“Austin,” she gasped. “I need to go meet the girls at Taboo and then go to work.” He worked his fingers in and out of her slowly, taunting.
He nibbled at her lips, her neck, and she angled her head so he could have better access. Since she knew they both needed it, she undid the button of his jeans and took him in hand. He hissed out a breath then bit down on her neck.
“Fuck, make me come, Sierra. Make me come on your belly, your breasts. Do it.”
She shivered and worked him, gripping his cock in her hand while going on her tiptoes so he could finger her at the same pace. They both panted, her vision going blurry when his thumb pressed against her clit.
“Austin.”
“Come, baby. Come on my hand. Make me wet.”
She did as he commanded, arching her back as she came. His mouth latched onto her nipple, sucking it into his warm heat. She didn’t let her hand stop moving, using her own thumb to rub the liquid at the tip of his dick. He pumped his hips, helping her along, and then shouted her name as he came. He spurted on her belly with some splashing on her breasts.
He kissed her softly, cupping her face. “I suppose we’ll both need another shower,” he said gruffly once he pulled away.
Sierra smiled then rolled her eyes. “I suppose we both will. Separately.” He groaned, and she snorted. “Go into the guest bathroom and use that one. We’ll never leave if we’re all naked and wet.”
He growled then kissed her again. “Damn, woman. Stop making me want you. I need to go into the shop and do a seven-hour piece. I can’t do that with a fucking hard-on.”
She laughed then swallowed hard. God, her head hurt, and her joints ached worse than normal. Maybe she was stressing herself out to the point of getting sick. Not fun.
Austin cupped her face. “You okay, Legs?”
She nodded, leaning into his touch. “Yes, just a little sore.”
Concern marred his features, and he ran a hand over her back. “I’m sorry. Was I too rough?”
She shook her head. “You never could be. You know our limits. I’m just tired, and now I need to shower. Again.”
He searched her face then nodded before giving her a kiss. “As long as you’re sure. I’ll go shower in the guest bathroom. Alone. Then head into work. If you’re free, stop by to say hi at the shop later.”
She nodded, kissed him again, and then watched him walk away. Damn, she loved the way he looked from behind.
Well, she loved the way he looked from all angles, but that was a given.
Her bearded tattoo artist was one sexy man.
With that pleasant thought in her head, she took another quick shower and got ready as fast as she could. She wasn’t running late, but she wasn’t going to be early. Oh well, a morning orgasm was so worth it.
By the time she made it into Taboo, Callie, Miranda, and Hailey were already there. Hailey worked behind the counter, making up drinks for other customers while Callie and Miranda were sitting on the other side, talking and laughing. Hailey owned the place that was connected to Montgomery Ink through a side door, and because of that, Sierra had quickly become friends with the woman. She was smart, beautiful with that bleach-blonde sharp bob, and knew how to tell it like it was.
Callie was a new tattoo artist at the shop and had been Austin’s apprentice for over a year or so before Sierra had moved to town. The woman was younger than Sierra, around Miranda’s age, and had the energy of twelve twenty-year-olds. That boded well for Callie’s forty-year old fiancé, Morgan.
Though technically Sierra was closer in age to Maya and Meghan than Miranda, for some reason, she’d really gotten closer to Miranda. Sure, she had meals with Meghan when she could, and she hung out with Maya often, but Miranda was the one she felt closest to. Maybe it was because they were both starting new phases in their lives at the same time.
“Hey, you,” Callie said with a smile then narrowed her eyes. “You got morning nookie. Nice.”
Sierra blushed while Miranda trilled a laugh. “Oh God. I do not need to be thinking about Austin getting laid. Thanks for that.”
“My pleasure,” Callie said then smirked. “Or was that Sierra’s pleasure?”
“Stop,” Sierra said on a laugh as she sat on the other side of Miranda. Hailey immediately placed a caramel latte in front of her. “Thank you, honey. Business going well?”
Hailey wiped her hands on her apron and nodded. “Very busy this morning, and we’re just hitting that lull that makes it easier for me to actually talk with you guys. So, nookie? Was it good?”
Sierra rolled her eyes and took a sip of her drink. Perfect. “Of course it was good. It was Austin. Now please stop before we give Miranda a heart attack.”
Austin’s sister just grinned. “I guess I need to get over the fact that my brothers have sex. I mean, I have sex. Not recently, but it has happened in the past, so I should just put that connection out of my mind.”
Callie looked over Miranda at Sierra. “Not recently? So you’re going slow with Jack?”
Sierra perked up. Jack? “Who?”
“Oh! You don’t know. Apparently Miranda is dating a coworker named Jack. A blond, golden god according to Maya.”
Miranda closed her eyes and groaned. “I’m going to kill Maya.”
“If it wasn’t Maya, it would be someone else,” Hailey put in. “There are no secrets between the Montgomerys.”
“That’s true,” Sierra said. “So, Jack?”
Miranda nodded and smiled, but it didn’t seem that bright. Odd. “We’ve gone on one date and have another planned for the weekend. It’s not a big deal.”
Callie patted Miranda on the shoulder. “Ah, so no spark? That sucks.”
Miranda sighed. “There might be sparks. I’m just in a funk. Jack’s a great guy, so I’m going to try another date.”
Sierra nodded along as the others talked more about Jack and then about Morgan and other things in their lives. Miranda didn’t look too happy with this new guy in her life, but it was early yet. Odd, because Sierra could have sworn she’d seen sparks between Miranda and Decker. Not that she thought Decker would act on those sparks. That might have been the point. Bro codes and family connections made things like that difficult. While it was sad the brightness Sierra had seen might never come to fruition, at least Miranda was trying something out. Trying something new.
She sipped her coffee and let the voices of the people in her life she’d come to love settle her. Things were changing every day, and with the Montgomerys, nothing ever seemed to remain the same. She’d just hold on tight and go along for the ride.
Chapter Eight
Date number two would prove to be better. Right?
Miranda fixed her lip stain while trying to drum up the excitement that should have come with going on a second date with a handsome man. She honestly didn’t know why she was forcing this. She should have just said no to Jack when he’d asked her to dinner over the phone earlier this week. Or even said no to him when they’d been standing in the parking lot outside the piano bar.
Now she was stuck going on a date she didn’t want to go on with a man who might be nice, but wasn’t the man she wanted. God, she was a picky bitch sometimes. The whole reason she’d said yes in the first place, other than her habit of not wanting to hurt people’s feelings, was to get over Decker and try new things. Fretting over something that hadn’t happened yet wouldn’t be helping anyone. Least of all her.
As she applied her lip-gloss over the stain, she thought up reasons to not call off the date at the last minute. One, it would be horribly rude. She had to work with Jack daily, and begging off would make things awkward. That brought her to number two, the fact that she did work with Jack. Not going out with him when she’d said she would might hurt her work relationship with him. They hadn’t done more than kiss twice and dance, so it wasn’t like she’d be breaking his heart, but it still wouldn’t be easy. That was her fault though, for agreeing in the first place. Three, she needed to get over D
ecker. That sounded stupid when she thought about it, but she couldn’t help it. Going out with Jack, at least once more, would help pave her Decker-less path. The man who’d been in her life for as long as she could remember didn’t want her the same way she wanted him—kiss or no kiss—so she had to get over it and move on.
This was her moving on.
Too bad it had to be with a man who was nice, but wasn’t for her.
Against her better judgment, she’d agreed to have Jack pick her up for their dinner date. It was their second date, and since they worked together and, as it turned out, lived only a couple neighborhoods apart, having him drive seemed like the most realistic thing to do. There wouldn’t be any inviting him in that night after he dropped her off, though. Even if she hadn’t been having second thoughts about the date itself, she wasn’t ready to sleep with him. She didn’t have the zing with him, and though she truly loved sex, she wasn’t about to jump in bed with a man because it had been awhile.
Now if that man was a certain bearded…
Nope.
Stop it, Miranda.
Things were going well for her. Most of her students had passed their exams, and those who hadn’t met with her at her urging. She was considering meeting with two sets of parents to see if that could help the situation, but other than that, she was on her way to getting them ready for the next exam and set of chapters.
Austin and Sierra’s wedding was on its way to being halfway planned, or at least that’s what Miranda hoped. Her friend, Callie, was engaged to a wonderful and sexy man named Morgan, and Meghan had smiled and joked with her today when she’d stopped by for lunch with the kids.
Things were going to be okay.
Her phone rang, and she picked it up as her pulse raced. It always did that whenever she saw her parents’ number on the screen. “Hello?”
“Hi, honey, I was just checking in.” Her mom didn’t sound frantic or as if the world had ended, so Miranda calmed a little. God, she needed to stop doing that, stop thinking of the worst-case scenarios. But she couldn’t help it. Not when her dad was sick and the world had kept turning despite it.
“Mom, is everything okay?” She couldn’t stop the question popping out.
Her mother sighed, and Miranda bit her lip. “He’s tired, baby, but he’s doing better. He’s taking a nap right now, or I’d put him on the phone. Your dad might be sick, but he’s not down for the count. You don’t need to worry about each phone call. Sometimes I just want to talk to my youngest child.”
Miranda sat down on the closed toilet seat and took a deep breath. “I love you, Mom.”
She could practically hear the smile in her mother’s voice. “I love you too, baby girl. Now I hear you’re going on a date tonight, so be safe and enjoy yourself.”
Miranda blushed straight to her roots. “I swear I’m going to kill Maya.” Were there no secrets in her family?
Well, no one knew she loved Decker—other than that damned Maya—so that was something.
“Don’t threaten your sister. You know how I hate it when you all threaten to kill and maim one another. Anyway, have fun tonight, and if you really like this young man, we expect to see him at dinner soon.”
Miranda rolled her eyes. Oh yes, the Montgomery interrogation would work wonders with him. Just what she needed.
“Goodbye, Mom. And tell Daddy I love him.”
“I will, honey. Have fun.”
She ended the call and rubbed her temple with her free hand. The fact that her father was sick made her want to cry and curl into a ball sometimes and then scream and fight with all her might at others. There was nothing she could do but pray and help her dad when she could.
And tonight was about her and Jack, not about worries and aches that would never go away.
She quickly finished up her makeup and was just about to finish packing her small clutch when someone knocked on her door. With a quick look at the clock—on time—she zipped up her clutch and made her way to the door.
Jack had said he was taking her out to one of the upscale restaurants in downtown Denver. He had some family money from his parents, so that had to be how he could afford it on his teacher’s salary. Miranda, for sure, could not afford anything like that on her own. Sure, her parents might be able to after years of working themselves to the bone with Montgomery Inc., but she wasn’t her parents.
She brushed a piece of lint off of her lacy black dress and rolled her shoulders. She would have fun, damn it. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t the one man she wanted. She was getting over that man.
When she opened the door, Jack stood there in a suit and an open-necked shirt. His blond hair was slicked back, making his cheekbones stand out even more and his blue eyes pop. Even if she didn’t feel that zing, he was still hot. That had to count for something.
Now that was shallow.
Okay, then at least she’d try to have fun. She could be friends with Jack.
“You look amazing,” Jack said, and his gaze traveled over her body.
She’d worn a short lacy dress that had an empire waist and thick straps. At first glance, it looked almost like a baby doll dress, but a little more regal. She’d paired it with a cute shrug and sexy heels—because, come on, sexy heels made everything better. She’d let her dark brown hair fall in soft curls around her shoulders and knew she’d done well by the look on Jack’s face. She’d dressed up to please herself, but if he liked it too, then that was a bonus.
“Thanks, you don’t look too bad yourself.”
He held out a hand, and she took it, crossing the threshold and walking outside. She let go of him to lock up behind her, and then they made their way to his car. He was a perfect gentleman, opening the door for her and helping her get in the low car with her short dress.
When he walked around the car to get in on his side, Miranda took a deep breath. Date number two would be okay. Better than staying at home alone and eating chocolate. Though she did love chocolate.
They made their way to the restaurant, talking about work and her family yet again. While she loved both, she figured she might actually like Jack more if she talked to him about his life, rather than just hers.
“So, did you always want to be a teacher?” she asked when they pulled up to the valet. He gave her a look then got out without answering. Weird.
She let him help her out of the car since it would have been awkward in her dress. She probably should have worn pants, but nothing beat a little black dress to knock out weird moods.
“So? Did you?”
Jack frowned, and Miranda elbowed him playfully. “Did you always want to be a teacher?”
“Yes, I enjoy enriching lives. I’m sure you’re the same way. It’s not like your other siblings and their…odd career choices.”
Whoa. Red flag right there. She stopped in her tracks on the way to their table, but Jack pushed her at the small of her back. Rather than make a scene like she really wanted to freaking do, she let him lead her to the table.
“Excuse me?” she whispered after the hostess sat them.
“I’m just saying, your brother and sister and their odd job of tattooing. While it’s nice that they’re able to do that with the types of people that come to their establishment, I don’t know that it’s appropriate for a teacher to have connections like that. People talk.”
Miranda blinked. People talk? What the ever-loving hell? He’d been a little off when she’d mentioned on their last date what Austin and Maya did, but this was so crossing the line it wasn’t even funny.
“You know what? I’m going to call a cab. I’m not in the mood for you to dismiss my brother’s and sister’s lives because you don’t understand it. You’re judging people and their lives because you can’t seem to think outside the box and figure that, hey, your opinion, while it’s yours, doesn’t really matter. You don’t get to dictate how people live their lives.” She stood up, but he gripped her wrist. Hard.
Her pulse picked up, and she tugged. Thankful
ly, he let her go. “Don’t leave, Miranda. I was wrong to say that. I’m sorry.”
She didn’t know if she saw truth in his eyes, but she knew she wouldn’t be dating this man again. “I’m not sure if you mean that, Jack.”
He traced a finger down her arm, and she pulled away. “I’m sorry, Miranda. That was judgmental of me. I apologize profusely. Please sit down, and let’s start the evening over.”
She wanted to go home and take off her heels that were now killing her. Apparently thoughts of a good night helped women persevere through high-heeled death traps.
“Please,” he said again.
Miranda sighed then sat down. She’d eat a good meal, try to salvage their working relationship since, right then, she wanted nothing to do with the man who judged her family without meeting them, and then go home.
“Thank you,” he said, his hand on hers. She pulled it back. This would be a dinner between two co-workers. Not a date.
The waiter came over, and Jack ordered for her without asking her input. She raised a brow. She’d already had her speech for the night and wouldn’t be making another unless she needed to. She didn’t particularly want the Cornish game hen, but she wasn’t in the mood to slap that smile off his face in public.
“You’ll like the hen,” he said when the waiter left.
“Will I?” she asked casually. “I suppose I might, though it would have been better if I’d been able to choose my own meal.”
Jack gave her a condescending smile that set Miranda’s back teeth on edge. Who the hell was this man? “I was being a gentleman. You’ll like the hen,” he repeated.
“Just a heads-up, women these days don’t like to have their choices taken away. Whether it be dinner or family members.”
Jack merely took a sip of his wine. “Some women do. You’ll understand.”
Oh no, she didn’t think so. She took a sip of her water. She wouldn’t be drinking her wine that night. She needed to keep all her wits since she didn’t trust this creep one bit.
Tempting Boundaries Page 9
