Desperately Seeking Roommate

by Smeltzer, Micalea

  The moment my lips press against hers she melts beneath me. Her mouth moves against mine, our tongues entwining.

  When I step back her blue eyes shine and I take a mental picture of what she looks like in that moment. Her hair ruffled by my hands and the wind, eyes glittering with desire, and lips swollen from mine.

  “Ice cream?” I ask again.

  She grins and nods. “I’ll never say no to ice cream.”

  This time she reaches for my hand and we walk across to the shop.

  There are a few people in line ahead of us, making the small shop crowded. I use it as an excuse to pull Lou closer to my side.

  She twists, wrapping her arms around my middle and resting her chin on my chest. “You like me.”

  It’s a statement, not a question, but I answer anyway as I curl a stray piece of hair around my finger. “Yes.”

  “I like you, too.”

  “Good.” I kiss the top of her head.

  Even though there are no labels on what we are, the feelings can’t be denied. Some people fit perfectly into your life while others always seem abrasive and out of place. I’m convinced now I’ve been missing a Lou-shaped piece, and now that she’s here, things finally feel complete. With her, I find myself envisioning a future filled with silliness, love, incredible sex, and a family.

  Lou orders first when it’s our turn. I’m not surprised when she gets the strawberry flavor and asks for sprinkles. The girl working there passes her the cone and I place my order for blueberry ice cream.

  Taking my cone from her, I pass my credit card over before tucking my wallet into my back pocket.

  Outside, Lou and I find a spot to sit beneath one of the many trees lining the walking mall. She licks her ice cream greedily, but thankfully it’s not hot enough anymore to melt it in seconds.

  “Look at us with our berry ice creams.” She beams at me, completely oblivious to the ice cream clinging to her lip. I close the distance and kiss her, licking the ice cream from her lip as I do. Giggling, she pushes me away. “Abel,” she scolds, “let me enjoy my treat.”

  “I was enjoying my treat.”

  “Such a player, Mr. Popular.”

  Her playfulness disappears as she looks over my shoulder, her eyes narrowing.

  I turn around and find her glaring at Kit as he walks out of a bike shop.

  “I hate that guy.”

  He might be on my team, but we’ve never been what I’d call friends. I merely tolerate his presence. “He’s an asshole.”

  The shit he spews in the locker room about girls is disgusting and it makes me sick now realizing at some point one of those girls he was talking about was probably Lou.

  Kit spots us and an angry look overtakes his face. I don’t know what he has to be pissed about. It’s doubtful what Lou said to him in the cafeteria is the worst he’s ever heard. He looks like he wants to say something, but thinks better of it and walks away instead.

  She gives a small laugh and I raise my brow in inquiry.

  “I find it hilarious he’s afraid of me,” she answers my unspoken question.

  “You’re a force to be reckoned with.”

  “As I should be.” She licks her cone.

  I tap her nose with my ice cream and her jaw drops. “You didn’t.”

  “I did.”

  She sticks her finger in her ice cream and swipes it down my cheek.

  Grinning evilly, she sits back and waits.

  “Are you challenging me, Blondie?”

  Her teeth rest against her bottom lip as she tries to hide her smile. “Maybe.”

  Before I know it, we’re both smearing ice cream on the other, making a complete mess of ourselves in front of various townspeople.

  I can hear mutters from some of the people about us being ridiculous and unruly, an absolute fucking mess, but I don’t stop. Lou’s teaching me how important it is to live in the moment, and I know this is one of those things I’ll never forget.

  * * *

  We stumble inside the apartment, ice cream drying on our skin, hair, and clothes. Lou’s giggles filter into the air and it’s music to my ears.

  “You need a shower.” I reach for the bottom of her shirt, yanking it over her head.

  “You do too.” Her eyes are bright as she works the button of my jeans.

  It’s a slow progression to the bathroom as we strip each other of our clothes.

  We bump into the sink and she laughs as I pick her up, perching her ass near the edge. Behind her head, sticking to the mirror is a pink sticky note.

  Life’s purpose isn’t what you do. It’s who you do.

  The note made me chuckle when I found it this morning, and now it’s all the more fitting.

  I let her go for a moment and turn the shower on. Fitting myself back in between her open thighs she wraps her arms around my shoulders.

  Her breasts heave with each breath she takes and her hair is a wild, chaotic mess just like her.

  “Are you going to fuck me, Abel?”

  I wet my lips, lowering my head to the crook of her neck. I kiss her jaw and murmur, “No, I’m going to make you mine.”

  She shudders in my arms as I pick her up, carrying her into the shower where the water quickly drenches us.

  She kisses me passionately, making these sweet little mewling sounds. I don’t think she evens knows she’s doing it.

  As the dried ice cream washes from our bodies, the heat builds between us.

  She reaches down, wrapping her hand around my cock and air hisses between my teeth when she begins to pump it.

  Leaning my head against the tiled wall I bite out, “I need to be inside you.”

  Her eyes jump from my cock to my face. “Then do it.”

  “I don’t have a condom.”

  She licks her lips, and I can tell she’s thinking. “I’m on birth control and you can pull out. You’re clean, right? I am.”

  I nod, not trusting my voice right now with the way she’s touching me.

  She kisses my left peck, then the right. “Then I’m yours.”

  Fucking hell, she’s going to make me cum on the spot.

  “Turn around.” My tone is a low command and her blue eyes deepen to the color of the ocean.

  She does as I say and I squeeze her ass, my fingers finding her pussy as I do. She’s already wet and she moans, wiggling her ass.

  “You ready for me, Blondie?” There’s a small hint of amusement in my voice.

  “Yes,” she gasps breathlessly.

  I grab the base of my cock and enter her slowly, relishing in every delicious sound she makes.

  I lower my body over hers, kissing the back of her shoulder.

  My hands grip her hips as I thrust in and out of her.

  “God, you feel so good,” she moans as I reach between us to rub her clit.

  Her soft little sounds are nearly my undoing. “Fucking beautiful.” I nip at her skin, leaving behind marks from my teeth.

  I’m lost in her. Nothing else exists outside of the two of us.

  The heat of the water pours over us, our wet bodies gliding together.

  She reaches her arm back, wrapping it around my neck. My hand flexes against her hip and I rub her clit faster. Her noises increase in volume.

  I get off on making her feel good. Her pleasure is mine. I can feel her orgasm building as her pussy pulses around my cock and when it finally hits her I hold her body as she bows over. Pumping into her a few more times I pull out, gripping my cock in one hand I watch my cum cover her delectable ass, my groans filling the bathroom.

  When I’m finished, she turns around so we’re pressed chest to chest. Her blonde hair is plastered to her head from the water and her skin is flushed.

  “I wasn’t expecting you, I wasn’t even looking for you, but here you are.”

  “Back at you, Blondie.”

  I kiss her again, and once more we’re lost in each other.

  23

  Lou

  “Hey, I’m her
e!” I call out, entering the Wilson residence. I still can’t believe Giulia is Abel’s sister.

  What are the odds?

  “Lou, we’re in the den.” I follow the sound of her voice and find Matteo and Bella playing together at her dollhouse. Apparently dinosaurs live there now. There’s even one taking a shit on the too small toilet.

  Cristian is asleep on Giulia’s chest and she’s dressed in workout clothes—she told me she planned to go to Pilates while I’m watching the kids.

  “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”

  She gives a soft laugh. “The flu hit us out of nowhere. I blame Matty’s stink-face kindergarten class.” I snort in amusement. “You know,” she grins as she stands, holding the baby carefully so she doesn’t jostle him awake, “since I haven’t seen you I haven’t had a chance to talk about something I found on the security cameras.”

  My heart drops. I know I haven’t stolen anything or done something I shouldn’t have, but I freak out anyway wondering what it could possibly be.

  “Uh … you found something on the security system?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  There’s something I don’t quite understand in her eyes. She crooks her finger, encouraging me to follow.

  She grabs an iPad from where it’s hooked up charging in the kitchen and opens an app.

  A moment later she’s thrusting it into my hands. There I am, fast asleep on her brother.

  My panicked eyes dart up and she tries to hide her smile. “Interesting, isn’t it?”

  “I … I.”

  I have no words. No explanation.

  I mean, thank God we’re only sleeping, and very clothed—unlike how we’ve been lately. But it still looks suspicious considering my body is sprawled on top of his, our legs entwined together, and his arms wrapped in a bear hug around my torso.

  “You and my brother?” she probes, almost excitedly.

  “H-He’s my roommate,” I stutter, feeling heat rush to my cheeks because he’s definitely more than my roommate now.

  “Your roommate, huh?” Her tone implies there’s clearly more to the story, which obviously there is.

  “Yeah, we’re roomies. We braid each other’s hair, spill secrets, and freeze each other’s bras.”

  She laughs. “You’re adorable, Lou.” She takes the iPad back from me and sets it on the counter, rocking the baby back and forth in her arms. “That right there … well, your roommate excuse is feeble. Are you and my brother together?”

  “We are actually roommates.” I don’t know why I feel so nervous and defensive. She’s clearly kind of excited by the idea of Abel and me. “When your brother showed up that day to take the kids I wasn’t expecting to see him.” My hands flounder as the words pour out of me. I’m sure I look like a psychotic pigeon. “He asked me to go to the zoo and when we got back he…” fuck, “…asked me to stay.”

  Her smile grows brighter. “Are you guys together?” She poses the question again.

  I shrug, itching to grab something to keep my hands busy. Standing here with them dangling at my sides feels silly. “I don’t know.”

  Her smile falls. “Oh. It’s just sex then?”

  From anyone else I might be offended by the probing, but I’ve gotten to know Giulia pretty well since I started watching her kids and she is Abel’s sister.

  Before I can answer her she exhales a sigh and rests her hip against the side of the kitchen island. “It’s just … I love my brother, and I’ve watched him chase after meaningless flings for too long. You’re an amazing girl, Lou, and after I saw that I realized how perfect you two would be together.”

  “Giulia,” I stop her, “I honestly don’t know what Abel and I are to each other. I just know it is different.”

  “Really?” Hope floods her.

  “I can’t explain it, but it is.”

  “He’s a great guy.”

  “He is.” There’s no denying it. Abel Russo is one of the best men I’ve ever met.

  “This makes me so happy.” Tears fill her eyes and she fans her face with one hand. “Damn hormones.”

  Finally she passes me the baby and after drying her tears with a tissue she says her goodbyes and leaves.

  Once I have Cristian placed in his rocker I sit down to play with Matty and Bella.

  Fear clenches my chest as I look at them, and I know it’s because my brain is accepting that if I lose Abel I could lose them too, and I love them as much as I—

  Oh, hell.

  As much as I love Abel.

  24

  Lou

  “You and Hotty-Pants, huh?” Miranda quirks a brow, sipping on her drink. “Can I just say I knew it?”

  “Don’t gloat.”

  She sticks her tongue out at me.

  “I think you guys are cute together.” Tanner picks up his iced coffee, wrapping his lips in dramatic fashion around the straw.

  Over my shoulder I watch Abel grab our order. Since we all decided to meet up at Griffin’s, I forced him to get whatever magical drink it was he gave me the first time we met. I haven’t had it since, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it … possibly even dreamed of it.

  Abel smiles cockily when he catches me staring and saunters over with our drinks. He pulls out the chair beside me and sits down across from Tanner.

  Clearing his throat, he says, “I feel like I need to apologize for how I acted toward you initially. I was—”

  “Jealous,” the three of us echo simultaneously and I laugh when Abel hangs his head in shame.

  “Just remember what I told you.” Miranda stares him down, popping the lid off her hot chocolate and counting the mini marshmallows floating on top.

  “What did she tell you?” I twist in my face toward Abel.

  He clears his throat, scooting awkwardly in his chair. “It was just a casual conversation.”

  “Yes, very casual,” Miranda repeats with an evil grin.

  Why do I have a feeling Miranda has Abel’s murder planned out if he does something wrong?

  “Are you guys … like … a couple now?” Tanner probes, his eyes shifting between the two of us.

  We look at each other, neither seeming to know what to say.

  It was just yesterday when I admitted to myself I’ve fallen in love with him, but technically we’re not even together.

  Abel quirks his head, fighting a smile. “What do you say, Blondie? Want to be my girlfriend?”

  Because I’m me I can’t give him a straight answer. Instead, a very undignified and not at all ladylike snort leaves me. “I’ve already blown you, so we might as well make it official.”

  Across the table Tanner chokes on his drink, coffee spraying everywhere.

  “I don’t know why I’d ever expect a normal answer from you.” Abel’s hand twines around the back of my neck and he pulls me in for a kiss.

  “Bleh, okay, enough of that Mom and Dad.” Miranda pretends to gag as we break apart.

  I toss a balled up napkin at her. “No need to be jealous.”

  The door into Griffin’s chimes and Miranda’s face goes pale—which is quite a feat with her darker complexion. I watch as she slowly sinks down into her chair, like she wants to disappear.

  Over my shoulder, I find Jamie stepping into line. He hasn’t spotted us, thank God, since he’s busy perusing the menu.

  My eyes slowly slide back to Miranda and even Tanner now watches her in confusion. Abel hasn’t seemed to notice yet.

  “Miranda?” There’s hesitancy in my voice, because frankly I don’t know if I want an answer. “Why do you look like you want to disappear since Jamie walked in?”

  “No reason,” she squeaks, her gaze darts around the room.

  “Oh, my God.” I slap a hand on the table, more forcefully than I mean to and she jumps while I curse because fuck that burns. “You totally slept with my landlord.”

  She looks like she wants to disappear.

  “Wait … what?” Abel’s head swivels between
us as he finally takes note of what’s going on.

  “It only happened…” She pauses, counting on her fingers. “Three times.”

  I choke on my own saliva. “You slept with Jamie three times?”

  She bites her lip, looking like she wants to curl in on herself. “What can I say? Homeboy is hung like a stallion and fucks like it’s his job. If this whole landlord thing doesn’t work out for him he should totally go into porn.”

  “Oh, my God.” It seems to be the only phrase I can come up with at the moment. I’d kind of like to bang my head against the counter while I’m at it. “But he’s … old.”

  Miranda’s posture straightens as she grows defensive. “He’s only thirty-three.”

  “That’s twelve years older than you!” I cry out incredulously. “He was practically a teenager when you were born. He was already jacking his knob when you were shitting yourself.”

  She covers her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with laughter. “Knob? Really, Lou? Are you British now?”

  “You know Angry Lou is far more creative with wording than I am. When did this happen? I’m so confused, how do I not know about this?”

  “Only recently,” she admits, as we continue our back and forth and the guys stay silent. “And then it happened again … and again … not going to lie, I’d be down for it to happen another time.”

  Kill me now.

  “I can never look my landlord in the eye again. He’s seen you naked! Oh, shit, that means you’ve seen him naked.”

  “And it’s a glorious sight to behold.” She licks her lips, eyeing him as he finally reaches the counter to order. “I have pictures. Do you want to see?”

  She reaches eagerly for her phone as Abel and I both shout, “No!”

  Tanner on the other hand shrugs and leans over. “I’m game.”

  She must show him because his jaw drops. “Damn, girl. You weren’t kidding. Do you need a crane to lift it?”

  “I make it work.” She winks.

  Silence descends upon the table as an ominous shadow falls over us.