Page 80 of Off Limits Mogul

Surrendering to me.

I shake my head.

I meet his gaze. “I’d be overstepping my boundaries.”

“That’s a roundabout way of answering my question,” Shane says.

I’m being evasive for a reason. It’s one thing to admit how I feel about Keira to myself, it’s another to admit it to someone else.

“There’s still the age difference.”

Shane chuckles.

“What’s so funny?”

“In a town like LA, eight years is hardly an age difference,” he says.

“She’s still Noah’s little sister,” I say. “There’s something called the bro code amongst guys. Breaking it is sacrilege.”

“It’s clear your best friend is protective?—”

“Very. He doesn’t want his baby sister to end up in the same toxic merry-go-round of bad relationships like their mother.”

“I totally understand where Noah is coming from. If I had witnessed the things he had, I wouldn’t want my sister involved with an asshole or a douchebag who takes advantage of her and treats her like shit.”

“Exactly.”

“You’re neither an asshole nor a douchebag,” he says. “From the sounds of it, you treat Keira with a lot of respect… and care. You’re a solid guy. Someone Noah trusts?—”

“Hence the problem.”

He shakes his head. “No, that’s not a problem. You’re using that as an excuse––as a false barrier. Same for the age difference and whatever else that’s been incubating in your overactive mind as obstacles.” He allows for a pregnant pause. “You want her? Go after her. Plain and simple.”

Chapter 18

Keira

“Truth or dare?” Arianne’s mischievous brown eyes hold her best friend’s gaze.

“Truth.” Phoebe answers before drinking a gulp of her cocktail.

Arianne sits a little straighter. “How was your first time?”

“Awful.” Phoebe says before brushing her shoulder-length dark-brown hair behind her ears. “He was my age, and he had no idea what he was doing. He fumbled a bit with my lady parts and then rammed into me like a missile. It hurt so much, I cried. Two minutes later, he was calling out God’s name, and I was praying for it to be over. Not that I could guide him, but even I knew, I had been shortchanged.”

“Ditto,” I say before taking a sip of my drink.

“Mine didn’t fumble his way around because he was older… but now I know, he knew shit about sex,” Arianne says, disgust painted all over her pretty face.

Phoebe lifts a hand up and waves it over her head.

They high-five each other.

There’s something I’m missing, but I’m a little too buzzed to bother asking.

We’ve long lost count of how many drinks we’ve had, but since we’re partying at Phoebe’s house after a long day of shopping, it’s all good. It’s just us girls. Her boyfriend didn’t want to be in the way, so he’s crashing at his brother’s house.

Last night, over pizza, Arianne and Phoebe drilled me with questions about my former career. I answered all their questions. They were total fan girls. They oohed and aahed, wide-eyed and amazed. Secretly, it was adorable.