Page 23 of The Roommates

Colin pushed into a sitting position, cracking the serene bubble around us. He scrubbed his face. “So how does this work now?”

How accustomed was he to one-night stands?

“We go back to life.” Tanner’s reply didn’t carry his typical confidence.

The situation was what it was. “There’s no commitment here. I won’t say last night wasjustsex—it was incredible sex”—so incredible—“but this isn’t a matter ofwe did it and now we have to get married.”

One corner of Colin’s mouth tugged up. “But it’s okay that I liked it.”

“It’d be way less okay if you didn’t,” Tanner said.

“But it shouldn’t happen again?” Colin was definitely giving off athis is all new to mevibe.

And I was okay with the questions. Each one made sense and made me wish I’d had a chance to ask the same thing the first time I went home with a random guy. I’d made so many assumptions since then, and Colin was letting me admit to myself this wasn’t something people just knew how to do.

“I wouldn’t put pressure on future hookups, one way or another,” I said. In my head, that wasn’t the answer most guys wanted to hear, but I would’ve liked to, and I suspected Colin would too. Besides, I wanted the two of them to have another chance or two together… and I was having a hard time accepting I might not be involved.

“So, really, no pressure from either direction,” Colin said.

“Never.”

I was surprised with how quickly Tanner’s reply came.

Colin’s expression was hard to read. “I should get to work. Thank you for last night. For all of it.”

As he climbed out of bed, I couldn’t take my gaze off his bare ass. When he pulled up his boxers, I forced myself to look away. A glance at Tanner showed a similar reaction. Was he staring too or did I just want him to be? For Colin’s sake.

Colin gave one more tiny wave, and then I heard his footsteps fading as he walked down the stairs.

“In answer to your question.” Tanner’s statement caught me off-guard.

I turned to him. “Which one?” Had I asked a question?

“Yesterday evening, you asked why I was hitting on you.”

Not quite my words, but I supposed my meaning. “Right.” It seemed like so long ago.

“When I say this, it’s not a line. Do you believe me?”

“Hard to know without hearing what you have to say.” This was a bit surreal, sitting naked in bed with this gorgeous, cocky man, and having what felt like an adult conversation.

Tanner sighed. “That’s fair. Instead then, will you trust me when I tell you that I mean it.”

He was building this up a bit, whatever it was, and I had a hard time with certain kinds of trust. My agreement sounded important to him, though, and I believed the things Tanner said, even when I thought they were arrogant, over the top, or cheesy. “I trust you.”

“You’re attractive, you’re fun to be around, and I enjoy your company. Last night seemed like a good opportunity to explore desire further. But then you…” He raked his fingers through his hair.

“Not used to hearingno?”

He winced. “I’m not used to a woman—any person—who knows what they want out of life the way you do.”

The unexpected compliment warmed me and made me laugh at the same time. “I’m not that put together, I just put on a good show.”

“An amazing one.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to my cheek. “It’s super hot. I’m going to the pool to do laps. Thank you for last night.”

And then Tanner was gone too.

I had no idea what to do with myself, especially with so many thoughts bouncing in my head about last night and this morning.

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