“You do?”
“Of course.” He digs his hand into his pocket and pulls out a bronze medallion. He holds it out in front of me. “I was part of the first Blaze groups back when I was a kid. One of the reasons why I became a firefighter.” He gets a little closer to me and puts the medallion in my hand. I run it through my fingers, and it reminds me of the memory card.
“I wanted to thank you again for the other night. I really appreciate what you did for me.” I place the medallion into his hand, letting my finger linger for a moment longer than necessary. Max smiles down at me but doesn’t say anything. Just closes the distance between us until his shoulders brush against mine.
“Think nothing of it. Anyone would’ve done the same,” he answers matter-of-factly.
I shake my head. “That’s the thing. I don’t think anyone would have done the same. I hate to say it but I think pictures of me naked would sell pretty nicely.” The thought of my naked pictures being on the internet sickens me. All because I was too careless not to lock the door.
Max’s blue eyes look down at me. “Is that so?” He rubs two fingers at his chin. “You’re starting to make me regret my decision.” He shoots me a smirk and laughs. His chest bounces and tightens a little harder and I almost want to lean in and take a bite of him. Play out a little of the naughty thoughts that I’ve had about him lately.
I slap my hand against his arm, feeling the solidness of his bicep. I bite down on my lip at the feel of his skin, electricity shooting down my spine and stopping between my legs. I rub my thighs together and try to get myself together.
Max looks at my hand and then down at me. “How about you let me take you to dinner?” I open my mouth to object when his hand slips behind my back and pulls me in a little closer, forcing my hand on his chest. “Your way of thanking me,” he mumbles as his eyes fall from my lips down the side of my neck. He bites on his lips as if he’s ready to devour me right then and there.
Before I can stop myself, I find myself nodding to his words. “Okay,” I mumble out. “That sounds like a good idea.” My heart is beating at a million miles per hour as I press myself a little on him. He holds me there and we look into each other’s eyes a little too long.
“Miss Collins, are you okay?” Steven asks. “Your face is very, very red. Like a tomato.” Max’s hand falls from my back. The second it leaves, I miss its warmth. The hard touch on my body. Something that I’ve been missing for ages.
“I’m fine, Steven,” I answer and clear my throat. I turn to face Steven, who has ketchup and mustard all over his face. He pushes the last of the hot dog into his mouth and smiles at Max.
“Thanks for the hot dogs.”
“Not a problem.” Max holds out his fist and Steven pounds it. Steven grabs another hot dog off the tray and walks back out of sight. “Cock blocker he is,” Max laughs.
I nod at his words. The flush on my face returning. Steven has a way of showing up at the worst times.
“So, where do you live?” Max asks, turning his attention back to me. His eyes move down my body and I can’t help but turn my head to the side, trying to hide the blush on my face.
What the hell is wrong with me? I don’t know what the hell is coming over me. Something about this man is making me blush like a school girl. I haven’t felt like this in a long time. Scratch that. I’m positive I’ve never felt like this before.
“Oh, it’s a little apartment complex on the West Side. Sherwood Oaks Apartments.”
“No shit,” Max says, turning his head and making sure that none of the kids heard him swear. “That’s where I live.”
My mouth practically drops. “You’re shitting me,” I laugh. This can’t be true.
“Yeah, I’m on the 38th floor. Room 3825.”
My heart seizes up and the ground seems far away. My hand flies up to my head and Max is quick to grab me. This can’t be happening.
“Rose? Rose, are you ok?”
The world spins a little and Max takes me into his arms. My body pushes against his chest and he takes me over to a bench.
What the hell is with me and fainting every time I’m near a hot guy? Alex is not going to find out about this. She’ll never let me live it down.
“I’m fine,” I answer and sit upright. “Are you sure it’s Room 3825?”
“Pretty positive. I’ve been living there with my roommates for the last couple years.”
My stomach lurches.
Roommate.
This can’t be happening.
“My best friend Blake and I have been there for a while.”
And there it is. The world grows dark and the last thing I remember is falling into Max’s arms.
Chapter 9
Max
“Why the fuck are you all dressed up?” Blake leans against the door, a beer in hand. I don’t know what’s gotten into him lately, but he’s always on my ass. He needs to go out and get laid. I see him pacing around at night, full of energy, even though he’s been going to the gym every day for hours.
“Got a hot date,” I answer and turn to see myself in the mirror. I run my hand along my five o’ clock shadow and smile. Rose won’t know what hit her.
I’m wearing a dark blue blazer, white dress shirt, and black tight dress pants. I rarely dress this well for a date. Hell, I can’t remember the last time I went on a date. I figure that I’ve got to dress decent to impress the Mayor’s daughter; she’s probably used to dating pompous assholes. That won’t be me tonight. I plan on keeping it laid back and chill. Whatever happens, happens, is the mentality for tonight.
“Is that right? What poor soul is giving your sorry ass a chance?” He laughs and walks up next to me, ruffling the hair that I just finished combing back. I shove him away and I’m this close to punching him when the doorbell rings.
She’s early. I was planning on picking her up from her apartment.
“You’re lucky that she’s here.” I shove him onto my bed for good measure and make my way to the door. I shake my hands a little and look at the mirror. I don’t know what’s come over me. I’ve run into burning buildings before with no hesitation, but the idea of going on a date with Rose Collins has me all wound up. “Don’t say anything to ruin this,” I say to Blake, who’s leaning against the living room couch, trying to get a peek at the mystery girl.
It’s always a game for him to make me look bad. Usually, your best friend is supposed to be a wing-man. Not Blake. He does whatever he can to cock block me most of the time. Although it hardly ever works. I can spin any negative thing he says. I just don’t want that shit tonight. Not with Rose. For some reason, she means more to me than any other girl I’ve been with and I hardly know her.
There’s just something pulling me toward her. Something that I’ve never felt before with any other girl. I’m used to stringing girls along and never calling them back. I don’t see myself ever doing that with Rose. And the thought of taking this seriously is new to me.
I take one final breath and open the door, throwing her my best smirk. The second the door opens my heart almost drops. She’s drop dead gorgeous.
Rose gives me the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. She’s wearing a red dress and a ruby tinted lipstick. There are ornate earrings that shimmer under the shitty hallway lights, making her shine brighter than before.
“Sweet cheeks?” Blake’s voice interrupts the moment and I’m turning to slam my fist into his face when Rose answers him.
“Hi, Blake. I was hoping you weren’t home.” She tucks a piece of hair behind her ear and looks from him to me.
“You two know each other?”
“Barely,” Rose says.
“She’s seen my dick. So you can say things are getting pretty serious,” Blake says behind me.
Rage consumes me. I turn around and grab Blake by the collar. “She’s seen what?” I hold him against the wall and Blake throws his hands up to the side, trying to play it off. I look at Rose. “What the fuck is he talking about?”
<
br /> Rose comes inside and grabs my wrist. “He flashed me in the locker room. It wasn’t my plan on seeing his dick.” Her eyes fall to his crotch and back up at me.
“In the men’s locker room,” Blake corrects her.
There are a number of questions running through my head. This wasn’t the way that I’d envisioned our first date going. Blake and I have never gone after the same girl before.
I look up at him, his face turning red. “Is she the reason you keep going to the gym at all hours of the day?”
“I’m persistent. What can I say?” He shrugs his shoulders and I let him go. He grabs at his collar and rubs his neck. “You need to control that anger of yours better.”
“I’m not angry,” I yell at him. Rose jumps back a little and I make a note to never do that in front of her again. “Just a little confused.”
“I understand if you don’t want to go to dinner with me anymore,” Rose chirps up behind me while I try to make sense of the situation.
“Oh, hey no. You’re not getting away that easily Rose Collins.” I grab my coat off the hanger and take her by the hand, a shock of electricity coursing through my body shooting straight to my dick. “I’ve wanted this date ever since that night.”
Blake walks forward, his hand tapping at his chin. “You don’t mean… As in Rose Collins, daughter of Mayor Collins?” His mouth opens a little as he connects the pieces.
“You didn’t know who she was? Do you never watch TV?” I’m halfway to slamming the door shut when Blake puts out his foot and stops me from closing it.
“You’re not going anywhere without me. Let me grab my jacket.” Blake throws a wink in Rose’s direction before he disappears.
“There’s no way in hell you’re tagging along,” I shout back and pull on Rose’s hand. I hit the down button on the elevator and curse under my breath with how long it’s taking. This is the one time that I regret having an apartment on the 38th floor. “Stairs?” I ask.
Rose looks down at her feet. “I don’t think I’d be able to make it down 38 flights of stairs with these on.”
Behind me, I hear the door to the apartment slam shut. I don’t even think about it. My arm wraps around her back and one under her legs as I scoop her up against my chest.
“Hang on tight.” I push myself against the stairwell door and hurry down the stairs. Rose starts to laugh and her body presses against mine.
“Where the fuck did you guys go?” Blake’s voice yells from two flights above.
We managed to get two blocks from the apartment building before Blake catches up to us. I couldn’t hold Rose in my arms forever, not without everyone else staring at us while we ran down the busy streets of New York. And Rose couldn’t run with those high heels that she wore. And of course, no taxi would pull over for us.
“You guys almost forgot about me,” Blake says, hunching over and putting his hands on his knees. “I could have sworn you were trying to get rid of me.” He shoots a look in my direction and I shrug my shoulders. Rose walks over and places a hand on his back. Even through all the physical exhaustion, I can feel the jealousy rising through me. I didn’t want her hand on anyone else beside me.
“Would you like to join us for dinner, Blake?”
“That would be great. I’m quite hungry,” he answers. Both of them look up at me. I can feel the pressure mounting with every fleeting second.
“Fine. Whatever,” I mumble under my breath. “Just don’t ruin this date.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Blake says, opening his mouth and bringing his hand over it in surprise. I roll my eyes and grab Rose by the waist, pulling her into me. She fits perfectly into the crook of my body. She looks down at my hand and bites down on her lip. This would be the perfect moment if Blake wasn’t behind us panting like he’d just ran a marathon.
“So, where are we eating?” Rose asks, rubbing her curvy body against me. A chill runs down my body and I hold on a little tighter. Letting her warmth take over me. She shivers and rubs the side of her arms. I let go, as much as I hated to do so, and throw my coat over her shoulders. She grabs the sides, pulls it tight, and breathes it in.
I smile down at her. The coat is at least three times her small frame and makes her look tiny as hell, but I don’t mind. “Firehouse Grill.”
“Never heard of it,” she answers.
“Oh, you’ll love it.” Blake pops up beside her. His hand grabbing her shoulder and pulling her in. I want to sock him right there, but refrain for now. That might change if his hand even dips past her shoulders. “It’s a friendly little place that Max and I go to all the time. Best burgers in the city.”
Rose looks down at her red dress and heels. “I might be a little over-dressed for that.”
“You look gorgeous,” I say. “You’ll be the best-looking thing in that old restaurant.”
She juts her head into the coat, trying to hide the red on her face. I grab hold of her and pull her into me, away from Blake. She smiles at both of us before I finally manage to get us both a cab.
It doesn’t take as long as I thought it would to the restaurant. We barely fit in the small, yellow taxi. Neither Blake nor I wanted to sit in the front and leave the other alone with Rose in the back, so we huddled into the back. Rose squished between the both of us. She didn’t seem to mind and was being a good sport about Blake messing everything up.
I pay the taxi cab and turn to see Blake and Rose talking in front of the restaurant. Blake’s going on and on about the history of the old place. Rose nods along to his words, taking in the large old sign in front that reads ‘Firehouse Grill.’ The place could use a major renovation, but Karl, the owner, refuses to get anything done with it.
Inside, the sound of country music bounces off the old wooden seats. The locals are bobbing their heads to the music. The smell of greasy burgers and Parmesan fries fills the air. There’s nowhere I’d rather be. Then, I look over at Rose whose eyes are wide and shimmering.
Scratch that. There’s one place I’d rather be. I’d go anywhere if Rose came along.
“What are you two doing here tonight? I thought you guys were off.” Karl wipes the inside of a row of shot glasses, glancing at us until he sees Rose. He throws the white rag over his shoulder. “What is a pretty girl like you doing with these two?” He holds out a hand and kisses Rose on her hand. Karl is old school like that.
“I heard you have the best burgers in New York,” she says, her eyes already glancing at the menu.
“Without a doubt. We’ve been here longer than any of the McDonald’s and Burger Whatever.” His mustache bounces off the top of his lip as he talks. “This one is our signature one.” He points to the top of the menu.
“I’ll have one of those then,” Rose says, her tongue running along her lips. If the music wasn’t playing so loud, I might have heard her stomach rumble.
“Same for us,” I tell Karl and walk over to the most lit table. There aren’t too many to choose from but I find a quiet spot for the three of us. Rose is the first to shimmy inside, followed by Blake and I on each side.
Rose’s eyes gleam over every detail of the restaurant. Taking in the rustic wood and awards hanging on the walls. This place used to be buzzing back in the day. That’s gone away with time. Half the time it barely has anyone here.
“Like it?” Blake asks and throws a hand over her shoulder, pulling her closer to his side.
“I love it. I’ve never been so drawn to a restaurant before.”
I move in a little closer and shoot a nasty glance over to Blake. He pretends like he doesn’t see it. If that’s how he wants to play it. I bring a hand under the table and place it on her thigh. Both Rose and Blake look down, but no one says anything.
He can have her shoulders. I’m more suited between her legs.
“Blake and I have been coming here since we’ve been kids. It’s our home away from home.” I let my eyes run over the restaurant and take it all in. It’s the exactly the same since we were kids; the only
difference is the chairs have chipped a little and the paint is a little darker. “Karl always helped us out.”
I think of all the nights when Blake and I stopped here before going home. Going home wasn’t a happy occasion for us. Parents working late and empty refrigerators most of the time. Karl always found a way to give us something to eat, even when we insisted that we weren’t hungry. He could always see through our lies.
“Must hold a lot of memories.” She looks down at the table, playing with the fork and knife. “I don’t have anything like this.”
“I’m sure your mom cooked you better food than these burgers,” I say.
“She used to, but then she passed away. Dad was always busy with his campaigns. A lot of time was spent alone.”
I squeeze her thigh and she looks at me. Those big, brown eyes bounce between Blake and I. I’m about to open my mouth when Karl comes in with the burgers.
“I cooked these myself. Let me know what you think.” He lays the platter of burgers and parmesan fries down. Rose’s eyes light up, the sadness instantly disappearing from them. I bite my tongue and join in on the fun. There’s no reason to ruin this moment.
Chapter 10
Rose
Best date of my life. Those are the only words that are going through my head. I can’t remember laughing this much. It’s been too long since I’ve felt so relaxed.
The three of us get into the elevator. Blake and Max push their bodies against me. Each fighting for my attention.
We took a walk through Central Park after the Firehouse Grill. Blake and Max argued about which one of them got to hold my hand. It got so heated that a couple heads turned at the entrance to the park. I got them to quiet them down by offering a hand to each of them.
The simplest solution is the best solution.
The dinging of the elevator fills the small space. Both the men breathing hard next to me, stealing glances my way. I pinch myself just to remind myself that this isn’t a dream.
His New Roommate : Stepbrother Standalone Romance Page 22
