Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set

Sierra was sitting on her front steps, trying unsuccessfully to understand her math homework as tears blurred her eyes, when he walked by. She caught a glimpse of him in her peripheral vision and then glanced quickly back down at her book.

He was gorgeous she thought. He was tall with dark blond hair that had a slight wave to it. He had pretty hazel eyes and a well built body. But the whole town said he was bad news. He had money that a man his age, which she estimated to be about twenty-one, shouldn't have. It was known that he was quite a player, favored the "loose" young women in town. The ones who worked at the bars and other such places that the good Christian people of the town claimed not to frequent (though it was well known that many of them did).

Her boyfriend of three and a half years had broken up with her. She had found out not from him, but from a friend of a friend that he had been cheating on her for quite some time with the head cheerleader. Ilana was a pretty girl with a mop of unruly dark curls that never seemed to tame no matter what she did to them. Worse to Sierra though, was the fact that he had gotten Ilana pregnant.

So here she sat, on a Friday afternoon, on the front steps of her well kept, suburban; four bedroom three and a half bath home. Sierra had never understood the need for all the extra space. She was the only child of her mother and her stepfather had never fathered a child himself. She suspected that it was something more to do with her stepfather proving his manhood or his affluence or some such thing.

She was alone as her parents were away on a "vacation" on which she yet again hadn't been invited. It was something that had happened quite frequently in the past few years, as she had reached the age when she had been deemed by her stepfather as old enough to look after herself for a few days. She was trying to concentrate when her mind was still flooded with the betrayal of the boy she had thought she'd loved, the one she'd given her virginity to at the tender age of fifteen.

She sensed his step falter (strange that she didn't know his name Sierra thought- though she'd heard so much about him, the rumor mill running at high speed since he'd come to town a few months before). She felt a blush rise to her cheeks as she sensed his eyes drawn towards her.

She set down her book, rummaging in her back pack for her keys, deciding that it was time to go inside. She had turned to the door, when his voice stopped her.

"You're Sierra aren't you?" His voice was deep, quite nice she thought, adding more to his attractiveness.

She turned, once again feeling the blush creep up her cheeks. She snuck a quick glance at his face and then looked quickly down at her sneakered feet. "Yeah.”

"I'm Luke. I'm having a party at my place tonight. If you aren't busy you should come."

"I . . .” she started "I don't really think. . . "

He laughed softly. "Hey, I'm not a bad guy really. You can't believe everything people say around this town. ‘Cause most of them really have no idea what they're talking about."

She chanced another glance at him, and saw something in his eyes that belied his whole bad boy image. He was looking at her in an almost tender way she thought. For a moment she fought back a sort of panic. He couldn't know what Austin had done to her could he?

Then she inwardly shook her head at herself and surprised herself by saying "Okay."

"It's the one at the end of the next block. The one with the beat up old mustang in the yard. People will probably start getting there about eight." He gave her a look that put her right back to thinking people in town couldn't be completely wrong about him. "But you can come earlier if you want."

She nodded at him, inwardly kicking herself for accepting his invitation. What had she been thinking she wondered? She saw him light a cigarette as he walked away, and sighed. She'd hated it when Austin had taken up smoking for a short time last year.

Her hand shook a little as she inserted the key into the door. She entered the house, quickly resetting the alarm. She went into the kitchen in search of a soft drink.

She threw her backpack on the table, then dug a diet soda and a small container of low fat strawberry yogurt out of the fridge. She sat down at the table. She glanced at the clock, thinking that about now she'd usually be in the basement of Austin's house being pawed on the couch, trying to get a few minutes of quality make out time in before his parents returned from work and his little brother and sister arrived from their respective after school activities.

She sighed again, wondering if she'd have the guts to show up at Luke's house, or if she'd end up spending another night home by herself. Th
e few close girlfriends she'd had throughout junior high she'd drifted apart from when her world had begun to be so wrapped up in all that was Austin. Now that she was without him, she had few prospects of people to spend time with.

What the hell maybe she would go to the party Sierra thought? It couldn't hurt to lose herself for the night. Forget about Austin and Ilana and maybe she'd have a little fun. Though she was a little leery of what might go on at a party thrown by someone like Luke.

Would she be the only one from her high school there or had he set out to seduce the whole senior class she wondered? She laughed a short, brittle laugh as she pictured a lineup of girls from her school entering and then exiting Luke's bedroom.

Hey she thought to herself, at least you're not the one that Austin got pregnant. That would have been a bigger mess. Her step father probably would have exiled her, sent her to some hideaway for pregnant teenagers, if those sorts of things existed anymore.

As the minutes ticked by she gave up on trying to do her homework and retired to her room, deciding that she would go to the party against her better judgment. He couldn't really be planning anything as crazy as a mass seduction of the young girls in town could he Sierra thought?

She dug through her closet, having no idea what to wear. She figured a dress would be the wrong way to go. She finally decided on an outfit that wasn't much different than what she was wearing. It consisted of a pale blue, long sleeved t shirt and a faded pair of blue jeans. She made herself a sandwich in the kitchen and turned the TV to a mindless sitcom. Her heart started to beat fast as the time ticked closer and closer to eight.

Chapter 2

Her stomach a little queasy from nervousness, she set out at a few minutes after eight.

She could see cars parked on both sides up and down the street as she neared the end of the block. She changed her mind about attending the party. She was turning around to head home when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Hey Sierra," Luke said. She could hear a slight slur in his words, could smell the alcohol on him, through the pleasant smell of his musky cologne. "You weren't going to leave without saying hi were you?"

She shook her head at him, at a loss for words. Why did he have to be so good looking she wondered? Why did she have to be so damn lonely? She was barely eighteen. It's not as if she was going to turn into an old maid if she didn't make herself available to the next man who was willing to take Austin's place.

What am I doing here she thought? His house was packed with people. She recognized some from school and others she'd seen around town. There were people of seemingly all ages. Kids in her class and a few juniors, to a few people who looked almost old enough to be her parents.

Luke seemed to be well on his way to intoxicated. There was pounding music that was already threatening to give her a headache. She wished with all her might that she'd stayed home.

"Lemme get you a drink." Luke took her hand, and dragged her along with him towards his packed kitchen. "What's your pleasure beautiful? Beer, wine, some fancy girly shit that only women drink?"

He grinned at her. She wanted to pull away from him, until she caught a glimpse of what she'd seen in his eyes earlier. He almost looked lonely she thought.

"I don't drink much.”

"Let's try one of everything then. You're bound to find something you'll like."

The rest of the night was a blur. Sierra drank herself into a pleasant stupor and felt herself loosening up, having fun and forgetting about Austin.

She was dancing with Luke to a song she'd never heard before with words she couldn't quite make out, when the sound of retching came to her ears. She turned to see Trevor Johnson projectile vomiting on the stunned teenage girl next to him. He had been the token "bad boy" before Luke came along, since he was almost thirty and still living in his mom's basement. He’d also been busted for dealing drugs and for getting caught with a sixteen year old girl whose parents decided to press charges.

She felt herself bursting into uncontrollable giggles. Luke swept her into his arms, pulling her close. Everything faded after that.

Chapter 3

Sierra woke up the next morning, reeling as the headache of hangover hit her. She rushed to what she thought was her bathroom. She only realized as she raised her head after she'd finished puking her guts out that she was not in her bathroom, nor was she in her home at all.

"Shit."

She looked down at herself. She was clothed in a baggy t-shirt which was most certainly not hers. Her legs were bare and from the breeze creeping up she realized she wasn't wearing panties.

"Oh boy.”

She slumped to the bathroom floor, wrinkling her nose at the smell of vomit that still hung in the air of the cramped bathroom.

What have I done she thought? She heard footsteps and raised her head wearily, to see Luke's smiling face looking down at her. She could feel herself turning red, wanting to hide her head in shame.

"Thought I heard you up. Worshipping the porcelain god from the sound of it."

He reached a hand down and pulled her to her feet. She wavered for a minute, feeling a little shaky and found herself in his arms. She pulled back from him, her face still on fire.

"You need anything?" He gave her a concerned look. "Coffee, orange juice, aspirin?"

She shook her head mutely at him. She was embarrassed at not remembering how she had ended up in what was a damned good assumption was his bed, clothed in nothing more than one of his t-shirts. She wanted to ask him, but found herself too humiliated to.

"Your clothes are almost dry. They would have been done sooner, but I was a little too out of it last night to wash them and haven't been up for much more than an hour this morning myself."

"My clothes. . .”

"Oh darlin'." He led her to the kitchen, and sat her down at the table, almost as if she were a small child. "Don't tell me that you don't remember anything from last night."

She bit her lip, looking at the mug of coffee he had sat in front of her instead of at him. "I. . ."

He sighed. "I know you said you didn't drink but I should have taken you more seriously I guess. You thought it was hilarious that Trevor puked on that poor girl for a few minutes until you took it upon yourself to not only get sick all over yourself but all over me, too."

"Oh.” She took a sip of the bitter brew. "Sorry." She could vaguely remember now. "So we didn't um. . ." She felt the blush creeping back up her cheeks.

"No honey. I couldn't look at myself in the mirror if I'd taken advantage of you. I helped you clean yourself up. Then I put you to bed, and kicked everybody out soon after. And for the record, I slept on the couch last night."

"Thanks." What was that little pang she felt; Sierra wondered? It couldn't be disappointment could it?

He brushed a lock of hair from her eyes, and she found herself looking right into his eyes.

Sierra wanted him at that moment, wanted him like she'd never wanted anyone, not even Austin, who hadn't been that good of a lover at his best. She almost wished that he had taken advantage of her the night before. Then all the awkwardness of first time sex would be over with.

What was she thinking Sierra wondered to herself? She barely knew him and even if he hadn't taken advantage of her the night before she could see in his eyes that he wanted her now. Luke was as painfully aware of the fact as she was that she was sitting across from him wearing nothing but a t-shirt.

His hand brushed across her cheek. Her eyes drifted closed as his lips moved softly to hers. Oh, he could kiss she thought. She felt herself getting lost in the moment, forgetting that Austin existed. That she was eighteen years old and in little more than a stranger's kitchen.

He pulled back, and came around the table, pulling her to her feet gently and leading her back towards his bedroom.

He was clothed only in a pair of draw string pajama bottoms. She drank in the sight of his well-toned chest. This was a man before her she thought. Not little more than a boy like Austin, who was barely two inches taller than her and still had what amounted to the voice of a little boy which still cracked at times. Every inch a man, from his well-defined arms to the barely there hair on his chest, to the fire she saw in his eyes when he looked at her.

And she wanted him, wanted him not like the girl that she still felt like at times, but as the woman she was turning into.

He paused for a moment beside the bed, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look into his eyes. "Sierra?”

"Mmm.”

"You’re sure you want this?"

"Yes." Her breath caught in her throat.

He pulled her into his arms and held her for a moment. She breathed in his scent. He smelled much better than the night before she thought. Like soap and a hint of aftershave, with a barely discernible hint of cigarette smoke mixed in.

He pulled back, kissing her deeply, his tongue hot and wet in her mouth. She could taste a hint of coffee mixed with the bitter taste of cigarettes.

He pulled his t shirt over her head and led her to the bed. He rid himself of his pants on the way to the nightstand where he proceeded to rummage for a condom.

She watched him put it on with eyes half closed. She was a little scared, not of him but of herself for wanting him so much. The rest of her was so excited she could hardly stop herself from jumping up to hurry him on with the condom.

She closed her eyes completely as she felt his weight hit the bed. His hands gently spread her legs apart. It was not Austin she was thinking about as he entered her slowly. It was Luke’s name she cried out as he entered her more fully.

She moved her hips to meet his thrusts. His day old stubble softly brushed her neck as he kissed her. She felt herself biting lightly into his shoulder as she felt the heady rush of her first orgasm.

She felt him stiffen as he neared his own climax, and pulled his face down to hers for a kiss so passionate that she surprised herself. Her mouth almost seemed to devour his as she rocked her hips faster and faster until she felt him shudder above her with his final release.

He rolled off of her, and discarded the condom in the wastebasket beside the bed. He reached across her to the stand on the other side of the bed where he'd left his cigarettes. He lit one, blowing the smoke lazily at the ceiling.

"You want one?" He held the pack towards her.

She shook her head, leaning back on the pillow. "It's a really disgusting habit."

He laughed softly. "Yeah, I know."

She had her eyes closed, running her fingers through his chest hair, feeling herself start to doze when he said softly "Sierra."

She opened her eyes, feeling more comfortable next to him than she'd ever been with Austin. She'd certainly never lazed around naked next to Austin she thought. Although how could she have, she wondered, since she’d only had sex with him on the couch in his parents’ basement or in the cramped back seat of his car? Austin’s car always seemed to smell like dirty socks which hadn't made her want to remain naked in it any longer than necessary.

"Yes?"

"You don't regret it do you?"

There was a serious note in his voice, which blew away any thoughts she might have had about other women he might have been with.

"No.” She kissed him lightly on the end of his nose. "I don't."

And I don’t she thought. It felt right being with him, her mind free from thoughts of Austin and Ilana. From thoughts of her parents, from worries about college, even free from worries about where they would go from there.

"Good."

She could see that he meant it, that it mattered to him than she didn't regret jumping into bed with him when she barely knew him.

She laid her head on his chest and let herself fall asleep in his arms.

When Sierra awoke several hours later, she found that she was starving and that her earlier headache had managed to creep back up on her. She groaned as she sat up, looking around for Luke.

She could hear soft music coming from the direction of the living room. She rolled over, reaching for a cigarette out of the half crumpled back on the table, deciding to see for herself why Luke chose to smoke.

She had lit it, inhaled and coughed out her first drag when he entered the room.

He grinned at her. "Trying to take up my nasty habit?"

She coughed again, handing the cigarette to him, wrinkling her nose. "I don't think so."

He laughed. "Probably better that you don't anyway." Then his grin faded and his face became serious. "Shouldn't you call your parents? Won't they be worried about you?"

She snorted. "My mom wouldn't worry if she was in town. My step dad is always glad to have me out of the house so that he can pretend that his trophy wife really isn't the middle aged mother of a teenager."

"I'm sorry. My parents were glad to have me out of the house, too. I was nothing but a dead beat to my dad. He shelled out all that money for college when all I wanted to do was write songs. Boy was he glad when my uncle died and left me the house and his money. Well, not all that glad I guess. He'd been hoping that his big brother would leave the money to him. But he didn't mind too much when I dropped out of college, and moved here to pursue my dream in peace."

She raised an eyebrow. "So that's where the money came from?"

He laughed. "Does it disappoint you? Knowing that you slept with someone who is not something exciting like a jewel thief or a drug dealer, but a guy who got lucky when his rich uncle died?"

"Do you really write songs?"

"Yeah.” Sierra thought that he seemed almost embarrassed. "I've sold a couple, probably not anything you've heard. I've been lucky. And I've been investing some of my uncle's money so I should be pretty comfortable for quite a while. If I don't hit it big in song writing, you shouldn't see me working at your trusty neighborhood convenience store for a while yet."

"Hey. I might have to get a job at that convenience store if I want to pay for college."

"Your parents won't pay for school?"

"It's not that. My step dad has plenty of money and would be more than willing to pay for college, if for nothing more than to get me out of the house. I don't feel right letting him pay my way. I don't want to feel like I owe him anything."

He nodded. "Your clothes are dry. You can take a shower if you want. Although I don't have any of the smelly girly soap." She wrinkled her nose at him. "I'll make something to eat, though I hope you like leftover pizza 'cause I don't have much else, since the grocery store doesn't seem to be my best friend."

She laughed, then winced as her headache decided to remind her of its presence. "Wouldn't mind some of that aspirin you offered earlier."

"In the medicine cabinet."

She nodded at him, noticing that her now clean clothes were stacked on top of his dresser, her bra and panties folded almost primly on top.

She went into the bathroom, and opened the medicine cabinet. She removed the bottle of aspirin, taking two and replacing it.

She gulped them down with a swig of water she'd run into the small plastic glass beside the sink and stepped over to turn the shower on.

She luxuriated in the spray, liking his massaging shower head.

She toweled off quickly, wishing for her blow dryer so that her long dirty blonde hair would dry quicker. She walked naked into his bedroom, feeling a little giddy. What was she doing, she thought? She hardly ever walked around naked in her own bedroom, let alone that of a virtual stranger.

Somehow, he didn't feel like a stranger anymore, she thought. She'd shared something with him she'd only shared with Austin. Austin seemed so adolescent in comparison to Luke.

She realized she wanted to know more about him.

She went into the kitchen. He was sitting at the table, munching on a slice of pizza. She sat down, looking at the pizza on the plate in front of her and wrinkling her nose.

"You don't like supreme?" She shook her head. "I can order you something. I've got a bunch of take out menus. I'll get you whatever you want."

He rummaged around in a drawer and brought out a handful of menus. She looked through them, quickly deciding on the lasagna from a local Italian restaurant.

He went to the phone, and placed her order, then returned to the kitchen. He told her the food should arrive in about half an hour.

"Luke.” Sierra bit her lip as she looked at him. “How'd you know my name?"

"I've seen you around town, with your mom sometimes. And I used to see you with that guy all the time."

"Oh, I see. How old are you?"

He laughed softly. "I'm twenty-two. That's not too old is it?"

"No, I guess not."

Her food arrived soon after and she was grateful. She found herself growing uncomfortable again.

She still didn't regret having sex with him; it was a different feeling now. The lust had started to fade. She was beginning to wonder if she'd had her first one night stand.

He walked her home later, not touching her. "Can I call you? Or would your step dad come after me with a shot gun?"

She laughed at the thought of her step dad running after Luke in his business suit waving a shot gun. "Fat chance of that. Let me give you my cell number. Then you won't have to worry about him or my mom."

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