The Off Limits Rule (It Happened in Nashville, #1)

by Sarah Adams

Tim

Shmim.

serotonin

hypnotic

Those two seconds of heart-in-my-throat free fall made me realize something: I don’t push myself enough. Somewhere along the line in my life, I stopped jumping. It’s time to start again.

Cooper James,

I’ve come to terms with the fact that in a room full of J.Crews, I’ll always be a Target. I love Target. Let’s see J.Crew try to sell delicious soft pretzels in their store.

I turn to face Cooper and nearly fall over when I realize his eyes were on me that whole time, a soft grin tilting the side of his mouth, an indiscernible look in his eyes. Reserved and intrigued. Sort of like he either wants to pin me against the wall and kiss me into oblivion or help me do my taxes.

How is it even fair that grown men are allowed to still play video games, but if he walked in on me playing with my old Barbies, he would send me to therapy?

reprimanding

Even so, I do think all those years of pining after a man who didn’t want me back scarred me in a deeper way than I realized at the time. Because now, no matter how hard I try to believe in myself, there’s still a voice that whispers, You don’t have anything to offer.

You’re so adorable I want to kiss every inch of your skin.

hobbit.

My ovaries are screaming, HIM! WE PICK HIM!!!

adrenaline.

taut

He is a sight to behold, and all I can think is how incredible it would feel to have his arms wrap around me and hold me in a straitjacket of love.

tousled

Greek god of fertility.

My stomach twists into knots.

like that annoying whack-a-mole game where it keeps popping its head up and you can never hit it with the hammer.

They say a kiss won’t be enough.

“That’s my house, Lucy. You’re in my pool.” WHAT?! I’m in Cooper’s pool right now?

molasses

grenades

absurdity

I can’t decide if I’m comforted or let down by his answer.

His words make chill bumps erupt across my skin.

he’ll be able to see the answer to his question written on my face in highlighter.

“Lucy, I brought you here because I wanted to cheer you up. You seemed so down earlier when I called you cute—like I meant cute in a tiny-purring-kitten way.”

“Actually, I thought you meant it in an awwww-look-at-that-adorable-mom-letting-loose kind of way.”

I’m sort of envious of you.”

I greatly regretted when those pink lines popped up.”

The way my stomach twisted and my lungs squeezed.

subtle

Cooper is thrilling, sweet, inviting, and a little dangerous.

He doesn’t turn away, but he leans back from me ever so slightly, enough to get the message across that this kiss of mine is not going to be received. It takes me a second to fully register what is happening. But when it does, realization crashes into me like I jumped out of a plane without a parachute.

calf.

hypothermia

endure

oblivion

oblige

I

just lost my way for a second. Lucy’s bringing me back, reminding me of old dreams I forgot I had, reminding me what it’s like to want to see someone day in and day out, to plan for the holidays together and have inside jokes no one else will get. I’m ready for all that again.

All of this, coupled with the fact that Lucy is not the type of girl to have random, meaningless make-outs, made me realize she feels a connection between us too.

She’s special. Loving, and full of heart,

just looking in that woman’s eyes makes my pulse skitter. She’s breathtaking, even soaked to the bone and hair turning into wild, frizzy curls. It’s taking everything in me not to say forget it and wrap my arms around her.

repercussions

mortification,

I’m conscious of every tiny moment, every breath, every blink of her eyes as I look down at her with my hands lingering on her shoulders.