The Room Mate (Roommates #1)(5)
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.
“This 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.