Boundaries Part 2: Boundaries, #2

By Piper Denna

A lesson in lovin'

Ali leaves for her usual summer trip to Colorado, but before she goes, Cam has a special day planned for them to make sure she won’t forget him while she’s gone. 

Cam wants Ali to enjoy her freedom and recommends she see other guys while she’s away. “Other guys” just might include a very inexperienced old high school crush… 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Piper Denna
• Release date: Feb 21, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386633754

Piper Denna

Romance is sexy. And often funny, and sometimes tangled up with suspense. Let’s face it: all sorts of things get mixed up with romance in real life. Piper Denna’s stories are not cut-and-dried romance. Her characters deal with issues female readers can relate to: independence and trust, empowerment, inhibition, an unfaithful partner, motherhood. Sometimes her characters make mistakes, and often her “bad guys” are not 100% bad. She hopes to take the reader on an emotional journey to a happy ending…with enviable sexual encounters along the way. When she’s not writing, she edits, raises two teens along with her husband, and collects scrapbooking material. She enjoys books—or movies—with a comedic twist and hopefully a love story with lots of tension, too. Sexiest parts of a man in Piper’s opinion? The hands and eyes. Shoulders are nice too, and of course, great pecs are never amiss…

Book preview

Boundaries

Part 2

Lesson in Lovin’

by

Piper Denna

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

In Part 3...

Other books by Piper Denna

About Piper Denna

Chapter 1

For the first time in weeks, perhaps because the boys and I were leaving soon, Bill was home for dinner. He’d begun to loosen up around me again, but still acted like I was fragile and might shatter if mishandled.

I was cooking dinner when the phone rang. Cable Co came up on my screen, so I answered cautiously, Hello?

Hello, this is CJ with the cable company. We’re conducting a survey. It’ll take just a few minutes of your time.

Bill stood right next to me, sipping wine.

I, um, I’m making dinner for my husband and kids.

Oh. I’m sorry. Perhaps you’d like to call the office at your convenience and participate?

Sure, I’ll do that. Oh, we were smooth. Sooo smooth. Until Bill grabbed the phone from me.

I’ll do it, hon, he told me. Hey, he said, speaking into the phone, how long ’til the Golf Channel goes high-def?

Cam answered something about the main office and a schedule.

Oh. Okay. So what are the questions on the survey?

Christ. How long would Cam play?

Cam kept firing questions at Bill, and Bill kept replying with Good, and Very crisp, until Cam ran out of questions. Oh. Okay. You’re welcome. He handed me the phone and said, He says he needs to confirm with you because the work order was in your name.

I took a deep breath and smirked. Hi. This is Mrs. Smyth. You guys are so organized! And, you know, my technician was the friendliest service person I’ve ever had in my home. He definitely went above and below—I mean, beyond. Very impressive.

Cam coughed. "Je-sus! Your address?"

Oh. Fifteen-oh-three Larkspur.

In a voice barely more than a whisper, Wear something you can ride a bike in.

Okay. Very good.

"Thanks for your time. Have a good night, Mrs. Smyth."

You too. Thanks.

* * * *

I hummed Sugar, Sugar to myself as I maneuvered my orange Mustang to park parallel behind Cam’s work van. A tight parking spot, but driving that car was like second nature to me. It had been as much my idea as Bill’s to buy it, when Ford came out with the new models reminiscent of the early seventies. Bill had insisted on the hottest motor, coolest paint job, the works. Only the best was his credo, and once I had the wheel in my hands, I’d been more than happy with the model we’d purchased.

Will and Andy had been thrilled when I drove them to school in the Mustang that morning, instead of the usual SUV. Old Mom was full of all sorts of surprises today. Rather than slipping on my yoga pants and sweatshirt with flip-flops, I was decked out in nylon shorts and layered tanks, with a light jacket tied around my waist, and sneakers. My hair was in the usual morning ponytail, but I’d put on makeup, probably more than I needed for an active day.

Cam was in his driveway tightening bungee cords around a tandem bike in the back of his white Tundra. His gaze cruised up and down me as I approached him.

So. This is what we’re doing, huh? I asked. I’d never ridden tandem, and it looked a bit scary. How come there aren’t brakes on the back handlebars?

Cam laughed like I was silly and kissed me quick. Ready? Oh, good, you brought a helmet. He tossed it in the back seat and held open the driver’s door for me, so I got in and scooted to the middle.

Nice lawn, I told him. Nice house, actually. I’d expected a regular tract home, more on the small side, but Cam’s house was pretty big, with lots of custom features.

Can’t take credit for the grass. I’ve got a really good landscaper. His elbow nudged my ribs, breaking my stare at his house. You thought I’d live in house with a dirt floor?

No, I answered sheepishly. But I hadn’t expected him to be quite so well off.

He headed north on the 17 while I sat next to him, dying to see where we’d end up. So. Where does Emily go after school?

Erin’s sister picks her up and takes her home with her kids until I get off.

Erin is your ex?

He nodded as he changed lanes.

What’s she like?

Tall as hell. Long, slippery blond hair. Smart. Funny.

You still love her. Why’d it feel like I had heartburn?

Not like you’re thinking, but yeah.

"You must’ve let her swallow all the time, to be still hung up on her," I teased.

It only takes one time, he said soberly, "and I’m not hung up."

What happened? How’d it end?

"Pretty much the same