Page 23 of Off-Limits

But I don't regret it, not even a little bit. Because everything that happened last night… everything that happened between Mia and me… it was worth it. To be honest, I'm already wondering when we will do it again.

As soon as I hang up the phone, Mia's eyes widen with concern. "What did he say?" she asks. Her concern is evident, but she doesn't need to worry so much.

I sigh and run a hand through my hair, knowing that this conversation is inevitable now. "He wanted to know how we were doing," I admit. "He asked about you specifically."

"Oh God." Mia covers her face with her hands, groaning into them. "What did you tell him?"

"That you're good. Strong," I say, taking her hands in mine and pulling them away from her face. "And that's true, isn'tit? No matter what happens between us, you're still the same amazing woman you've always been."

She looks at me then, her eyes reflecting the myriad of things she's feeling—fear, excitement, maybe even a hint of sadness. "What are we going to do, Jake?" she asks. "About Ryan, I mean."

She's too worried for someone that, before, said she stopped caring.

I take a deep breath before responding, knowing that this is the most important decision we'll have to make together. At least for now.

"We keep it a secret," I say finally. "Until he gets back."

Mia nods slowly, chewing on her lower lip as she considers my words. "Okay," she agrees after a moment. "That makes sense. It's not like we can just spring this on him while he's deployed and risk him doing something… rash." She shivers at the thought.

I pull her close, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We'll figure it out together," I promise her. "When he comes home, we'll tell him everything."

She leans into me, pressing a soft kiss to my chest. "Knew you were going to say that," she echoes. "And I like it."

"Good," I say, smiling down at her. "Because I think we've both been doing enough alone for a while now."

Mia chuckles softly, snuggling up against me. "Yeah, we have."

There's a moment of silence then, and I can tell she's thinking about something, something she's not sure how to bring up but that she has to.

"What is it?" I ask gently, nudging her with my shoulder.

She looks up at me, her cheeks flushed pink. "It's just… this whole thing with Ryan. It feels like we're sneaking around behind his back," she admits and I realize she's not wrong. "And I don't want that to define us or our relationship. You know?"

I nod, understanding exactly what she means. "Me neither," I tell her. "But it won't always be like this. Once he knows, once we're free to be together publicly, everything will change."

"I hope so," Mia says.

"Hey," I say, tilting her chin up towards me with my finger. "It's going to work out. You'll see." And then, because I can't help myself, I lean down and press my lips softly to hers. She responds immediately, melting against me as our kiss deepens.

When we finally pull away, breathless and grinning like idiots, Mia rests her head on my chest again. "Okay," she says softly. "Until then, it's just us—secretly, sneakily, happily us."

"Deal," I say, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close.

???

The car ride back to Mia's parents' house is a blur of nervous glances, stolen touches, and electric tension that's almost palpable in the air between us. I catch her looking at me more often than not, her eyes lingering on my hands as they grip the steering wheel or her tongue darting out to wet her lips when she thinks I'm not paying attention.

And fuck if it doesn't drive me crazy.

I want nothing more than to pull over on the side of the road and take her right then and there. But we're playing withfire here, and one false move could send us spiraling into a mess neither of us wants, especially now that we've decided to keep our relationship a secret from Ryan until he gets back from deployment.

So I focus on the road ahead, trying my best to ignore the way her thigh is pressed against mine, the heat radiating off her body and making my own temperature rise in response. It's going to be a long two weeks if we're already feeling like this after just one night together.

But God, what a night it was.

As soon as we pull into the driveway, Mia turns to me, her eyes dark with desire. "We shouldn't," she whispers, even as her hands reach for my belt, tugging at the leather strap. "But I want you so fucking much right now."

I groan, leaning back against my seat as she frees my hardening cock from the confines of my pants. "Mia," I warn, but there's no heat behind it.

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