Page 18 of One Touch

“Thirdly, no guests allowed. This is my space, and I don’t want to be surprised by visitors.”

“And if I don’t agree with any of these?” I challenged.He’dwantedmehere, so I was curious how far he’d push it.

Lathan stood and towered over me. He braced his arms on the table and leaned close to me. “Test me and find out, Bambi. I promise you won’t likemypunishments.”

A shiver raced over me before I could stop it. Why was that so hot? I didn’t like pain in a sexual way, but commanding Lathan was hot. He stalked off before I could respond, and I immediately missed the heat of his body. I shifted the half-chub in my boxers and exhaled.

I had to be careful in this game. I wanted to mess with him, to prove there was an undeniable connection between us, but I couldn’t let him get the upper hand. There was no way I would come back from it if he did.

I wasn’t great at keeping feelings and sex separate, but with Lathan, I’d have to. It was the only way.

* * *

It had been a few days since I’d moved in, and any advantage I’d initially won had disappeared. Each day, Lathan gained more and more control to the point that nothing I did rattled him. That wouldn’t do. It was time to up the ante.

Thankfully, I had a secret weapon in my arsenal.

“You’re sure about this, Reese?” I asked.

“Promise. Lathan spent a week with us this summer, and Cam forced him to fill out a dating questionnaire. His interests were hockey, his cat, Tempurpedic beds, coffee, working out, and sushi.”

Yeah, that tracked. The man spent his time working out, watching game plays, or playing with his cat. His beds were divine, so I wasn’t going to argue with that one, and he drank so much coffee that I wouldn’t be surprised if he bled it at this point. The sushi part was interesting, though, and something I could use.

“Is there any chance Cam still has this questionnaire?” I suddenly wanted to know what else was on it.

“I can check, but he didn’t give much info. Lathan doesn’t date. He’s never had a significant other and doesn’t discuss the topic with Landon.” I’d gotten the same impression. He was either very good at keeping his hookups private, or he didn’t bother. Knowing how much control he liked to have, I’d wager he didn’t bother. There were too many unpredictable obstacles in hookups.

“All right. Thanks for the intel.”

“No problem.” Reese hesitated, and I braced myself for their question. “Is there more to this than wanting to get along as roommates?”

“He hates me. I’m just trying to get him to like me.“ It wasn’t necessarily a lie, but an uneasy pit formed in my gut. I didn’t like lying.

“It’s just… remember when Landon was hurt junior year? I saw your face when your hands touched, and I’ve always wondered.”

I swallowed. Well, dang it. “Oh. You saw that, huh?” I rubbed the back of my head. “So what if he was the reason I realized I was gay? He isn’t, so it doesn’t matter. Plus, that was years ago.”

“I knew it! Not that you were gay, but that I’d noticed something. Why doesn’t it matter, though? I actually think you two would be good together.”

Hope swirled in my gut, but I couldn’t latch on to it. Hope was dangerous and made me want things I couldn’t have.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but it’s not in the cards. Being friends and teammates is my only plan. Listen, I need to go, but I’ll see you in a few weeks?”

“I can’t wait. I’m glad we’ll have more time than just a brief hello.”

“Me too. Looking forward to it. Talk to you later, Reese.”

“Bye, Miller.”

The call ended, and I got to work on researching the best sushi places around. I knew nothing about sushi or what kind he liked, so I could play it conservatively or go all out. Deciding to go all out, I placed an order for more sushi than either of us could eat in one sitting and then changed into black briefs and a new apron I’d ordered online. I had to overnight it, but the look I anticipated would be worth it.

Not only did it show off my butt perfectly, but it also happened to be Lathan’s favorite color. I wasn’t surprised when he finally admitted to black being his color. The guy barely wore anything else, but it had still been nice for him to admit it. To tell me something personal about himself.

I wiped down the counters and set food out for Alaska. Lathan had been adamant Alaska wouldn’t like me, but I was determined to win over both of the ice princes in this apartment.

My phone buzzed to let me know our food was here. I put on a robe to answer the door and carried the bags into the kitchen. The plate on the counter was empty, and Alaska sat there, licking his paws.

I smiled. “You’re gonna fall in love with me soon, Alaska.” The cat, of course, ignored me, jumped off the counter, and scurried back to wherever it spent its time when it wasn’t eating.

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