Page 34 of Tapped By My Roommate
He blushed again, and I could sense our time for sexy talk was over. I vowed that by the end of this experiment, Ethan wouldwantto hear my filthy words. That they’d make him hard for me. But for now, I had no plans to push him out of his comfort zone.
I stepped back. “I’ll let you get ready for class.”
“Class,” he echoed blankly.
I waited as he blinked twice, then seemed to snap back to awareness.
“Class,” he said, “Right. I should go.”
“Have a good day, Ethan.” I loaded my voice with innuendo. “I look forward to seeing you soon.”
10
ETHAN
My body hummed with anticipation all day. Every time I thought of Rhett, the hairs on my arm stood on end. I felt as if I were crackling with static electricity.
It was just one kiss, Ethan. Not even the first one.
But it had been no less earth-shattering. Maybe because with this kiss, I wasn’t merely a passenger. I wasn’tlettingRhett kiss me.Ikissedhim.I kissed my gorgeous roommate—who should have been too far out of my league but didn’t seem to realize it—and I’d loved it.
“You’re distracted today.”
Violet, a volunteer at the animal rescue, was helping mix up tasty insect meals now that we’d had the pleasure of cleaning the enclosures. Even though I was technically an intern, our responsibilities were similar. Usually, we chatted while we worked. Today, my head was too full of Rhett and what might happen the next time we were alone together.
If he could wreck me for the day with two minutes of kissing, what could he do with more time? I shivered at the thought.
Sadly, it wouldn’t be tonight. He had a shift at the bar, and my hours at the animal rescue would run too late to see him beforehand.
“Sorry, Violet, what were you saying?” I asked.
She laughed, not offended in the least. That’s what I liked about Violet. She took everything in stride. She was one of those sunny people who generally tried to see the best in everyone. When I’d first met her, I’d been stunned to find out she volunteered for five other causes besides this one. She’d already graduated with a degree in musical theater, but when her career didn’t launch the way she’d hoped, she’d found a new passion for volunteer work. It helped that she didn’t really need to worry about money. But despite being from a wealthy family, she was one of the most down-to-earth people I’d ever met.
“You’re in la-la land today,” she said. “I was just saying that Carla asked to talk to us before we take our first break.”
“Oh, really?”
“Also, I can’t believe you haven’t said hi to Bea.”
“Wow, you’re right. I’ve got a lot on my mind, I guess.”
“Still worried about your iguana?” she asked sympathetically.
“Yeah.” It was only half a lie. Rhett might be scattering my focus today, but my dilemma with Tess and Zilla was always in the back of my mind. My research into pet custody law wasn’t too encouraging so far. It would take time and money to get Zilla back through legal channels—assuming I could even prove Zilla was rightfully mine. Since she was a gift, and I had no documentation to prove it, I wasn’t sure I’d even win.
Violet patted my arm. “Maybe Carla could help, as head of an animal rescue?”
“Maybe…”
It was unlikely. Oasis didn’t go out and take pets. They only picked up animals when they were called in by authorities or homeowners. But that didn’t mean Tessknewwhat boundaries Oasis followed. But I couldn’t see Carla being willing to use her position that way. I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with it either. As much as I wanted Zilla back, I didn’t want to endanger the animal rescue center’s reputation or drag them into my mess.
“You’ll figure it out,” Violet said with more confidence than I felt. But it was nice someone believed in me. Of course, Violet didn’t know my history with Tess, or my struggles with confrontation.
Oasis was my comfort zone, the place I was most confident. The Ethan that Violet knew was entirely different from the Ethan that Tess had dated. But I really, really wanted to show Rhett this Ethan. To show everyone this side of me. The one who knew where he belonged, what he was doing, and wasn’t hesitant to show it.
I excused myself to go greet my favorite girl in the rescue. I crouched down by the enclosure holding Bea, the bearded dragon, and talked to her for a few minutes. Beardies are sensitive to sound and enjoy listening to people talk. I’d take her out later, if Carla gave me the greenlight, since Bearded Dragons were a reptile that didn’t mind being handled.
By the time I returned to the prep station, Violet had finished her work, and I helped her clean up. Then we made the rounds of enclosures, distributing meals that met each animal’s dietary needs.
