The Roommate Switch: An Insta-love Standalone Romance

by Penny Wylder

  Fear can go fuck itself.

  Dash makes being here far more exciting than the fear that might try to drive me away.

  I'm willing to take this risk.

  6

  Anna

  “Hey, stranger,” he says as he drops his keys on the counter. “I feel like I haven't seen you in days.”

  “Yeah, my asshole boss made me work two doubles this week, plus all my regular shifts. I'm exhausted.”

  “He made you?”

  I shrug my shoulder as I slip on to the stool at the center island in the kitchen. “He asked while implying that I didn't have a choice. But who am I to say no? I need the money.”

  “I don't like your boss,” Dash says as he grabs a couple beers from the fridge and slides one over to me.

  I twist the top open and take a long sip. “Yeah, I don't think many people do. I bet his mother can't stand him either.” I giggle and wink.

  Dash chuckles as he holds up his bottle. “To the weekend,” he says, tapping the glass neck against mine.

  “To the weekend,” I repeat. My fingers fumble with the label on the beer. “So, you have big plans this weekend?”

  “I do, actually.”

  My eyes expand, and I know I make a face. I just hope he didn't notice. “A hot date?”

  “Yup. Hottest date I've ever been on.”

  “Oh,” I answer, my voice dimming. “That's cool.” My eyes stay down, and I keep picking at the label.

  “What time can you be ready?” he asks.

  “What?” My eyes shoot up and I arch a brow. “Me?”

  He grins and nods. “I told you I had a hot date.”

  “Yeah, but I wasn't thinking it was me.”

  “And why not?” he asks, taking a small step around the counter so he's standing right next to me. “You have beautiful eyes, gorgeous red hair, and a body that kills. Plus, you're smart, you’re the whole package.”

  “Oh, my brains come in last. Thanks.” I roll my eyes and stick out my tongue.

  “All of it comes in first. There's no rank here. It's all important.”

  “You don't have to pretend that I'm not holding you back.” I flick my eyes away and look back down at my hands. “I don't need a pity date because I haven't made any friends yet. I know your sister—”

  Dash grabs my chin and forces my eyes back to his. “This has nothing to do with my sister. Yes, she asked me to show you around the other day, but she didn't ask me to babysit you. You're gorgeous, Anna, I'm not just saying that to be nice.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. So, how long before you're ready?”

  “I don't know. Where are we going?”

  “How does a movie sound?”

  “A movie? What's playing?”

  “Anything you want. We don't have to go out to enjoy a movie. I know you've been working your ass off and could use a night to relax. I thought maybe we could get dressed up and have a date-in tonight? What do you think of that?”

  I love the idea. I've been on my feet for twelve hours at a time. I have blisters on my feet and the arches ache with every step. A night in sounds amazing.

  “I love it. Yes, let's absolutely do that.”

  “All right. I'll order us some Chinese, and you can pick whatever movie you want when you're ready.”

  “Sounds perfect. I only need about twenty minutes.” I go in my room and grab some clothes then head for the shower.

  “Hey!” he yells as I shut the door. “You want anything special to eat?”

  “No, I'll eat pretty much anything.”

  “I love you already,” he says playfully.

  My stomach does a little flip and my heart beats hard as his words push through the door. The edges of my lips curl into a thin smile as I shake my head to myself. He doesn't actually love me. Not like that. I know this, but it doesn't stop my body from reacting.

  I shower and blow dry my hair, then slip into a silky pink sundress with a daisy pattern. I opt for no bra. It's a bold decision, but I'm feeling a little frisky. I want to see where this date night at home goes.

  Screw it, right? New city, new experiences. This is why I'm here.

  Inside I'm excited and nervous. There's a pit in my stomach that's full of butterflies, and I can't stop smiling as I put on a little makeup. A light swipe of pink eye shadow, and a layer of mascara on my eyes make the green pop. A little gloss on my lips and I'm good. Nothing fancy, just enough to feel pretty.

  I open the door to find Dash has the lights turned down, and the food spread across the coffee table. The Netflix logo bounces across the screen on the television. He holds out his hand to me. I take it and he spins me in a circle.

  “Wow, look at you. You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” I say. “You're not looking so bad yourself either.”

  He flips his collar and gives me a serious look. “I was born this way, baby.”

  We both laugh and it feels really good. He's still holding my hand as he leads me into the living room.

  “Over here we have a buffet of Boston's best Chinese. I got a little bit of everything. There are chicken wings, fried rice, teriyaki beef, lo mein, all kinds of things. Take your pick. Do you know what you want to watch?”

  “I'm not sure. How do you feel about a good horror movie?”

  He cocks his head in my direction, his brows lifting high. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. Why? Did you expect me to suggest a romantic comedy or something?” I sit on the couch and grab a pair of chop sticks and a paper plate.

  “Maybe, but I'm happily surprised you picked my favorite movie genre.” He drops down next to me, opening the two beers on the table and taking a plate and chop sticks for himself. “I've got just the movie then.”

  “Oh, do you?”

  “Yup. One you've never seen.”

  “How do you know if I've seen it or not.”

  “I guarantee you haven't seen this one. It's really old. A classic, as the movie buffs say.”

  “How old?”

  “The sixties.”

  “I’m in.” I fill my plate with food as Dash starts the movie.

  Black Sunday, a movie made in the sixties about a witch getting revenge. We both sit quietly and eat as we watch this classic scary movie. By the middle, we’re snuggling up together.

  Dash’s arm is wrapped around my shoulder, his fingers softly running up and down over the curve of my shoulder. I’m not even focusing on the movie anymore. I’m only focusing on his fingertips.

  They touch me so delicately, goosebumps ripple down my arm. He moves a little higher, his fingers sweeping up the side of my neck. I tilt my head, laying it against his arm. With ease, he pulls me in close. I lay my hand across his chest and look up at him.

  His eyes are already on me. The intensity palpable, with such strength they’re holding me in place. Dash lowers his face, moving in closer and closer. But this time I don’t move away. I let him kiss me.

  His lips are soft, gentle, as if he’s testing what I’m going to do. I do exactly what I want to do. I kiss him back. There’s a timidness to our kiss at first. We’re both kissing with delicate finesse. Dash’s lips are warm, wet, and inviting. He runs the tip of his tongue across my bottom lip, causing me to moan.

  I part my lips, giving him complete and total access. I want to taste him. I want to feel his tongue wrap around mine. I want him to show me exactly what I’ve been missing in my life.

  He groans lightly as he slips his tongue inside my mouth. Every nerve in my body comes alive as his hand sweeps up the back of my neck and through my hair. He digs his fingers in deep, tipping my head back with a quick tug, and kissing me harder. Fuck, he tastes so damn good.

  My hand moves across his chest as I twist against him. My body is hot, my pussy dripping with need. His chest is hard as steel. My fingers trace each and every ab, following the steppingstones down to the edge of his pants.

  Dash grabs me around the waist and hoists me onto his
lap. His hands slide down my back, grabbing my ass. He grunts as he pulls my hips closer, forcing my pussy to press against his hard cock.

  We're both slowly losing control, coming undone. I can feel his heartbeat pick up and his breathing get heavier. My kisses become delirious, and my pulse starts to kick harder.

  Have you ever wanted something so badly and it's right there, right at your fingertips, but you know you shouldn't?

  I know in the back of my mind that this is wrong. This is Betty's brother. I'm playing with fire right now. And honestly, I don't care. Because I want him. I want to feel him all over me. I want him to lick me all over. I want him to bury himself deep in my pussy and make me scream his name.

  Dash releases my ass and runs flat palms up my back, grasping me by the shoulders and pulling me down. He kisses me with vigor, spearing his tongue inside my mouth and twirling it around.

  His phone rings in his pocket, causing him to break our kiss. He digs it out and holds it up. “Shit, it's my sister.” He gives me an apologetic stare, hitting the answer button. “Hey, Bet, what's going on?” he asks.

  I roll off his lap and sit beside him. I can hear Betty in his ear, she's asking him how things are going, and if I'm adjusting all right. She wants to know if he did what she asked and took me around.

  The longer they talk, the worse I feel. We shouldn't be doing this. It's wrong, I think to myself. He's running his hand up and down my thigh, but it just feels so wrong now. The euphoria I was in turns into a dull pulse that's slowly fading away.

  I can't do this. It's not right.

  I slink away from him. Dash glances over at me with a curious look on his face. I give him a soft smile and head to my room, closing the door behind me. A small part of me feels angry that Betty's call ruined this, but my rational side is telling me I'm made the right decision.

  We can't do this. It's not okay. I'm not going to destroy my friendship with Betty by messing around with her brother. What the hell am I doing?

  I might have moved away from home. I might be in a big city and want to try new things, but that doesn't mean I should ignore my own morals. Breaking Betty's trust is not okay.

  I let my dress slip to the floor and throw on a long t-shirt. Climbing into bed, my emotions are all over the place. I'm still fucking hot and bothered. There's an ache between my legs that only Dash can cure.

  “Anna?” Dash asks as he knocks on my door. “Where did you go?”

  “I'm really tired, Dash. I'm going to bed. Good night.”

  He's quiet, but I know he's still right outside my door. His shadow sways against the floor as it comes in from under the door. I know he doesn't understand what's happening right now. But it doesn't matter what he thinks or wants. It doesn't matter what I think or want.

  What matters is that we do the right thing. This is the right thing. Shutting it down before it goes too far, and we do something we'll both regret.

  “Goodnight,” he finally says and walks away.

  My heart is still racing, and my body is tender. But built within this lust is guilt.

  Guilt for almost giving myself to him. Guilt for betraying my friend. And guilt for still wanting it anyway.

  What the hell am I doing?

  “Living,” a distant voice inside my head whispers.

  7

  Dash

  My sister is still talking. I can faintly hear her voice in the speaker as the phone sits in my hand. I'm not listening to a word. I'm too confused right now.

  Why is Anna going to bed?

  Things were getting hot. My cock is still hard, and my blood is still pumping through my body like hot lava.

  “Dash?” my sister says. “Dash, you still there? Where the hell did you go?”

  “Uh, yeah, I'm here. Sorry, Betty, but I need to let you go.”

  “Okay.” I can hear her uncertainty. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything's fine. I'm just getting tired. I had a long week at work.”

  “Oh, okay. No problem. I'll call you tomorrow. Or maybe you can call me for once. It's not like this phone only goes one way.”

  “I know, I'm sorry. I will. I'll call you tomorrow.”

  I hang up with Betty and walk toward my room. My hand is on the doorknob, but I change my mind. It's not even ten on a Saturday night, why the hell am I even thinking about going to bed so early?

  My eyes cross the kitchen and land on the fridge. I grab a beer from inside and pop the cap off. The alcohol fizzles down my throat as I chug a giant gulp. I hiss out an exhale, setting the bottle down on the counter.

  What the hell just happened? Did I do something wrong?

  I can't get the question out of my mind. I have no idea why she just got up and went to bed. I thought things were going well. I thought we were both thinking the same thing. Obviously, we weren't.

  Resting open palms on the counter, I drop my chin to my chest and close my eyes. Nothing appeared wrong with her. She was happy and really seemed into me, and then in a flash, she changed.

  Anna's skin went cold, her lips taut, and her eyes turned to glass. Wherever she went in that moment, she was no longer with me. I saw it flicker, the lights going out, then she just got up and walked away.

  She changed her mind. But why?

  How could someone seem to want something so badly one second, and then the next it's gone?

  I open my eyes and they land on her door. My stomach twists with need. I ache all over. From my head to my toes the ache fills me like a hunger. I want her. I'm starving. There's no doubt in my mind that I have to have this girl.

  Maybe I'm an arrogant prick who can't take a hint. Maybe I'm a guy who's consumed by desire. Maybe I'm being selfish, and this is nothing more than some trick my dick is playing on me.

  I rip open the fridge, ready to grab another beer, when I spot the cool whip and a bowl of chocolate pudding I made earlier in the day.

  My plan was to create an incredible date for her right here. Dinner and a movie, dessert for after. If things went well, I was hoping we might end up sharing a room for the night.

  I snatch out another beer, frustrated that I must have done something wrong, and just can't figure it out. Taking the beer in my room, I strip down to my boxers, and drink it while trying to watch the rest of a Red Sox game.

  Frustrated, I turn off the television. I can't even get into baseball right now. Yanking the covers up over my head, I submerge myself in complete darkness. I pinch my eyes shut and command myself to sleep. After tossing and turning for over an hour, I give up and decide to go hit the dessert in the fridge.

  The light from inside is blinding as I open the door in the dark kitchen. I grab the bowl of pudding and cool whip. As I close the door, I turn around and pause. Anna is standing there in a long t-shirt, with her hair pulled up in a messy ponytail, and her mascara smudged slightly under her eyes.

  “Hey,” she says, crossing one leg over the other, and her arms around her chest.

  “Hey,” I say back. “Pudding?” I ask, holding up the bowl and whip cream.

  “Sure.” Anna relaxes her arms and grabs a couple spoons from the drawer beside her. She walks to the counter and passes me the spoon.

  “I thought you went to bed,” I say.

  “Couldn't sleep.”

  “Me either.”

  She leans over onto the counter and scoops a small spoonful of pudding. “Chocolate's my favorite.”

  “I know,” I say.

  She licks the bite off the spoon as she watches me. “You know?”

  “Yeah, I asked my sister to tell me some of what you like. Chocolate pudding was the first thing she said.”

  “I can't believe she remembered that. I told her that like the first time we talked.”

  “Betty has a good memory. I also know that my sister told you I'm some kind of playboy, but just so you know, I'm not.”

  “And I'm supposed to just believe you? Why should I trust you, and not your sister? She has no reason to lie to me
, but you on the other hand. . .” She lets the last word hang in the air, and arches her brows.

  I know exactly what she's thinking. If I'm the kind of guy who sleeps around, I would do and say anything to get my way. Damn my sister for putting that in her head.

  “While my sister might have good intentions, and just because she knows all kinds of little things about me, doesn't mean she knows everything. Her perception is wrong, I'm not a guy who sleeps around. I don't take home a different girl every night of the week just because I can. I'm not that person, and I never was. But I'm not going to spend all my time trying to convince you either. You can believe me or not, but I won't beg you.”

  Her lids lower in thought as she purses her lips. “Look, I take what other people tell me with a grain of salt. The truth will come out eventually.”

  “Then let me show you who I really am.”

  “That's a big request,” she says as her gaze fixes on the bowl in front of her. “Your sister and I have talked a lot over the past few months. But you're asking me to just trust you after a week?”

  “I don't expect you to do anything. I'm asking you to just let down your walls a little bit and give me a chance. I don't think that's too much to ask.”

  Her ass is pushed out and she's twisting the tips of her toes on her left leg into the floor. She looks so damn sexy like this. Restless, sleepy but not tired, her hair messy while wearing something I could easily rip off her body.

  Her nipples are hard and brushing against the counter as she moves to get another bite of pudding. I could fuck her right here and now. Easily. I can spread her legs, lift her shirt, and just slam my dick inside.

  She catches me checking her out and smirks. Fuck, that smile is enough to make any man crazed. I'd kill to have her if that's what it would take. Like a wolf on the prowl, I circle the counter, only coming to a stop when I'm inches away.

  Anna's eyes lift, steadying on mine. I brush her shoulder purposely with my arm. A shiver scales down her body. I can see it. Her muscles tremble softly beneath the surface, making her nipples even harder.