Page 23 of Totally Off Limits

“Can I get you something else to drink then?”

“No, thanks. I imagine you’ll be wanting to head to bed soon, too. You work tomorrow?”

“Yeah, but I’m not ready for bed yet.” If Mickey weren’t here, she’d be studying—but that was the last thing from her mind right now.

She could see the question in Mickey’s eyes, almost like an opponent in chess, waiting for her to make her next move. But there was none. As if the mere suggestion was all it took to stir something inside her, Sierra couldn’t get the thought of kissing him out of her mind.

He didn’t know it and it was probably not the same story for him…but Mickey had been the last man she’d kissed, almost four years ago. And that night they’d spent together…that was supposed to be one shot, one time. Sierra hadn’t known it would create a bond between them forever—and he still didn’t know it.

And yet she wouldn’t have taken that night back, even if given the opportunity. Sometimes, aside from Mia, it was the only moment of pure happiness she could point to over the few years making up her adulthood.

So denying herself Mickey again was impossible, futile. The inches between them slowly disappeared as Sierra got closer to him as if by magnetic force. And now the question that had been in his dark eyes became an answer. Sierra couldn’t have resisted this man any more than she could have turned down a glass of water after hiking through the desert.

He was a part of her, whether he knew it or not. And something Sierra was just starting to realize was that heknewher heart and soul better than anyone else. Her parents and siblings didn’t get her, not by a long shot, and it wasn’t like she had any close friends who lived nearby. She’d made a few acquaintances during her stint at the hospital but her commitment to Mia meant she didn’t spend time outside work with others. And even the friends she’d made in nursing school had gone by the wayside as she’d taken time off to become a mother. They’d graduated and joined the workforce, most of them leaving Winchester for good. And her beautiful daughter, the love of her life—while the child was part of her, it wasn’t like she was a confidant or someone to lean on.

It reallywasMickey.

So when their lips got so close she could feel the warmth radiating from his skin, it felt as natural as the sun rising in the morning, as inevitable as spring giving way to summer.

As their lips melded, Sierra noticed the taste of Mickey’s tongue as it gently flicked against her lower lip…and her body, her mouth remembered. There would be no turning back, no stopping it now, because she needed Mickey like a child needs its mother.

Why had she asked him over in the first place?

Because she’d wanted someone who understood her. The man her mother was trying to push on her was more of the same—he was an extension of her parents, of expectations, of obligation…of a life she wanted no part of, of something she was dying to escape—and Mickey was the antithesis of that. Whether he was a mere representation or the manifestation of more, she wasn’t going to deny herself what she knew she’d find in him, even if only for one night.

Rest. Acceptance. Pleasure.

Not love. She knew that—and she was okay with it. Mia gave her all the love she needed.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she ran her fingers through his hair at the nape, still amazed that his hair was as long as hers. His tongue finally entered her mouth with firmness as he held her about the waist and pulled her close.

Comfort. Shelter. Peace.

Suddenly, Sierra’s entire body revved up for the inevitable. In anticipation, each nerve felt like it was on fire, waiting to be quenched by Mickey’s tongue. There was a gentle humming in her muscles as they grew taut, awaiting release. Her pussy grew wet, a sensation she hadn’t experienced since the last time she’d made love with this man. And as he sucked on her lower lip, she let out a soft sigh before wondering…would they do the deed here, on the couch, or would she risk taking him upstairs to her bed where Mia could potentially wander in?

She could close the door, of course.

But she didn’t think she wanted to wait long enough to head up there. Snaking her hands around to his chest, she let them drift down as his luxurious kisses kept her warm and on the edge. When she reached his waistband, she touched his zipper and began to pull it down slowly.

That was when Mickey’s lips left hers. “No.” Allowing her eyes to drift open, she searched his, wondering if she was misreading his signals. “Sierra, I would love nothing more than to be with you—but the last time that happened, you ran away.”

Desperate and without even thinking of particular words, she started to blurt out the first thing that came to mind. “I’m s—”

Pressing his finger to her lips, he said, “I care about you, Sierra, but I care about myself, too—and that’s why we’re not gonna do this.”

Disappointment spread through her veins like acid. She wasn’t angry or upset—in fact, she completely understood why he was denying her…but it didn’t console her. No longer trusting herself to say the right thing, she simply nodded.

“But that doesn’t mean I want to walk away. Since I’m gonna be in Winchester for a little longer, why don’t we hang out?”

“Yeah, I could do that. I work during the day.”

“I figured. What about Thursday night? Me and Sage already checked with the bowling alley to see when they had league nights, so we planned on pizza and a couple of games. I know he’d love to see you, too. What do you say?”

Her heart…God, her heart wanted him. Her soul, her entire being, not just her body. It was just that one part of her brain, the one that knew Mickey could never be part of her life that was holding her back.

Still…he was only going to be here for a few weeks. Why should she deny her heart what it wanted? Once Mickey was gone, things could go back to normal and she could settle into the life fate had dictated for her.

But her time with Mickey could maybe be a fire that kept her going for eternity. She’d be a fool to say no.

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