Page 147 of Tempting Miles
And I’ve never meant anything more in my life.
“Ready, boss?” Miles asks as he helps me out of his truck.
“Yes.” I release a slow breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
The moment we step into the club, memories slam into me all at once. The dread. The panic. The certainty that my life was over and I had no choice but to marry a weasel to save my family from public humiliation.
Then Helen’s shitty voice echoes in my head, reminding me what was at stake if I didn’t follow through.
I stop walking.
“Hey.” Miles turns toward me. “You don’t have to do this, sugar. You owe him nothing.”
Inhale deeply before nodding.
“It’s okay.” I squeeze his hand tighter. “But I want to do this. I want him to see me—us—happy.”
Miles smiles, then gently squeezes back.
The second we walk into the main restaurant, conversation around us grinds to a halt. Every head turns our way.
It’s obvious people were expecting us.
Instead of shrinking beneath the stares, I lift my chin higher and hook my arm through Miles’s.
“Penny,” Easton calls out.
His demeanor changes the moment he notices Miles, and it immediately puts me on edge.
The welcoming smile he greeted me with vanishes, replaced by an ugly scowl.
“I didn’t realize he was coming with you.”
“Miles and I are together,” I say coolly. “I don’t see why he wouldn’t.”
To my surprise, Easton nods once.
“You’re right.” His tone turns tight. “I apologize."
He motions for us to take a seat.
Miles pulls my chair out for me before sitting beside me.
“Are you in the mood for lunch?” Easton asks. “I had them make sure they still had the salmon salad you love.”
I offer him a polite but distant smile. “We don’t have much time. We’re heading back home right after this.”
“Right.”
Easton clears his throat, clearly trying to regain control over the situation. His eyes move from Miles to me.
“I don’t know what came over me, Pen.” He lowers his head, muttering something I can’t quite catch. “Actually, I do. I let my mother fill my head with lies and venomous thoughts about you and your family.”
A rough, hollow laugh leaves him.
He looks unhinged.
Miles must sense my discomfort because his hand lands on the table with a hard thud.
