CHAPTER 1
-Excerpt from Torment starts now-
"It's just…you know I like you, right?" "Um." Of course Miles liked her. They were friends. Good friends. Luce chewed her lip. Now she was playing dumb with herself, which was never a good sign. The truth was Miles liked her. And she liked him, too. Look at the guy. With his ocean-blue eyes and the little chuckle he gave every time he broke into a smile. Plus, he was hands down the nicest person she had ever met. But there was Daniel, and before him there'd been Daniel too, and Daniel again and again and-It was endlessly complicated.
-End of Excerpt-
But Luce didn't want complicated. She wanted normalcy and safeness and trust-which was what she felt when she was with Miles. Which was also why she looped her arms around his neck and touched her forehead to his. She could hear the hitch in his breathing and feel the heat coming off his cheeks. "Are you sure, Luce? I mean, what about…"
She knew he meant Daniel, but she didn't want to hear it. Instead she leaned up and shut him up with a kiss. At first it was soft and sweet- like Miles- but Luce pressed harder and the kiss began to grow more heated. With pulses racing and tongues intertwining, Luce felt overwhelmed with passion. She slid her hands up his toned chest and rested them lightly on his shoulders. In turn, he twined his hands in her hair, his fingers getting tangled in her black curls. Eventually they pulled back for breath, still locked in each other's embrace. Briefly, Luce wondered what Daniel would think, but she pushed the thought away.
"Wow, Luce," Miles panted. "That was…"
"Amazing," Luce finished. And it was. Luce had never been kissed like that. In fact, except for Daniel (and Trevor, but he didn't really count) Luce had never been kissed. But that kiss with Miles just made her want more. Not just more kissing, but more him. It was completely different from being with Daniel, whose kisses just made her crave more physical things. But now, Luce realized, she did want more kissing, but she also wanted Miles. Everything that made him distinctly him; his personality, his eyes, his kindness, all of it. Luce's heart was beating double time and she reached out and curled her fingers in his hair, pulling him back to her. "Wait, Luce," Mile said. "I know you're upset right now, but you can't just cheat on Daniel. Whatever you two have going on, and whatever you're mad at him about, he deserves better than that."
Luce nodded, the passion in her eyes dimming to just a spark. "Fine, I'll talk to him. But I have no idea where he is; he kind of just shows up when he wants to," she said, sighing.
"He'll probably show up sooner than you think. Just talk to him," he said with a smile.
"I'll see you later, I guess." His blue eyes smoldering, he took a step forward and planted a kiss on her forehead. Luce's heart skipped a beat at his sweetness. He walked away, his steps light and buoyant. Luce touched her lips, savoring the tingling sensation that still lingered from their heated kiss. She stepped out further onto the deck. Something moved from the corner of her eye. She turned, and Daniel emerged from the shadows.