Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65137 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 326(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“Let’s go for a walk,” Ian said, looking unfazed by Zach’s scrutiny.
Miles nodded. “We’ll be back soon,” he told Zach before pulling Ian toward the door.
Putting on their coats took much longer than it should have, mostly because Miles didn’t really want to step away from Ian even for a moment.
When they finally left the house, Miles’s hand was back in Ian’s.
“I’m sorry,” was the first thing Ian said, stopping on the porch and turning to him.
It was snowing, Miles realized belatedly, when a snowflake caught in Ian’s dark eyelashes.
“For what?” he said.
“For the way my sister treated you,” Ian said, a deep furrow between his brows. “Winifred told me that Amanda practically threw you out of the house. She had no right.”
Miles shrugged, playing with Ian’s fingers. “She just took my words badly. Given her history, it’s probably understandable.”
“What words?” Ian said.
“I wanted to see you,” Miles said. “But I’m no one to you, so I needed your family’s permission to be allowed into that fancy hospital you were in.”
Ian’s frown deepened, his eyes hardening. “And she didn’t let you? Why?”
Miles swallowed, his heart hammering in his throat. “I told her that I loved you.”
Ian went very still.
He just stared at Miles for a moment that seemed to drag excruciatingly long.
“Loved?” he said at last, his expression unreadable.
“Love,” Miles murmured, his face hot despite the cold weather.
He didn’t know what reaction he had been expecting, but it wasn’t the relieved sigh that left Ian’s lips.
“Okay,” Ian said, nodding. “That simplifies things.”
Miles stared at him before smacking him on the chest. “Seriously? I just told you that I love you, and you say okay?”
A wide grin split Ian’s face, making him look breathtakingly handsome and young. “You’re adorable when you get all indignant,” Ian said, pulling him closer and pressing their foreheads together. “What do you want me to say? That I love you, too?”
Miles shivered, his thoughts clouding from Ian’s proximity. “That would have been nice to hear.”
Ian dragged his lips over Miles’s cheek, his arms around Miles tightening. “You’re my favorite person in the world. Of course I fucking love you. And I’m taking you back with me. This month without you was bullshit.”
“This month? Try four,” Miles said, burying his fingers in Ian’s hair while his heart attempted to escape his chest from the sheer happiness. Ian loved him. “Why didn’t you say anything before, you prat? You could have told me that when I told you I was going home.”
Ian nipped at his jaw. “Well, you didn’t tell me that you loved me, either. If I knew, I wouldn’t have been so afraid of freaking you out.”
“Freaking me out?”
Ian heaved a sigh, nuzzling at his jawline. “I didn’t want to let you go. I wanted to make you stay, by any means necessary. But I thought it’d freak you out. My past girlfriends always hated how controlling I was. I didn’t want you to hate me, too.”
“Well, you are a controlling asshole,” Miles said wryly. “But I knew that already. I don’t mind. I trust you.”
Ian’s arms squeezed him so hard that for a moment Miles couldn’t breathe.
“I fucking adore you,” Ian said, his voice rough. “So much that it scares me. Waking up with you gone—it gave me a new perspective, I guess. I couldn’t even walk, but all I wanted was to come here and get you back.” He bit Miles’s earlobe, making him shiver uncontrollably. “It’s clearly pointless to pretend that I can leave you alone.” He pulled back a little to look Miles in the eye, his expression almost grim. “I’m not exaggerating, Miles. If you choose this, this is it: you’re mine, forever. I’m never letting you go. I know it isn’t very healthy, and I will try to change if you want me to, but I want to be honest with you: I’m not sure I’ll be able to do it, even for you—maybe especially for you. This is who I am.”
There was nothing romantic about Ian’s words. As far as love confessions went, it was kind of terrible.
But it didn’t matter.
Miles could feel how genuine Ian’s feelings were from the reverent, intense way Ian looked at him. Need and longing felt like a physical, tangible thing tying them together.
“I’m not exaggerating, either,” Miles said, cupping Ian’s cheek. “I know you. I’m not going to try to change you. I knew all your flaws when I fell in love with you. Don’t get me wrong: I’ll absolutely tell you if you’re crossing the line, and I can understand where your past girlfriends were coming from, but I’m not them. I love you the way you are. I don’t mind your overbearingness or your controlling attitude.” He grinned. “You can thank Zach for conditioning me to that.”
Ian’s gaze was searching as it roamed over Miles’s face.