“I bought those panties at Liore Lingerie.” She gets back up to her feet. “They are worth too much for me to leave them as a souvenir.”
“A souvenir?” I mutter under my breath. “Don’t you think you should call Sebastian and talk to him about this?”
“Did you take them off here?” Kate stands and glances back at where she was just sitting. “I wasn’t sitting on them, was I?”
I scrub both my hands over my face. All I wanted to do was tell my best friend that I saw my new roommate naked last night. Now, I realize that he wasn’t wearing any clothes because he’d fucked this woman in my apartment before I got home.
Thank God traffic from LaGuardia was heavy or I could have walked in on Wendy taking it hard on my sofa.
“He took them off of me right here.” Wendy points to the middle of the sofa. “He might have thrown them back over his head.”
All three of us turn toward the center of the room.
“I don’t see them,” Kate offers. “What color are they?”
I try to catch her eye to give her a warning glance to stop encouraging Wendy.
“What color are what?” A masculine voice interrupts.
I don’t have to look toward the door of my apartment to know who is standing there. The sound of that raspy, deep tone is unmistakable even though I’ve only had two brief conversations with him.
“Oh, wow,” Kate whispers. “Tilly, is that him?”
“What are you doing here, Wendy?” he asks tightly.
“Sebastian.” Wendy rounds the coffee table and heads straight for him. “There you are, baby. I came to get my panties back, but if you have time, I’ll trade you the ones I have on now for the pair I was wearing last night.”
Kate inches toward me as Sebastian looks in my direction.
“You have to get this pair off me first.” Wendy plays with the bottom of her skirt. “They’re red, lace, and totally see-through.”
I can attest to that.
“That’s your new roommate?” Kate asks softly as she nudges her elbow into my side. “That’s the surprise that was waiting for you last night?”
“That’s him,” I answer in a whisper. “He was here when I got home.”
I look back at Sebastian and Wendy. He has yet to respond to her offer about her panties. I’m grateful. I already know too much about what the two of them did in my apartment last night.
“I shoved them in your purse when you were leaving,” he finally says. “You should have called me before coming over here.”
Wendy walks over to where she dropped her oversized red leather tote bag on the floor when she first arrived. She picks it up and fishes her hand in it before she tugs out a handful of black lace. “Well, shit. I guess I should have checked here first.”
Sebastian stalks back toward the door. “I’ll see you to the elevator, Wendy.”
“You want me to go?” Her gaze glides over Kate and me. “Who are they?”
He turns back to look at us. “That’s Matilda, my roommate, and…”
“I’m Kate.” She rushes across the room with her hand outstretched. “I’m Tilly’s best friend.”
Sebastian reaches to shake her hand. “I’m Sebastian Wolf. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” Kate smiles up at him before she turns to me and winks. “I think Tilly is going to love having you for a roommate.”
Chapter 7
Sebastian
I stand outside the door of the apartment after walking Wendy to the elevator.
She tried her best to convince me to go back to her place for a repeat of last night, but I declined.
We hook up every few months when there’s no one else in the picture for either of us.
It’s easy, fun and there are no strings attached. We meet up, fuck and go our separate ways until the urge strikes again.
It was Wendy who reached out yesterday and since I had my new place all to myself, and a scheduled day off today, I invited her over for a beer.
She left a couple of hours after she arrived with a satisfied grin on her face that mirrored my own.
Seeing her standing next to Matilda earlier was jarring. I could see Matilda putting the pieces together in her head. She knew I fucked Wendy in our apartment. It shouldn’t matter since we’re just roommates but it irritated the hell out of me that Wendy showed up without calling me first.
Before I have a chance to reach for the doorknob, the apartment door swings open.
“Sebastian,” Kate says my name as she looks at me. “I was just leaving.”
“You don’t have to go.” I move to the side to allow her to pass. “I can take off for a couple of hours and give you two some privacy.”
She waves the smartphone that’s clutched in her palm in the air. “There’s an emergency at my shop. I need to get back there now.”
Emergency.
The word is overused, but it still piques my interest. “What’s the emergency?”
“He’s a police detective.” Matilda steps into the doorway and shoots me a teasing glance. “I think it’s a requirement of his job to ask about emergencies.”
I bow my head briefly to hide a smile.
Kate nods at her before she turns her attention back to me. “I own a bridal store. Today’s emergency is a too-tight dress for a ceremony the day after tomorrow.”
“That sounds serious.” My mouth quirks.
“I had to call for back up.” She giggles at her joke. “My seamstress is already on the case, but I need to go calm down the bride-to-be.”
“Do you want to meet up for dinner later?” Matilda brushes her hand over Kate’s shoulder. “I can come by the shop with some take-out.”
Kate shakes her head. “I’m taking you out to celebrate your birthday. Put on that cute little black dress you bought last month and meet me at the shop at eight. We can grab an Uber from there.”
A wide smile slides over Matilda’s lips.
Jesus, she’s breathtaking.
“I’ll be there.” She brushes past me to walk her friend to the elevator.
“It was good meeting you,” Kate calls back to me as I step inside the apartment. “I’m sure I’ll see you again.”
She will. I’m already enjoying this new living arrangement.
***
I exhale harshly, trying to absorb what Matilda just said to me.
She repeats the words as she closes the door to the apartment behind her. “I said that I think you should move out.”
“Why?” I rake my hand through my hair. I know the answer to that question, but I ask it anyway.
“I’ve never lived with a man before,” she begins before she turns to look at the vase full of flowers. “Wendy said that you two had fun last night and that’s great. I’m all for having fun.”
I move so I’m standing directly in front of her. “What’s the problem, Matilda?”
Her eyes skim my T-shirt before they land on my face. “I wouldn’t call it a problem.”
“What would you call it?” I cross my arms over my chest and her gaze immediately drops to my biceps.
“I don’t think we’re compatible.”
What the fuck does that mean? We’ve lived together for less than a day.
I’ve learned that beating around the bush is a waste of time so I dive right into the crux of the matter. “You were surprised when Wendy showed up.”
She dips her chin. “Yes. I didn’t expect that.”
“I didn’t either,” I confess softly. “We don’t see each other often. I thought when she left last night that I wouldn’t see her again for months.”
That draws her gaze to mine. “So it’s a casual thing?”
“Very casual. Very infrequent.”
She fights back a smile. “I thought she was your girlfriend.”
I rub my jaw. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I don’t have room in my life for my job and a relationship so you don’t have to worry about a woman hanging
out here with me all the time.”
She pinches the bridge of her nose. “My last roommate and I had an understanding. If she had a guy over, she’d close her bedroom door. I did the same.”
Why the fuck is my stomach knotting hearing her talking about having a guy in her bedroom?
“That worked out for us, but I think if you keep living here, we need to take it a step further. What about a heads-up text if one of us is planning on having company?”
Her voice wavers with the last word, but I can tell she’s got more to say so I don’t interrupt.
“I’m not suggesting that you can’t be here if I have a man with me,” she goes on. “I’m just saying that the respectful thing to do is to let each other know if we’re not coming home alone or if we invite someone over.”
“Understood.” My jaw tightens. “I’ll keep that in mind the next time I have a guest.”
Her hands go to her hips. “Today made me uncomfortable, Sebastian. Wendy said you took off her panties on the sofa and I saw you nude when I got home, so I know you two…well, I know stuff happened on my sofa.”
Stuff? I slid Wendy’s panties off before she took off in the direction of Matilda’s room with a bare ass. I had to chase her down to steer her toward my bedroom.
“Nothing happened there.” I motion toward the sofa with my hand.
She glances back before her eyes lock on mine. “Maya told me that you owned an apartment before you moved in here, so I’m sure you did whatever you wanted wherever you wanted.”
I scratch my chin. “I’m not going to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. You set the rules and I’ll follow them.”
“It might be easier for you to find another place to live.”
“I sold my place furnished and I’ve already moved the rest of my things in.” I point at my bedroom door. “I’ll be at work more than I’ll be here and I’ll never be late with my half of the rent.”
“Will you text me a warning and keep your bedroom door closed when Wendy comes over?” She arches a brow. “Or any of your other friends?”
The way she enunciates the word friends is adorable.
If I thought she was interested in me at all, I might mistake her reaction to Wendy’s impromptu visit as jealousy.
“Maya gave me your number so I’ll text a warning and I’ll keep my door closed.”
“You can stay for now.” She tilts her head. “The rules are simple, Sebastian. I’ll stay out of your way if you stay out of mine.”
“You won’t even know I’m here.”
That lures a smile to her lips. “You won’t know I’m here either.”
With that she turns and walks away, the sway of her perfectly round ass taunting me with every step she takes.
Chapter 8
Tilly
“The last time I met a man as handsome as Sebastian, was the day I met…” Kate’s voice trails as she realizes what she was about to say.
We both know the name that almost left her lips.
Gage. Gage Burke.
He’s the man who broke her heart. He took off right before their wedding, leaving her to face three hundred guests and the rest of her life alone.
That was back in California. It’s been years and she’s dating other men now, but Gage owns a piece of her heart that I don’t think she’ll ever get back.
I’ve never met him, but a part of me loathes him for hurting her.
“Sebastian is good looking.” I shrug as I drag my fork through a small pile of spring peas on my plate. “That doesn’t mean I’m completely okay with him being my roommate.”
“Good looking?” she echoes with a smile. “He’s the kind of hot that makes a woman forget her own name. I saw the way he was looking at you.”
I take a bite of the salmon I ordered, weighing whether I should even ask what she means by that.
“He couldn’t take his eyes off of you, “ she goes on without any prompting from me. “He likes you.”
“He doesn’t like me,” I protest. “I’m the sister of his best friend’s fiancée.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“He has to be nice to me because of Julian and Maya.” I dab at my mouth with the linen napkin. “Maya agreed to let him move in without talking to me about it. Lisa left town, he took over the second bedroom and I was completely out of the loop even though it’s my place.”
Technically, I know it’s my sister’s apartment, but it still stings that I left town a few days ago only to return to find a new roommate.
“So, you came home early and found him there?” She cuts a slice of her duck breast. “It must have scared the hell out of you.”
“Actually,” I begin before I take a sip of red wine. “He wasn’t wearing any clothes when I walked in.”
Her fork drops to her plate. “What? He was naked?”
“Naked.” I confirm with a smile as I set my glass down. “He was standing by the window in the living room. He had earbuds in so he didn’t notice me right away.”
Her hand leaps to my wrist. “What exactly did you see?”
“Everything,” I say in a low tone. “I saw everything.”
“His cock?” she shoots back quickly, her voice an octave higher than it was seconds ago. “You saw his cock?”
I steal a brief glance at the couple seated at the table next to us, but they’re so lost in each other’s eyes, they don’t even flinch at Kate’s words.
I never imagined that the first time I’d have dinner at Nova that the conversation would be centered on a penis. I doubt anyone else in this Michelin-starred restaurant is having a discussion similar to ours.
“I saw it,” I answer with a nod.
She leans back in her chair, her hands falling to her lap. “He’s big, isn’t he? Wendy was practically drooling all over herself when he walked in. It was obvious that she wanted more of what she got last night.”
I run my hand over my forehead. “We’re not actually having this discussion, are we?”
“What?” She laughs. “You just told me that you saw your roommate naked. Naturally, I want to know if he’s bigger than average.”
“He is,” I whisper although I don’t know what’s considered average. All I know for sure is that Sebastian is well endowed.
“What did he say when he realized you were staring at his cock?” Kate downs a sip of wine.
I run my fingertip over the edge of my plate. “He didn’t say anything last night, but he did bring it up earlier. He said he didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”
Her gaze skims my face. “Do you think it’s a big deal?”
I shrug. “He thought I was in California. He fucked Wendy, she left and I showed up. It was awkward, but it doesn’t have to be a big deal.”
She tilts her head. “You’re living with a hot-as-sin man that you’ve seen naked. I’d say that’s a big deal.”
I laugh. “Last night was the one and only time I’ll ever see Sebastian Wolf naked. He works crazy long hours. I doubt I’ll see much of him at all anymore.”
She lifts her wine glass in the air. “In that case, let’s toast to last night and your photographic memory.”
“Who says I have a photographic memory?” I pick up my glass.
“A woman always remembers the sight of a magnificent cock.” She touches her glass against mine. “Cheers to that.”
Chapter 9
Sebastian
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I slam the door behind me, but not before my words reach the man sitting at the desk I just barged past. I see him stand out of the corner of my eye but he knows better than to race in here to get between his boss and me.
“Detective Wolf.” My asshole of a friend, Darrell Carver, gives me a look from where he’s standing next to a row of bookcases. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“Go to hell.” I lower myself into a chair in front of his desk. I don’t give a fuck that my back is to him or
that he happens to be an assistant district attorney. “I heard that you’re cutting Justin Beacon loose. Tell me my lieutenant is mistaken.”
“As usual, your lieutenant has the facts straight. That woman is never wrong.” He walks past me to the worn leather office chair behind his desk.
It’s been there since I became a detective four years ago. Darrell is the third person that I’ve seen in the chair. The rigors of the job were too much for his last two predecessors.
So far, he’s holding his own but he’s yet to mark his seventh month on the job. There’s a running bet in my squad room about how long he’ll make it. My money is on a couple of weeks shy of a year.
The strands of gray hair at his temples speak to the stress he’s under. The tan lines where his wedding ring once sat on his left hand only add to the story of how drastically his life has changed since he accepted this position.
“I gave you everything you needed to put him away for life.” I scrub my hand over the back of my neck, irritation gnawing at me. “Now, you’re about to let a fucking murderer walk free.”
“Sebastian.” His voice takes on the calm tone that I loathe when we’re anywhere but grabbing a beer at my favorite pub. Our relationship has two distinct facets.
After hours we’re friends.
As a detective and assistant district attorney we rarely see eye-to-eye.
I work hard to find justice for people who have lost their lives at the hands of another. I do what it takes to drop them at Darrell’s feet with as much ammunition as I can to put them away forever.
“One of our witnesses died. The other flipped his story on its end.” He exhales. “I don’t have a case without them.”
It’s been months since I arrested Beacon for the murder of a friend of his. The nineteen-year-old almost cracked in the interrogation room under my questioning before my lieutenant pulled me out.
It was for the same reason it always is. The sight of Beacon’s friend’s lifeless body fueled my temper. He’d bled out from a stab wound to the chest.
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