Page 10 of Boarding Pass (Hearts Without Borders #1)

Chapter ten

I wake up to the steady sound of Miles breathing.

My cheek rests on his chest as the initial vestiges of morning light filter through the curtains into the room. I feel safe here, wrapped up in him. His warmth anchoring me to the moment .

Miles smells like clean soap, cedar, and a hint of salt from the ocean air—comforting and familiar, with a trace of leather and citrus.

I decide to keep my eyes closed. Stretch this quiet bubble of time just a little longer. I notice something’s off, though. Miles’s breathing is steady, but there’s tension in the rise and fall of his chest—like he’s somewhere else entirely.

When I’m ready, I tilt my head up to find him staring at the ceiling, brows slightly furrowed, lost in thought.

“Morning.” I stroke his nipple gently until it puckers.

He glances down at me, forcing a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Morning.”

My heart pinches at how far away he looks. Like he’s here, but not really. “You’re quiet. Is there something wrong? Did my parents scare the shit out of you?”

“No. Well…” For a moment, I think he’s going to brush it off, but instead, he lets out a slow breath and rubs his hand over his face. “I’ve been thinking about something I did a while ago.”

“Oh?” I prop myself up on my elbow.

He hesitates, like the words are heavy and he’s not certain he should let them out. Eventually, he glances at me, his eyes raw and uncertain. “Have you ever said something you regret? Something making you wonder if you’re even capable of not screwing up the things that matter?”

The gritty honesty in his voice catches me off guard, but I nod. “Yeah. Of course. I think everyone has.”

“God.” He exhales again, his thumb tracing absently over my shoulder. “It’s about Shay and Austin. When I found out they were together, I didn’t handle it well.”

He doesn’t say anything else at first. It’s almost like he’s wading through the memory and picking his words carefully.

“I said things to her I can’t take back about things she can’t control.

She’s my twin. I love her more than anything, and I still managed to hurt her.

” His gaze fixes somewhere past me. “I mean, we’re all good now.

I think. Sure, I lashed out because I was scared.

I didn’t know how to deal with the thought of losing her.

Of losing Austin, too. They’re the two people I’m closest to and it felt like they lied to me when they got together.

Shut me out. I was so afraid of being left behind, I didn’t realize how much damage I was doing. ”

I watch him carefully as he speaks. How his expression shifts between regret and something deeper—making my heart ache for him.

“I thought I was protecting her,” he continues.

“But I was just protecting myself. I didn’t get it.

I didn’t understand what it meant to care about someone so much you’d risk everything for them.

I thought they were being reckless, but the truth is…

they knew . They knew what they felt, and they chose each other. ”

Miles turns to look at me, his eyes holding mine like he’s searching for—reassurance, maybe? Understanding. “I didn’t get it until now. Until you .”

His words unravel something inside me I didn’t know was wound so tight. My heart stutters and I feel my pulse race as the weight of what he’s saying sinks in.

For a moment, neither of us speaks. I can see how hard this is for him. How much it took to let me see this part of him. I grip his hand, lacing my fingers through his and squeeze gently.

“You’re not going to hurt me, Miles.” I trace the scruff on his chin with my free hand. “I know you won’t.”

His lips twitch like he wants to believe me but doesn’t quite know how. “I don’t want to mess this up,” he whispers against my ear. “Whatever this is. Sophie, it feels huge. I want to be worthy of it. Of you.”

The vulnerability in his voice makes my chest tighten, and I lean in, brushing my lips against his. Our kiss is slow and soft. A promise as much as a kiss. When we pull back, I let my forehead rest against his.

“You are,” I whisper. “You already are.”

“Fucking hell, do you know what you do to me?” Miles growls as he moves over me, each muscle flexing with his movement.

He places one leg between mine against my core, cups my breast and kisses me like we didn’t spend all night making love. I have no shame in grinding against him, whimpering when the stimulation to my clit sends zings up my spine. “Oh, Miles. Yessss .”

“You’re so fucking perfect.” He kisses down my neck to my collarbone. “I can’t keep my hands to myself. Your body is what dreams are made of.”

I dig my fingers into his scalp, pulling him closer to me. “The things you do to my body are what dreams are made of, silly. For the record, I have an IUD and haven’t needed condoms in a very long time. If you feel safe with me, we can skip the condoms.”

“I’m clean too, I promise. I’d never hurt you, baby.” He snarls wolfishly, and the irony isn’t lost on me.

I nod and grind against him again, soaking his leg but making us both sigh in anticipation of what’s next.

Miles sucks my nipple between his lips, then nips it.

Does the same with the other one. Alternates sucking and biting them until they’re stiff and red.

My hands work their way down to his cock.

He’s rock hard and I love his deep gasp when I stroke him from root to tip.

My hips officially have a mind of their own, circling and pulsing as we grind together.

He’s not even inside me yet, and I feel like I’m on the edge of splintering into pieces.

He bites the skin above my breast and smiles up at me as he shifts position to nudge my opening with his shaft, framing my face in his hands.

“I love to see your face when I sink inside you.”

My breath hitches when he presses just the tip inside, waiting for me to adjust to him. “You’re everything .”

“No, you are.“ He pushes in farther. “You feel so damn incredible.”

“I can’t believe how incredible sex with you is,“ I agree as he buries himself balls-deep inside me and I grip both of his ass cheeks and flex around him and he cringes.

He grips my cheeks. “I keep telling you, if you keep your sexy little trick up this’ll go way faster than either of us want.”

I repeat the motion. “You’ve not disappointed me yet.”

“Shit,” he mutters and then begins to move.

Slow and steady, but I grip his ass and hitch my thighs a bit higher, and we both lose it.

He picks up the speed and I hang on for dear life as my orgasm builds, shooting through me and leaving me a complete noodle.

Miles joins me, blurting out my name before collapsing next to me.

His hand slides up to cup my face as he kisses me again—deeper. Sweeter. Like he’s trying to tell me everything he can’t quite say.

When we eventually break apart, I brush my fingers along his jaw. “My parents were spot-on, you know. I don’t think this kind of connection happens by accident.”

“I don’t think so either.” He wraps his arm around me.

For a moment, we just stare at each other, the air between us charged but steady. It’s strange how someone can come into your life and feel like they’ve always been there, like they were just waiting to be found.

“So,” I say. “Where do we go next?”

The boyish smile I’m starting to love tugs at his lips. “Wherever you want.”

“Cool.” I settle back against him. “Because I don’t want this to end yet.”

“Me neither.” He pulls me closer.

I close my eyes and let the steady rhythm of his breathing calm me.

Who knows what the next few weeks will look like.

Funny thing is, I’m not afraid to find out.