Read Online Off Limits by Kelly Jamieson - Free Book Online Page A

as usual,everyone helping themselves to pulled pork, piling it on buns and dishing up coleslaw. I took a bite of my sandwich. “This is really good, Brenda.”
    She smiled at me, her eyes warm. “Thank you, Andrew.”
    Nobody else complimented her cooking. Since she wasn’t the best cook, she stuck to basics most of the time, but dammit, I appreciated that she made the effort for her family. It was more thanmy own mother had done.
    To my surprise, Jon wasn’t coming to church. Jenna seemed annoyed and didn’t offer much of an explanation. Apparently Jon was anti-religion or something.
    This annoyed me too. Not his beliefs. He could believe or not believe whatever the hell he wanted. But he came for Christmas to meet Jenna’s friends and family, and he hadn’t been making much of an effort, as far asI could see. There were worse things than sitting in a church listening to Christmas carols for an hour out of your whole life. He’d rather stay home alone? That was just fucked-up.
    So I drove Jenna and her parents to church, followed by Daniel and Emily and Christopher in their own vehicle. Connor met us there.
    The service was predictable, with familiar carols and hymns about the birth of Jesus.I gave my usual thanks in prayer, but, achingly aware of Jenna sitting beside me in the pew, I considered that I was harboring inappropriate thoughts about her.
    Was it wrong to be sitting in church wanting to touch her, wanting to pick her up and carry her out of there, wanting her in my bed, underneath me, screwing her into next week?
    Mostly it was wrong because she had a boyfriend, and alsobecause even if she didn’t, I knew I could never have her that way. I was supposed to treat her like a sister. I was torturing myself even thinking shit like that.
    We returned home. Jon wasn’t around, possibly up in his room. I watched Jenna stalk into the kitchen and start messing with something. I followed her in there. “What are you making?”
    “Mulled wine.”
    I paused. “Can I help?”
    “Sure.”She shot me a determinedly bright smile. “You could open this bottle of wine for me.”
    “You’re pissed, aren’t you?” I used a knife to cut open the foil cover on the bottle.
    She sighed. “Sort of. I think I’m more…” She paused, her head bent, her dark hair falling over her face.
    “What?” It was just the two of us and I set my hand on her back and gave a gentle rub, leaning closer.
    “Oh hey, you’rehome.”
    Jon’s voice behind us had both of us jumping apart. We’d been standing close together and I’d been touching her and Jon was scowling at me.
    “Yes, we’re home.” Jenna opened a little package of some kind of spices that smelled all Christmassy, keeping her back to Jon. Ack.
    I removed the cork from the bottle and handed it to her. She dumped it into a big pot.
    “Mulled wine,” Jon said. “Nice.Oh wait, you’re not using that Merlot we brought, are you?”
    I felt Jenna tense. “No.” She still had her back to Jon and began to stir the wine. “I used a bottle that Connor bought yesterday. It’ll be ready in a bit. I’ll get out some cookies.”
    Tension shimmered around us.
    “I’ll, uh, sit down with your folks.” I left the kitchen and joined the rest of the family in the living room so Jenna andJon could be alone. The tree lights were on and the floor beneath the tree was now covered with gifts in a variety of sizes and shapes, wrapped in bright paper or gift bags. Boney M. was playing on the stereo and Brenda was rocking a wide-awake Christopher in her arms.
    “What’s Jenna doing?” Brenda asked.
    “Making mulled wine.”
    “Yum.”
    “Think I’ll stick with beer.” Connor grimaced. Our eyes metand I grinned.
    Conversation flowed, easy and fun as it always was. Jenna and Jon joined us a few minutes later, each carrying two cups of wine. “Who wants mulled wine?” she asked.
    “I’ll try some,” I said. She shot me a small smile and moved to hand me a mug. Jon gave