I hold up my free hand in a gesture of surrender. “I’m just sayin’.”
He sighs. “I know.”
Ellie finally comes back out and picks up her purse from its spot on the floor next to the couch. “He’s got a point, you know,” she says to Cal.
“Shut up, Ellie. Let’s go.”
Ignoring her brother’s pointed gesture at the door, she turns to me and offers me a sunny smile. “Bye, Simon. Merry Christmas!” And she surprises me by wrapping her arms around my torso in an impromptu hug.
I awkwardly pat her back and mumble, “Merry Christmas,” looking over her shoulder at her brother, who’s scowling at me like I’m hitting on his sister. When she peels her body off me, I can’t help the relieved sigh that escapes, but from the way Cal’s scowl deepens, I think he may have misunderstood the sigh. Shit.
Ellie skips out the door, either oblivious or uncaring.
Cal glares at me. “Hands off my sister,” he growls.
I hold up my hands. “She hugged me, man. What was I supposed to do? Shove her away and yell, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’”
His face lightens a fraction, then he actually smiles sheepishly. “Sorry. No. Of course not. It’s just …” He shakes his head. “In high school, I constantly had to hear locker room talk about my sister, because my teammates were assholes who thought it was funny. It’s been a relief the last couple of years to be away from that. Now that she’s here …”
“Dude. Your sister is safe with me,” I reassure him. Yeah, she’s cute, and if she were anyone else who kept giving me elevator eyes and throwing herself at me, sure, I’d probably ask her out, but everyone knows you don’t date your friends’ siblings. It’s a surefire way to fuck up a friendship. And Cal and I have been tight since freshman year. He’s my roommate and my quarterback. My job is to watch his back. Not stab him in it.
He nods. “Thanks, man. Merry Christmas. See you in January.”
“Merry Christmas.”
Want to find out what happens with Simon? Off Limits is on preorder now!
She’s my best friend’s little sister …
That alone should be enough to make me keep my hands to myself. Knowing her brother’s extra protective should seal the deal.
But after Ellie turns up on our doorstep while her brother’s not home and falls asleep on the couch after a misunderstanding with her roommate, I can’t seem to stay away.
I’m not normally the kind of guy who only wants what he can’t have, but in Ellie’s case, I seem to be making an exception.
But how can I have her brother’s back on the football field while stabbing him in it the rest of the time?
If you love brother’s best friend romance, sexy athletes, and stories that give you all the feels, grab your copy of Off Limits today!
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for returning to Marycliff University with me to catch up with everyone. I came up with the vague seed of an idea to write this a couple of years ago and even had the title ready to go, but didn’t quite have (or make) the time to write it until this year. Since I re-edited and relaunched the original series, this seemed like the perfect time to do it.
I hope you enjoyed catching up with everyone.
And I can hear you wondering about Simon, Cal, and Ellie, and where do they fit in with everything …
Well, they’re kicking off a new series in early 2021. I’m currently writing book 1, and I hope to release it in January, but that’s very tentative, so be sure to join my email list if you haven’t already (and claim your free book!) or follow me on Bookbub or Amazon or somewhere so you don’t miss the official release date. It’s going to be lots of fun, and if you loved these guys, I’m confident you’ll love the new batch of football players just as much.
If you want to make extra special sure you don’t miss it, click here to preorder it now. And keep reading for an unedited sneak peek.
Until next time,
Jerica MacMillan
Special thanks to Deb Markanton and Leslie McAdam for squeezing this book into your busy schedules. Thanks also to Danielle Romero Annett of Coffee and Characters Designs for her help with the cover.
And thank you to my Book Junkies for being excited for this book. Without you, it probably wouldn’t exist.
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Jerica MacMillan is a lifelong reader and lover of romance. Nothing beats escaping into a book and watching people fall in love, overcome obstacles, and find their happily ever after. She was recently named a semi finalist in Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2015 contest.
Jerica is living her happily ever after in North Idaho with her husband and two children. She spends her days building with blocks, admiring preschooler artwork, and writing while her baby naps in the sling. Sign up to receive updates on her reading and writing life at www.JericaMacMillan.com.
Cataclysm
Anything You Need
Shouldn’t Want You
Everything I Want
Just For Now
Anyone But You
Songs and Sonatas Series
Double Exposition
Development
Recapitulation
Broken Chords
Counterpoint and Harmony
Overtones
Reverb
Players of Marycliff University
Summer Fling
Close Quarters
Always You
Unsaid Things
Coping Skills
False Assumptions
A Very Marycliff Christmas
Sneak peek of Off Limits
Chapter One
Ellie
My flip flops slap my heels as I march down the sidewalk to my brother’s house.
