Page 12 of Boarding Pass
Lying in Miles’s arms, his heartbeat steady beneath my cheek, I can’t help but wonder about fate.
How a single impulsive decision—to stay in Paris a little longer, to walk into a random wine bar—could lead me here, to this moment that feels both impossible and meant to be.
Of course as I close my eyes, wrapped in the quiet rhythm of his breathing, doubt creeps in.
What if this is just a fleeting moment for him? A Paris fling…
Should I let him stay with me tonight?
Or should I ask him to go?
Chapter seven
Whathappensnow?
The room is quiet, except for the faint hum of the city beyond the window and the soft, steady sound of Sophie breathing beside me. She’s still asleep, her body curled into mine, hand resting lightly onmy chest. After the best sex of my life, I should feel content. Maybe even elated.
Instead, there’s a knot tightening in my stomach. A small voice in my head whispering my biggest fear.
What if this meant more to me than it did to her?
Staring at the ceiling, I realize the early morning light now spills across the room in pale streaks. I can’t stop replaying everything in my head. Meeting Sophie. Drinking wine. Our walk along the Seine. Discovering we were staying at the same hotel. The nightcap. Making love into the wee hours.
Last night was—hands down—the best time of my life. Unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Every word, every touch, every look, every kiss felt like it unraveled something inside me I didn’t even realize was tangled.
And yet, here I am, lying in the aftermath, feeling an old, familiar weight pressing down on me.
Though I try to hide it, I’ve always been good at second-guessing myself. Comes with the territory of being the gangly, nerdy kid growing up in my twin sister Shay’s shadow. Shay was everything I wasn’t—bright, popular, fearless. People gravitated toward her. She owned every room she walked into, while I was the one lurking in the corner. Playing computer games with my best friend. Hoping no one noticedme.
Even now, after building Hungry Llama, selling it for an absurd amount of money, and being able do whatever I want, there’s still a part of me that feels like I don’t belong. Lying here next to Sophie—this breathtaking, sophisticated, worldly woman—my old insecurities threaten to bubble to the surface all over again.
The truth is, I don’t want to be just a moment for her. A charming distraction. Some guy she’ll remember fondly someday, but not the one who fits into her real life.
Glancing at her, I watch the soft rise and fall of her shoulders. The way her thick, brown hair spills across the pillow. The peacefulness in her expression wasn’t there when I met her. Could it be because of me?
God, I want to spend extra time with her. See where this could go. But I also don’t want to overstay my welcome.
As if she knows I’m watching her, Sophie stirs and her eyelids flutter. I tense without meaning to. She shifts slightly, her gaze meeting mine. For a second, the warmth from the previous night flickers between us.
“Morning,” she murmurs, husky with sleep.
“Morning,” I reply, but the word comes too enthusiastic.
Awkward.
Sophie smiles but pulls back slightly, her hand slipping from my chest as she sits up, the covers pooling around her. A dusky pink nipple escapes and there’s a beat of silence, like neither of us knows what to say. Yesterday morning she and I didn’t know each other existed. Today, we’ve confided in each other some of our deepest secrets and I’ve been inside her body multiple times.
Yet, somehow the easiness we had seems distant now. Replaced by something fragile, uncertain.
I clear my throat, sitting up too, trying to fill the space. “I, uh… I hope I didn’t snore.”
“No.” Sophie’s smile remains pasted on her face, but I can’t help but notice it doesn’t quite extend to her eyes. She feels as unsure as I do. “After the dirty talk, you were quiet as a mouse.”
Jeez.
Memories of all the filthy things I said to her when we were fucking flood my brain. I’m sure my face is as red as a beet. Sophie unleashed something in me and I became the man I always knew lived deep inside me. Doesn’t mean I’m not feeling weird about it now.
Obviously. She and I are having the world’s most uncomfortable morning-after dialogue.
