Page 332 of His Virgin Romance Series

We watched in awe as meteors lit up the sky and painted the darkness in subtle color that left little vestiges of light in its wake. It didn’t last long… possibly only a minute at most, but it was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen.

“Wow,” I said, when the sky had gone dark again.

“Nature’s firework display,” Miles said, in a quiet voice.

“Thank you for doing all this for me,” I said.

Miles smiled. “I’d like to take credit for the meteor shower, but unfortunately that was all Mother Nature.”

“I mean for bringing me here and for wanting to spend tonight with me.”

“Who else would I spend it with?” Miles asked. “You’re the closest thing to family I have.”

I took his hand, not wanting him to feel alone. It must be terrible to have your parents close by and yet so far from your reach that you were practically strangers. At that moment, I was extremely grateful for my own family. They may be dysfunctional, but at least we loved and supported one another when it counted.

“You never have to pretend with me,” I told Miles.

He got quiet all of a sudden. “Sometimes… pretending is necessary,” he said.

“Only if you don’t trust the person you’re with,” I said. “Do you trust me?”

“Of course—”

“Then you can always be honest with me.”

Miles looked down at me with intense eyes, and I wondered if he was still thinking about this meeting with his parents.

“Gabby—”

Before he could finish his sentence, however, I had pulled his face to mine for a long, passionate kiss. It was nothing more than instinct. I just wanted to taste his lips; I wanted to breathe him in and lose myself in his body. This was the closest I’d ever come to wanting to have sex with a man, but I was still scared. I could feel his erection against my thigh, and I knew he wanted me, but I just… I wasn’t sure if I was ready for this step yet.

“Sorry,” I gasped, as I pulled away from him.

“You never have to apologize for kissing me,” Miles said, stroking my face as his hand circled my body.

He leaned in to kiss me again, but I tensed.

“Is everything okay?” Miles asked.

“I don’t know if… I can go all the way,” I admitted. “Not tonight.”

Miles nodded. “If you’re not ready, I don’t want to push you,” he said. “But you should know that I care about you more than you realize, Gabby, and I want you to feel safe around me, because you are safe with me. I’m never going to hurt you, and I’m never going to let you down.”

I smiled. “You promise?”

“I promise,” he said immediately.

“I just… I’m nervous.”

“About what exactly?” Miles asked.

“Sex is a big deal to me,” I said. “I’ve waited so long because I didn’t want to make a mistake and sleep with the wrong guy. I wanted it to mean something.”

“Are you concerned about how I feel about you?” Miles asked. “Because I think I’ve made it plain where I stand. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. You’re my muse… remember?”

I smiled. “I remember.”

Miles ran his hand up my shirt, and I felt his hot fingers on my bare skin and ironically, I felt a little shiver pass through my body. “I want you,” he said, whispering in my ear. “And if you’re not ready now, I will wait as long as it takes, but I just want you to know that… I wanted you from the first minute I laid eyes on you.”

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