Page 19 of Loud Hot Roomie
“I got frustrated,” I tell him truthfully. “I scribbled out a lot of ideas in my notebook. It’s stupid.”
He steps closer and raises his hand like he might touch me. I’m ensnared in his intense stare. The heat of his body makes me break into a sweat. We both remain frozen.
“Don’t call my friend mean names,” he says, voice low. “Want to skip the beer bros, order pizza, and make a plan with me?”
I mean…when he says it so sweetly, I’d do just about anything he asked.
“If I make the pizza instead, does it get me the cookies early?”
He opens the box and lets me smell the cinnamon and sugar heavenly scent. “That earns you an early treat. You’ll get the rest upon completion of your project.”
I stare at him, trying desperately to figure this man out. I’m almost certain he’s into me. But, if he’s not and gets cold feetafter I put a move on him, I’m going to ruin everything. A quick, hot romance isn’t worth this budding friendship.
Don’t ruin this, Riko.
“Fine. It’s a deal,” I say as I snatch a cookie out of the box. “Prepare your mouth. I’m about to give you a taste you’ll never forget.”
The dark, dangerous glint in his eyes makes my cock sing.
Too bad I’m talking about pizza.
Ugh.
Derek
He’s so loud.
Like super fucking loud.
Does he always need to blast the music or sing or talk?
Yes. The answer is yes. And, admittedly, I like it. When I was with Casey, so many evenings were filled with uncomfortable silence. It was awkward as fuck and painful.
Riko has a lot to say, loves to hear himself talk, and makes noise like it’s his calling in life.
“I said sit down,” I tell him, pointing a finger his way, and glowering. “You did the hard work. I can manage pulling the pizza out of the oven and cutting it up.”
He narrows his eyes at me like he might argue but then decides against it. As he recalls a story of his youth about a “dickhead” coach he had, I listen with rapt attention. His voice is comforting, but I’m also unnerved by it. It soothes my raw chest while simultaneously setting it on fire.
What the hell is wrong with me?
You know, man.
I do know. Earlier, while on lunch, I scrolled through the dating app. Not one woman did it for me. Not a single one. So, out of curiosity, I browsed through men who matched up to me. While I found a few attractive, there wasn’t this visceral feeling I get like when I’m around Riko.
It’shim.
Something about him turns me upside down and shakes me up.
I’ve never felt so scattered and confused in all my life. It feels good. Like life isn’t as predictable and boring as I’d imagined. For once, I don’t know what will happen and it’s exhilarating.
Riko flirts. A lot. I could flirt back, more so than my sad, previous attempts. Hell, I could put the moves on him, and I’m sure he’d reciprocate. I don’t think he’s the type to make fun of me if I totally suck at fooling around with a guy.
It’s a terrible idea, and yet, I fucking ache to see where this could go.
Riko’s not an experiment, though. That’s not fair. Behind his loud, zany personality is someone with real feelings. Men jump aboard his crazy train for the fun time and then hop off when they’re over it. I’m not wired that way. If I get on a ride, I stay for the duration.
Like with Casey?
