“I second that.” Rooter rolls over onto his back. “That was hot as hell.”
Had I spoken aloud? I clasp one hand over my face and cover my exposed chest with the other.
“Are you embarrassed?” His voice is laced with amusement.
Too self-conscious to speak, I simply nod my head.
Rooter pries my hand away from my face and looks at me with kind, warm eyes. “Why?”
My face is on fire. “Because I just… You know. While you watched.”
“So did I.” He gives me a reassuring smile.
“You did?” I look at his crotch and see a wet spot forming on his jeans. My face heats up again. “Oh.”
“It’s so cute how quickly you switch from bold to bashful.” He chuckles.
“I’m glad I amuse you.”
“Now what am I supposed to do about this?” He points at his groin.
“You do live next door.” I point to his window.
“Miranda is downstairs.”
“Forgot about that.” I giggle.
“Shit. All right.” He crawls over me to get out of the bed. “I’ll be right back.”
The moment Rooter leaves, I hear loud footsteps racing up the stairs followed by a furious knock on my door.
“Hold on,” I say and throw my top on. “Come in.”
“Oh my God, did you just…”
“Not exactly. But go back downstairs.” I wave her away. “He’s coming right back.”
“I want to know everything,” she says with a wink and goes back downstairs.
While Rooter is gone, I replay our make-out session in my mind and it occurs to me we did more than make-out. We dry humped. I’ve never dry humped. I’ve heard Miranda talk about it, but never quite understood what the big deal was. The words “dry humping” seemed painful to be honest. It seemed better to masturbate, or be fingered, or have actual sex. Now I know what the big deal is, and like Rooter said, it was “hot as hell.” I want to do it again as soon as possible.
I sit on my bed with my legs pulled up to my chest when Rooter walks back in the room. He looks different now. Manlier. Sexier. More familiar. More mine. I’m definitely more his. We may not have had sex, but that was the closest I’ve ever come to it, of my own volition. I’d barely been to third base before today. I’ve given myself to Rooter in a way I’ve never done with anyone else. I may not be a virgin, but I’ve already decided that when the time comes, he will be the first and hopefully only one I give myself to.
Rooter sits sideways on the bed facing me, his eyes full of intensity. “That was amazing, babe.”
“Yes.” My face flushes again and I rest my head on my knees.
He reaches out and strokes my cheek. “But we need to finish the conversation we were having before I got distracted.”
Chapter 26
Meeting The Slut
I blink. Did I hear that right? “We weren’t finished?”
Rooter shakes his head and his eyes drill into mine. When he speaks, his voice is cool and controlled. “I need you to tell me why you went home with Joe Skyles.”
This is the last thing I want to talk about. Especially after what just took place. Doesn’t he know he’s supposed to be cuddling with me and whispering sweet nothings in my ear? We’re not supposed to be rehashing our fight. The dour look he’s wearing tells me I’m not getting out of this conversation. I sigh and hang my head.
“Because I was mad at you and didn’t want to come here.”
“That’s the only reason?” He asks calmly, but I perceive doubt in his voice.
Offended by his insinuation, my head jerks upright to face him. “Of course. Why would you even ask me that?”
“Out of all your friends, you had nowhere else to go? No one else to call?” The gentility of his voice doesn’t match his stern expression.
Does he truly not believe in me? Does he think so little of me that he believes I’d hook up with some other guy like that? How can he expect me to trust him if he doesn’t trust me? “You don’t trust me.”
“Sophie, you told me it was over, refused to talk to me,” he raises his voice. “Next thing I know, you’re at another guy’s house.”
I roll my eyes and huff. “It was late, Rooter. He offered me a place to stay. That’s all it was.”
“I believe you. But, Sophie, I won’t tolerate you going home with other guys.” I start to interject, but he covers my mouth to stop me. “I don’t care how mad you get at me. You don’t go home with other men. Ever.” His voice is eerily level and calm though his demeanor is anything but.
“I said it wasn’t like that,” I complain.
“I get that and I don’t care,” he narrows his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. “You don’t go home with other men.”
I throw my hands in the air. “I thought you cheated on me!”
Rooter takes a deep breath and speaks with a little more passion. “Because you wouldn’t hear me out. Which is another thing we need to work on.” He drags a hand through his hair. “This is all new to me, Sophie, and I’m trying, but you can’t run off and refuse to talk to me every time I piss you off.”
I straighten my legs and lean forward. “It’s not just because I was pissed it was because of the reason I was pissed.”
He closes his eyes and exhales. “I’m going to tell you one more time, and I seriously hope it will be the last,” he opens his eyes and looks at me with a meaningful expression, “I’m completely loyal and faithful to you. I will never cheat on you. If you ever doubt me or have questions, talk to me. Don’t assume, because I promise you’ll be wrong every time.
He scoots closer and cups my face. “There’s no way I’d ever risk hurting you or losing you. If you knew how damn much and for how long I’ve wanted you, there’s no way you’d ever think I would.”
I gulp. My pulse races. Rooter stares into my eyes, waiting for my response. “I’m sorry.” I lean into him. “I promise, I won’t ever go home with anyone again.”
“Do you also promise that you’ll hear me out next time you get pissed?”
This isn’t really a promise I can make. But I’ll try. “I promise.”
Rooter leans his forehead against mine, and gazes dreamily into my eyes. “I’m crazy about you.”
“Me, too,” I whisper.
His phone rings and ruins our moment. I had him set Candace’s number to a distinct ringtone so I’d know if it was her calling. It’s her. Evidently, she can’t go a single day without talking to him.
“Should I answer it?” He asks without leaning away.
“You did say you’d talk to her.”
He pulls away and answers the phone. “Yeah?”
Our eyes are locked while he listens to whatever she’s saying. He lays his hand on my thigh and delicately rubs small circles with his fingertips giving me goosebumps. The slightest touch from him and I turn to mush. Is he trying to distract me from the fact that he’s talking to her?
“I’ll send a tow truck and meet you at Molly’s Auto. All right.”
“What was that about?” I ask when he hangs up the phone.
“Her car broke down.” He stops stroking my thigh but keeps his hand in place.
I raise a brow. “So she called you?”
He shrugs, sheepish. When he speaks he sounds like a five year old explaining to his mom why he stole a cookie from the cookie jar. “I’m sort of the one she’s always called when she needs help.”
Of course he is. I roll my eyes. “You’re going to tell her that has to stop, too, aren’t you?”
“Yes, babe.” He sighs and rubs the back of his neck.
“Are you going there now?”
“Want to come with me?”
“Really?” I ask, wide eyed. “Are you sure?”
“I’m done letting Candace come between us. I’m going to show you, once and for all, that you can trust me.”
This is what I have been waiting to hear. I look at the clock next to the bed. It’s a
little after noon. I definitely want to go, but I have to be at work by three. “Can you have me back by two?”
“Yeah.”
The expression on Candace’s face when we pull up is absolutely priceless. As per usual, she’s dressed in a barely there outfit. She might as well just wear a thong and pasties since her clothes don’t cover much else. She glares at our intertwined hands as we make our way to where she stands.
“I thought you were taking me to Nicole’s.” She addresses Rooter rudely with her hands on her hips. He can’t very well take her if I’m with him. There isn’t room enough for the three of us on his Harley.
“Bear’s coming,” he answers, flippant. “This is Sophie. Sophie, this is Candace.” He squeezes my hand reassuringly.
After appraising me from head to toe, she turns her attention to Rooter. “You can’t be serious, Rooter.”
Fury boils inside me. It takes every ounce of strength I have not to break her perfect button nose.
“Candace, be nice.” He speaks too calmly making his order perfectly clear.
“Be nice? Seriously?” She waves her hand at me. “You bring the bitch you dumped me for and expect me to be nice?”
Oh no she didn’t. I lunge at her but Rooter grabs me by my arms and stops me. “You better watch who you’re calling a bitch, skank.”
“You better watch who you’re calling a skank!” Candace steps up and Rooter turns me away from her.
“Let go of me!” I holler and thrash about trying to get free. She may have me in the looks department, but in a fight she wouldn’t stand a chance.
“Stop it, now!” Rooter barks at the both of us. A couple of mechanics are standing in one of the garage bays observing us with smiles on their faces.
“Why would you bring her here?” Candace whines. “Are you trying to hurt me even more?”
“Bitch please—” I start, but Rooter cuts me off.
“Sophie, stop it,” he growls through gritted teeth and keeps me pinned against him. He turns his attention back to Candace. “No, I don’t want to hurt you. You’re the one who called me for help. We were together when you called.”
“You better stop calling!” I threaten, glaring in her direction.
“Sophie,” Rooter snaps.
Candace gives an evil laugh complete with a taunting smile. “I’ll call him anytime I want.”
“Rooter, tell her,” I demand.
He takes a deep breath. “Candace, you can’t keep calling and texting me pictures.”
“Come on, baby.” She has the perfect seductive voice, deep and husky and it pisses me off. How dare she call my man “baby.” I start to say something, but Rooter covers my mouth. “We both know exactly how this is going to go. The moment the novelty wears off, you’ll get bored with her and call me like you always do.”
Like he always does?
“It’s not like that with Sophie. I’m with her.”
She chortles. “Yeah, this month.”
“Candace, if we’re going to stay on good terms you need to respect my relationship.”
I roll my eyes. This chick doesn’t respect herself. Does he really think she’ll respect us? But I’m glad he’s doing what he said he’d do and is telling her to cut the crap.
“Oh, you mean the way you respected me?” She asks. “One day I’m sucking your dick, the next I’m out with the trash?”
Her words make me cringe. Not because I feel bad for her, but because visions of her giving Rooter a blow job creep into my mind reminding me yet again of all the ways she knows him that I don’t. My body shakes with anger. “You are trash!” I spit.
Candace lunges at me again and Rooter stands between us with his back to her and his arms holding me against his chest.
“Sophie, damn it!”
One of the mechanics jogs to us. “You need some help man?” He asks Rooter and looks at Candace.
“Put your hands on me and you’ll be eating your balls for dinner.” Candace glares at the guy.
The mechanic ignores her and laughs. “Got a pair of feisty ones on your hands.”
Rooter nods in agreement. “Sophie,” he murmurs against my ear, “will you please go inside and let me finish talking to her?”
“Are you kidding me?”
“We’re not going to get anywhere like this.” He kisses the side of my head. “Please? Five minutes.”
He allows me to turn and face him, but he keeps his arms around me. “The last time you asked for five minutes it ended with her tongue in your mouth and her hand on your dick.”
The knowledge that her hand has been in places mine hasn’t only serves to piss me off more. I glare at her, but he turns me to face him.
“I promise that won’t happen.”
I stand and stare into his eyes for a long moment. If I refuse to go inside, he won’t make me. But I agree that this conversation won’t go anywhere if the three of us are together. “Fine,” I give in.
“Thank you,” he says and lets me go, but with a cautionary look not to try anything. “Take her to the office, man?” He asks the mechanic.
I watch them talk from the window in the office. I can’t hear anything, but from the way Candace pouts, yells, stomps her feet, and points at me she’s not happy with what he’s saying. Bear pulls in and Rooter motions toward me.
Bear greets me in his typical fashion without a smile. “How goes it?”
“It could be better,” I admit.
He nods. “Rooter seriously owes me for pawning that shit off on me.”
I peer up at him and chuckle glibly. “You aren’t fond of Barbie?”
Bear crosses his arms and stares out the window at them. Rooter rakes his hands through is hair which tells me he’s losing his patience.
“Let’s put it this way, she was barely tolerable before you came into the picture. Now she’s fucking psycho.”
I raise a brow. “Psycho?”
He chuckles. “That one is definitely short a few nuts and bolts.”
“Should I be worried?”
He shakes his head and grins. “Nah. She’s harmless.”
“Yeah, well I’m not,” I ball my hands into fists at my sides, “and if she doesn’t cut her shit out things will get ugly.”
Bear eyes me appreciatively. “If you ask me that might be what it’ll take.”
“Yeah?” Through the window, I see Candace stomp her foot twice and pout about something.
“She’s been obsessed with Rooter forever.” He uncrosses his arms and rubs his forehead. “I told him not to go there.”
“I wish he would’ve listened.”
A moment passes in silence and then Bear turns to me. “Sophie, I realize I don’t know you very well, but I’ve known Rooter my entire life.” He pauses. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but I think you should know.”
Oh no. He’s going to tell me to stay away from Rooter. That I won’t win against Candace. That I’m one hundred percent completely out of my league here and that I should walk away now before I really get hurt. “Know what?”
“The guy is certifiably crazy about you. I’ve never seen him like this. Believe me when I say,” he points out the window, “that girl out there poses no threat to you whatsoever. No one does.”
I stare at Bear in awe. Of all the times Rooter has said the very same thing, it never had the effect on me that Bear’s words have on me at this moment. All the pent up anger and jealousy that has been living inside me the past few days washes completely away. I breathe a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Bear. I needed to hear that.”
“I know.” He turns back to the window and I do the same. We watch as Candace stomps away from Rooter into the garage bay where her car is. “But if you tell him I said it, I’ll kill you.” His tone is serious, but he gives me his silly, bright white smile.
Chapter 27
The Seduction
Me, Miranda, Rooter, and Bear are meeting several of our friends—including Ryan—at the Red Door for Miranda’s birthday
party tonight. I sent Rooter home an hour ago so I could get ready. Usually, I’m not one to get dressed up, but tonight I want to look hot.
I made Miranda take yesterday off so she could go shopping with me. We found the perfect little red dress. A sheath halter with a plunging neckline that goes almost to my belly button. It’s so short it barely covers my butt and has a dangerously low cut back. For a finishing touch, Miranda lets me borrow a gold body chain, and a pair of strappy gold heels. I want to wear my hair up, but she insists I wear it in long loose waves. As per usual, she applies my makeup complete with smoky eyes and red lipstick to match my dress. After putting on some double sided tape to make sure I don’t suffer an embarrassing wardrobe malfunction, I’m all set.
When I look in the mirror, I don’t recognize the girl in front of me. She doesn’t look like a girl at all. The reflection staring back at me is all woman. A hot blooded, sexy woman. Before today, I never would’ve had the guts to wear something this revealing. But something in me has changed since my make-out session with Rooter. I feel sensual and sexual for the first time in my life and I want to celebrate it. And I want Rooter to celebrate it with me.
But something has changed in him too since that day.
“He hasn’t touched me, in that way, since the day in my room,” I whine to Miranda. I watch as she sprays her swept up messy ponytail with at least a pound of maximum hold hairspray.
“That’s weird.” She repositions a few strands of hair and sprays again and I nearly choke. “Have you asked him about it?”
Miranda looks amazing in her white party dress. It has one strap with crystal beading mesh along the sides. I’d give anything to have her curves or at least her boobs. Though, I’ve been told on several occasions I have the perfect legs and ass. I turn and inspect my backside in the mirror. I don’t really know. I guess it’s decent.
“No. I don’t know how. I mean, it’s kind of embarrassing to talk about.” I twist a lock of hair between my index and middle finger. “He said he thought what we did was hot, but now when we kiss, he stops before it can go any farther.”
Rooter (Double H Romance) Page 21