by Rie Warren
“Romance?” Ave’s chair screeched back. Her voice screeched louder. “I reckon you wouldn’t know the meaning of romance if it took you out to an intimate dinner and sent you a Valentine’s Day card, judging by what I’ve heard. And by the way, I wouldn’t touch you without wearing a full Hazmat suit.”
Ouch. Direct hit.
I thought for a second she’d smash a plate on my head. She had it in her. Instead she did an about-face and stormed from the room.
That was a very good idea.
I drowned my unwholesome thoughts about her in freakin’ Dawn dish suds. At times like these I found dishwashing therapeutic, instead of using the stainless steel Whirlpool built-in that matched the rest of the appliances. Yeah, I was a real Suzy Homemaker like that.
I checked my watch when I was done and then thumbed through my calendar. I had two hours free time left. Take the motorcycle out for a ride or try to be a good boy for a few moments?
I ended up upstairs, tapping on Ave’s door. “Come watch a movie with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m lonely.”
Hell, I wasn’t above using the lonely hearts routine with a cute chick.
Her head popped out, rumpled and all. “’Kay.”
I made a bowl of popcorn. We sat on the sofa. She kept her long sweater cuffs tucked inside her hands. I didn’t crowd Ave. All I did was place my arm over the back of the couch so my hand landed near her shoulder. She sat stiffly beside me, but little by little she relaxed.
She was skittish, like I said.
Eventually, she shifted a bit more toward me. Ave warmed me from head to toe. Beneath the vastness of her sweater, the side of her breast pressed against me. I struggled to keep my hands from wandering. My cock lengthened, hardened.
Unconsciously perhaps, her hand ended up on my thigh, way too close to the inseam where my cock butted against the material.
I let my head fall back, closing my eyes and groaning.
No romance. No contact. Riiiight.
“Oh!” She snatched her hand back. “I’m sorry.”
Accidental or not, her one small touch seared me.
“Don’t worry about it.” I gritted my teeth and kept my eyes shut.
“You’re tired,” Ave said.
“Bored. This isn’t what I’m into. What are we even watching?” I covered the fact I rarely slept, and I was way too turned on by her to conk out.
“Downton Abbey.”
“Huh?”
“Masterpiece Theatre!’
“Christ. Really? Regency shit? No wonder I’m yawning.”
“What are you into?”
Making easy money. Making my grades. Getting my land back.
“Nuthin’.”
Her gaze fell to my lap. Well, there was something else I was into. It was obvious by the tight roll of hard flesh in my jeans.
My iPhone handily sent me a reminder with a quiet chime at the precise moment Ave stared one second too long at my straining bulge.
“Time to go to work.” I dislodged her.
“At ten o’clock at night?”
“Night shift.” Something like that.
I hit the shower, put on clean clothes, pocketed my wallet and phone.
Downstairs I leaned in real close to Ave as she perched on the sofa. “Lock up after me. I’ll get ya a key tomorrow, precious.”
Chapter Three
Avery
I SAT THERE AFTER Jase left suddenly seething in a burst of anger and shocked confusion. He’d caught me at my most vulnerable moments. Almost breaking down on his doorstep was bad enough. But then he’d heard me in the bathroom.
It was clear Jase had thought I was masturbating behind closed doors. That wasn’t the case at all. I’d been carefully washing myself. The gasp or groan he’d heard wasn’t sexual. Far from it.
That didn’t mean I was immune to him.
I hated the way Jase was sexy just by existing. He didn’t have to do anything. The tats on his flexed forearms and the sardonic look in his golden-flecked eyes. I hated that he was a bad boy and a player. I really hated that he knew how to cook, even though his lasagna was one of the best things I’d ever tasted.
I wanted to hate him, anyway. It was easier to keep the barriers in place and people at bay that way. Certain people should never, ever be let in. I’d learned my lesson the hard way.
I locked the front door after Jase left then went upstairs with a glass of water. I checked my bedroom door. It locked from the inside, just as he’d said. The spare room was fairly big, bigger than my dorm room at any rate.
I couldn’t believe I was living with Jase Everly.
The bedroom was fully furnished. The quilt and sheets looked neat and smelled clean. There was a large window, a desk and chair, a huge closet. A final door led to the bathroom, which adjoined to Jase’s room I’d found out earlier. I locked my side of the bathroom, too.
I put away the few things I’d brought with me when I’d flown out of my dorm. My toiletries and hairbrush. The MacBook my mom was still paying for. My textbooks. A couple changes of clothes. I pulled on my sweats and a huge Aggie sweatshirt, letting it pool down to my thighs.
The bedroom really was very clean. There wasn’t even a dust bunny hiding under the bed. It was completely unlike what I would’ve expected from Jase.
I checked my door one last time.
I’d have to go back to Keathley Halls to get the rest of my stuff tomorrow. Benny didn’t even know the real reason I’d left campus housing, but at least she knew I was here and I was safe. I’d send my mom a message with the new address if I intended to stay. I wasn’t up for a telephone call with her right now. She’d know something was wrong.
Exhausted, but less worried and less scared than last night, I drifted quickly into sleep.
****
I had an early shift at the Starbucks on campus the next morning, and I was out the door before anyone stirred in Jase’s room. The morning went swiftly. It was always busy on the Northside. I didn’t mess up any orders or drop any coffee so I considered it an improvement on yesterday. Until I looked up from wiping down the counter, and there he stood.
Jase. Drop-dead gorgeous Jase. God, I really wanted to hate his face. The cleft chin and lips that were so red. Lips that could’ve been called pretty except he was so completely masculine it hurt to look at him. The eye-catching ink on his forearm flexed as he braced both hands on the counter.
“Missed you this mornin’, precious,” his rich, low murmur rumbled out.
Several of my coworkers squeaked—yes, squeaked—around me.
“I would’ve made breakfast.” He winked.
“Jase, not now.” He made it sound like we’d slept together or something.
“No sweater?” he asked as I turned away, intent on ignoring him.
“It’s not exactly part of the uniform,” I huffed. Apparently he was intent on chitchatting. Maybe he wanted a roommate because he really was lonely.
Right.
“Hmm. Now, I’ve never been a fan of the Starbucks uniform before . . .”
I whirled around as he trailed off because I knew—I just knew—he was checking out my ass in a pair of jeans.
The black polo I wore was tighter than I would’ve liked. And I was a little bit more endowed than I wanted to show. Jase’s unwavering gaze took it all in. I’d draped the top half of my green apron down to my waist earlier because it was so damn hot, but his slow perusal only made me hotter.
“What can I get you?” I hissed between gritted teeth.
“Not a darn thing, Ave. But I brought you something. Two things in fact.” The tight sleeves on his dark blue T-shirt hugged his bulging biceps when he held out a Tupperware container in one hand and something in his closed fist with the other.
That time I heard a chorus of sighs from the other girls around me.
I reached for the container, but he pulled it back. His grin grew even bigger.
“Just give it to me,
Jase.”
“I think I’d like to do just that, Ave.”
My glare could’ve bored a hole through his head.
“Fuck, I love making you angry. It’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen. Did you know your eyes turn absolutely sparkling blue and your lips pout and your cheeks get pink? I’m a big fan of you gettin’ all feisty for me.”
“If I get any more feisty I’m liable to jump over this counter and kick you in the nuts. Then what would you do?” I had real life experience in that move, too. From two nights ago.
“Don’t know, but I wouldn’t mind going a round or two with you, precious.”
Meanwhile all the customers in line behind him tittered, and my coworkers watched without blinking.
Jase cleared his throat and smiled at me—the smile he did with his eyelashes lowered and his dimple showing.
Hate.
“Here’s the key I promised you.”
I bet he got a sinful amount of pleasure when he plunked it into my open palm and at least three girls giggled.
“And here’s something to gnaw on later. Made it just for you because I bet you like sweet things.” He passed me the Tupperware.
I wanted to protest, but nobody—literally nobody—had ever made me something special then hand-delivered it to me.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“Well, you look like you could blow away in a breeze . . . well, not quite.” He stood there all nonchalant and stupidly sexy, looking me up and down.
I couldn’t find it in me to get aggravated again. His appreciative glance gave me the same tummy-tingling, nipple-hardening sensation I’d had sitting next to him on the sofa last night.
Breaking away from his gaze, I checked the clock on the wall behind me. He’d taken up almost five minutes flirting with me. And I’d have to head back to the dorms in half an hour to figure out how to move the rest of my stuff to his place. My face fell at the thought of entering my room again.
“Hey, now. What’s with the look? I brought you fresh baked muffins. I swear I didn’t lace them with arsenic.” His voice was a gravelly tone and very low, for me alone.
I chewed on my lip. “It’s not that.”
“What’s the deal then?”
“I’ve got to get my other belongings after I’m done here. Honestly, I don’t want to go back there.”
“Shit. That’s it?”
I nodded.
He jerked his head toward the end of the counter, beckoning me to meet him away from the other customers and busybody baristas.
“Somethin’ you wanna tell me?” Jase cupped my shoulder in his hand.
I tried not to flinch from his unexpected touch, but I startled nonetheless. “No.”
He stepped back with his hands aloft. “Okay. How about this? You give me your key, tell me where to go, and I’ll get your things this afternoon.”
“Why?” I blinked up in surprise.
His hair flopped into his eyes and he pushed it away. “How’s about because you look like someone didn’t just run over your puppy dog but drowned a litter of kittens, too.” He frowned. “And I hate seeing a nice girl like you look sad.”
My heart did a little flip at his gruff words. Before I could change my mind, I handed over my room key. I warned him I’d left in such a rush nothing was packed.
All he did was shrug and say, “Let me worry about it, precious.”
“Wait! How are you going to move my stuff on your motorcycle?” I called out as he walked away.
“Why don’t you let me worry about that, too? And get back to work already.” He spun around with a wink. “Women. Geesh.”
I smiled and started laughing. Whatever it was about Jase, he was infuriating, insanely good looking, and he made me feel better than I had in awhile.
My coworkers obviously felt the same. They were still swooning over him.
“You know him?”
“I’m living with him,” I mumbled.
“Oh. My. God. I would die.”
I was probably going to die of mortification before the day was over because I just remembered what Jase was going to find in my room when he went for my belongings.
Chapter Four
Avery
I SPENT THE REST of the day in a tizzy. I concentrated on my lectures, but that was about all. I didn’t want to go back to Jase’s. I was going to kill him, then myself. I couldn’t believe I’d been so stupid.
I tried to sneak in. Jase was standing right there in the entry to the living room, waiting. He wasn’t stupid. Maybe he’d done something out of the goodness of his heart, but he wasn’t above gloating.
“Got your shit. It’s in your room.” He lifted a bottle of beer to his lips and took a drink. “I packed everything with extra special care.”
Die! Die!
Mumbling some sort of thanks, my face flaming hot, I ran up the stairs. He watched me go with a chuckle. I slammed my door, locked it, too, and started throwing open the bags and boxes he’d packed for me.
True to his word, he was nothing short of thorough, and very organized. Papers, notebooks, pens, pencils, etcetera in one box. Sweaters, pants, skirts in another. Knickknacks and stupid stuff I’d saved all accounted for.
I held my breath and opened a small duffel bag.
Oh God.
He hadn’t just rummaged through my dresser and emptied the contents into the bag. No, no. Not Jase Everly. He had carefully folded every panty, thong, and bra. Items I saved money for—not that I had very much—and bought because I wanted to feel womanly even if no one ever saw it.
Lace, silk, bows. Black, blue, red, pink. Skimpy panties. Tiny thongs. Sheer bras.
And right at the bottom sat my little silver friend. The bullet vibrator. I clapped my hand over my mouth and quickly shoved it under my pillow. No, under my mattress. Who knew? Neat freak Jase—which had to be an oxymoron if ever there was one—was likely to come in and make my bed in the morning.
Mortification? Ha! I was going to die of absolute humiliation.
I fell back on the bed amid all my lingerie and started giggling. Then laughing. Tears leaked from the corners of my eyes and into my hair.
I texted Benny:
Jase found my bullet.
Buahhahaha! Bad girl, Avery.
You should be sent to your room.
Already in my room. Hiding.
Oh hell no. Fuck that no.
Get that sexy ass out there.
Show Mr. Stud McFuckerly you are all woman.
How?
Two can play that game. xoxo
Oh, fuck it. Sometimes I hated Benny. She made it seem so easy. She was beautiful without effort. She was willowy and athletic whereas I was a little too plump for my liking. She had a bright smile to go with her biting remarks, and her zany personality matched her short sassy haircut.
She drove the boys mad because in many ways she was one of the gang—loud talking, joke-telling, brash around the edges—but she was tiny, and they all wanted a piece of that. She was the only one who could get away with being called Benny instead of Bethenny and still be all-girl.
I’d lucked out when I met her my first day. She’d been a sophomore, and I’d been totally lost. She’d taken me in hand and talked my ear off as she showed me where to go, what to do, and who not to do.
Benny was the one with the wild streak. I was the closeted geek. Boyfriendless until a few days ago for something dreadful that lasted fifteen minutes too long. He hadn’t been a boyfriend, just a boy out to get exactly what he wanted.
That memory hadn’t resurfaced too much in the past forty-eight hours, thankfully. Jase had a way of pissing me off so much I got distracted from remembering what he’d done to me. The nameless one. The guy I wanted to forget. Benny didn’t even know what had happened. I didn’t want her to. I didn’t want anyone to.
I shoved away the painful thoughts and tried a little WWBD—What Would Benny Do—about this embarrassing situation with Jase. The TV droned downstairs. I kne
w he’d be lying in wait.
Right. Before I left my room, I took out the bullet. I tossed it on top of my bed, in the middle of all my undies and bras, in plain sight. Christ, I’d made a mess of the room. Stuff spilled out of bags and boxes all over the floor and on my desk. Oh well. Let Jase get a load of that. I smiled as I left, leaving the door wide open.
I just wanted to forget for a little while. I wanted to feel normal. Flirting with Jase was fun, and he’d already said there was no chance of anything ever happening between us.
He lounged on the sofa when I stood in the doorway. Catching a glimpse of me, he muted the TV and watched me with his wicked, lazy smirk. He didn’t say anything. He wouldn’t. He thought he already held the upper hand.
He knew. And he knew I knew, too.
Two can play at this game? Bring it on.
“Want another beer?” I asked.
“Sure.” The wolfish smile remained on his lips. It made him even more handsome.
I grabbed two beers and joined him on the couch.
“Down the hatch.” He clanked his bottle against mine.
I took a small sip. “So, I bet you’re wondering what I’m wearing under these?” I motioned toward my sweats and over-large T-shirt.
He spluttered beer all over the place as his face turned red. “What?”
Huh. This is kind of awesome. Who’d have thought I could get cool-as-they-come Jase Everly to lose his shit a little bit.
I took another sip. “Well, you paid a lot of attention packing my pretty lacy bras and my tiny little thongs, Jase.” Placing my palm on his thigh, I swiveled toward him. “I bet you must be curious.”
“Ave.” He swallowed hard.
My hand drifted a little bit closer to the inseam of his jeans. His muscles jumped beneath my touch. It felt delicious.
“I was just taking care of your things. It wasn’t like I was”—his voice broke off when I slid my palm until it was very, very close to what seemed to be a very, very large bulge in his jeans—“snooping.”
Snooping came out as a croak.
“Of course not. You were being very careful with all my naughty lingerie.” My fingers tickled the inside of his thigh.
