.

But no matter if she ended it now or let him kiss her a few more dozen times. Going on without Miles would devastate her.

Could she justify kissing him a dozen times first?

That was selfish and the opposite of what either of them needed. She'd get home and then she'd end this fantasy with Miles. Hopefully he'd come to his senses and go back to his Lily.

Her heart thudded dully in her chest. How was she going to rip her own heart out?