Page 73 of Pucking My Grumpy Roommate
As she walked away, Austin turned to me. "What was that about?"
"Just girl talk," I said lightly. "Apparently I'm not your usual type."
Austin's jaw tightened. "Camille doesn't know anything about what I want."
"And what do you want?" The question slipped out, more vulnerable than I intended.
His eyes softened, his hand sliding to cup my face. "You. Chaos and all."
The rest of the evening passed without incident, but by the time we climbed into Austin's SUV to head home, the encounter with Camille had settled under my skin like an irritant.
"So," I finally said as we drove through the quiet streets, "you and the reporter. Was that a thing?"
Austin's hands tightened on the steering wheel. "No. Not the way she implied."
"But there was something?"
He sighed. "One dinner, three years ago, after I'd given her an exclusive about my charity foundation. Nothing happened, but she's been pushing boundaries ever since."
"She seemed pretty familiar with you," I persisted, hating the jealousy coursing through me but unable to stop it.
Austin pulled the car over abruptly, putting it in park before turning to face me fully. "Kate, look at me."
I did, my heart pounding.
"Before you, my life was hockey, recovery, and systematically avoiding complications. I dated casually, never letting anyone close enough to disrupt my routine." His eyes held mine, intensity radiating from him. "Then you showed up, spilled coffee everywhere, rearranged my kitchen, and somehow became essential to me. So no, there's nothing between me and Camille or anyone else. There's only you."
"I've never been jealous before," I admitted, embarrassed. "It's unsettling. Like discovering a completely new emotion I didn't have programming for."
His mouth curved into that rare full smile. "You have programming?"
"Shut up," I mumbled, but I was smiling too.
"For what it's worth," he said, voice dropping to that low register that always made my stomach flip, "watching you stand your ground was incredibly sexy."
"Yeah?" I breathed, suddenly very aware of how alone we were in the dark car.
"Yeah." His hand found my knee, fingers skimming along the hem of my dress. "I wanted to drag you out of there right then."
Heat pooled between my thighs as his fingers inched higher, tracing patterns on my inner thigh. "We should probably get home," I whispered.
"Probably," he agreed, making no move to start the car. Instead, his hand slid higher, thumb brushing against the edge of my panties. "Or I could touch you right here."
My breath caught. "We're on the side of the road."
"No one can see us." His voice was rough with want as his fingers pushed aside the thin fabric, finding me already wet. "Fuck, Kate."
I gasped as he slid one finger inside me, then two, his thumb circling my clit with devastating precision. "Austin?—"
"I love watching you like this," he murmured, his eyes never leaving my face as his fingers worked their magic. "So responsive, so perfect."
I was already close, embarrassingly so, when a sharp knock on the window made us both freeze.
A flashlight beam swept the interior of the car, illuminating Austin's hand still between my thighs and my mortified expression.
"Everything all right in there?" called a stern voice as Austin hastily withdrew his hand and rolled down the window to reveal a police officer peering suspiciously into the car.
"Yes, officer," Austin replied with remarkable composure. "Just pulled over to... discuss something important with my girlfriend."
