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

by Elyse Kelly

  “Yes, I’m a little sore, but it feels wonderful,” I purr at him. “I’ll be right back. Stay here,” I say as I carefully dismount him and bring my feet to the floor. He grabs my wrist before I can step away.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m just gonna clean up. I’ll be right back.” Before I can finish my sentence, he scoops me up and places me back in bed.

  “Let me take care of you, Ava Bear. Stay right here.” He kisses the tip of my nose and walks to the bathroom. I bite my lip, watching his tight ass as he struts across the room. He looks back over his shoulder and catches me staring. “Enjoying the view?”

  “Yes. I am,” I say, not at all embarrassed I’ve been caught. He shakes his head as he laughs at me, while stepping into the bathroom. He quickly comes back to clean me up, then climbs into bed with me, pulling me into him so I rest my head on his chest.

  “So, does this mean we can save money and not buy condoms?” He wiggles his eyebrows up and down. Dammit, he’s so cute.

  “If this means you’re all mine, then yes.”

  He lifts his hand to cup my face, his thumb running slowly across my bottom lip. Looking deep into my eyes in the moonlight, he says, “I’m all yours, Ava. Always.” He leans down to kiss me. It’s not full of heat, but rather full of promise and hope. There is something very real between us and we both feel it. There is no more denying that I irrevocably belong to this man, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

  The next week and a half flies by, and I can’t believe the Peach Festival is already here. The Sweet Spot is doing amazing, and Christian is keeping busy at the auto shop with Asher and Dane. We’ve settled in to a blissfully domestic routine, carpooling to work, making dinner together, and going for runs in the evening.

  He took me to Savannah this past Sunday; and it was absolute heaven just walking around, holding his hand, shopping and eating. He makes me laugh and smile. He doesn’t hold back his affection, taking every chance to touch me or kiss me. Everything feels so right and so perfect, but I should’ve known it wouldn’t last.

  “Baby, is that everything? What else do you need to go in the truck?” Christian asks me, while I finish getting ready in my room. I spend every night in his bed, but all my stuff is still in my room. I can tell he wants me to move my stuff in with his, but I’m just not ready yet, and thankfully he hasn’t pressured me. Yes, we are already living together so it’s kinda silly that I’m still holding out, but I just want to be sure we’re not going to mess this up.

  “If you got all the boxes from the kitchen and the living room, then that’s everything. Callie’s bringing the rest of the stuff from The Sweet Spot with her. Just let me finish getting ready, and I’ll be right out,” I say, pulling my hair up into a high ponytail.

  I’m standing in front of my dresser mirror when he comes up behind me, moving my hair away and kissing my neck. He wraps his muscular arms around me, swaying us back and forth while resting his cheek against mine. The words “I love you” are right on the tip of my tongue, but I don’t dare release them. It’s way too soon, and I’d die if he didn’t feel the same way. Instead, I close my eyes and bask in the feeling of his warmth as it surrounds me.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking, Ava Bear.”

  “Nothing. Just thinking about how good this feels. I don’t want anything to ruin it.”

  He turns me to face him. “Nothing is gonna ruin this, baby. I won’t let it. Believe me?”

  “I want to,” I answer him honestly.

  “Then do,” he says, pulling me into a kiss. Before he has a chance to deepen it, the doorbell rings. “That’s probably my mom. I’ll get it. You finish getting ready.” He kisses me on the forehead before going to get the door. I watch him walk away, asking myself how I got to be so lucky to find such an amazing man.

  CHAPTER 15

  Christian

  Tearing my eyes away from the gorgeous woman down the hall is one of the hardest things I have to do. She’s so beautiful and she’s not even trying. After I finished loading up the truck for the Peach Festival, I just stood in her doorway for a few seconds, watching her get ready.

  She and Callie are going to be matching today in pink Chucks, cutoff shorts, and custom-made t-shirts that say “Wanna lick my cupcake?” on the front with The Sweet Spot logo on the back. I have no idea where Callie got these shirts, but everyone in town seems to think they’re pretty funny. Well, everyone but Pastor Wallace.

  Every day with Ava is amazing and I can feel her trust grow more and more each day. This is the relationship I’ve been longing for. Someone to hold at night and cuddle with. We laugh and play in the kitchen while making dinner. I make her breakfast and coffee, knowing she’s not a morning person and won’t do it for herself. And she always tucks a sweet note in my back pocket when she sends me off with a kiss before going into work.

  I want this to last forever, but I know this isn’t the time to rush her. Callie has already cautioned me to go slow with Ava, but she’s reassured me that Ava wants to be with me, and this is the happiest Callie’s ever seen her. I know I have to let Ava set the pace, but the waiting is killing me. I want everyone in the world to know this girl is mine.

  As I make my way to whoever’s at the door, I look around the living room and kitchen one more time to make sure I didn’t miss anything. Seeing that all the boxes have been packed up, I turn the knob and open the front door. There’s a man with a confused look on his face standing there, which makes me wrinkle my brows together.

  “Can I help you?” I ask the stranger. He’s a little shorter than me, but at least six-foot-tall—my age with perfect blond hair and bright blue eyes. His teeth are blindingly white and perfectly straight. He looks like a fucking Ken Doll with his crisp, pale blue button down, khaki slacks, and tan loafers. Actual. Fucking. Loafers. Who is this douche canoe?

  “Uh… sorry, man, I must have the wrong address,” he says confused. He turns to look at the cars parked on the street, before turning back to me to ask, “Do you know who owns that white Audi?”

  “Yeah,” I deadpan, not giving him any further response. Of course, I fucking know who owns it. That white Audi belongs to my woman, but I’m not telling him that. Not until I know who the fuck he is, and what the fuck he wants with my girl. Calm the fuck down, Caveman!

  “Well… do you know which house is hers?” I’m just about to tell this guy to go kick rocks, when I hear Ava’s sweet voice coming down the hallway, calming my inner beast that’s ready to kick this guy’s ass off my front porch.

  “Christian, is that your mom?” she asks, taking a step from behind me so she can see who’s at the door. Her feet come to a screeching halt as she obviously knows who this guy is. I haven’t taken my eyes off him, and I see a slow smile of male appreciation light up his face as he takes in my beautiful girl with his eyes. Ava’s mouth drops open, clearly shocked to see whoever this is, standing at our front door.

  “Babe, who is this guy?” I ask her.

  “I’m her fiancé, Blaine Alexander Douglass, III,” he says, sticking out his hand to greet me.

  Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me? My head whips to Ava, who is still standing in shock, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights.

  “You have a fiancé?” I ask her, my nostrils flaring and my eyes seeing red. The tone of my voice must snap Ava out of her fog because she immediately turns to me, shaking her head.

  “Ava, don’t be silly. Of course, I’m your fiancé. I just moved back home so we can finally settle down and plan the wedding. Our mothers are over the moon, you know. It’s all anyone can talk about at the club. They’ve all been asking where you’ve been.”

  Ken Doll looks cool and collected as if he supposed to be here, talking to my girl… planning a wedding with my woman. Well, I’ve fucking had enough. Before he can say another word, I pull Ava back and slam the door in his pretty face.
>
  “Well, that was rude,” I hear him mutter. “Ava, I’ll just be right here when you’re ready to talk,” he says.

  I can see she’s still stunned, so I take her hand and pull her over to the couch. Rather than sitting her down next to me, I pull her into my lap, needing to feel her close to me before I open the door and beat this guy’s ass. Her hands are shaking as I hold them in mine.

  “Ava, baby, what the hell is going on? You said he wasn’t your boyfriend, and now he shows up here saying he’s your fiancé. I’m trying to be cool, but I’m two seconds away from ripping his head off.”

  She looks up at me with big fat tears welling in her eyes and my heart breaks, knowing she thinks I’m upset with her. Needing to diffuse this situation, I pull her into my chest, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her back.

  “It’s OK. Just talk to me, Ava Bear, so I don’t walk out there and kill him.”

  “I don’t know why he’s here. I wasn’t lying when I said he’s not my boyfriend; because he’s not, and he never was. But for some reason he never seemed to get that memo, and neither did our parents, no matter how many times I said it.”

  “Why is he here, Ava?”

  “Just before Callie and I moved down here, my mother convinced me to have dinner with her and Father at the club. I didn’t want to go, but she guilted me, saying I never spend time with them and after everything they’ve done for me, it was the least I could do. She made me spend the whole day with her, going to the spa, getting my hair done, and buying a new dress just for the occasion. I didn’t think much of it because that is a typical day in the life of Barbie Morgan.”

  “Wait a minute. Your mother’s name is Barbie?”

  “It’s Barbara, but she’s always gone by Barbie”

  I shake my head because of course, her name is Barbie. “Go on, babe.”

  “Anyway, after being prepped like I was getting ready to take the stage at a beauty pageant, we finally met Father at the club for dinner. Only, we weren’t alone. Mr. and Mrs. Douglass were there, talking to Father at the bar. After we were seated at our table with the Douglasses joining us, I noticed an empty seat. I asked Mother if someone else was coming to dinner, but she quickly turned to Mrs. Douglass and began speaking to her.

  “Two minutes later, I felt a hand on my bare back and lips pressed against my temple. ‘Sorry I’m late, darling’ was how Blaine greeted me, as if we were together, and I should have been expecting him.”

  “He touched you?” I seethe, my voice raising with anger. She kisses my lips to quiet me, then quirks her brow, silently asking me to shut it so she can continue. I nod for her to go on, but before she can begin again, we hear a knock at the door.

  “Umm… I’m still out here, guys. Just wanted to let you know.”

  I’m just about to get off the couch and punch his face in when she says, “Let him wait. I need to finish telling you this.” I huff out an aggravated sigh.

  “We’ll be out in a minute!” she yells.

  “Sure, princess. Take your time.”

  “You are not his fucking princess,” I growl.

  “I know, Christian. Just let me finish.” She kisses me again, then takes a deep breath to finish her story.

  “So, he sits down next to me at the table, taking my hand in his. I try to pull it away, but he grips it tighter and leans in to whisper to me to not cause a scene. That’s all I’ve heard all my life. ‘Don’t cause a scene, Ava.’ ‘Be a good girl, Ava.’ ‘Just go along with it, Ava.’ ‘A good wife is there to be pretty. To be seen and not heard, Ava.’ So, I pinched his thigh, forcing him to let go of my hand.

  “I turned to my mother and asked her what this was all about and her response floored me. ‘This is your engagement dinner, dear. Isn’t it wonderful? Aren’t you a lucky girl?’ It was all I could do not to run out of there screaming.”

  “Your engagement dinner? So, you are engaged?” Her nostrils flare like she wants to punch me in the face.

  “I. Am. Not. Engaged,” she says through clenched teeth, her eyes narrowing and her lips pinched tight. She is two seconds away from strangling me.

  “Got it. Not engaged. Then, why does Ken Doll out there think you are?”

  “I have no idea. As much as I wanted to, I didn’t run out of the club like my hair was on fire. Always the obedient daughter, I sat through that god-awful meal, making small talk and smiling politely, but I avoided his advances. Blaine really isn’t a terrible guy, but he’s not for me and I told him as much. I don’t want that life. I told him we were not engaged, and I apologized if my mother somehow misled him and his parents.

  “Unfortunately, he seemed to be hearing absolutely none of it. I knew then I had to get away, or I’d never escape that life. So, when Callie said she was ready to open The Sweet Spot, I packed my stuff up, no questions asked, and took off. I only told Jack and Grace that I was leaving, but I didn’t tell them where I was going so they wouldn’t get caught in the middle. I have no idea why Blaine is here, but I can only guess my mother told him where to find me.

  “Please, don’t be upset with me, Christian. I… I just couldn’t… I couldn’t take it if—” She drops her head in her hands, tears spilling over her eyes.

  “Hush, Ava Bear. I’m not upset with you. I know this isn’t your fault.” I gently rock us back and forth, trying to keep her calm. “Let’s go find out what Ken Doll wants, shall we?”

  She starts to get off my lap, but I gently grab her face and pull her into a deep kiss. I need her to know she belongs to me, just as much as I belong to her, before we confront this douche canoe and I send him packing.

  CHAPTER 16

  Ava

  I am just about to have a mental breakdown that I absolutely have no time for. Christian’s mom should be here any minute so we can all ride over to the Peach Festival and begin setting up; but now we’re going to be late because I’m going to have to bail Christian out of jail after he kills Blaine.

  I have no idea why he’s here. And if looks could kill, Blaine would be dead right now from the murderous glare Christian is giving him. But here he stands, smug as ever, and yet still somehow, somewhat charming. And I can’t lie; he is handsome with his classic country club good looks.

  Don’t think I didn’t notice his eyes on me the second I came to the door. He’s always looked at me like I belonged to him, and not like I’m a real person with my own thoughts and opinions. Our entire lives growing up together, he was always telling me what to do, what to wear, where to go, and giving me advice I didn’t ask for. Like I couldn’t manage on my own and needed him to function. If our parents weren’t friends, I would have never hung out with him.

  When he said he was my fiancé, I thought for sure Christian was going to be done with me. And even though the thought was fleeting, I should have never let it cross my mind at all, knowing how amazing he really is. He didn’t yell, or get angry with me, or accuse me of lying. He simply held back his frustration at this whole mess, and held me close while I cried and explained. This man really is amazing and I’m going to do everything I can to hold on to him. I love him more than he’ll ever know and soon I’m going to tell him.

  As we get off the couch and make our way to the door, we hear Blaine talking to someone. Since we were expecting Christian’s mom before Blaine arrived, we assume it’s her. Just as we approach the door, we hear her giving him the business, and I have to cover my mouth to hold back my laugh. Christian shushes me as we listen to their conversation.

  “Ma’am, I don’t mean to be rude, but I think you’re mistaken. I’m Blaine Alexander Douglass, III and I’m Ava’s fiancé. So, you see, she can’t be dating your son as you claim.” I roll my eyes every time he introduces himself because he just has to say his full name, like it’s some kind of royal title.

  “Listen, Blaine. You seem like a nice young man. Clearly, you’ve done well for you
rself with your fancy car and designer clothes, but I’m starting to question if you have any common sense. If Ava is your fiancée, then why is she in there with my son and not out here with you?”

  “Oh, I’m sure she’s just letting him down easy, ma’am. Ava’s such a good girl, never wanting to hurt anyone’s feelings. She was always spending her time with those less fortunate. I mean, look at all the time she spent with that friend of hers, Callie. The girl didn’t come from money like Ava and I did, but Ava was still kind enough to allow her to hang out with us. And I’m sure it’s Ava’s money that helped her open that little cupcake place of hers. It’s so cute how Ava helps her.”

  I am two seconds away from storming out there and wringing his neck, when Christian grabs me by the waist and pulls me back. I look up at him and see a smile on his gorgeous face that I don’t understand.

  “Just listen. Moms is about to put him in his place.” He winks at me and places his index finger in front of his lips, indicating for me to be quiet. I nod and he eases his grip on me.

  “First off, son, I’m gonna skip over your passive aggressive comment that my son is ‘less fortunate’ as you say. There is nothing ‘less fortunate’ about my son, and there damn sure isn’t anything ‘less fortunate’ about me.” Blaine starts to sputter, but Olivia just goes on.

  “Second, Callie opened her own business with her own finances. Yes, Ava helps her run the business, but at the end of the day, it is Callie’s business. And Ava helps her because she wants to, because she loves Callie like a sister. I will not stand here and listen to you talk nonsense about my sweet Callie.” Olivia’s voice is stern and heated, but she doesn’t yell. She just takes that mom tone that tells you to listen and keep your mouth shut.

  “Well, ma’am, I didn’t mean—” Olivia quickly cuts him off.