Page 63 of Tempting Miles
Then he starts walking toward me.
I swallow hard.
“Hey, boss. I’m happy to see you here,” he says with a genuine smile.
I nod, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear.
“So, what did you bring?” he asks after clearing his throat.
Thank God he’s a talker, because Granny’s little speech completely threw me off my game, and apparently, I’ve forgotten how to form coherent sentences around him.
“I made sugar cookies and decorated them with faroles,” I explain, feeling myself relax a little. Somehow, Miles always makes me feel like I belong.
“Faroles?” he asks as he moves closer. “What’s that?”
“It’s a traditional Colombian handmade lantern used during día de las velitas. It marks the official start of the Christmas season.”
“Sometimes I forget you’re part Colombian,” he says as he grabs one of my cookies.
I hold my breath, waiting for whatever he’s going to say next.
“But I think it adds another layer of awesomeness to you.” He lifts the cookie to his nose, smelling it beforetaking a bite.
A smile spreads across my face before I can stop it. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re super smart, beautiful, funny… and Colombian, which makes you unique around here. Like, who else in Azalea Creek would make cookies this detailed?”
I point toward Xander. “He’s Colombian too. His dad’s from Barranquilla.”
Miles scoffs. “Please.”
I laugh. “What do you mean? He is.”
“Yeah, but he’s not as cool and awesome as you are. Rain does all the cooking in that house.”
I shake my head, laughing softly. “Well, this is probably the only thing I can bake. You know I’m not exactly skilled in the kitchen.”
“That’s okay,” Miles says before taking another big bite of the cookie. Then he leans closer, his mouth near my ear. “I don’t need you to cook. I can cook for both of us. You do other important things I can’t.”
His words hit me straight in my core.
“Like what?” I ask, my voice softer than before.
“Like making me feel like I could actually matter to you.”
The kitchen suddenly feels too warm.
Or maybe it’s just him.
Behind us, someone laughs while another tray clatters onto the counter, but the sounds blur together beneath the quick thud of my heartbeat.
I’m stunned. “How do you figure?”
“The way you react to me, boss,” he says as he straightens up. His gaze drops to my lips, lingering there like he’s completely captivated.
I lick them on instinct, heat blooming beneath my skin.
His mouth tilts slightly at the corner. “It’s like I lit a fire inside you,” he whispers.
