Dating Roulette

by D. Kelly

  I close the door behind me and quickly throw on a pair of sweats and an oversized T-shirt. I want to use the bathroom and brush my teeth, but I need to update the date journal first.

  Good parts of the night:

  Spending ninety-five percent of our date in Tristan’s arms might have made this the best date I’ve ever had.

  Experiencing his protective nature, even against fake monsters, was incredible. He makes me feel loved.

  He fed me funnel cake and didn’t ask to share. This makes him my soul mate—I’m sure of it.

  Even though he could have, he didn’t tease me. Tristan was happy to be there, and I’m pretty sure he was happy to be there with me.

  The best is yet to come because I’m about to sleep wrapped in his arms.

  Bad part of the night:

  These are getting harder and harder to come up with, but I guess I’d say it’s right now. Looking for flaws where there are none is tedious. Tristan might not be perfect, but he’s perfect for me. I think I’ve known that since the day we met. He made me laugh, and when I did, his smile became my addiction. A world without Tristan and his smiles would be a world I wouldn’t want to live in.

  Tristan knocks, and I quickly close my notebook and put it on my desk before letting him in. He’s in a pair of flannel pajama pants and a T-shirt. It doesn’t really matter what he wears; Tristan is always sexy to me.

  “Come on in. I need to use the restroom real quick. I’ll be right back.” I dart into the restroom and relieve my bladder, wash my hands and face, and brush my teeth in record time.

  Once I’m back in the bedroom, Tristan motions to the bed.

  “So how do you want to . . .” This is ridiculous. I can’t even find my words around him anymore. We’ve done this a thousand times before—at least.

  With a sly grin, Tris pulls down the blankets and climbs into his side of the bed. Well, his usual side. “Same as always, Bex. Relax. Nothing is going to happen.”

  “Maybe that’s the problem,” I mutter, and he chuckles as I flip off the lights. Even though it’s dark, we’re facing each other, and he reaches out to caress my cheek.

  “Why is it a problem?”

  Releasing a sigh at the tenderness of his tone, I scoot closer to him. “I feel like we’re going through the motions because we have to. Aren’t you tired of the dates?”

  “You want to stop? Damn, and here I thought we were having a good time.”

  “No, rewind. I don’t want to stop; I just want . . . more.”

  Tris wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me flush against his body. “Angel, I want everything with you. But it’s important to me to see these dates through, and whether you admit it to yourself or not, it’s even more important to you.”

  “It’s really not—”

  “Stop. It is. This is your process, Bex, and I don’t want you to look back one day and be angry with yourself for not completing it. In the scope of things, seven dates are nothing. We have three dates left, and I’d like to make the most of them.”

  Before I can stop myself, I’m yawning. Tristan lowers his lips to mine and kisses me with a sweetness that leaves me breathless every time. “Good night, angel.”

  “Good night, Tris.”

  First thing after leaving Bex’s bed this morning, I hopped in the shower and took care of my needs quietly. I didn’t want her waking up to the sounds of me masturbating. At some point, she may think all I want her for is sex. It couldn’t be further from the truth, but something about this new part of our relationship has me ready to go all the time.

  Once Bexley has woken, showered, and had coffee, we’re finally ready for our weekend trip to the grocery store. We’ve got our routine down to a science, which usually makes shopping easy. That is until I see her reaching for the store-brand cereal.

  “What do you think you’re doing?”

  Her hand hovers over the shopping cart with the generic Fruit Loops and Cocoa Krispies.

  “Shopping?” Her high-pitched reply and her red cheeks are enough to make me want to smile. But since Bex likes the controlling part of my personality, I figure maybe I can have some fun with her.

  Crossing my arms, I narrow my eyes. “Put those back and get the right ones.”

  She bites her lip and brings one ankle over the other, crossing her feet. There is something insanely hot about turning her on in the middle of the store. “These are cheaper, Tris.”

  Stepping completely into her space, I pull the bags from her fingers. She’s pressed between me and the shelf. As I push the bags back onto the rack, I nip her ear with my teeth. “You know money isn’t an issue anymore, especially when it comes to our guilty pleasures.”

  Bex whimpers, and my cock jumps. “You . . . you’re right, Tris. Won’t happen again.”

  To anyone who doesn’t know her, she would almost sound scared, but that’s not the case at all. She’s so incredibly turned on I’m tempted to abandon the cart and take her to the car for a heated make-out session.

  “Bexley, is that you?”

  Her eyes dart over my shoulder and widen. Fuck.

  “Are you okay?” The man sounds concerned.

  Any excitement is gone as I step back, losing our connection. She pastes on a smile and steps around me as I put the right cereal in the cart.

  “I’m fine, what are you doing here?” she asks.

  It’s hard not to roll my eyes, but I give her some grace because she’s obviously flustered. When I turn around, the man she’s talking to eyes me suspiciously. Who the fuck is he?

  “Shopping. I live around the corner and figured I should probably stop eating takeout before I have to hire a trainer to get back into shape,” the man says.

  She laughs flirtatiously. “That’s probably a good idea. Finn, meet my roommate and best friend, Tristan. Tristan, this is Finn. I told you about him the other night.”

  I offer my hand, which he shakes aggressively, like an asshole. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Likewise,” he replies, turning his attention back to Bex. “Are we still on for tomorrow?”

  I’m irritated about multiple things, so I interrupt them. “Bex, I’m going to finish shopping. Catch up whenever you’re ready.” I flash her a smile, hoping it covers my irritation, and take off.

  Suddenly, dating her seems like a really bad decision. I’ve never been a jealous person, but when she introduced me as her roommate and best friend, I felt almost invisible. Jealousy seared through me. Why didn’t she tell him I’m the guy she’s dating? Probably because she was too busy flirting with him.

  By the time she catches up to me, my mood isn’t any better.

  Bex looks down at the groceries. “You’re buying wine?”

  I’ve just added a couple of bottles to the cart. “For your parents. We’re still going tonight, right?”

  She reaches for my wrist and squeezes it. “Thank you. They’ll love it.”

  “No problem. I think I have everything, but you should probably double check.”

  Bexley stretches on her tiptoes and kisses my cheek. “I’m sure you have it all; you’ve never let me down before.”

  Until about fifteen minutes ago, I would have been able to say the same about her.

  Our drive home is mostly silent. She tries to make small talk, but I’m not in the mood to keep it up. After we put the groceries away, I turn to leave the kitchen, the air still heavy between us when she grabs my arm.

  “Why are you angry with me?” The sadness in her voice makes me feel like a jackass, but I’m not the only one at fault. She’s the one who pretended I didn’t exist to the man who’s been hitting on her.

  “It’s nothing. I need to get some work done and maybe catch a nap.”

  She releases my arm only to immediately wrap her arms around my waist. Bex rests her head on my back. “Whatever I did, I’m sorry. Can we please talk about it?”

  Talking about it is the last thing I wa
nt to do, but if we let this fester, it’s going to get worse. I pull out of her embrace and turn to face her. “You were awfully flirty with Finn today.”

  Her expression quickly morphs from confusion to amusement. “Tristan, are you jealous?”

  “Should I be?”

  Her brow furrows as she takes me in. She steps toward me, but I take a step back. “Never. Why would you even think that?”

  She’s hurt. Maybe I’m blowing this out of proportion. “Why didn’t you tell him I was the guy you’re dating? The guy hit on you, Bexley, but instead of saying, ‘This is Tristan, we’re seeing each other,’ you said this is my roommate and my best friend.”

  Her eyes fill with tears, and she nods. “I hurt you. That wasn’t my intention at all. You are my best friend and roommate, and I’ve been introducing you to people that way for years. What we have between us is new, and I didn’t know in that exact moment what to call us.”

  “It’s not that hard.”

  A tear slips down her cheek. “Maybe not for you, but this is big for me, Tris. I’ve been seeing people for years, or dating people—whatever you want to call it. I told Finn I was seeing someone at the conference because I wanted him to back off, but I don’t want you to be someone I’m ‘seeing.’ To me, that feels like I would be degrading what you are to me.

  “But I can’t exactly call you my boyfriend either. Whatever this is between us, it’s so much more than I’ve ever had before. Excuse me for not being able to define it to a stranger in the supermarket!”

  Fuck, I didn’t even consider her dating history. I reach for her, and she takes my hand. Using my free one, I wipe away her tears. She sniffs, and I bend down and kiss the top of her head before leading her to the couch.

  Taking a seat first, I pull her down into my lap. “I’m sorry, Bex. I was lost in my own head. If the occasion comes up again where you have to introduce me to someone new, especially someone who wants to fuck you, feel free to play the boyfriend card.”

  “He doesn’t want to screw me.”

  Our eyes meet, and she flips around to straddle me. “You’re fooling yourself. That man wants you, and he seems like the kind of guy who doesn’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

  I’m not an insecure man—never have been. I’ve never lacked dates or sex. But Finn, that guy is polished. Arrogant but charming. I’m sure women fall for him like crazy. He’s a bit older than us, and everything about him screams wealth. He’s exactly the kind of guy Bex would go for under normal circumstances.

  “He taps his fingers when he’s impatient. He constantly checks his phone. And at the conference, instead of just asking a question, he would phrase it in a way that made him seem superior to the people putting on the event. Finn had three strikes against him before he ever asked me out. Can you imagine how many more I’d find? He wouldn’t make it past a first date, and even if he could, he’s not the man I want in my life. You are.” Bexley leans forward and traces my lips with her tongue. She tosses her arms around my neck, and I bring my hand to the back of her head and weave my fingers through her hair. I part my lips for her and take control of the kiss. She tastes like the peppermint mocha coffee she drank at the store, and I groan as the flavor infiltrates my senses.

  “You taste so fucking good,” I say, before lowering my lips to her neck.

  Just below the collar of her shirt, the mark I left on her a few days ago is fading. I pull her shirt aside and suck her skin into my mouth. She gasps and pulls my hair when I bite her.

  “Tristan, please . . .”

  “Please what, angel?” I murmur against her skin. She grinds against my aching dick.

  “I want you,” she pleads breathlessly. She cries out when I pull her hair, exposing her neck even more.

  “No, you can’t have me until I know this is real.”

  “Why?” she pleads, and I thrust against her pussy.

  “Because when I finally slide my cock into your sweet little cunt, I’m going to fuck you until we fit together like a puzzle. Your pussy is going to permanently carry the imprint of my dick. But we have to get past our seventh date first. I’ve never cared about being exclusive with someone before sex. But with you, I don’t want to be anything but. Not anymore.”

  Her mouth crashes against mine, and as our tongues meet, she writhes against me, detonating like a rocket on the Fourth of July. “Tristan!” she cries out, and I slide my hand between us and feel the wetness on the outside of her clothes.

  I place a kiss beneath her ear and whisper against her heated skin. “That was so incredibly hot.”

  “You’re a bad influence on me,” she says with a giggle.

  “I’m the bad influence? I didn’t even touch you.”

  “Mmm, I’m pretty sure your words wrapped around my clit and pushed me over the edge. That masterpiece between your legs rubbing against me didn’t hurt either, though.” She kills me with her artful references to my body and my cock.

  “Maybe on a later date, I can tie you up and test your theory. See just how much I can turn you on with my words and maybe my tongue.”

  “Your tongue?” Her voice catches, and my dick jumps.

  “You have no idea how much I want to lick and suck every inch of your body, Bex. Every. Single. Fucking. Inch.”

  She leans forward and sighs against my neck. “I can’t wait. Tomorrow I have a prior commitment, but on Tuesday, I have a surprise for you. Date six awaits; are you free after work?”

  I know prior commitment is code for Finn, but I let it go. She’s made it clear he’s not the one she wants. “I’ll be free whenever you want me to be. The sooner we get to the end of our dates, the better.”

  “Me too, baby, me too.” She yawns, and I’m a bit dazed she called me baby. I think that’s a first for her with anyone.

  I pull myself to a standing position with her still in my arms and carry her to her room. “Nap, and when you get up, we’ll go to game night.”

  “Sounds good, and if you’re free Thursday, we should have our seventh date, then . . .” Her eyes flutter closed as she falls asleep.

  I lean down and kiss her cheek. “It would be my pleasure.”

  My phone chimes a few times in a row on our way to Bexley’s parents’ house. It rang on our way to the car, but my hands were full, and I ignored it.

  I glance over at her quickly. “Can you check that message for me? It could be work so I probably shouldn’t ignore it much longer.”

  She pulls my phone from the center console and punches in my passcode.

  Suddenly, Bex is scowling. “It’s not your work or Adam. It’s Maria.”

  Maria is an ex from a couple of years ago. “Press play and let’s see what she wants.”

  Bex huffs, clearly irritated, but she complies and syncs the message to the Bluetooth.

  “Tristan, you told me to get in touch if I ever decided I wanted to try again. You were right about us. Our chemistry is untouchable, and no matter how hard I try, I’ve never been able to find the same kind of magic we had. Not even anything comparable. I’m moving back to town next week, and I thought it might be a good time to see if we still have our spark. I’d love to see you, go out on a date, and recreate our magic. What do you say? I checked out your social media pages, and it didn’t look like you were seeing anyone; I hope that’s still the case. Call me or message me whenever you have time. I can’t wait to hear from you.”

  Holy fucking shit.

  “This day just gets better and better,” Bex snaps as she disconnects the call and puts my phone back. I reach for her hand, and she pulls it away.

  Not willing to go to her parents like this, I pull into a neighborhood park. “Bexley, you can’t be mad at me because someone I haven’t spoken to in months decided to leave me a voicemail.”

  She slumps down in her seat and closes her eyes. I know this move. She’s trying not to cry. “Maria was the love of your life. It took you a year to get over her. The onl
y reason you broke up is because she moved for her job. I can’t compete with that—she was your everything, Tristan. You should call her.”

  “You’re right, I should.” I pick up the phone and hit the button to call her. When the phone rings, I hit the speaker button, and when she answers, Bexley’s eyes fly open.

  “Tristan.” Maria’s happy tone greets our ears. “I’m so happy you called me back.”

  “Hey, Maria. Welcome back to town.”

  “Thank you; I’m excited. I’ve missed being home and can’t wait to be back for good.”

  Bexley stares at me with a horrified expression. I keep my eyes on hers while I blow Maria off. “I’m sure you have. Listen, the reason I’m calling back so fast is because I wanted to let you know I’m off the market.”

  “Oh.” The disappointment in her voice floods the car. “Is it serious?”

  “It’s new, but I’m positive it’s going to be a long-term relationship.”

  The sound of her deep, throaty laughter fills the car. Her laugh used to do incredible things to my dick, which is currently flaccid. “How can you know if it’s new?”

  “Because I’m dating Bexley.”

  Bexley blinks rapidly as if she can’t believe what’s happening right now.

  Maria sighs but recovers quickly. “Congratulations. I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but we both knew that was a long time coming. It’s a shame it took you so long to act on it; you guys could have been married by now if you would’ve made your move when I left.” The sadness in her tone is palpable, but so is her understanding.

  Bexley’s eyes widen. She has no clue how many of my girlfriends thought I was in love with her. They were right—I was just an idiot. What I couldn’t see before is clear now, and I’m not about to fuck it up.

  I’m not interested in Maria, but I also don’t want her feeling bad about herself or our past. “You’re selling yourself short. I needed time to get over you. What we had was special, and if you hadn’t left, things might have been different. But you did, and I’m happy now. I hope you find your happiness soon.”