The Roommate Equation

by Jillian Quinn

  Why does he look so familiar?

  I bend down to meet his gaze, forcing a smile.

  “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

  “Ash.”

  He extends his hand to me. “Nice to meet you, Ash. I’m Dominic Deville.”

  My mouth hangs open in shock. Dominic Deville is one of the hottest indie film producers. He gave Nico Chase his big break almost a decade ago.

  What does he want from me?

  “You were good,” Dominic says in a deep voice that sounds like a growl. “Have you acted before?”

  “Not professionally.”

  He reaches into his pocket and hands me a business card. A wave of excitement shoots through my body.

  “Give me a call tomorrow. I have a project in mind for you.”

  I glance down at the card, still in disbelief, and then my eyes meet Dominic’s deep brown irises.

  My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. I’m never this lucky. Did Sloan or Dylan put him up to this?

  “Thank you,” I choke out after a long pause. “I will.”

  He tips his head, a crooked grin in place, and then he slips through the crowd. I tuck Dominic’s business card into my corset top and follow the girls behind the curtain.

  “Who was that?” Willow is at my side, tugging at the strings of her corset.

  “Dominic Deville.”

  Willow’s eyebrows rise. “You’re kidding me?”

  I shake my head and hand her his card.

  Savanna leans over Willow’s arm to read the card. “What did he say?”

  “He wants me to call him tomorrow about a project.”

  “If I was a legit agent,” Willow says, “I would rep you, girl. But I have to be patient until Boss Man gives me the green light to work with clients.”

  “What about Vinnie?” Savanna turns, her back to me, and I help her unlace the strings of her corset. “Would he rep you?”

  I laugh at her question. “I doubt it. Vinnie only reps the hottest actors in Hollywood.”

  “Girl, you got a personal invite from Dominic Deville,” Willow says. “You bet your ass Vinnie would work with you.”

  She’s probably right. Vinnie has a long-standing relationship with Dominic and his production company.

  “I guess I could ask him.”

  “No,” Savanna says. “You don’t guess. You do.” She turns to face me, stripping off the corset, her hand extended as she says, “Can you hand me my dress?”

  I turn to grab it from the hanger on the rack behind me, and she continues, “March into his office tomorrow morning. Tell Vinnie what happened with Dominic. He’ll probably call Dominic for you.”

  “I don’t want him involved.”

  “Don’t chicken out,” Willow teases as she fixes her skirt back into place. “You’ve been handed the opportunity of a lifetime. Dominic Deville could make your career.”

  “Fine,” I mutter as I strip out of my outfit.

  The corset was way too tight, sucking the air from my chest. The woman who helped me lace up the strings must have thought she was putting me into a straitjacket. My triple D’s don’t exactly fit into tight clothing.

  Willow leans against the wall, clicking keys on her cellphone. “Where are we going next? Your brother said something about another club.”

  “He did? That’s news to me.”

  “That’s for the boys,” Savanna says. “Max likes to finalize all of his deals at Vixen’s.”

  Willow lifts her head from the screen to look up at Savanna. “A strip club?”

  “Dylan is my ride home,” I point out.

  Savanna waves her hand. “I got you covered, babe.”

  Five hours later, my brother and Dylan stumble into the house, arguing with each other. Being a nosy bitch, I get out of bed and press my ear against the door.

  “I told you I didn’t want to go,” Dylan says. “Nothing that asshole says or does will change my mind.”

  Sloan’s voice is muffled.

  “I don’t care,” Dylan snaps. “You need my signature to move forward.”

  Sloan’s shoes pound the stairs as he heads up to his bedroom. Then, his door slams so loud it shakes the house. As Dylan makes his way down the hall, I open my door. He gasps when he sees me step a foot out of my room.

  “Ash,” he whispers. “You scared me. Why aren’t you sleeping?” He glances at his Apple Watch. “It’s after three o’clock. You have to get up in a few hours.”

  “So do you, Dylan.” I move toward him, and he smells of perfume and alcohol. “Why are you fighting with my brother?”

  “Because…” He groans. “We’re not on the same page with the future of our company.”

  “You two will figure it out,” I say, confident.

  Dylan and my brother have been friends for most of their lives. They always fight, get it out of their systems, and then go back to being BFFs.

  “I thought we worked everything out,” he admits. “But you know Sloan when he gets drunk. Max had his ear all night at the club. He convinced Sloan that I’m killing the deal on purpose.”

  “Are you?”

  Without hesitation, he nods. “It’s not a good fit for us.”

  I move in front of him, gripping his shirt between my fingers.

  “I need a shower,” he says, pushing my hands away. “I smell like strippers. You should go back to bed. We leave for work in a few hours.”

  “You need me,” I say in a hushed tone.

  “Ash,” he says, looking down at the floor. “I have enough problems with Sloan.”

  “You need me, Dylan.”

  I’m not backing down on this one. Dylan needs someone to lean on right now.

  Lips parted, his pale blue eyes meet mine. “Get in the shower with me.”

  I weave my fingers between his, and we walk down the hallway in silence. Dylan leads me into his bedroom, locking the door behind us. Sloan won’t bother coming downstairs until it’s time for work. When they fight, they usually don’t speak for a day, and then they find a way to kiss and make up.

  Dylan drags me into his bathroom and turns on the water, sticking his hand in the glass shower to adjust the temperature. He slides my tank up my stomach, his eyes fixed on my face as he rids me of my shirt.

  He bends down in front of me, shoving my shorts and panties down my thighs. He’s still peeking up at me, slicing through me with those pretty blue eyes.

  Dylan rises to his full height, and I get to work unbuttoning his dress shirt. His eyes meet mine for a split second and then slowly rake over my body. He bites his bottom lip, his cheeks flushed.

  I quickly help him out of his pants, not surprised to see he’s already hard. Before I can get my hands on him, he lifts me, my back hitting the wall as we move into the shower.

  My heart slams into my chest as he looks at my body like it’s the best thing he’s ever seen.

  “Sloan already hates me,” he whispers.

  “My brother doesn’t hate you.”

  “He should. He will when he finds out about us.”

  “You’re going to tell him?”

  He presses his lips together and looks away. A few seconds pass in silence before he says, “Is this what you want?”

  “Honestly, I don’t know what I want. My life is a complete mess right now.”

  “I need to know, Ash. You have to be sure.”

  “Dylan, please. Not now. Not tonight.”

  He runs a hand through his wet hair and groans. “I want to tell him… if you’re sure about us.”

  “Give me some time to think. I have to call Dominic in the morning, and I need to talk to Vinnie about representing me. Plus, I’m still homeless until I can make up the back rent.”

  He narrows his eyes. “This is about money? I’ll take care of you, Ash.”

  “I don’t want your money. This is my mess. I have to fix it, my way and on my terms.”

  He nods, and his forehead touches mine as he brushes his lips against mine. “If
you need anything…”

  “Dylan,” I say against his lips.

  “Yeah?”

  “Turn off that big brain of yours and kiss me.”

  He thinks too damn much. His mind works in ways that no one understands, me least of all. I follow my heart and go with the flow, where Dylan has to plan and know the answers to everything before he can move forward. I was surprised when he asked me to meet him all of those years ago. It was so out of character for him. And now, I’m getting the feeling that he needs an answer before we move forward. He needs to know if we have a future.

  I don’t even know where I will be living next month or if I will have enough money for gas. My life isn’t as simple as Dylan’s. Nothing in my life has gone according to plan. What if this is another thing that doesn’t work? What if my relationship with Dylan ruins everything?

  Dylan rakes his fingers through my hair, shoving the wet strands out of my eyes. He explores my body with his hands, and then he molds his lips to mine, pinching my nipple between his fingers. I moan into his mouth, practically exploding from a wave of pleasure that washes over me.

  Our lips separate for a few seconds, and we stare into each other’s eyes, a raging inferno burning between us. He dips his head down to suck my nipple into his mouth, dragging his teeth along my sensitive skin. Dylan takes his time with each breast, and then his hand falls between my legs. I cry out his name when the pad of his thumb rolls over my clit.

  He massages me, the pressure building within as he slips two fingers inside me. Dylan leaves a trail of hot kisses down my skin from my neck to my breasts, his fingers plunging deeper and deeper. I thrust my hips into his hand, greedy and wanting more of him, my body responding as if it were made for him.

  I grip his shoulders. “I’m so close, Dylan…”

  Heat flickers in his eyes, and then his lips are on mine, smothering my moans as my orgasm commands my body's control. After I stop trembling, he lowers me to the floor, meeting my gaze as he sucks on his fingers.

  “You taste so good,” he moans. “I need to lick every inch of you.” He leans forward, pressing his hand to the wall above my head, caging me with his muscular body. “I need to be inside you. To feel you.”

  I reach for his body wash, a manly scent that drives me wild, and lather up a washcloth. “The faster we get washed, the sooner you can be inside me.”

  He takes my face in his hands and kisses me so hard my toes curl in anticipation of more. After he releases his grip, we get washed in a hurry. Dylan doesn’t waste much time towel drying my body, and then he lowers me onto his bed. The sheets are silky and smooth against my warm skin.

  He climbs on top of me, and electricity pulsates down my skin, creating tiny bumps along my arms. When he moves down my body, his mouth inches from my pussy, my heart pounds.

  He grips my thighs in his big hands and rolls his tongue along my sensitive skin. My eyes slam shut from the initial contact, sending a chill down my spine. He gives me a few tentative licks, and his breath, combined with the stubble along his jaw, makes my toes curl.

  His tongue dips between my slick folds, and a tremor shakes through me. As he shoves two fingers inside me, I moan his name, and with a few more flicks of his tongue, I lose control.

  After I come, he doesn’t waste time reaching for a condom. He leans forward and presses his lips to mine. I stick out my tongue, and when I do, I can taste myself on him.

  Dylan cradles my face in his hands and invades my mouth. He’s rough and aggressive, and with each flick of his tongue, he takes what he wants from me.

  He lines himself up at my entrance, and without a second to brace myself for the thickness of his cock, he plunges into me. I let out a soft moan that turns into a series of screams as he thrusts harder. Our bodies shake through one another, and when his cock pulses inside me, it sends me over the edge. Dylan presses his lips to mine and holds me there as we reach the peaks of our orgasms.

  He gives me a few sweaty kisses and then rolls off me, taking me with him. Our chests are slick with sweat, and now the room smells like a mixture of his body wash and sex.

  “So much for that shower,” I say.

  He chuckles, holding me tighter. “Go to sleep,” he whispers in my ear. “We can get another shower before work.”

  Leaning my head on his chest, I listen to his heart pounding, and the sound coaxes me to sleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Dylan

  Ash rolls over, her hair covering her face, and drapes her thigh over mine. I move her hair out of her face. She snores softly in my ear, curling up against my chest. I used to watch her sleep when we were together. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful, as she does right now.

  I woke up ten minutes before the alarm, ready to jump into action for the day. With Ash in my bed, I had trouble sleeping. All of my dreams drifted back to her, and the thought of Sloan catching us together. I knew he would stay upstairs after we came home from the club. There was almost no chance of him finding us together.

  But still… it’s not impossible.

  “Ash,” I whisper in her ear, running my fingers down her arm to wake her. “Get up, babe. Time for work.”

  She groans. “Five more minutes.”

  I brush my fingers through her hair, and she wiggles her nose. “Why are you so awake this early in the morning?”

  “Time to get up,” I say, my lips inches from hers.

  “You could find more creative ways to wake me,” she says with one eye open, a silly grin plastered on her face.

  I slide my hand down her stomach and between her thighs. We’re both still naked and wrapped in my sheets.

  “Well, don’t stop. Make me come.”

  I kiss her sassy mouth and plunge two fingers inside her. Ash moans into my mouth, thrusting her hips to match the pace of my fingers.

  “Can you be quiet?” I ask between kisses. “Because I need you to be a good girl and not scream.”

  “Yes,” Ash whispers.

  She grabs a pillow to stifle her moans, and it doesn’t take long before she comes on my fingers.

  “Good morning to you, too,” she says and then kisses me.

  After an awkward ride to work with Sloan and Ash, I’ve spent the last few hours hiding in my office. Sloan hasn’t bothered to pop his head inside. Every morning, we usually go through our daily schedule while we drink our coffee. Not today. He stepped off the elevator with me this morning, and I haven’t seen him since.

  No one gives a cold shoulder better than Sloan and Ash. She must have learned that shit from her brother because when those two want to ignore you, it’s like you don’t even exist.

  “Mr. Banks.” My secretary’s voice booms through the speaker on my desk. “I have Max Carter on the phone for you.”

  What does that asshole want? Sloan is barely speaking to me because of what Max said to him last night at the strip club. He made promises to Sloan that he can’t keep, all to undermine my relationship with my business partner. I hate this guy. He’s a rich asshole who has never heard the word no, and now he’s hellbent on getting me on board.

  I finish typing the last sentence of my email and then say, “Put him through.”

  I hit send and shove the keyboard in front of the monitor as the phone rings on my end.

  “Max,” I say with forced enthusiasm. “What do I owe the pleasure?”

  “We got off on the wrong foot, don’t you think?”

  “No, we got off fine.”

  He snickers. “What’s it going to take to close the deal?”

  “Remove the clause about my algorithm.”

  “Look, I get that you’re trying to protect your IP, but it’s an algorithm.”

  “If that were true, you wouldn’t be pushing this hard to get your hands on it.”

  “I didn’t want to do this,” Max says with an attitude. “But do you want Sloan to know you’re fucking his sister?”

  My chest feels like it’s going to collapse. I sink back in m
y chair and consider my next response carefully. How the hell does he know about Ash and me? He couldn’t have possibly seen us at the club dancing… and kissing. We were on the other side of the room from them, out of sight.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say after a long pause. “Ash is like a sister to me.”

  “Make the deal,” Max says. “It’s good for all of us. And it will be good for your friendship with Sloan.”

  “Don’t fucking threaten me, asshole. I’m not fucking Sloan’s sister.”

  Is that all I’m doing with Ash? When I asked her what we’re doing, she didn’t seem to want more than sex. Ash doesn’t even know what she wants, so where does that leave me?

  Is this a fling? What will happen when she’s back in her apartment in Studio City? There are too many unknowns when it comes to Ash. And I don’t like having unknown variables in my life.

  “You have until Monday,” Max says. “Is your algorithm worth more than your friendship with Sloan?”

  Of course not.

  “You have it all wrong,” I say. “I’m not with Ash.”

  “I have proof,” he spits back.

  How is that possible?

  “This deal is good for all of us,” he says. “I’ll expect your answer by Monday.”

  Before I can answer, the line goes dead.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Ash

  I step a foot inside Vinnie’s office and then back out. My palms are slick with sweat, my shirt suddenly too tight as I hover in front of his door. He’s on the phone. A few curses and nasty comments fly out of his mouth.

  I should walk away.

  I can come back later.

  Do it, chicken shit.

  I take another apprehensive step, my heart slamming into my chest with each shallow breath I take. When was the last time I was this nervous? Even when I audition for a part, I can keep my shit together.