Page 3 of Off-Limits

Chapter 2

Jake

Sitting here across from Mia, her words hanging heavy in the air between us, I can't help but feel a sense of amusement at our current situation. Here we are, two adults who've known each other for years, dancing around this tension that's always lingered beneath the surface. It's like we're playing some elaborate game of cat and mouse, neither one willing to admit just how much we want to pounce.

But despite the humor of it all, I know we need to steer clear of that particular conversational rabbit hole—at least for now. Mia's always been proud, never one to wear her heart on her sleeve or ask for help when she needs it. If she thinks I'm laughing at her, she'll clam up faster than a steel trap.

It's kind of weird that we're talking about this all of a sudden, especially tonight, when she just came back. But she's the one who brought it up, so that's on her.

Keeping what I know in mind, I decide to change the subject entirely, hoping to lighten the mood and get us back onto more solid ground, even though she's probably not going to like it.

"Regardless," I say, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees, "you know what we need? A proper welcome-home celebration."

Mia raises an eyebrow at me, clearly taken aback by the sudden shift in topic. "What do you mean?" she asks warily. She's probably asking herself what my plan is. She doesn't need to worry. I'm not planning anything dangerous. Not yet, anyway.

I grin, spreading my hands wide. "Just what I said. You've had a rough few weeks, and now you're back home. We should mark the occasion."

She rolls her eyes, but I can see the corners of her mouth twitching like she's trying not to smile. "And how exactly do you propose we do that?"

"Well," I say, standing up and rubbing my hands together in mock excitement, "for starters, I think it's time for a movie marathon."

Mia laughs softly, shaking her head. "You want to watch movies? Now?"

"Why not?" I ask, feigning offense. "It's a perfectly reasonable way to spend an evening. Plus, it'll give you something to do besides ruminating on your ex and all his many flaws."

She snorts at that, but she's smiling now, really smiling, and the sight of it sends a warmth spreading through me. This is what I wanted—to see her laugh again.

Heading towards the TV cabinet to rifle through our movie collection, I can feel Mia's gaze on me, her eyes narrowingsuspiciously. "Jake," she says after a moment, her voice laced with skepticism, "what are you really up to?"

I glance back at her over my shoulder, feigning innocence. "What do you mean? I'm just trying to be a good host and make sure our guest of honor is properly entertained."

She crosses her arms, not buying it for a second. "You can't seriously expect me to believe that you're suddenly interested in having a movie marathon at midnight on a random Tuesday."

I turn back to the movies, hiding my smile as I scan the titles. "Well, it's not like we have anything better to do," I point out. "And besides, I thought this would be a nice distraction for you. You know, something to take your mind off... things." I gesture vaguely towards her with one hand, hoping she'll let it go.

But Mia isn't so easily deterred. She crosses the room to join me by the TV cabinet, her eyes scanning the spines of the movies as if looking for some hidden meaning in my selection. "You know what I think?" she says after a moment, her voice soft but firm.

I turn to face her, raising an eyebrow. "What do you think?"

She meets my gaze head-on, her chin tilted defiantly. "I think you're trying to change the subject because our last conversation was getting a little too... intense for your liking."

I freeze, caught off guard by her directness. It's not like Mia to call me out on something like this, especially when it comes to our own feelings and desires. But then again, she's never been one to back down from a challenge, or to let someone get away with avoiding an issue.

"Mia," I begin, my voice carefully neutral, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mia's eyes narrow as she studies me, clearly not buying my attempt at nonchalance. "Come on, Jake," she presses, taking a step closer to me. "You can't just drop a bombshell like that and then expect us to move on like nothing happened."

Doesn't she remember that she was the one who brought up that topic in the first place?

I swallow hard, suddenly very aware of the proximity between our bodies. Her eyes are locked onto mine, challenging me to tell her the truth. And God help me, I want to. I want to tell her everything, that I still can't stop thinking about her, that I've fought against my feelings because of her brother's trust in me (I may have even already told her that multiple times directly or not), and that now, seeing her here like this... it's testing every ounce of my self-control. And she knows that, and that's why she's sexy and irresistible.

But I can't. Not yet. Because if I start down that road, there's no telling where we'll end up, and right now, with Ryan deployed overseas and our families trusting us to look out for each other, it feels like a line we shouldn't cross. I just don't want to fuck anything up.

So instead, I take a deep breath and try to defuse the tension, hoping she won't notice the slight tremor in my voice. "Mia," I say softly, "I just thought it would be nice if we could spend some time together without... all that hanging over us."

She hesitates for a moment before taking another step closer, her gaze never leaving mine. The air between us feels charged with electricity, and I can practically see the thoughts racing through her mind as she considers my words. There's a lot to unpack in that moment. Can she handle it?

Then, just when I think she might call me out on my bullshit, she surprises me by letting out a small sigh and givingme a tentative smile. "Okay," she says quietly. "Movie marathon it is."

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