Page 21 of Loud Hot Roomie
“She warned me away from Clara, too. Says she’s the neighborhood slut.”
Clara has always been a thorn in my side, but she’s not a slut.
“Linda mouths off a lot for someone who dumps her kids off on complete strangers,” I grumble. “Clara’s single and hasn’t found the right person, but she’s not a slut, man.”
“I figured,” he says with a nod. “Are you jealous?”
At this, I scoff. “No.”
“Someone’s lying…” he says in a sing-song voice.
“Are you jealous that I looked at men on the dating app today?”
As soon as the words tumble out of my mouth, I immediately regret them. Riko flinches as if I’ve struck him. Little does he know, I only looked at them to see if this thing I feel for him was a fluke. It only made me realize I’m craving something abouthimwhen he’s around.
“Fuck,” I mutter. “I don’t know why I said that.”
Riko forces out a laugh as he abandons his plate and rises to his feet. “It’s fine, Derek. You can date people. I’m not your keeper.”
Then, he limps out of the kitchen, and heads upstairs.
My gut twists painfully. I hurt his fucking feelings and I feel awful about it.
So he does like me more than a little harmless flirting. Maybe he’s exploring how far he can push my buttons to see if I’m truly interested in him back, and I just fucked it all up by being a dick.
As much as I want to rush up there and apologize, I force myself to put the food away and clean the kitchen. Once that’s done, I take the steps two at a time, frustrated to find him locked away in the bathroom taking a shower. Like a stalker, I pace the floor in front of the door, eager for him to finish up. After what feels like an eternity later, he finally opens the door wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts.
His eyes widen in shock to see me right outside the bathroom door. I rake my gaze shamelessly down his muscular chest, noting every droplet of water and how it would quench my parched tongue if only I could taste just one.
Forcing my head up, I meet his gaze. “I’m sorry for being an asshole.”
He opens his mouth to say something, most likely to let me off the hook, but I can’t take it. My words put distance between us and I instantly hated it. With Casey, I let that distance grow and grow until we were worlds apart. I don’t want that with Riko. Even if it’s a simple friendship. I don’t want to hurt him.
I surprise us both when I yank him to me for a hug. Since he’s nearly as tall as me, he can rest his cheek on my shoulder. The way he melts into me has my heart skipping a few beats. As much as I want to see where all this flirting could lead to, this is what he needs.
Why do I want to be the one to give it to him?
His arms wrap around me after a beat and he hugs me back. As I hold him, I can’t help but think of one of my fights with Casey.
“You never hug me or touch me. I always have to initiate. Even in bed. What’s wrong with me?”
I’d been so pissed at her for jumping to such a ridiculous conclusion. There was never anything wrong with Casey. It was me who had the mental shit preventing me from having true intimacy with her, or anyone for that matter.
Hugging Riko, though, felt like a need I couldn’t ignore.
The desperation to comfort him and apologize was maddening.
Now that I have him in my embrace, peace settles over me. I nuzzle my nose into his wet hair, inhaling his expensive scent. His shampoo probably costs more than my entire outfit.
“In case you didn’t notice,” I rumble against his hair, “I suck at peopling.”
He chuckles against my shoulder. “That’s not all on you. I’m not great at it either. It’s my fucking mouth. Always getting me in trouble.”
I drag my fingertips down his back, a thrill shooting through me when he shivers. “Can we go back to our lovely evening, hubby?”
He shoves at me as he cackles with laughter. It makes me smile too.
“If you keep toying with my emotions, you’re going to end up balls deep in this troublesome mouth of mine,” he says as he runs his tongue along his plump bottom lip. “Perhaps that’s been your evil plan all along.”
