The Room Mate Read online

  He’d always been somewhat serious. In high school, he’d preferred science over field parties, and was more comfortable as captain of the debate team than he ever would have been as captain of the football team. He was intelligent and curious, and made no apologies about his interests. Not that being a little different had hurt him any in the popularity department. He was the type to easily move between social circles, hanging out with the nerds and the jocks alike. But he’d clearly grown into his own man since the last time I saw him.

  He might be young, twenty-four years to my twenty-eight, but his eyes spoke of wisdom and maturity. This new Cannon was civilized and sharp-witted. Cultured and dashingly handsome. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what had changed, though his physical presence was a large part of it.

  Just standing near him made my heart pick up its pace. My fingertips tingled with the desire to reach out and touch him. Seriously, what the hell is happening to me? This was Cannon freaking Roth. Soon to be Dr. Cannon Roth. That had a yummy ring to it.

  Shaking my head against the rush of desire to play doctor with him, I scolded myself. He was Allie’s brother, which meant he was practically family. And Allie would kick my ass if anything happened between us. She’d always been a mother hen, and although she was fiercely overprotective of everyone she cared about, her precious baby brother got the brunt of it.

  “I know you spoke with Allie, but I wanted to come by myself and make sure you were comfortable with this.”

  Just the act of standing near him made my mind wander to things like sheet-clawing sex, the smell of latex, and regrets the morning after.

  My best friend’s little brother wasn’t so little anymore. And he’d just marched into my life, turning my girly bits into warm, aroused mush.

  Fuck!

  “Of course,” I lied.

  Chapter Three

  Cannon

  Paige was lying.

  There was something about having me here that made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the strong physical attraction I could feel radiating between us. Her scent was intoxicating, light and feminine and delicate. I didn’t have time for distractions, and I’d just promised myself there would be no more fucking around. But all of that went out the window the second I laid eyes on Paige.

  The stolen sight of her tits when I was fourteen had inspired a lifelong love affair with breasts. Her honey-colored hair was the reason I’d always preferred blondes. And while I’d caught glimpses of her on my sister’s social media over the years, in person she was . . . wow.

  “Come inside,” she said, opening the door wider.

  I obeyed and followed her in.

  Now that I was here in her space, watching her subtle reaction to me and feeling her discomfort, I wanted to flee.

  I hadn’t seen Paige in years, and fuck if she hadn’t grown up into a beautiful woman. Toned legs beneath a fitted skirt, the tempting curve of a round ass, the soft swell of breasts hidden behind a silky top.

  I’d had more dirty fantasies about her while growing up than I’d ever admit. She was my sister’s best friend, which meant she’d slept over at our house hundreds of times, gone swimming with us dozens. As a child, I’d chased behind her and my sister on my bike, and cried when they refused to hang out with me. As a teenager, even though I spent less time trailing after my sister and more around my own friends, Paige was never far from my brain.

  All my raging hormones overflowed straight onto her. I’d hear her giggling through the wall of Allie’s room as they talked about boys, and wish I could make her laugh like that, be one of the boys she wanted. The sight of her in a swimsuit or a tank top or even a tight pair of jeans had never failed to give me an instant boner. Watching movies together on the couch, I had ached to touch her knee or press my thigh against hers, but I could only sit paralyzed with nervous need—and bite Allie’s head off when she inevitably teased me for being so quiet.

  When Allie suggested I stay here for the rest of the semester, my cock had twitched with interest. Clearly those old, secret fantasies had only slept, never died. But nothing could have prepared me for actually being here, watching Paige’s pulse thrum in her throat, smelling her warm, feminine scent, feeling her reaction to me. Now a grown man, I knew the effect I had on women. I was tall, well-groomed, and never failed to turn a few heads. But this was Paige . . . I shouldn’t want this, right?

  “Who’s this?” I asked, grinning down at the tiny pup at her ankles.

  Paige looked down as if she hadn’t noticed the overgrown rat running up to us. “This is Enchilada,” she said almost defensively.

  Weird-ass name for a dog, but who was I to judge? Maybe she was a Mexican food enthusiast.

  She reached down and lifted the dog with one hand under his belly and held him at her side, stroking his fur with the other hand.

  “So did Allie just spring this on you, or were you okay with the idea?” I asked, wondering how honest she’d be.

  “She actually just called me when you were walking up.” Paige blushed a little at the admission, but I had no idea why she should feel embarrassed about that.

  Dammit, Allie. My big sister could be so absentminded sometimes. But I guessed Paige knew that as well as I did, and we loved her anyway.

  “So you’re between apartments?” Paige asked, setting the dog down beside us, where he sat with a huff.

  I nodded, not wanting to advertise the fact that my ex had destroyed my place. A long history of unstable ex-lovers probably wasn’t a desired trait in a roommate.

  “It’s just that, well, my place is pretty small . . .” She trailed off, her hands clasped together.

  She had neatly manicured fingernails, painted light blue. In fact, all of her was neatly groomed, from her long shiny hair that I wanted to wrap around my fist to her full pink lips that I wanted to see around my cock, pulling me deep into her warm mouth. I knew I was supposed to be taking a break from sex, but she made me want to throw out all my rules and say fuck it.

  “I get it.” I stuck my hands in my pockets and rocked back on my heels. “We haven’t seen each other in a long time. Living together would be awkward.”

  She chewed on her lower lip, looking unsure and totally delectable. I’d meant to give her an out if she wanted one, but instead Paige shook her head, resolution flashing on her features.

  “I’m sorry. I’m being rude. If you need a place to crash, of course you’re welcome.”

  “Only if you’re sure it’s no trouble.”

  Paige cleared her throat. “It’s no trouble. Let me show you around.”

  I nodded and followed her into the combination living/dining room. She had one couch and an armchair, both upholstered in tan microfiber, and two end tables. A pile of throw pillows in creams and blues lay heaped on the couch, and framed black-and-white nature photographs lined the wall opposite the windows. The other end of the room held a round glass dining table and two tufted chairs. Overall, it was small but cozy.

  The narrow kitchen wasn’t anything fancy, but it was clean and organized. She opened the door to the pantry and said she’d clear off some shelf space for whatever groceries I wanted.

  Along a short hallway, there was only one bathroom with a glass stand-up shower stall, and then two bedrooms. Paige’s room was the larger of the two, and when I entered, the wood floor creaked under my feet. Her bed was pristinely made with a gray duvet and pale pink sheets with a geometric print, little matching throw pillows piled on top. A bedside table held a stack of books and a reading lamp. The door to her closet stood open, revealing rows and rows of work clothes hung neatly inside.

  “Nice place,” I commented, following her out into the hall once again.

  “This is the guest room.” Paige pushed open a door to reveal a space barely large enough for a bed. It currently held a futon and a writing desk shoved into the corner.

  “I’m sorry, I know it’s not much—” she started.

  “Th
is is perfect. I’m doing my rotation, so I practically live at United Methodist. All I really need at home is a bed.” I’d barely even eaten in my last apartment—I scarfed down most of my meals at the hospital cafeteria. I turned my gaze from the room back to Paige. “You probably won’t see much of me.”

  She nodded. “I’m generally home from work by five thirty, and sometimes I walk home for lunch.”

  Enchilada, who had followed us, sneezed and shook himself with a jingle of silver dog tags. She reached down to lift the pile of light brown and gray fur into her arms again.

  I stopped beside the front door, looking down at a pair of pink women’s running shoes with orange laces.

  “I have a spare key I can leave you. When were you thinking of . . .” Paige shifted beside me, looking uncomfortable again.

  “Moving in?”

  She nodded.

  “Tonight, if you don’t mind. I’ve been couch surfing for the last few nights, staying with buddies around campus.”

  A quiet, strangled noise escaped her, but she nodded. “Sure.”

  “I lost pretty much everything, so I really need to run to the store tonight and get some essentials. Might take me a few hours. Are you okay leaving the door unlocked if I promise to be back by ten?”

  She nodded. “Of course. I’ll see you later.”

  Something told me this new arrangement was going to test all of my boundaries and then some.

  Chapter Four

  Paige

  After I showed him out the door, I placed my hand against my hammering heart, wondering what in the hell just happened. How I went from spending a quiet evening alone to preparing for a new roommate was beyond me. And not just any roommate, but my best friend’s sexy, off-limits brother . . . Cannon freaking Roth.

  Pulling a deep breath into my lungs, I shook the thoughts away. I might be attracted to him, but there was no way I’d ever allow myself to act on it. So it didn’t matter how handsome he was, how dominating and sexy. I would just have to keep a calm, cool, reasonable head and make the best of these next two months. Well, that, and buy some extra batteries for my trusty BOB.

  I found myself walking down the hall to the guest room I’d shown Cannon just minutes before. All that separated this room from mine was a thin wall. I wondered if I’d be able to hear him when he jerked off. Would he bring girls home and fuck them while I was forced to listen, alone in my bed? I could institute a “no sex allowed” rule to ensure that there’d be no awkward hookups to endure. Only if I did that, he’d find some way to spin it around on me—say it was because I was jealous.

  Maybe I hadn’t thought this roommate thing through well enough.

  Heading toward the kitchen, I grabbed the half-full bottle of chardonnay from the door of my fridge and poured myself a glass. Bringing it to my lips with trembling fingers, I took a tiny sip. Then another. I’d been starving when I got home, but now my appetite had vanished.

  Taking my wine into the living room, I flipped on my TV and settled in on the couch.

  Cannon hadn’t even asked me about rent. If he thought he was staying here for free, simply because he was my best friend’s brother, he was dead wrong. I should at least be compensated for the inconvenience of having to share my space.

  Several more sips of wine and my muscles began to relax. Enchilada hopped up beside me and nuzzled against my arm. I picked him up and set all six pounds of him on my lap.

  “Sorry, buddy. Looks like you’re not going to be the man of the house anymore,” I murmured, petting his feather-soft fur. While that statement was true, I had no idea how complicated my life was about to become.

  Chapter Five

  Cannon

  At the mall, I’d stocked up on socks, underwear, jeans, and some long-sleeved pullovers. I grabbed a second pair of shoes too. When my place was ransacked I’d been at class, which meant my only surviving possessions had been the clothes on my back, plus my backpack and laptop. Friends had loaned me things, and although the insurance check hadn’t come in yet, it was time to restock with essentials.

  I went to a mega-center, one of those places open twenty-four hours, and I’d gotten pillows, sheets, towels, shampoo, bodywash, a couple of disposable razors, and a new electric toothbrush. As I walked by a display of fresh flowers, an idea struck me. I picked up a big bouquet of wildflowers, then headed off to find the pet aisle. Tossing a package of dog treats in my cart, I grinned wryly. Maybe this was all part of being a good roommate. Then again, maybe I wanted to fuck her more than I wanted to admit to myself. Shaking the thoughts away, I headed off to the check-out.

  I wasn’t used to women turning down my advances, but even I knew that Paige’s reluctance to fall into bed with me was actually a good thing. I’d gotten myself into a fuck-ton of trouble over women in the past, and if there was one thing my life needed, it was less complications. Paige was tempting and gorgeous, but I was a strong enough man to abide by the “look, but don’t touch” rule. Between clinical rotations and preparing for my board exams, the last thing I needed was things becoming weird between me and my new roommate. And while a vow of total celibacy had been a stupid idea, the least I could do was stick by my new rules—one night only, no names or numbers. And that definitely included not fucking my new roomie.

  It was just before ten when I arrived back at Paige’s place. True to her word, the door was left unlocked, and once I got all my shopping bags inside, I locked us in for the night. After carrying everything down the hall, I stood at the entrance to the guest room that would be my temporary home for the next two months. The door to Paige’s bedroom was closed, and while I didn’t know for sure if she was sleeping or not, I knew she was tucked in for the night.

  Grabbing my shampoo and bodywash from the plastic bag, I headed across the hall for a much-needed shower. Being elbow-deep in vagina all day necessitated that, not that I minded too much. Although it wasn’t a field I wanted to pursue, even I had to admit it was a pretty cool experience getting to deliver babies.

  I turned on the water and stripped down while waiting for it to heat up. But when I stepped into the shower, I was hit with the mouthwatering scent of Paige’s floral shampoo and bodywash. God damn . . . My cock instantly leaped to attention. I couldn’t resist reaching down to grip my already rock-hard erection.

  Squirting some of Paige’s conditioner into my palm, I let her scent surround me as I pumped up and down in uneven pulls, the slick cream letting my fist glide over the steely flesh, each stroke bringing a wave of pleasure.

  Standing under the hot spray, I thought of Paige and her luscious tits and pink cheeks as she drank in the first sight of me in five years. I wanted to do wicked things to her. Wanted to see if she’d squeak in surprise when my tongue lapped between her thighs. To find out how fast I could make her come. Would I have to work at it, learning how to pleasure her by following the sounds she made, or would she explode quickly? She did seem pretty pent up . . .

  I gritted my teeth as my orgasm surged closer. Fuck, I was already about to blow. Normally I’d last much longer, but everything about this woman went straight to my cock. Moments later, my release crashed through me as I emptied into my hand, spent and breathing hard.

  After rinsing off a final time, I shut off the water. With water sluicing down my body, I reached for my towel and realize I’d forgotten one. Fuck. I’d left my new towels still folded in the shopping bag. Across the hall in my room. Didn’t matter. I was ninety-nine percent sure Paige was asleep in her bedroom. Grabbing my dirty clothes from the floor, I opened the bathroom door, moving with purpose toward my room—

  When I ran bang into something solid. The impact knocked the pile of clothes I’d been holding in front of my groin out of my hands.

  A gray-and-brown blur flashed by my feet with a jingle of tags. Paige gasped in surprise and stumbled a step back. Instinctively, I reached out to steady her, gripping her shoulders.

  “I’m sorry,” I murmured, not
icing that she slept in nothing but a T-shirt that barely covered her ass. The thin material hugged her curves and left her delicious rack on display.

  After she righted herself, Paige’s gaze wandered down the length of my nude torso, stopping at my crotch. Her eyes widened and her full lips parted, the apples of her cheeks turning a pretty shade of pink. My erection hadn’t fully died yet; my spent cock still hung long and heavy between my thighs. And under her heated gaze, it twitched with interest, thickening and beginning to rise again.

  “You can touch it if you want,” I murmured, amused by her response. There had been more than just astonishment in those wide, pretty eyes. I was pretty sure there was interest, and maybe even desire.

  A noise of strangled surprise escaped her lips.

  This was just too much fun. I wasn’t in a hurry to go anywhere, but I cleared my throat and her gaze jumped back up to mine.

  “You okay?” I asked.

  “Enchilada had to pee,” she murmured, breathless.

  Right, the dog. So that was what had run past us into Paige’s bedroom. I nodded once, a smirk pulling up my mouth. I’d have to sneak the little mop a few thank-you treats in the morning. This was the most fun I’d had all day.

  “Good night,” she squeaked, then darted around me into her bedroom, where she promptly slammed the door. I could imagine her behind it, her legs sagging as she braced herself on the wall, her chest heaving as she tried to recover.

  Pulling a deep breath into my own lungs, I retrieved my clothes from the floor, chuckling. Then I headed to my room. Dressed in a pair of boxer briefs, I worked on making my bed and firmly telling my dick to calm down. Paige might be gorgeous and tempting—and based on her reaction to the sight of me naked, long overdue for a good shafting—but it didn’t matter. I wouldn’t be going there. As sweet as that honey might be, I would not be having a taste.