Don't Date Your Roommate (Magnolia Springs Book 2)

by Elyse Kelly

  “Sorry, Ava Bear,” he says with a grin, gently gripping my shoulders to steady me. “You OK?”

  “Yeah, I’m… sorry, I was just… water. I need water.” Get it together, Ava. You can’t melt into a puddle every time the man calls you “Ava Bear”. But can’t I, though?

  “You sure you’re OK? Want me to get that water for you?” He looks at me with slight concern on his gorgeous face.

  “Really, I’m OK. I guess I’m just still thinking about our conversation earlier, that’s all.” And I’ve been struck stupid by the sight of your sexy tanned chest, bulging with muscles.

  “I hope you know you can tell me anything. And it means a lot to me that you trust me enough to tell me all that. I really want to get to know you, Ava. All of you.” Something about the way he says “all of you” makes me think there’s a deeper meaning there. But maybe I’m thinking too much into it. I really need to talk to Callie about this.

  “Well, thanks for listening and letting me cry on your shoulder. Literally. Good night, Christian.”

  “Night, Ava Bear.” Then he surprises me and pulls me into a hug. Feeling his hot, bare skin against my cheek as I listen to his heartbeat—I could stay like this forever. Eventually he lets me go and I head to the kitchen for my water, while he walks to his room and shuts the door. Maybe having Christian as a roommate won’t be so bad after all.

  My eyelids flutter as the sun filters in through my sheer curtains. I must still be dreaming because the smell of coffee and bacon is making my tummy rumble, but I know we only have leftover pizza in the fridge. And I think I hear voices. Wait, voices? Who else is here?

  I look over to my nightstand and pick up my phone, seeing that it’s just after 8 a.m. Did Christian go to the store without me? And who the hell is here so early in the morning? After using the bathroom and washing my hands, I brush my teeth and wash my face, then throw on a thin hoodie over my tank.

  Slipping my yoga pants back on, I step into the hallway and hear a woman’s voice, but it’s not Callie. I walk down the hall and round the corner to the kitchen, just as my breath catches at the sight of Christian, bare-chested in broad daylight. Will the sight of him always steal my breath away? Yes, yes, it will.

  “Christian, go put a shirt on. No one wants to see that first thing in the morning.” Christian’s mom, Olivia, fusses at him while she’s standing at the stove cooking eggs and sausage. The sight before me makes my mouth water, and I’m not talking about the food.

  Christian’s leaning back with his tight ass resting against the sink and wearing those damn gray sweatpants hanging low on his hips. His bare chest and abs are on full display and screaming, “Lick me here” while flaunting the light dusting of a happy trail that says, “Follow me into these sweatpants, won’t you?”

  He crosses his arms over his chest, his biceps bulging and showcasing his strong, corded muscles. My gaze continues to trail up until my eyes lock on his emerald green stare and shit-eating grin. Damn it, I’ve been caught! I immediately turn tomato red and dip my head in embarrassment.

  “Good morning, Ava Bear. Sleep well?” he asks in a smug tone, enjoying the fact he just caught me checking him out. Again.

  “I slept just fine, thank you,” I try to say with my chin lifted, struggling to recover my dignity. “Good morning, Mrs. Davis. What are you doing here so early?”

  “Please, call me Olivia. And I just wanted to treat you to breakfast. It’s the least I could do since you’re letting my baby boy stay with you.”

  “I am paying her rent, Mom. It’s not like I’m free-loading over here.” He rolls his eyes and picks up his coffee mug.

  “Don’t roll your eyes at me, Christian Matthew.” How she knew he was rolling his eyes when her back was turned, I’ll never know. Must be a mother’s intuition. As if reading my mind, she answers, “I don’t have to see you to know you just rolled your eyes at your own mother. Now, go put a shirt on. You will not eat at my table without a shirt.” She turns around, spooning scrambled eggs from the pan onto a plate.

  “It’s not your table, Mom, it’s Ava’s. And I don’t think she minds if I eat without a shirt on, do you, Ava?” He gives me a cocky grin.

  “I raised you better than that, Christian. Now go put on a damn shirt,” she says, before I can respond to his question.

  “Fine, I’ll go put on a shirt,” he says, exasperated. He walks towards me to get to the hallway, winking at me as he passes and brushing his arm against mine. I walk further into the kitchen and fix myself a cup a coffee.

  “What can I help with, Mrs. Da—” She quirks a brow at me. “Olivia?” I correct myself.

  “Nothing, dear, just sit yourself down and get ready to enjoy breakfast. I also brought over some groceries too. I hope you don’t mind. If there’s something else you need, just let me know and I can pick it up,” she says, as I open the fridge. My eyes go wide when I see the shelves full with food and drinks.

  “Oh my gosh, you didn’t have to do all this! Christian and I were gonna go shopping later today.”

  “Nonsense, dear, I don’t mind at all. Now that the boys are gone, I still need to feel useful so I occasionally bring by groceries or dinner, or whatever they might need.” I stare at this kind and generous woman with awe and admiration. This is what it’s like to have a real mom. “I’m sure your mom would do the same if she were here.”

  Her words sting and feel like a hot knife in the chest. Before my eyes can fill with tears, Christian comes back into the kitchen, catching the tail end of our conversation. He leans in and whispers in my ear, “You OK, Ava Bear?” I nod, blinking back tears and swallowing the lump in my throat.

  “OK, kids, breakfast is ready.” Olivia hands each of us a plate and we begin filling them up with food. We sit at the kitchen island enjoying our meal and talking. It reminds me of weekend mornings at Callie’s house with her parents. Why couldn’t I have this with my own family?

  CHAPTER 5

  Ava

  Living with Christian Davis is a damn nightmare, and I’ve never been more thankful for a Monday morning than I am today. After having breakfast with his mom yesterday, we cleaned up and decided to go for a run together. Big. Mistake. Watching that man run with his Adonis body was like pure poetry in motion—muscles rippling, sweat dripping down his body, and his damp blond hair sticking to his forehead. It seemed like I was always trailing a few feet behind, but I wasn’t complaining. Watching his tight, firm ass in those shorts was sweet torture.

  As soon as we got home, I ran straight for the shower. Not only did I need to cool down, I needed to get off. And a shower head with a pulse setting would do just the trick. You would think that would be enough to sate my raging lady bits, but then he decided to wear black mesh basketball shorts for the rest of the day. What’s wrong with basketball shorts, you ask? Oh, nothing, just the fact you could see the outline of his man parts while he sat on the couch. It took everything I had in me not to stare at his huge penis that I swear was calling my name. By the time we headed to bed, my thighs were sore from clenching them together so tightly all night.

  Since the auto shop he co-owns with Asher is right next door to The Sweet Spot, we decided to carpool in together. Now, I’m just waiting for Callie to get here so I can unleash all my frustrations and get some advice. What’s taking her so long? She’s never late. Now I remember that Callie is living with Asher. With all the sex they must be having, she’ll never be on time again. Just as I’m shaking my head, I hear the back door burst open.

  “I’m here. I’m here. Sorry I’m late!”

  “And just what were you up to this morning?” A peach blush creeps up over her light caramel skin.

  “Nothing! We just haven’t gotten our morning routine down yet,” she says, looking down at her shoes and clearly embarrassed.

  “Oh, please, you don’t think I know you better than that, Callie? I’ve seen yo
ur boyfriend. I have a pretty good idea what made you late this morning.”

  “Oh, shut up,” she says, smacking me on the arm. “Here, I brought you coffee at least.” She sets down a large coffee in front of me from the cafe around the corner. “So, how are things with Christian. He get settled in OK? I heard that Olivia came by and made you breakfast.”

  “I don’t know how long I’m gonna be able to do this, Callie.”

  “What?! What do you mean? What’s wrong?” I see the panic set in on her face.

  “Calm down, it’s not what you think.” She lets out the breath she was holding.

  “Well, what is it then?”

  I try to take a few moments to carefully think over my response, but unfortunately my brain chooses that moment to blurt out, “I wanna sleep with my roommate!” Callie’s steel gray eyes go wide as saucers and her mouth drops open. She stares at me for a few beats then bellows out the loudest belly laugh I’ve ever heard. “It’s really not that funny, Callie,” I say curtly as she continues laughing. “I’m serious! C’mon, tell me what to do here,” I whine.

  “Oh, this is too good! The Ava Morgan has finally found a man that she actually wants to sleep with, and he turns out to be her roommate. Classic!”

  “Shut up, Callie. Really? You’re supposed to be my best friend. Help me out here.”

  “I’m sorry, it’s just you’re never really that into guys. They follow you around like puppy dogs, just dying to do whatever you ask them to. But for reasons beyond my understanding, you never give them the time of day, other than to scratch that occasional sexual itch. Now the one guy you wanna sleep with, you probably shouldn’t sleep with, because he’s your current roommate.”

  “So, you don’t think I should sleep with him either then?”

  “I mean, yes and no,” she says with a shrug.

  “Explain,” I demand.

  “OK, so it’s obvious to everyone but you two, that you’re both into each other.”

  “What?!” I ask, cutting her off.

  “Don’t act surprised. Everybody can tell whenever you’re around each other.”

  “But we hardly ever hung out before he moved in. What are you talking about?”

  “Asher and I both saw it when we ran into the guys at Big Mike’s that time. And Sophie said she could tell when you all went to the bar when Asher and I had our first date, and when you all hung out at Dane’s the next night.” I’m speechless. I’m damn speechless.

  “And Olivia and Addy saw it too during our grand opening. And so did my parents. And Bobby who owns the drive-in movies.”

  “What. The. Actual. Fuck? Is everyone talking about us?” I need to sit down; my brain is about to explode.

  “Oh, calm down, it’s not like the whole town is going around talking about you. People just noticed you guys seem into each other. That’s all.”

  “You really think he’s into me?”

  “Girl, you are so blind. Yes, he’s into you. And you just said you’re into him. So, I maintain my original answer of yes and no.”

  “How can it be yes and no? It’s one or the other, Callie.”

  “Look, do I think you guys should go on a date? Absolutely. Then we can be dating brothers!” she exclaims and begins bouncing up and down and clapping her hands, just the way she does whenever she’s excited.

  “And?” I deadpan.

  “But maybe wait until after you’re not living together?” she says, scrunching up her nose like she didn’t want to tell me that.

  “No, that’s what I was thinking too. It’s just, it feels so good to be around him. He makes me feel safe and protected. I even told him about my parents. I think there could really be something there. I just don’t want to ruin it,” I tell her in a disappointed voice.

  “Well, there you go. Don’t date your roommate.”

  “Fine, I won’t date my roommate.”

  “And don’t sleep with him either.”

  “Well, you’re no fun.” I release a deep sigh. “C’mon, let’s get to work. These cupcakes won’t bake themselves.” I finish my coffee, disappointment twisting in my gut. I know Callie’s right, but it just feels wrong.

  I’m wrapping up the last batch of frosting for tomorrow’s cupcakes when I hear a knock at the back door. Looking over my shoulder I see Christian standing in the doorway, casually leaning against it—his legs crossed at the ankles, hands shoved in his pockets. He smells masculine, like clean sweat and motor oil, and has smudges of grease on his arms and shirt.

  “You ready to go, Ava Bear?”

  “Yeah, just a sec.” I put the frosting away in the fridge and wash my hands. Throwing my dirty apron in the hamper, I grab my purse and yell for Callie.

  “Are you ready to go? Christian’s here?” I say loud enough for her to hear me out front.

  “I’m coming!” she says, barreling into the kitchen, almost knocking me down.

  “Slow down, there. Hot date?” I give her a knowing smirk.

  “Hush.” She narrows her eyes at me. “C’mon, let’s go. Asher’s waiting for me.”

  “Yeah, I bet he is,” Christian says under his breath with a chuckle.

  “You hush it too,” Callie tells him, smacking his chest with the back of her hand. We all walk out and she locks the door. Before I can say good night, she’s running over to Asher’s truck where he’s standing and waiting for her. She jumps into his open arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. Just as they kiss and giggle, a bit of jealousy hits me in the chest. Christian walks over to me, placing his hand on my lower back and guiding me to his truck.

  “Let’s go home, Ava Bear.” Hearing him call me that special nickname and saying we’re going “home” makes me melt into a puddle. This is probably gonna end terribly, but hey, you live and you learn. This is one bad decision I think I’m ready to make.

  CHAPTER 6

  Christian

  As soon as I walk into the shop, Dane is already waiting for me with a shit-eating grin on his face, but I ignore him and head straight for the coffee. He just stands there, leaning against the counter and waiting for me to start gabbing like a sixteen-year-old girl. Continuing to pretend like he isn’t there, I fix my coffee and am about to head to the lobby when Asher comes swaggering in with the same damn grin.

  I know they want to ask me about my weekend with Ava, but I’m really not sure how I want to respond. These two know me better than anyone, and I’ll never get anything past them. But maybe I just don’t want to hear what they have to say.

  After that first night when Ava told me about her parents, I know I should’ve backed down and decided to just be the friend she needs. With Callie spending more time with Asher now, she needs a shoulder to lean on, not a dick to ride on. But I just can’t help myself. Something deep inside me is telling me I have to take care of her. Protect her. Encourage her. Comfort her.

  That night while cleaning up, I decided I’ll do everything I can to make her want to see where this leads. I know the kind of guy I am, and I’m ready for a committed relationship. I’m not Asher. Or at least who Asher used to be. I don’t want some quick one-night stand. I want a girlfriend. I know Ava’s never been in a relationship before, but I know I’m just the guy to show her how good it can be.

  I know she wants me, but I can see her fighting it—thinking this is all gonna end badly. I just have to get her to trust me. I’ve already gotten her to see how badly she’s attracted to me. Yeah, I played dirty, but hey, desperate times…

  Saturday night when I heard her open her door, I quickly pulled off my shirt, knowing she’d have to pass me in the hallway. Turned out even better than I expected when she ran smack into my bare chest. The look of desire on her face had my dick tingling and ready to play.

  Deciding I should see if I could draw her out even more, I made sure to be shirtless when she came to breakfast the
next morning. I had already planned to run out and get us something before she woke up, but ever the cock blocker, Mom showed up bringing groceries and making breakfast for us. I did manage to get in front of Ava in all my shirtless glory, but it was quick-lived with my mom around.

  Going for a run together yesterday damn near backfired on me though. I figured seeing me sweat a little might turn her on enough to get her to make a move. But what I hadn’t expected was for her to be dressed in tiny red running shorts with a matching red and black sports bra. And nothing else.

  Her sexy runner’s body was on full display. That tight ass of hers looked like a juicy peach in those tiny shorts, with her tits lifted high in her sports bra. And her silky blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail, making my hand itch to wrap her strands around it, before gently pulling her head back for a deep kiss. My dick immediately came to life and I had to quickly figure out a way to calm it back down if I was ever going to be able to run with her.

  Five miles of watching her tits bounce and the swish of the globes of her ass with each stride was sheer torture. As soon as we got back to the house I jumped into a cold shower. The frigid water did nothing to calm my raging dick so I took matters into my own hands, literally.

  The images of her sinful body were already burned into my mind. All that sexy, tanned skin looking so soft with a light sheen of sweat covering it, begging my tongue to have a taste. Those long, toned legs that would feel so good wrapped around my waist, pulling me in deeper as I thrust inside her. My mouth can already feel the softness of the delicate flesh of her tits and the sweetness of the taste of her skin.

  Precum leaking out of the tip of my dick, I rubbed it over the angry red head of my cock, making my hand slippery as I pumped it up and down. I squeezed harder and pumped faster and within a few minutes, my cum spurted out over my fist and down the drain of the shower. I took a few moments to calm my racing heart and enjoy the feeling of relieving the pressure in my aching dick, caused by the gorgeous blond in the other room.