Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set (3 page)

Chapter 6

When Sierra woke up in Luke’s arms the next morning, she felt at home.

She moved her head off his chest, feeling the undeniable urge to urinate. She used the toilet, and then took a quick shower.

When she returned to the bedroom, she found him sitting up in bed, rummaging in the pocket of his jeans for a cigarette.

"Nothin’ better than a naked woman in the morning." He gave a contented sigh as he lit his cigarette.

"Like you haven't seen many a naked woman in the morning." She gave him a mock glare.

"Hey. I don't want to talk about other women. I don't want to talk about Austin and his pregnant girlfriend. I don't want to talk about what's going to happen when you go away to school, Sie. I want to enjoy being with you here, now."

He pulled her into his arms, stubbing his half smoked cigarette out in the ashtray beside the bed.

"Okay.”

After a few minutes of heated kissing, he pulled back. "If I don't eat I'm going to starve to death." As if on cue, his stomach growled.

She laughed. "Men and food."

"My favorite things in no particular order are food, sex and music."

He tugged on her hand, trying to drag her to the kitchen with him.

"Let me get dressed first."

"Cold pizza doesn't discriminate against pretty naked girls."

She rolled her eyes at him, reaching down to pull her panties on.

He rolled his own eyes at her, reaching for his jeans. "Fine, we'll eat our cold pizza like civilized people. But I refuse to put on a shirt as I know my favorite green eyed blonde happens to prefer me that way."

She laughed as she finished pulling her shirt over her head. "Why, yes I do.  The view is much better that way.  Although it does get a little distracting at times."

"Quit talking about distractions or you'll distract me right back to bed."

"I think you're addicted to sex," she teased lightly, now letting him pull her towards the kitchen.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Look who's talking. You're the one that picked out that dirty movie last night."

"Dirty movie." She snorted. "How was I to know that a romantic comedy would be so sexual?"

He popped two slices of her side of the pizza into the microwave and then set about making a pot of coffee. "Romance equals sex."

"No. Romance does not equal sex. Sex can have absolutely nothing to do with romance and romance can have absolutely nothing to do with sex."

He placed the plate on the table in front of her and put the plate that held the slices of his side of the pizza into the microwave. "Good romance leads to sex."

"Such a man. You don't think that you can spend a romantic evening with someone without ending up in bed with them?"

"Unfortunately love.” He turned away from her. "I'm not too schooled in the arts of romance without sex."

She picked at her pizza, not knowing what to say to him. She was teasing him, but he seemed almost hurt by it.

Sierra admitted to herself that she was conflicted. Was he in love with her she thought? Was she in love with him? She had been with Austin for so long and now thinking back on it, she hadn't ever really loved him, in anything more than a puppy love kind of way. She cared about Luke.  She liked being around him.  He was everything a woman could want in a man.  Good looking, thoughtful, smart.  He had a nice chunk of change in the bank.

But what did he want from her, and she from him?

She was scared all of a sudden, wondering what would happen when the time came for her to leave for school. She looked up at him as he sat down at the table.  He put a mug of hot coffee in front of her and pushed the cream and sugar her way knowing that the only way she drank coffee was if it was loaded with both.

"Luke, I. . . I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault."

He took a huge bite of pizza.  She had to laugh as the sauce dripped down his chin. The tension broken, he said "Do you think your mom will let you go away with me?"

"I don't know. I suppose there's not much she can say about it really. If push comes to shove, I can find someplace else to live for the time until I go to school.  And I can find somewhere else to get a loan for the extra money."

"If it's going to be that big of a deal I can cancel the reservations. I wanted to do something special for you and it always nice to get away."

"'I appreciate it, I really do Luke. You’re a big teddy bear in disguise."

He snorted. "Yeah right."

"Okay.  Maybe not a teddy bear. I sure hope that teddy bear's don't have your sex drive."  She laughed. "But you are rather thoughtful whether you like to admit it or not."

They finished their breakfast in silence.  Then she rose from the table with a sigh, coming around and placing a quick kiss on the top of his head.

"I suppose I really should get home before my mom decides to rent out my room."

He got to his feet; pulling her into his arms for a kiss that was so full of passion it almost knocked her off her feet.

"She wouldn't do that. Besides it's not like they need the money.”

"Suppose your right."  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she bent to grab her purse and backpack from the floor beside the couch.

"You want a ride home?"

"Nah.” She shook her head. "It's only a few blocks and it's probably better if you don't anyway."

He nodded to himself, walking her to the door. "I'll call you."

She smiled at him as she opened the door. "You'd better."

Chapter 7

She walked home slowly, almost dragging her feet, not looking forward to the confrontation with her mom.

When she opened the kitchen door, her mother was sitting at the table.  Her eyes were puffy, as if she'd been crying.

Her mother never cried Sierra thought, even when she had one of her knock down drag out fights with Timothy.

"Mom, is something wrong?"

"I was worried about you Sierra.  Is it wrong for a mother to worry about her only child?"

"Mom, you don't have to worry about me. I'm fine."

"I get scared sometimes Sierra Anne. I see you slipping away from me. You’re not my little girl anymore. I look at the woman you're turning into and I wonder where all the time went. I know I haven't been the world's best mother but I do love you Sierra."

Surprised at her mother's words, words that so frequently were left unsaid; she stepped to the table and put her arms around her mother.

Her mom felt really small to her all of a sudden, and she realized once again that her mother was getting older.

She wasn't old really Sierra thought.  But she wasn't a young woman anymore either.  She missed her father like she hadn't let herself miss him in years.

Her mother pulled back and the moment was broken. "I suppose you were with that young man then?"

Back to her old mother she thought. She could see the disapproval brewing in her mom's cold blue eyes.

"Yeah. Do you want to meet him? I'm sure he would come by the house if you wanted."

"That's quite all right Sierra Anne. If you insist on seeing him, I'd rather you kept him away from what you so aptly put last night, as Timothy's home."

Sierra fought back a sigh. "Okay Mom."

She chanced one last look at her mother as she headed to the stairs and the comfort of her bedroom.

Her mother had gone back to the fashion magazine in front of her and seemed to be dismissing her as usual.

She went back to avoiding her mom and step dad as much as she could.  Nothing more was said about her relationship with Luke.

Chapter 8

Graduation day came.  Sierra was nervous as she walked up on the stage in her cap and gown to accept her diploma with the rest of her class.

She could see Austin and Ilana sitting next to each other in the H section. Austin was Harris and Ilana was Harrison. She'll barely have to change her name if they get married Sierra thought, fighting back a nervous giggle.

She looked out at the audience, seeing her mother and stepfather sitting towards the middle, Timothy's arm draped possessively over the back of her mother's chair.

She couldn't believe what her mother was wearing, dreaded to think of the price that the too fancy for a high school graduation dress had cost.

Her eyes scanned the crowd looking for Luke. He was seated alone towards the back.

She felt a bead of sweat drop down the front of the light spring dress she was wearing beneath her gown, to rest uneasily between her breasts. Luke’s eyes met hers and he gave her an easy smile. She could tell his mind was already on the weekend they would spend together.  The trip that had been uneasily approved by her mother after her step father had thrown an absolute shit fit over the prospect.

It had surprised the hell out of Sierra when Timothy had called her his daughter, even after he had basically stepped into her father's place fourteen years ago; only months after her father had had a fatal heart attack behind the wheel of the truck that he drove for a living.

But her mother had told him that Sierra was an adult and was fit to make her own decisions whether they were wise or not.

So, the trip to the nearby bed and breakfast was on for the next weekend.  She felt a little thrill at the thought of spending the whole weekend with Luke.

As she stepped up to accept her diploma from the principal, Sierra looked into the audience and saw that her mother was crying, her mascara running unchecked down her face.

Timothy was beaming.  She felt a flash of love for both of them.

She looked away from them as she went back to take her seat and looked towards Luke. He was grinning and giving her the thumbs up sign.

Sierra felt good. She had the summer ahead of her, to look for a job and plenty of time to spend with Luke.  She was done with high school.  Her whole life awaited her.

She watched the rest of her class receive their diplomas, and then joined them when they threw their caps in the air.

She walked down the steps carefully in her high heels, a little unsteady on her feet, searching for her parents in the crowd.

She spotted them.  When she reached them was surprised to find Timothy chatting with Luke about investing in the stock market. Her mother had made a trip to the bathroom at some point, cleaning her face of the smeared mascara and reapplying her makeup.

Her mom gave her a quick hug, glancing at the two men arguing next to them. "Men and money." She rolled her eyes.

Sierra smiled.  Luke took her hand.

Sierra thought that the after party at her home was pretty nice, though she noticed that most of her stepdad's friends and family tried to ignore Luke's presence as much as possible.  Sierra didn't give a shit if her boyfriend wasn't good enough for them.  He was more than good enough for her.

She was thrilled with the gift that her mom and Timothy had given her, a sporty little two door car. She received several cards from various relatives with varying sums of money tucked in and was gratified when her real dad's mother was in attendance, as she hadn't seen the woman in years. Her grandmother seemed to approve of Luke wholeheartedly, calling him a nice respectful young man.

When the party winded down, she gave various relatives and family friends hugs and thank yous. She was pleased to learn that her grandmother would be in town for a few more days.  Sierra would be able to spend some quality time with her; something she hadn't been able to do since she was a small child.

She lingered with Luke in the front yard after the rest of the guests had left. Her mom and Timothy had retired to the house, both of them more than a little drunk from the champagne they'd consumed.

He pulled her into his arms, his lips brushing her ear as whispered "I love you, Sierra Anne Collins."

She felt her heart beat faster. He'd said it she thought, for the first time since they'd been together and now there was no going back. She put all the thoughts and worries out of her head about her age, about the future. "I love you too, Luke." She knew she meant it, too.

He grinned at her, sweeping her into his arms for a moment, then he gave her a heart stopping kiss. "Can't wait til next weekend."

"You. Always with the sex."

"You don't seem to mind most of the time.” He gave her a cocky grin. "You haven't kicked me out of bed yet."

"I didn't think it would be polite to kick you out of your own bed.”

"Uh huh.  I'll call you in a couple days.  Let you spend some time with your grandma."

She nodded, wishing that she could go home with him, but knowing she should go into the house, try to clean up some of the mess that the guests had left behind.  She assumed her parents were passed out upstairs.

He kissed her again. "Bye babe."

"Bye Luke."

She stood in the yard, and watched him get into his car and drive away. She watched until she could no longer see his tail lights then went into the house with a sigh, not looking forward to the mess that awaited her.

It wasn't as bad as she’d thought though, since there hadn't been that many guests. It only took her a little over an hour to clean up the mess. She took the trash bags out to the outside garbage cans and then took her cards with her to her room. She could hear her stepfather snoring down the hall and giggled softly as she counted her cash. There was a little over $3,500.

It would definitely hold her over until she could find a job and should give her a little something to put away towards her part of her funds for college she thought.

Timothy had assented to her idea of paying for a third of her education, though he had seemed almost insulted at first. She'd wanted to pay for half, but figured that he really could afford it and also that she probably wouldn't be able to make that much money working for a year.

Sierra lay down to sleep that night, exhausted from her long day but content with her life.

She awoke early the next morning, went downstairs and found Timothy in the kitchen reading the financial section of the paper.  Her mother was still sleeping.

"There's coffee if you want it." He pointed to the half full pot.

"No thanks. I hardly drink the stuff."

He nodded at her. "Have fun with your grandma."

"Thanks."

"You'll be home for dinner right?"

"Yeah, should be."

He went back to his paper.  She had grabbed her purse and was about to head out the door when his voice stopped her. "That Luke isn't such a bad kid, but you be careful you hear? Wouldn't want you to end up like your last young man's new girl."

She rolled her eyes and then turned back to him. "I promise I won't get pregnant Timothy."

He gave her an offhand nod and went back to his paper once again, dismissing her.

She spent a busy three days with her grandma.  They met Luke for lunch the second day.

When it came time for her Grandma to leave she waited at the hotel, standing by her new car as her grandma drove off, promising to keep in touch better and promising that she would make it a point to make at least semi regular visits once she was in school.

On Friday morning, her cell rang. She flipped it open, seeing it was Luke. She felt a stab of panic. He was supposed to pick her up for their trip in less than two hours.  What if he was calling to cancel she thought?  She hit the button to answer. "Hello."

"Hey Sie.  You almost ready?"

She let her breath out, so relieved she almost couldn't believe it. "Yeah, I'm finishing my packing now."

"Women and their clothes.  Don't bring too much. We're only going to be gone two days."

"Hey. I may be my mother's daughter, but I've got some of my dad in me too, you know. I could live pretty contentedly for years with nothing more than jeans and t shirts."

"It'd be fine with me if you didn't bring any clothes at all."

She laughed, shoving her hairbrush into her duffel on top of her tooth paste and her facial cleanser. "I don't think my mom would appreciate it all if I walked out of here naked."

He seemed to ponder for a moment. "You can always strip in the car on the way."

"Don't think so, Luke. Wouldn't want you getting in an accident."

"I'll have to settle for you getting naked as soon as the door of the room is locked then."

"I thought you had something planned for this trip other than sex."

"That I do.  But sex is always on my list of priorities and you have been neglecting me lately."

"Ha.”

"We all have our own definitions of neglect. I'm gonna let you go now so you can finish packing. I will see you in exactly one hour and thirty nine minutes."

She laughed. "If you say so."

She spent the rest of the next hour and a half flipping through magazines she hadn't had a chance to read. She was downstairs waiting in the living room when Luke rang the bell exactly one hour and thirty nine minutes later as he'd promised. She jumped up, grabbing her bag and her purse, giving her mom a quick kiss on the cheek.

Her mother looked up at her. "Have fun dear."

"Thanks mom. I love you."

"I love you too. Sierra."

"Yes Mom?” She handed the bag out the door into Luke's waiting hands.

"Use protection."

She could feel herself blushing.  Luke was smirking at her. "Yes Mom."

Luke was laughing by the time they made it to the car. "What?" She gave him a dirty look.  "You're not a girl so you never had to worry about your parents lecturing you about getting knocked up."

He threw her bag into the back seat, going around the car and getting behind the wheel.

"You know they never lectured me about knocking a girl up?"

Her eyes widened. "You are so kidding me."

"I wasn't the stud in high school that I am now. I had to work at it to get this bod."

She snorted. "If you were a girl, you'd know what it was like to have to work to keep your body."

"Do you think these huge guns materialized out of thin air?"

She rolled her eyes, turning on the radio. "So when am I gonna hear one of your songs on the radio? When are you gonna let me see something you've written? Better yet, will you serenade me with a love song you've written for me? I won't take my clothes off for you again until you do."

"Enough with the picking on Luke. I happen to be very sensitive about my craft.  I have in fact written a sappy love song for you, but you ain't never gonna hear it unless you quit giving me shit."

She sat back in her seat, crossing her arms over her chest, giving him a mock pout. "What good is it to have a song writer for a boyfriend when he won't sing for you?"

"I never said I could sing.”

"But you have such a sexy voice."

"Ah, now with the flattery. My sexy as you put it; voice doesn't mean I can sing. Believe me, I’ve tried. My parents moved me to the basement when I started trying out some of my own material. I can play the guitar though, so I'm not totally useless."

She reached into the console to steal one of his cigarettes. "I can think of a lot of skills you'd have to lose before you'd be totally useless."

He raised an eyebrow at her, watching her light the cigarette. "It really is a rather disgusting habit you know."

"I know. But I got so used to the taste of cigarettes on your tongue that I kinda got to like it."

He groaned. "Don't make me pull this car over. Little miss innocent, little miss Luke is the one who is addicted to sex."

"The thing is.”  She blew smoke out the window. "I had to find somebody who knew how to do it right before I could discover that I really did like it."

"No more ex-boyfriend talk.  No more insulting me or buttering me up to get me to show you my songs.  No more talk of withholding sex. No more talk of sex period, or I really will have to pull this car over and hope that we don't get arrested for screwing on the side of the road."

"Okay."

"Good. So you had a nice time with your grandma?"

"Yeah. I really wish I had known my dad better. He was gone all the time, driving all over the country. I was only three when he died, so I don't really remember much about him. I have pictures of course, but I only have a few clear memories of him. I do remember thinking he must have been a giant.  Of course to a three year old any guy who is over six feet tall would seem like a giant.”

"Did your grandma tell you any stories about him? Like when he was a kid?"

"Some. She seems to be a lot more comfortable talking about him when he was a kid than when he was an adult. Which I guess is understandable.  Who would appreciate their son's widow remarrying so quickly ya know? But I think that my mom has kind of held that too good for people attitude for a long time. My dad wasn't like that.  He worked hard, worked himself to death for his wife and child. I almost can't understand what he saw in her."