Accidental Roommate

by Katie Kyler

  We were nearly to the club. The line trailed around the corner of the block, filled with Philly’s best-dressed people.

  “Oh no,” Allison said. “We’ll never get in.”

  As we neared the entrance, one of the bouncers saw me approach. “Mr. Tolbert,” he said, waving me behind the velvet rope barricade. “We’ve been expecting you and your lovely guest. Enjoy your evening.”

  It was just one of the perks of being a billionaire—the line couldn’t hold me back.

  Allison’s mouth opened in surprise, like she couldn’t believe we’d just hopped ahead of the queue. “Is this…allowed? Won’t everyone else hate us now?”

  “Not at all.” I rubbed my hand up and down her back in a reassuring way, and she smiled up at me.

  The thumping bass of the DJ’s music seemed to go straight into my bloodstream. Allison was close to me, and I felt my cock stirring. She was so soft, so…touchable. I couldn’t wait to get her on the dance floor. Actually, I couldn’t wait to get her into my bedroom, but there was an order to things. Dinner. Dancing. Drinks at my place. Delicious hot sex that lasts for hours. I could follow the sequence, even though it was hard to wait. I’d been waiting all week. Patience, Joshua, I said to myself. In the meantime, I’d make sure to drive her wild with desire.

  “What can I get you to drink?” I shouted over the music.

  The loud music had another great effect—it forced us closer so we could hear each other. Her breath tickled against my ear as she answered, “Rum and coke, please.”

  We linked hands and made our way to the mirrored bar. Studying our reflections, I marveled at how great we looked together, but really, I looked plain compared to her. Her auburn hair cascaded over her shoulders in gentle curls. Her dress was low-cut enough to be sexy as hell, but high enough to be tasteful. She looked like an expensive whiskey, something to take my time with. Something to be savored.

  We watched the dancers out on the floor and sipped our drinks. Illicit wasn’t a great place for conversation, so we communicated by touch and feel. I had my arm around her waist and every now and then moved lower, closer to her ass. I wanted to grab it so bad, but I wanted everything to be perfect, I wanted her to want me as much as I wanted her. She wiggled closer to me. She was swaying slightly to the beat of the music.

  When another song started, I set down my drink. “You wanna dance?”

  She tucked her hair behind her ear and gave me a shy smile. “Sure.”

  She could move. I never would have thought it possible, after all the trembling and how shy she’d seemed on our first couple of dates. But with the music going, she was like a whole new woman. No, the same woman—Allison—but more her. I wanted nothing more than to pull her close and breathe her in…so I did. I joined her, move for move. My hands fluttered over her waist, hips, and shoulders. I pressed her in the center of her back so that she’d be closer to me, moving with me, sharing her essence as the music thrummed through our veins. I had none of her skill, but damn, she was inspiring.

  The beat changed, slowing just enough that we could still move fast, but more sensuously. Hands, hips, back, neck, thighs, ass. Pressed together in a blood-pounding rhythm that made me drunk. Not from alcohol, not from music, but from her. Allison. She turned so her back was to me, and rubbed her ass against my legs and my crotch. She had to feel how turned on I was because there was no hiding it. I didn’t want to hide it. I wanted to show her everything.

  I bent my head forward to nuzzle her neck, just behind her ear, that place where she’s always tucking her hair. My lips met her skin and she was molten desire, pliant in my arms. I spun her around so she was facing me. Our lips met once, twice, three times and our tongues twined. She tasted like her rum and Coke, spicy and sweet, and I wanted to drink her down, every bit of her, savor her and worship her and give her the world. If she’d asked for ownership of Scintilla at that point, I’d have handed over the keys.

  I couldn’t keep my hands off of her. For a blissful eternity I trailed my palms over her skin, from the neckline of her scandalous dress and all the way down to the hem. Then I rubbed up again, wishing I’d been able to insert my hands inside her dress so I could just peel it off. I couldn’t wait to have her naked in my bedroom, all that soft skin, her bright eyes, that sexy mouth. I wanted her so bad it hurt.

  We made out on the dance floor, gyrating, until I thought I’d burst. The beat changed again. How many times had a song ended and switched to a new one? I’d lost track. Sweat had gathered at my temples, and Allison’s face was radiant with exertion. I leaned down and said in her ear, “Do you wanna get out of here?”

  “Yes.” She nodded in case I couldn’t hear her. “Yes!”

  Back when I was looking at real estate, I purposely chose my place because it was a long way from the center of town. Sure, I could’ve had something swank in the middle of the city, but I liked the driving time to think. Tonight, though, I was cursing myself for such poor decision-making. The longer drive meant too much time in between the dance club and my place. Allison and I couldn’t keep our hands off each other—one of my hands was on her lap, trailing lines and swirls over a patch of thigh left naked beneath her short dress. One of her hands was over mine, almost directing me, showing me how she wanted me to touch her. I loved how the way she gently guided me, I couldn’t wait for her to guide me in pleasing her in other ways.

  When we finally reached my place and got inside, she barely looked around. Her eyes were half-closed. She was just as distracted by desire as I was.

  I slammed the door behind us. “Skip the drinks?” I asked.

  “Skip the drinks.”

  We dove for each other, our mouths meeting in a swirl of tongues and heady moans. I’d wanted her for so long, since that very first date when I could barely even pretend to be a gentleman because I’d wanted to tangle my hands in her hair and take her right there against her apartment door.

  I yanked down her sleeves and neckline, baring a scarlet lace bra that matched the fabric of her dress. Hands, face, all of me wanted to explore her breasts. They were perfect handfuls.

  She yanked my shirt out of my trousers and struggled with the buttons. “Argh,” she muttered in frustration.

  “Just rip it,” I said. My lips were close to her mouth, and I couldn’t resist going in for another kiss.

  “What?” she asked at the side of my mouth.

  “Just rip it. I’ll buy another one.”

  She leaned away slightly. Grinning, she yanked the front of my shirt apart, and buttons flew everywhere, skittering across the hardwood floor. She laughed. “I’ve always wanted to do that!”

  I pulled her dress down further, following it with my mouth, pausing at her cleavage so I could taste her skin, feel the softness there. I wanted to bury myself in her, make her cry out my name.

  We walked as we kissed, and I subtly directed her toward the bedroom. We banged into a table in the hallway and knocked over a photo of me and Jamie as kids. It bounced against the thick carpet, the glass intact, so I left it there facedown. I thought of just bending Phillygirl over the table, giving her everything right there, but it was our first time. We should do it right.

  I led her into my room, and toward the bed. I sat down. She climbed into my lap, straddling my thighs. Moaning softly, she took my hand and moved it between her legs. I cupped her, feeling how hot and moist she was. She was so turned on, I could feel it through her panties. She kissed my neck as I explored her further.

  Unable to take it anymore, I rolled us over across the bed. Gently pulling off her underwear, I trailed kisses up her leg. It was as smooth as the finest satin. When I reached her sex and nibbled little kisses, she whimpered in the most adorable, arousing way. She tasted like salted caramel, and I lapped at her, wanting more and more.

  “I want to…feel you,” she panted. Her voice was low, sultry, tinged with desire. “All of you.”

  “Where?” I asked, even though I already knew.

  “Inside.
I want you inside me.”

  I kept up my kisses. I pushed one finger inside of her, and then two, to heighten her pleasure.

  When she was truly ready, asking for more, saying yes again and again, I put on a condom and entered her. She was exquisite. I moved inside her, each stroke more perfect and pleasurable than the last.

  I’d never waited before, never tried to make this moment special with a woman. But Phillygirl was different. Her mouth was open, and she watched me through half-closed eyes, shining with desire and affection.

  “I’m going to come,” she breathed. She arched against me.

  “Yes,” I said. “Go ahead. We’ll come together.”

  We moved gently, rocking, until we cried out each other’s names and fell asleep in an embrace of arms and legs, a tangle of ecstasy.

  Chapter 3

  Allison

  He would have to talk to me at work at some point, right? Sure, the swivel chair in my cubicle was a far cry from a plush booth at a fine restaurant, and at work I wore my hair up instead of down, but honestly. We’d been intimate. We’d “known” each other in the most biblical of ways…and still he wouldn’t talk to me at work. Was he that embarrassed to be seen with me?

  If I started dancing with him during one of those dull marketing meetings like I’d danced with him at Illicit, would he acknowledge me then? I smiled, imagining the shocked looks on everyone’s faces, until I realized that he’d probably push me away and still pretend he didn’t know me.

  Everything had been absolutely perfect during our last date. From our jokes and laughter, to our serious talks about our lives and our pasts. And the sex. I couldn’t believe how good it was. It wasn’t like I was in my hot dream from before we’d even had our first date—it was better than that dream. I had to press my legs together when I remembered how he’d slid inside me, filling me up in a way that stretched me just the right amount.

  It was all I could do to remain in my cubicle and not go test my dancing theory.

  Despite all the perfection that evening, there had been a tiny voice in the back of my mind, nagging me that he didn’t know me, not really. If he did, he’d know that I needed his recognition and acknowledgment at work as well as when we went out. It was too much for me to pretend to lead two lives with him—employee, girlfriend.

  I sighed and tried to find encouragement in one of my quotes, but the words bled together against the colored paper. Was it possible he truly didn’t recognize me? How superficial could he be?

  His voice sounded from down the hallway. He was finishing up a meeting with someone, seeing them out of his office. A woman, it sounded like. I tried to squash my feelings of jealousy. Even if he didn’t acknowledge me here, he at least seemed quite committed to me during our dates. I had no reason to be concerned. Still, I was a sucker for punishment. Maybe he would notice me this time.

  I stood and smoothed the wrinkles from my pantsuit, and straightened my ponytail. Just the thought of looking at him made my hands get clammy. I resisted the urge to text Jess. I could do this on my own.

  I stepped out into the hall. Joshua stood at his office door, shaking hands with a gorgeous woman with blond hair. She was an employee, not a date—I recognized her from the marketing department. Just a work meeting, I reassured myself.

  Joshua’s suit looked touchable, and it fit his frame perfectly. The blonde moved away. Joshua saw me watching and gave me a puzzled look. I gave him a little wave and tucked my hair behind my ear. Nervous hands.

  He nodded to me, so cordial, so impersonal. If he would only acknowledge me here at work, things would be so much different. I thought back to that dream where he’d pressed me up against his desk and stroked himself inside me, through me, bringing me to orgasm. Or maybe he’d sit on the edge of his desk and I’d straddle him like I had at his house on Saturday night. So hot.

  Sighing, I zipped back into my cubicle. I must have looked like the most pathetic, love struck employee to him. If nothing else, he had to at least be noticing my ridiculous attempts to talk to him.

  Why didn’t I just tell him everything about how I was feeling?

  Because I liked him too much. Everything had been going so well. I didn’t want to screw things up by adding some extra, weird element to our relationship. Hey, by the way, why do you ignore me at work even though we’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks now?

  I waited until I heard the snick of his office door closing, and then I gathered the files to take to the marketing department. It was a long, lonely walk down the hallway. People said hi to me, of course. I’d been here almost since the beginning. Joshua started Scintilla four years ago, and I’d been here for three. So I wasn’t completely invisible.

  I was just invisible to Joshua.

  Just past the break room, the hallway opened into a larger room divided by more cubicles, which formed the marketing department. Jamie was rushing from cubicle to cubicle, exchanging words and paperwork. His brown hair, wavy like Joshua’s, was always somehow unkempt and awkward on him, whereas Joshua’s always looked like he’d come straight from the stylist. Today, Jamie was sweating, too, and his face was flushed.

  It had been awhile since our lunch at the hot dog stand, when he’d talked about his idea, the one I’d told him he should share with Joshua. Come to think of it, it had been days since he popped his head over the side of my cubicle to say hello or point out an article about the benefits of running. With a pang, I realized I’d missed his easy chatter.

  I’d just delivered the last file when he stepped out of another cubicle. He wiped his brow on his sleeve, barely seeming to notice me. Maybe my invisible powers were catching on to other people. Pretty soon I could strut around the city naked and no one would even notice.

  “Jamie,” I said. “Is everything all right?”

  He brushed past me. “Too busy,” he said.

  There was an edge to his voice, though, like he was irritated or something. That wasn’t like Jamie. He always had time to gossip or goof around. Maybe Joshua hadn’t liked his idea. I cringed. It hadn’t been that great of an idea, but I’d thought he could take the rejection. Maybe I’d been wrong.

  “What’s the matter?” I said, but he kept walking.

  I chased him down the hallway. “Jamie, stop,” I hissed. I didn’t want to attract attention from my co-workers. I was in a relationship with one of the Tolberts—I didn’t need extra gossip about me seeing the other one.

  He slowed down. When no one was looking, I grabbed his arm and led him to the stairwell at the end of the hall. After pushing him through the door, I sat down on the stairs, pulling him with me. I nudged his shoulder with mine.

  “What do you want, Allison?” His voice was miserable.

  “Jamie, it’s okay if Joshua didn’t like this idea. Keep coming up with more.”

  He just stared at me with those deep green eyes. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

  I shook my head and tucked my hair behind my ear. “Get what?”

  “I’ve noticed something.” His voice went down to almost a whisper, even though in the stairwell we were out of everyone’s earshot.

  “Well?” I asked. “What did you notice?”

  He was quiet for a moment. I felt like shaking him. What was the big secret?

  Finally he spoke. “I noticed that you have a crush on my brother.”

  I rolled my eyes, even though I could feel my face get red. “Nothing new there. I’m surprised you didn’t notice that years ago.”

  Now that I thought about it, my crush on Joshua was probably the most obvious thing in the world…to everyone except Joshua.

  “No,” he said. “I wasn’t paying attention to that. I mean, I’d see you looking at him sometimes, but you never really talked to him. You only talked to me. But now it’s different—you’re trying to talk to him more.”

  I didn’t want to lie to him. He was my friend. But I didn’t want to tell him the truth, either. “Jamie, maybe you’re imagining things.”


  “I’m not,” he said. “I’ve been thinking about what could have changed things. He’s seeing someone. I’ve been wondering if it’s you.”

  Footsteps thundered up the stairs. Michel from the tech department had been on a fitness kick since the first of the year and refused to take the elevator. Sure enough, he emerged from around the corner, coming up the stairs. His cheeks were pink from exertion. “Hey guys,” he panted.

  Saved by Michel. I jumped up. “Well, see you later, Jamie. Glad we had this talk.”

  “Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Michel said.

  I laughed awkwardly. “Not at all! We’re just going over one of Jamie’s new ideas for the company. He’s got a million of them.”

  Jamie just scowled, not looking at Michel or me. He was refusing to play along. I guessed it was a good thing Michel wasn’t one for office gossip.

  Alongside Michel, I went back into the office. I turned once to glance back at Jamie.

  He looked like he wanted to continue our conversation, but he could hardly say anything in front of Michel. And I had nothing I could say to him, anyway.

  Chapter 4

  Joshua

  I checked to see if I had a text from Allison, but there wasn’t anything since I’d messaged her a few minutes ago. After our date last weekend, I couldn’t think of anything except her. I had to see her again, talk with her again face to face. At first, because of her shyness and the way she sort of swooned when I’d touched her, I’d thought she was more into me than I was into her, but as I’d gotten to know her and we’d moved past those awkward, shy moments, now I was starting to feel like there was no one on this earth I could want to be with more than her.

  She consumed me.

  There was a knock on my door. Before I could say “come in,” the door opened. There was only one person around here who would do that.

  “Jamie,” I said, “I’ve been telling you since you were five that you’re supposed to wait until someone answers before coming in.” I glanced down at my phone again. Still no message from Allison. Where was she? She’d told me she often had a lot of work at her office. Maybe this was one of those days.