Page 2 of Tapped By My Roommate
Ethan, though—he was definitely boyfriend material. Despite his geeky inclinations, he was cute with messy blond hair, one of those noses with a slight upturn at the end that gave him an adorable bunny rabbit sort of vibe, and aquamarine eyes that were stunning, even when paired with dorky T-shirts.
He’d make some woman, hopefully a nicer one than his ex, very happy someday.
“You do smell,” Ethan said, confirming his mind was not at all on the same track as mine. He wasn’t thinking about my body, just my odor.
I grimaced. “Sorry, man. I’ll get out of your space.”
“I’ll be working on this for a while…”
“No worries. I’ve got work tonight, and I might try to fit in a hookup, so I’ll be out of here soon.”
His eyebrow quirked. “Just like that?”
“What?”
“You just…pull up some app, pick a guy, and go?”
I shifted. “Kinda. I mean, I check out his details and pics.”
“What if he’s an asshole?”
I shrugged. “Does it matter? I’m there to get off, not make a romantic connection. Half the student population is made up of douches. I grew up in this town, don’t forget. I’ve got no desire to actually date one of these privileged brats.”
“Right,” he said faintly, reminding me that he was one of those privileged people I’d maligned.
“I don’t mean you,” I said quickly. “You’re not…like the rest of them.”
Ethan smiled shyly. He was so darn cute when he looked up at me through his eyelashes. “One of these is not like the others,” he joked. “Story of my life.”
“It’s a good thing,” I assured him.
Ethan was different than a lot of students on campus, who had seemed entitled and rude to me as I was growing up in a college town. He worked hard. He cared so damn much about the animals at the rescue center where he interned. He was going to be a positive force in the world, unlike a lot of people more selfishly invested in finding the best ways to make money.
I wasn’t like Ethan, though I admired him. I only chose a computer science degree because it could get me a good-paying job. It was the best way to help my family. Mom struggled financially, and her boyfriend wasn’t much help. I wanted my younger brother, Cary, and sister, Audrey, to have opportunities. They might not be lucky enough to land a full scholarship to a pricey school like Hayworth, so I had to make my time here count.
“Well, you’re lucky,” Ethan said. “Dating is such a pain. So much awkward small talk.”
“There’s always Tinder.”
He snorted. “Yeah, I don’t think I’d get very far there, do you?”
I froze, unsure how to respond, and he waved a hand. “Never mind. Go shower. Get ready for your hookup. Have a little extra fun for me. I’m way too gun-shy to attempt dating again anytime soon.”
“You’ll bounce back,” I said as I backed a few steps toward the hall. “You’ll find someone else. Someone better.”
“Maybe,” he said, sounding dubious as he turned back to the screen in front of him. “First, I have to face down the dragon and get my lizard back.”
I had no idea what he meant. Was that a weird euphemism for his manhood? I decided I didn’t want to know. I had only an hour and a half before I had to clock in for my bartending gig at Tracks, a local bar downtown, and I was feeling antsy, the need for sex building under my skin.
Poor Ethan.He must be suffering if he’d been celibate since his breakup.
Too bad he wasn’t confident enough to get on an app. But even if he were, I wasn’t sure he’d enjoy the payoff of an orgasm with a stranger. It wasn’t exactly fireworks for me, either. More like the bare minimum my body required to keep me from losing the small bit of patience I had for all the other hours of the day.
* * *
ETHAN
The apartment was too quiet. I was used to it, of course. Rhett was rarely home. We both worked and went to school, but Rhett also had family obligations. Not to mention soccer—which left him all shiny with sweat and explained those muscular thighs.
