Rooter (Double H Romance)

by Smith, Teiran

  The sun hangs low in the sky casting an orange tint on everything. Along the road are extravagant homes with perfectly manicured lawns. I roll down my window and inhale the fresh lake air.

  About a quarter mile down the road, Rooter pulls into a brick driveway. Sitting before us is a quaint, yet stunning white cottage style house with red shutters and a wrap-around porch with thick pillars. The evening sun is streaming in from the back windows to the front. We pull to a stop next to a red Mercedes and Rooter kills the engine.

  “Welcome home, babe,” he says and I gasp. “For the next three days anyway.”

  It suddenly occurs to me why Rooter brought me here. When we first started seeing each other, we had a conversation about dream houses. This house fits my description perfectly.

  “We’re staying here?”

  “Yep,” he leans over and gives me a quick kiss. “Wait until you see the back.”

  “You’ve been here?”

  He nods eagerly. “I rode up the day before yesterday to check it out.” He opens his door. “Stay here a minute.”

  Rooter jogs to the front porch and is met by an older, portly blonde woman. They talk briefly and she hands him a set of keys. He walks her to the truck and helps me out.

  “Ella, this is Sophie,” he says with a proud smile. His arm enfolds my waist. “Sophie, this is Ella, the owner of the house.”

  I extend my hand to her with a smile. “Nice to meet you, Ella. The house is beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” She smiles, revealing a crooked incisor. “I hope you have a lovely stay.”

  “I’m sure we will,” I tell her.

  “I’ll get out of your hair.” She turns to Rooter. “If you need anything, please call me. My phone is on twenty four hours a day.”

  Once Ella pulls out of the driveway, we stroll hand in hand to the front porch. After opening the door, he steps aside allowing me to enter first. When I do, I can’t believe my eyes. The place is exquisite with dark wood floors, light furniture, and a high vaulted ceiling. It’s decorated in a lake and nautical theme.

  I amble to the oversized white couch and run my fingers over the supple material. It feels every bit as expensive as it looks. In front of the couch is a great, matching ottoman, and on it lies a spread of all different magazines ranging from gossip rags to lakeside living and gardening. On the end table is a lamp and a bowl of black and white rocks. If I was to build my dream home, this would definitely be it. I turn to Rooter and jump up and down.

  “I can’t believe you brought me here.”

  “You like it?” He makes his way to me with a hopeful expression.

  I wrap my arms around his neck. “It’s amazing, Rooter. Thank you.”

  “You deserve this, especially after everything…”

  I shush him and place my index finger against his lips. “Let’s not talk about any of that.”

  I gently draw his face to mine for a kiss. His hands that were resting on my hips snake around my waist and pull me flush against him. His lips tenderly meet mine. First he kisses my top lip and then the bottom, pulling it into his mouth, prompting me to part my lips. I love the taste of his kiss. The way his tongue slowly glides against mine makes me weak. My hands slide into his soft hair and I press my body firmly against his. Both of his hands slide down my back and he grips my ass. The kiss turns into heated passion. He groans huskily and swiftly pulls away. Fire dances in his dark chocolate eyes.

  “We need to stop,” he says, breathless.

  “No, we don’t.” I pull him back by the waist of his jeans. My finger grazes the skin just above edge of the denim. Feeling wanton, I lick my lips. I want to taste him.

  Rooter flashes his perfect panty dropping grin. “Remember what I said on our first date about anticipation?”

  “You’re not playing that game with me again.” I tug at his belt.

  He chuckles and takes my hand into his. “It’s not a game, babe. I’m not going to put my hands on you again until I know it’s right, and the moment is perfect.”

  “Fine, don’t put your hands on me. I’ll put mine on you,” I say and caress his ass with my free hand. He must be trying to kill me.

  “You’ll thank me later.”

  “I doubt it,” I pout.

  Rooter guides me through the living room and the kitchen to a pair of french doors leading to the sprawling backyard. The deck is expansive and is butted up to an in-ground pool and jacuzzi. To the right is a covered outdoor kitchen and dining area. We walk around the pool to the yard, and follow a stone path to a set of long stairs which lead to the beach below.

  “We have our own private beach,” he beams, “a boat, and a pair of jet skis.” My mouth hits the ground as he continues. “You once said you wanted to try paddle boarding. There’s two of those as well.”

  “Rooter, this is beyond perfect.” I could burst into happy tears at any moment.

  “But it gets better,” he smirks.

  “I don’t know how it possibly could.”

  “Notice how my phone hasn’t rung since we got on the road?”

  Actually, yeah, I had noticed, but I didn’t dare mention it for fear of jinxing my good luck. I nod in response.

  He pulls a phone from his back pocket and shows it to me. It’s not his usual phone. “This is a burner. Only my mom and pop have the number. I left my phone with them.”

  I squeal and throw my arms around his neck. Forget the house, the pool, and boat. Those have nothing on this. I would’ve been happy with him just getting rid of his phone. “Oh my God! Rooter, you do not understand what this means to me.”

  “Yeah, I do,” he chuckles at my exuberance and pulls away. He places his callused hands on both sides of my face and stares lovingly into my eyes. “Babe, the next three days are for you and me alone. No world. No distractions. Just the two of us.”

  He places a featherlike kiss on my forehead, the tip of my nose, and lastly on my lips. I drape my arms around his waist and hook my fingers through his belt loops. All the tension and stress of the previous week washes away as I stand here gazing into his eyes. He tilts his head to the side and brings his lips to mine once again. His kiss is passionate, yet controlled, and he continues to caress my face as his skillful tongue dances with mine. My hands wander until they find themselves beneath his shirt. They trace the lines of his thick abdominal muscles and his sexy V. Rooter lets out a husky moan and I press my body against his. He’s keeping the kiss slow and controlled, though he’s not fooling me. I can feel his hardness against my belly. He’s every bit as desirous as I am.

  He pulls away, his chest heaving, and leans his forehead on mine. “You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?”

  I shake my head. “No way.”

  Rooter kisses the tip of my nose again. “Come on, let’s go see the rest of the house.”

  “How about a drink to celebrate,” I suggest once we’re back in the house. A drink sounds good, but the real reason I’m suggesting it is in hopes it will lessen Rooter’s resolve to wait. “I wonder if there’s anything here.”

  Rooter winks. “Already got you covered.” He walks to a large wooden cabinet and opens the doors. Inside is every type of booze imaginable, including Jack Daniels, of course.

  While he goes outside to get our bags, I make our drinks. Once he’s back, I hand him his glass and hold up mine for a toast. “To the best three days ever.”

  “To making things right with my girl. And being a better boyfriend.” After taking a sip, Rooter holds his hand out to me. “There’s more to see.”

  He guides me through the rest of the house which is every bit as impressive as the living room and kitchen. He shows me a bedroom, a bathroom, movie room, and a billiards room before taking me to the master suite. We come to a stop in front of a pair of closed double doors. Rooter turns the handle and motions for me to step inside.

  Simply stated, I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life. There are floor to ceiling windows galore. The w
ood floor in this room differs from the rest of the house. It’s a deep brown, but it’s shiny enough I can see my reflection in it. There’s a massive wood burning fireplace with wood to burn. To the right, in front of the king size bed is a flat screen television built into the wall with speakers for surround sound, and a built in book shelf. On the far side of the room, in front of the windows sits a plush, light gray sofa. All the wood in the room is dark and the furnishings light.

  I set my drink on the bookshelf and throw myself onto the bed. When I do, I land on what I can only describe as a silken cloud. Rooter laughs and does the same, landing right next to me. He takes my hand and places a kiss on the palm.

  “This is perfect.” I turn to face him. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “It’s not even close to the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he says and climbs on top of me.

  Rooter hovers over me and straddles my legs. I’d much rather he was between them. Images of our make-out sessions flash in my mind. God how I want to feel him between my legs, pressing himself into me over and over again until I’m left screaming his name. I want to feel his tongue on my skin and his fingers… My clit throbs at the thought.

  “I want you,” I murmur.

  Rooter’s mouth devours mine and just when I think he might give in to my request, he abruptly ends the kiss and rolls off of me. When I stick my out my bottom lip and pout, he chuckles and holds his hand out for me to take.

  “How about a swim?” He suggests.

  A swim? That’s the last thing I want to do right now. All I want to do is rip his clothes off and touch, and lick, and play with every single centimeter of his rock hard body until the sun comes up.

  “How about we stay right here,” I pat the bed, “and play I’ll show you mine?”

  Rooter swallows. His resolve is so very thin. He shakes his head. “Not tonight, babe.”

  “Are you sure? I’m wearing that black and red bra and panty set you like so much,” I tease.

  He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, steeling himself. “You’re killing me,” he groans.

  “You know you want to.” I bat my eyelashes and point at his growing bulge. “I can see how much you want to.”

  “Yes, I do. And we will. But not tonight.” He takes my hand and pulls me upward. “Let’s swim.”

  Chapter 36

  Anticipation

  When I open my eyes, Rooter is no longer in the bed with me. I roll over to check the time and on the table is a cup of steaming hot coffee and a note: Stay put. I’ll be right back. R

  I pick up the coffee and take a sip. He made it with the perfect amount of my favorite creamer. I close my eyes and inhale the scent. This is heaven.

  I’m halfway through my coffee when the bedroom door opens. Rooter carries a tray of food complete with a vase holding a single yellow rose. Does he know yellow is my favorite? He sets the tray in the middle of the bed and sits on the other side.

  “Good morning.” He smiles and leans in for a kiss.

  “Breakfast in bed?” I press my hand to my chest, amazed.

  “You like french toast, right?”

  “I love it.” And I think I just fell in love with you.

  “Good,” he sounds relieved and holds out a napkin for me.

  He’s dressed in a black and red Under Armor outfit making me wonder how long he’s been up. “Have you been up long?”

  “Just long enough to make breakfast.” He hands me a fork and takes one for himself.

  I cut a piece of the toast which is sprinkled with powdered sugar and topped with the perfect amount of maple syrup. I moan in delight the instant it enters my mouth. “This is delicious.”

  We go back and forth taking bites. I love watching Rooter eat. The way his mouth wraps around his fork and the way his strong jaw clenches as he chews. He’s rugged and manly. Everything, and I mean everything, he does is sexy. And he’s mine.

  “What do you want to do today?” He asks and wipes his mouth.

  “I think I want to try paddle boarding.”

  “Okay.” He winks, and it sends a spasm straight to my core.

  Good God. “New rule. You’re not allowed to wink at anyone but me.”

  Rooter snickers. “Why?”

  “Because it’s ridiculously hot.”

  “Oh yeah?” He winks again, and it’s like fire shooting straight to my center.

  Holy hell he’s gorgeous. “Like you don’t know.” As much as he does it, he must know. I cringe at the thought of how many girls he’s gotten into his bed with that wink.

  “Where’d you go just then?” He asks, all kidding aside, and tucks a stray lock of hair behind my ear. His warm eyes prod into mine.

  “Nowhere.” I smile, trying to play it off.

  “Don’t lie.” His voice is tender with concern. “You went somewhere, and it didn’t look like a very happy place.”

  I hesitate. I can’t bring myself to tell him. “I’d rather not say.”

  “Sophie,” he says and curls his fingers around mine, “I want you to be able to talk to me.”

  “I know I can talk to you. But sometimes I think things that are really… Stupid.”

  “Things like what?”

  I sigh and look at the white comforter, too bashful to face him as I speak. “I sometimes find myself jealous of the girls before me.”

  I never realized how insecure I am until being with Rooter. I question everything about myself. Am I pretty enough? Funny enough? Smart enough? Am I too tall? Are my boobs too small? What does he see in me?

  Rooter tilts my chin up to face him. His expression is thoughtful. “Babe, there’s nothing to be jealous of. There was never anyone before you. It was just…” he trails off.

  I nod because I know what he was going to say. It was just sex. But that doesn’t make me feel much better.

  “Sophie, you’re the only one who has ever mattered to me. What you need to realize is,” he waves his arms around and back and forth between us, “this has never happened with anyone else.”

  “I know that. But I still get jealous.”

  He scratches his head. “If it makes you feel better, I get jealous over guys who don’t even exist.”

  My eyes go wide. “What?”

  “Every day, especially lately,” he slides his fingers through his hair, “I worry someone better will come along—someone without all the baggage I have—and that he’ll steal you away from me.”

  His admission shocks me. Never in a million years would I imagine Rooter could ever be insecure. Even after the Hayden text incident. He’s such an extremely confident person. But given his “baggage” and everything we’ve been through as of late, I can see why he feels that way.

  “That’s not even possible.” I squeeze his hand. “You’re the only guy I’ve ever wanted. Even with everything… I couldn’t want anyone the way I want you.”

  Rooter leans in and caresses my cheek, stroking it lightly with his thumb. “And I have never and will never want anyone the way I want you.”

  After breakfast we suit up and hit the beach. Paddle boarding is not a success. For Rooter. The guy has zero balance, which takes me by surprise. The stiff wind doesn’t help much either. He spends more time falling in the water and climbing back on the board than he does on the board. I don’t have too much trouble. I only fall in twice when we first get going. Years of practicing yoga—although I haven’t in a while—have surely helped with my balance.

  After an hour of paddle boarding, we trade in the boards for the jet skis. I’ve been on jet skis before, but only as a passenger. Rooter offers for me to ride with him, but I want to try it on my own. He takes his time explaining all the buttons and how to work the throttle, warning me to press it gently to get going. Once I’m comfortable, we take off along the shoreline.

  Rooter is a pro at jet skiing. He speeds, jumps waves, and throws himself off of his. Me on the other hand, not so much. I probably look like a grandma as I pu
tter around on mine, but it’s still fun and Rooter never makes fun of me. He’s very attentive and stops to check on me every so often.

  We spend the afternoon riding up and down the coast gawking at the mansions along the shore. At one point, we hop off and beach the skis so we can swim. On our way back to the cottage I gain a little courage and get up to forty miles per hour.

  “That was so much fun.” I beam at Rooter after we’ve secured the skis to the dock.

  He laces his fingers with mine and is unusually quiet as we climb the stairs to the house.

  “Did you have fun?” I ask, worried.

  “Of course,” he says and kisses the top of my hand.

  “You’re being quiet.”

  “Am I?”

  “Yeah. Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is perfect.” His radiant smile eases my worry.

  We take a couple more steps and I hear music playing. I don’t think too much of it until we reach the top of the stairs and I see the reason for his silence.

  The entire backyard has been transformed into a romantic oasis. It’s decorated with what seems like thousands of red and white roses. Petals are scattered along the pathway leading to the deck where a magnificent table is set for a romantic dinner. A colossal, crystal vase of two dozen long stem red roses adorn the center of the table. There are candles everywhere although they’re not yet lit. A man and woman are working in the outdoor kitchen preparing our dinner.

  I clutch my chest and gasp at the sight. “Rooter, this is…” I trail off because there are no words to describe the beauty before me.

  “Why don’t you go inside and get a shower?” He suggests. “I need to talk to Vic and Martha.”

  When I enter the bedroom, I’m greeted by the sight of more roses and petals sprinkled throughout the room and on the bed. Also on the bed is a large white gift box topped with a red bow. On it is a note that reads: Open Me, R.

  I take a deep breath and open the lid. Inside is a beautiful, white strapless gown. The skirt is layered and short in the front and long in the back and the top half is made of bunched satin. Also in the box is a pair of silver strappy heels, a gorgeous rhinestone necklace, and in the bottom of the box is a Victoria’s Secret bag. Inside the bag is a white lace, strapless bustier and matching thong.