Touch Me ✔

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"So then Oliver puts down the artifact to show off. And in the process, he knocks over this expensive ass statue. It shattered like an explosive. Just everywhere," Miles told me, raising his hands briefly to paint the image of the chaos, "You should have seen the guy's face."

I was immersed in Miles' story. We sat on a loveseat; one of many pieces of replacement furniture he had added to his previously destroyed room. I had rested my legs across his lap, tilting my head back against the sofa as I watched him with amusement.

We had been keeping each other company for hours and it only felt like minutes. I didn't need Miles' words to know something was up and I didn't need a warning to know I wasn't allowed to leave this room. I thought perhaps we were in danger, maybe of the Exodus coven or someone else. Or maybe I was in trouble for stepping out of line and completing a rescue mission by myself.

Still, Miles was back and he was safe. He was healthy, without a single mark of harm remaining on his form. And he hadn't taken my life despite the fact that I had offered it. More than that, when prompted for honesty, he admitted to avoiding a single witches' death. Even though they had captured and harmed him, he had followed my wishes. This fact didn't come without begrudged mumbling and curses of course.

"The guy would have forgiven it, but when he asked for his delivery, Oliver apparently walks up to him and gives him a random Buddha figurine. The idiot had grabbed some random object and just hands it over because he forgot what the artifact looked like," Miles gave me a blank look which only proved to set me off into a fit of laughter. "Of course you'd find his idiocy entertaining, Kat."

"You love him," I responded with amusement. "He loves you, too. He was the first one to offer to rescue you from the witches."

Miles scoffed, but didn't deny otherwise.

"I bet I can guess the first person to suggest abandoning me completely," He told me simply.

"Theo," We both stated in unison and I laughed with mirth.

"What a laugh you have," Miles purred with sudden pleasure, causing me to halt my said laughter mid-breath. A blush flooded over my skin rapidly and I looked away shyly. "Sorry. I'm not sure what to do with myself. I guess you could say you're my first." I looked back at him just as quickly.

"What do you mean?" I asked with a frown.

Miles suddenly reached for me, grasping my wrist with one hand and moving his arm behind me before pulling me to him swiftly. I gasped at his touch, feeling breathless with my body suddenly so close to his. His lips were inches from mine, but he didn't move to claim them. He watched me curiously, moving his mouth from above mine towards my jaw and lower carefully. I moved with him without thought, my body offering each part he moved towards without hesitation. And still he didn't take anything.

"I'm in love with you," Miles admitted absently as if the fact were equivalent to stating his hair was blonde or that he was a man. It startled me. I tilted my head to catch his eyes with mine and was greeted with a dangerous smile. His hand still kept my wrist in his grip, but he was stroking my skin so lightly that I knew I could pull away if I wanted. "I've had women before, but never love. So you'd be my first."

My nerves were on edge. I felt my lungs tighten with a familiar feeling, but at the same time it was altogether new. I had to push myself to respond.

"What if it's just the imprint?"

"I've felt drawn to you since the moment I touched you. I've craved you, but I never truly loved you," Miles answered thoughtfully, watching his own fingers trace my wrist slowly. He turned his eyes to mine carefully. "Not until you risked yourself to save me. Why would you do such a stupid thing? After what I did..."