Page 36 of Totally Off Limits

“Oh, I sure as shit have—and, believe me, that has not set well with the family.”

“But they haven’t disowned you—and they seem to still love you. That’s something.”

As a breath caught in Sierra’s throat, she realized Austin might be right, even if only a little bit. If nothing else, her parents accepted her. And they definitely loved Mia.

One thing was for certain—Austin had a way of helping her look at the world from a different perspective. She just had to decide if that was a good thing.

CHAPTER13

As they walked up the path to Sierra’s condo, Austin rested his warm hand on the small of her back. It emphasized how the air was a little chilly, but the shawl helped.

More than that, Sierra felt light and free for the first time in ages, and she had Austin to thank for that. One thing she hadn’t realized till now was what an easy friendship they’d always had. Even after feeling the effects of a broken heart as a teenager, something she’d always denied she felt, she hadn’t known how important having a solid friend could be.

Probably because in her life they’d been few and far between.Realfriends, anyway.

As she took her keys out of the tiny bag, she asked, “Did you want to come in for a bit?”

At first, he didn’t answer, and when she was done unlocking the door, she turned her head to look in his eyes in the dim light. It was then that she could see some sort of struggle, as if he couldn’t decide what he wanted to say. She searched his eyes until he pulled her into his arms, holding her close. In that moment, she remembered the intense emotions she’d experienced as his girlfriend in high school, those days when it felt like they would last forever. Just like back then, she got lost in his brown eyes, and as if her younger self had taken over her brain, she lifted herself up on her tiptoes to bring her face close to his. Closing the gap, he pressed his lips to hers and, as his tongue flicked at her lower lip before entering her mouth, her brain exploded with a chemical reaction, causing her body to catch on fire as she fought to hang onto the purse instead of dropping it to the ground in sheer abandon.

Over far too quickly, the kiss ended, and she forced her eyes open. Austin was gazing at her, his eyes a mixture of lust, yearning, and sweetness, and it made her breath catch in her throat. When he spoke, his voice sounded deeper, grittier as he seemed to fight against something inside himself. “Sierra, I would love nothing more than to come inside—but I want to take it slow. It’s been a long time and we’ve both grown in different ways. I don’t want to rush anything.”

Austin Ackerman, always a gentleman. And yet what did it say about him that he was assuming how the rest of their night would have gone had he entered her home? What did it say about her that she couldn’t see that far ahead? She had no idea what was stirring in his loins, but she knew his kiss had awakened something inside her. Maybe it had done the same to him. So she nodded. “That sounds like a plan.”

But he kissed her again as if tempting fate. Still holding her in his arms, he said, “I’ll call you—but I’m just a text away if you want to talk before.”

Sierra smiled and nodded as he let her go and she shifted, turning the doorknob. She considered asking him one more time if he wanted to come inside and thought better of it. Instead, she said, “Good night. Thanks again. I had a wonderful time.”

“So did I. Let’s do it again.”

“Sounds good.”

And then he turned, walking back towards his car.

After Sierra got inside and locked the door, she turned, resting her back against it, letting out a long breath. What the hell had just happened? How had they fallen back into such an easy relationship after all these years?

And why the hell was she thinking about him in that way again? With a slight shake of her head, she moved further inside and peeked through the drapes. She could see the headlights on his car as he backed out of the parking space, so she switched off the outside light and set her purse and shawl down on the sofa before heading into the kitchen.

What tonight had taught her was that Austin was still a nice guy—and she was actually wondering if the two of them had a chance again. As she took a glass out of the cabinet, her brain grappled with that notion.

Was that what she wanted?

Hell, no. Austin really was sweet from head to toe, but Sierra had gotten over him once. Besides, he was the man her parents wanted for her, not necessarily the manshewanted. Yes, in the moment, immersed in the emotions and the sensation of reconnecting, she’d considered it…but giving into that felt almost like she was selling her soul.

Pouring water into the glass, she asked herself out loud, “So what the fuckdoyou want, Sierra?”

Shaking her head, she downed the entire glass of water—and then she strode back into the living room where she picked up that tiny purse and fished out her phone. After finding Mickey’s number, she typed one text after another to him, deleting them before sending, trying to find the right words.

Finally, she settled on something short and simple:This is Sierra. Want to hang tonight?

* * *

Crankingthe music in her car didn’t drown out the thoughts in her brain. After Mickey had given her the go ahead, she’d all but run out to her car, jumping inside in the most unladylike fashion. She was still in that little black dress, even though she’d put a jean jacket on over it, and she was driving down a road she’d never taken before. It wasn’t too far from her parents’ estate but down a different county road that took her a bit farther up the mountain.

In the daytime, the view must have been spectacular. Was this the way they’d come for the wedding? In the dark, she had no way of telling and the trees and rocks beside the road didn’t seem familiar at all.

Still, her mind wasn’t on the scenery or the drive. In fact, she was trying to push everything out of her head because what she was doing right now was purely emotional. There was no rational thought, nothing she could justify or explain. For once, she was allowing her heart to guide her but even that was a bad idea, because she was confused, unsure.

No. She was sure about one thing. She wanted—needed—to see Mickey. They still had some kind of bond and she knew he’d be able to tell her what she needed to hear.

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