Page 36 of Roommate Wars
Her face turned bright red, and I realized what I’d said.
She was thinking of that night—the night she’d accidentally gotten into bed with me, and then not-so-accidentally kissed me.
Did she think I hadn’t wanted it? That she’d forced me? “Put my number on your speed dial.”
She rolled her eyes, her embarrassment fading. “Are you my overprotective older brother now?”
Yeah, right,older brother. I tapped my finger on the counter. “Can I trust you with this guy?”
She shook her head slowly as though she couldn’t believe my words, and then a knock sounded at the front door.
Her eyes widened, and she pointed to the back of the house. “Go!” At my stubborn glare, she said, “At least wait in your room until we leave. You’ll ruin the vibe with your cranky Jackson look.”
“He’d deserve it,” I muttered. No one called me cranky. I was happy-go-lucky. Except with Elise.
“Now.” She pointed again, but I waited until she opened the door, wearing my boxers that weretoo sexy to wear in front of other men.
The guy on the other side had longish dirty-blond hair, was built, and on the taller side. I didn’t like him. Not one bit.
Elise looked over her shoulder and saw me standing there, and her eyes flared.
I sullenly walked to my bedroom, where I lay on my bed, face up, staring at the ceiling until I heard Elise rush back to her room. She knocked around for a couple of minutes, possibly changing, and then pounded down the hallway and slammed the front door on her way out.
With the stranger, the fucker.
Fists balled, I closed my eyes, taking in deep breaths. I was pissed, and I had no right to be. I sat up abruptly and grabbed my wallet from the nightstand. I wasn’t about to sit around all night. Made me feel like a loser.
Loading a few beers in my arms from the kitchen, I left the apartment and made my way to Max’s place, where I planned to encroach on his and Sophia’s couple time.
This whole tantrum I was throwing would be smoother if I had any interest in my own hookups, but I didn’t. I was too focused on Elise’s dating life.
ChapterSixteen
Elise
Well,wonders never ceased. I’d gone on a date last night, and it had actually gone well.
Conner was super cute and not the least bit clingy. As it turned out, he had bigger aspirations than flower delivery. Even though I’d told Jack I didn’t mind the delivery job, it was confusing why a twenty-seven-year-old wouldn’t have moved on to something else. Turned out Conner was studying to be a CPA and doing the delivery gig on the side until he finished school. As far as future careers went, that one was stable, if incredibly boring. But to each his own.
I walked down the hallway, balancing a laundry basket on my hip. Jack was at some team meeting and had been gone since early this morning, which had seemed excessive for a weekend afternoon, but he was a bigwig. I supposed it made sense.
He’d been gone a lot lately. I appreciated the alone time, but when he didn’t get home until late, it felt off. I’d gotten used to him working in the room across the hall and being here when I returned from dates. The apartment was too quiet when he was gone.
And I was extremely frustrated with myself for thinking so.
Life had been lonelier at the roach apartment, with only my belligerent neighbor for daily interactions, and that was what I’d wanted. So why was I getting attached to my roommate? And Jack, of all people?
No—justno.
I entered the living room and turned up the music I streamed through some fancy device Jack had spent twenty minutes patiently explaining. I sang off-key while I folded his surprisingly expensive designer boxer briefs. I did not take him for a fancy guy, but when I looked at the labels of his clothes (they were staring at me, so of course I looked), they were brands I recognized as upscale.
The man was casual with good taste, and apparently spent big bucks on clothes that hugged his…
Stay away from it.
I was trying to block romantic thoughts of Jack from my mind, and I’d succeeded…to some degree. Occasionally. Okay, rarely.
The night we slept together I’d been in some sort of post-sleepwalking stupor. I’d kissed him without thinking. Jack had always been somewhat cranky toward me, so it had taken me by surprise when he returned my kiss. But however murky the physical details of that night were, the emotions remained in Technicolor…
