The Off Limits Rule: A Romantic Comedy (It Happened in Nashville Book 1)

Levi strolls into the room and sits down beside me on the bed. Together, we stare at the closed bathroom door, waiting for Lucy to come out.

“We’re waiting to see if we like your mom’s outfit,” I tell him, even though he wasn’t asking.

“I like her dinosaur pants. She should wear those,” he says, offering up his suggestion.

I nod, ready to suggest it to Lucy, when the door opens, and she steps out. Her face says she’d rather be serving jury duty than modeling outfits for me. “Okay, first of all, the dinosaur pants he’s talking about are PJs. It’s completely acceptable to wear a T-rex on your clothes when you’re sleeping.”

I grin and hold up my hands. “I wasn’t judging, just wondering where I could find a pair.”

“I have some that match. Wanna see?” Levi is already darting off the bed and racing out of the room. I love this kid’s commitment to everything. I’ve yet to see him walk anywhere.

I turn my eyes back to Lucy and take in her outfit from head to toe. She squirms under my gaze and tucks some hair back behind her ear. “Well? Do you like this outfit?”

I pop my eyes back up to her face. “Oh. Was I supposed to be looking at the clothes?”

Lucy’s cheeks flush, and she tries to hold back a smile as she picks up a house shoe and chucks it at me. It hits my chest and falls pathetically to the ground, wounding me none. “Come on. Be serious.” I was being serious. “Do you like it or not?”

“Okay,” I say, focusing this time and situating myself with better posture—perfect for focusing. I let my eyes scan her body again, but this time only paying attention to the clothes. She’s wearing black dress pants that look as if they’ve seen better days and a fancy blouse that, personally, I’d only consider pulling out if the queen suddenly showed up for tea. “That’s quite a few ruffles on the neckline.” I wiggle my fingers at my own neck, signifying the problem area.

Her shoulders drop in defeat. “UGH. I know. I hate this shirt. I only wear it to funerals.”

“Maybe not the best vibe to bring with you into a date, then.” I think that shirt should have been buried along with the casket at the last funeral she attended.

“You’re right.” She holds up a finger. “I’ve got something else that might work, hang on.” And she disappears into the bathroom again.

I lie back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what it would take to get her to stay here with me tonight where I can keep her all to myself. It’s selfish, I know, because it’s not like I can offer her anything besides friendship—at least not for a while. My hope is that Drew will see me settling down and feel more comfortable about me dating Lucy. Is it too much to ask that she not kiss, date, or flirt with other men until that time?

Yes.

So that’s why I’m helping her get ready for her date. If I can’t be the one to take her out, I want to spend time with her up until the moment she leaves the house. Thing is, I’m more than a little scared that Lucy is going to find someone before I can toss my hat in the ring. What if she goes out tonight with this guy and they hit it off? There’s a very real chance that, by sitting on her bed right now and helping her approve outfits like one of her girlfriends, I’ve inadvertently solidified my friend-zone status, and every man knows that’s a hard hole to climb back out of.

“Okay! It’s a little bold, but what do you think?” Lucy says, opening the door.

I shoot back up to a seated position and immediately grimace. “Ah, no. Take it off; you’re burning my eyes out.” I hold up my arm to shield myself from the light her floor-length dress is emitting.

She laughs, stepping forward to yank my arm down. “Stop it! You’re being dramatic.”

“No…that,” I say, pointing to the bright-yellow dress, “is dramatic. Where did you even find something like this? And why does it go all the way down to the floor?” I reach out and run the scratchy-shiny fabric between my thumb and index finger. In the process, the backs of my knuckles brush against her thigh through the fabric. Heat rushes through me, and I look up to see Lucy staring down at me with her signature wide eyes.

“I—” She shakes her head lightly and steps out of reach. “It’s called a maxi dress, and I got it from one of those Instagram influencer ads. It looked cute on the model…but I’ll admit it’s a little bright on me with my auburn hair.” Her whole demeanor deflates. “You know what? This is stupid. I’m going to call Ethan and cancel. I can’t go to a fancy restaurant looking like the sun ate a carrot and sprouted hair.”

“Yeah, but a pretty sun who ate a carrot. And on the plus side, the restaurant will save money on electricity when you’re able to light it with the power of your dress.”

Lucy gives me a mocking smile then sighs dramatically. She looks so downcast now, and my soppy-lovesick heart aches at the sight. Suddenly, I will do anything for her. Absolutely anything to make her smile. I will re-enact every single romance and female empowerment movie montage I’ve ever seen where the friend takes the heroine shopping, and we will max out my credit card until we find the perfect dress that makes the special music turn on and warm lighting appear.

Levi runs back in the room with super-speed, looking like that little boy in The Incredibles. He’s clutching the coveted dinosaur pants. “See!” he says, holding them up super close to my face with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen.

Lucy sits down beside me, and the mattress sinks with her weight. My arm presses against her, and I feel like a boy again. The smallest touches from Lucy feel monumental, like I’m touching a woman for the first time again.

I take the pants from Levi and hold them up for inspection. “These. Are. The. Coolest.”

Levi beams. “I told you!!” He says it like we just confirmed a great conspiracy. “My mom can order you some, too, if you want. Then we can all match.”

I freeze, dinosaur fabric clutched in my hand, and stare at Levi. Because when looking at his big round blue eyes that perfectly match his mother’s, I turn into ooey-gooey mush. I want this. I want a life like this. No, not a life like it—this one, specifically.

Levi blinks up at me with those hopeful eyes, and my first thought is to say Hell yeah, I’ll match you, buddy. Then, I remember he’s a child, and Lucy probably doesn’t want me cursing around her four-year-old, so I clamp down on that and nod. “I’d definitely be down for matching. Are you too young to watch Jurassic Park?”

He scrunches up his face. “Yeah. It’s for big kids,” he says like a responsible adult, and I can’t help but reach out to ruffle the top of his hair. He’s cute—something I’ve never before in my life thought about a kid. He’s also very busy. Not even one second later, he’s taking his dino pants with him and running out of the room. Do all kids move this much?

“Okayyyyy, well, I’m glad you two have your fashion emergencies all sorted, because mine definitely isn’t important or anything.” Lucy shoots up off the bed and goes to her nightstand to pick up her phone. “I’m canceling. Clearly, it was too last minute. I shouldn’t have even said yes in the first place. I looked desperate. No one wants to look desperate…”

She keeps blabbering on like she does when she’s nervous, and as much as it hurts me to do it, I stand up and take the phone out of her hand. “You’re going on this date, Lucy.” Even if it kills me. She deserves to go out and have a good time.

I go to her closet next, taking matters into my own hands. Personally, I love that her whole wardrobe is made up of jeans and tees. She wears them better than anyone else I’ve ever seen, that’s for sure. But tonight, she needs something dressy that makes her feel more like a woman than a mom.

I push past almost all of her clothes, nearly losing hope, before I spot something red in the back. My body feels oddly tingly as I make contact with the soft fabric and remove it from the hanger, holding it up. Holy crap, this is hot. It’s a short cocktail dress in a deep red that makes my heart race.

“That one?!” Lucy asks, coming to stand beside me. “I didn’t get this one out because I haven’t worn it since I had Levi, and I doubt it will even fit me anymore. And also, it’s a little…sultry for a first date, don’t you think?”

Okay, yes, it’s a little sultry. But for the most part, it’s just a good-looking dress. I think it’s ridiculously sweet that Lucy considers this dress to be too much for a first date. For reasons I can’t even pinpoint, it makes me like her more. Lucy is real—what you see is what you get. Which is why it is full-on torture helping her pick out a dress that is going to catch another dude’s eye.

“I gotta see it on you before I can cast my official vote.”

She gives me a skeptical grin because she’s on to me. She knows I just want to see her in this dress. Snatching it out of my hand, she’s marching it with her into the bathroom. After shutting the door, I hear the sound of a zipper and resist groaning at the mental picture forming in my head.

I turn away from the door and busy myself with snooping around Lucy’s room. It’s messy but not gross. There are clothes on the floor and a few cups half full of water on the bedside table. I like it. It’s comfy. Lived in.

“Did you know this was my room before you moved in?” I yell to Lucy through the door.

“I guess that makes sense. I knew you were the old roommate, but before now, I never thought about that this would have been your room.”

I pick up a picture of her and Levi with their faces smooshed together making silly faces and smile. “Yeah. Does that bird still squawk every morning at seven?”

I’m just about to open her bedside table and take a peek when I hear the door to the bathroom squeak open. When I turn around, I fist my hands at my sides just to keep from reaching out for her. Shoot. I change my mind…that dress is too sultry for a first date.

My eyes skim from her sparkling blue eyes and rosy cheeks, down the length (the short length) of her dress. The red fabric stretches across her body and hugs every one of her feminine curves before landing a few inches above her knees. It’s not risqué on its own, but wrapped tightly around Lucy, it’s downright intoxicating.

She clears her throat, and I force my eyes up to hers. She’s wearing an unsure smile that boggles my mind. How does she not see how gorgeous she is?

Her nose scrunches, and she gives me a wobbly frown. “It’s too much, isn’t it?” Her hands run nervously along the fabric, and she looks down. “It’s too tight. My pre-baby body didn’t have the hips I do now.” She says hips like they’re a bad thing, like men just HATE when women have tantalizing curves to run their hands over. She does a little half-turn, letting me catch a glimpse of her back, noting the zipper is still down.

Lucy continues to rattle off reasons she thinks she looks like puke. “…and the hem is too short. Maybe all the added inches to my waist have sort of made the bottom hike up a little bit, you know? And I think the color clashes with my hairwaitwhatareyoudoing?” The last of her words all run together as I put my hands on her shoulders and spin her to face away from me.

The back of her dress is open, revealing a tempting amount of skin and the black strap of her bra. I pick up her auburn hair and push it all to one shoulder, watch her take in a deep breath, not letting it out. Moving probably more slowly than is needed, I grab the delicate zipper and begin to lift it, skimming the back of my hand against her soft, warm skin as I go. Every slight touch feels so charged I’m afraid my fingers are leaving blisters in their wake. My pulse hammers out the words you-idiot-you’ll-never-be-the-same as my hand glides up the small dip in her lower back.

Lucy’s head tilts down and to the side, as if she’s trying to sneak a peek at my reaction. I get the feeling this is a vulnerable moment for her. She’s standing stock-still, as if every single one of her senses is laser focused on me and my reaction to her.

I swallow when my knuckles trip over the black lace of her bra. I can’t help but smile because I like knowing this secret: Lucy wears a sexy bra under what she calls mom clothes. It’s like she’s been desperately trying to hide behind a comfortable facade, but inside, she’s still a woman who wants to feel attractive and desired. She wants to feel those things but is afraid to show it. If I could, I’d make Lucy feel both of those things without her ever having to voice it.

But I can’t…because her brother will hunt me down and make sure I’m never given the opportunity to do it again.

Once the zipper reaches the top, I fasten the tiny clasp at her neck, tension wrapping like a cord around every muscle in my body, restraining me from turning this into something more. I want to dip my head down and kiss a line up the side of her exposed neck. I want to breathe in her sweet, warm scent and let it fill my lungs for the rest of the night.

I clear my throat to dislodge my words as I sweep her hair back again. “You should wear this dress tonight. He’ll love it.” Even to my own ears, my voice sounds strained and gravelly.

Lucy slowly turns to face me, and her eyes sweep slowly over my features. She’s searching for the answer…the answer to why the air feels warm between us, why my pupils are dilated, why my voice sounds like sandpaper and I’m slowly backing away from her.

I remind myself that I’m retreating for tonight only. Not forever. Just for now.

Drew will come around, and when he does, I’m coming after Lucy.

“Where are you going?” she asks with lifted brows, and I grab my hat from the bed and put it back on, making a beeline for the door.

“Sorry, I just remembered I…have a thing.”

“Oh. Okay. Yeah…sure. You have a thing—totally fine. Well, thanks for coming to fly a kite today. Levi loved it. Oh, and thanks for the oil change. Now I have you to thank when my car doesn’t burst into flames.”

Wait, wait, wait. She’s rambling—something I’ve come to learn means she’s hiding her feelings. I take quick stock of my actions and realize they look bad. I spent the entire day with Lucy and her son (which was a big thing for her, letting me into Levi’s life) and then I see her in a dress that makes her feel uncomfortable and bolt with a lame excuse.

Nah, I’m not going to act like an idiot right now.

I pause my journey to the door and backtrack to Lucy. I stop just in front of her and smile warmly, putting my hands on her upper arms, and lean down to kiss her cheek. IT WAS A FRIENDLY KISS, DREW, SHEESH.

“Thank you for today. It was the best day I’ve had in a long time.” I want to kiss her right on her full mouth, but I refrain and let go of her instead. “You look gorgeous, Lucy. Enjoy your date tonight.”

She gives me a belated, whispered “Thank you” on my way out. In the living room, I find Levi, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth as he tries to fit two tiny Lego pieces together, now wearing his amazing dino pants. I give him a fist bump and tell him he’s the best freaking kite flier I’ve ever seen. His jaw drops on the word freaking, and I think I might have just taught him something new that Lucy won’t like. What can I say? I’m new to this. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to learn.

Once I’m in my car, I make a quick call.

“Hey, Rachel, you up for going to dinner tonight around seven at Thistle?”