The Play Mate (Roommates, #2)

Smith

Damn.

I’d been trying my hardest to chat breezily with Cullen like it was any other day. But the second Evie stepped into the restaurant, it was like the air was sucked out of me.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Sure, I’d spent half the night aching and wanting until I’d finally succumbed and jerked off to the image of her legs spread on my bed, her pussy glistening.

And, sure, I’d spent my morning trying to forget it ever happened.

But none of those things seemed to help when her gaze skimmed past her brother and landed on me. Her cheeks turned a pretty shade of rose, telling me her thoughts were as dirty as mine. My cock stood at half-mast, and I cleared my suddenly dry throat.

Jesus, it’s going to be long day.

I’d had half a mind to march down to her room last night and demand to know what in the fuck she’d been thinking, but since I didn’t fully trust myself not to suggest that we pick up where we left off, I’d stayed put.

Cullen stood and waved his sister to an empty chair on the opposite side of the table. “Hey, sis.”

“Hey, guys,” she mumbled back.

She looked gorgeous, all freshly showered and made up. I was fairly certain she’d made the extra effort just to torture me.

“Good morning, sunshine. You look nice today,” I found myself murmuring with a slow grin. “Had a good night’s sleep, did you?”

The dark, poorly concealed smudges underneath her eyes answered that question, but I couldn’t help myself. I hadn’t intended to tug her pigtails today. In fact, I’d planned to do my level best to ignore her and keep things super polite but distant. And then I saw her face, and the devil climbed up onto my shoulder and took over. If I had to suffer because of her antics now that I couldn’t get her naked body out of my mind, there was no reason I should have to do it alone.

Her eyebrows drew into a frown and she opened her mouth, only to glance at Cullen and snap it shut a moment later. She took a deep breath and gave me a sweet smile in return, but there was no mistaking the warning in her eyes.

“I’m doing great, and yes, it was a totally uneventful night. A real snoozer, so I slept like a baby. Thanks for asking.”

I had to hold back a bark of laughter. She’d always had a sharp little tongue, only now I’d heard it and tasted it. And oddly enough, I wanted more of both.

You’re playing with fire, Smith.

Didn’t I know it? I’d played with it last night, and I couldn’t deny it had been one of the sexiest experiences of my life. Despite my rational mind telling me nothing good could come of it, I couldn’t stop myself from seeing just how far I could press.

“I would’ve slept better, but the room was a little . . . tight. Was your room tight, Evie?”

She let out a strangled cough, and Cullen looked up from the file he’d been reading and gestured to the water pitcher between them.

“Yes, Evie, have a drink, won’t you? We haven’t ordered yet, aside from beverages. There’s water and coffee here . . . or would you prefer a virgin mimosa?” I raised my brows innocently as I asked the question, but her face ramped up from rosy pink to tomato red.

“Um, is-isn’t that just plain orange juice?” she stammered, tucking a lock of honey-colored hair behind one ear.

I pretended to consider the question and then nodded. “Yeah, I guess it is. Would you like some?”

She shook her head and muttered something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like asshole, but before I could process it, Cullen closed the folder he’d been thumbing through and laid both of his hands on the table.

“First, I want to say that I’m so glad you’re both here. It’s super important to me that you guys care enough to come and rally around me and the business in our hour of need.” He turned to his sister and gave her a fond grin. “Evie, Nana would be so proud of you and the woman you’ve become. And Smith, seriously, I couldn’t ask for a better friend. All this to say, I’m thrilled because-”

The cell phone next to Cullen’s file folder chirped, and he held up a finger as he glanced down at it. “Hold that thought. This is our distributor in London, and I need to take it. Give me ten.”

He shot up from his chair and crossed the dining room before ducking out into the hallway as he pressed the phone to his ear. “Yeah, it’s me. What’s going on?” He continued out of sight, leaving Evie and me sitting there staring at each other.

No point in pretending like it hadn’t happened. Best to get it out in the open so we could move on.

We both started speaking at once.

“Look, I-“