CHAPTER 31
There’s a knock on the door. When I answer it, Cait London stands on the other side. One look at the Northwalton University sophomore and I know I’m renting my extra room to her, if only to gawk at her every day. No question about it.
I take all of her in: long legs, curves accentuated by jean shorts, a black tank, smooth, creamy shoulders, and long, silky brown hair gathered into a tight ponytail. And then there’s her smile. It stopped me in my tracks over a month ago when I saw her with Steph Conners at Mr. Moon’s Coffee House. Since then I’ve been secretly crushing on her.
Her smile slips into a frown.
“What?” I ask and stiffen, but I already know what. I’ve been blatantly giving her body the once-over.
“Please tell me you’re not Evan Wade.” She shifts her stance.
“The one and only.” I square my shoulders.
Cait rolls her eyes, spins, and marches the other direction.
“Hold up.” I jump forward with a raised arm.
She turns, head cocked with an attitude, as if to say, what now?
“Don’t you want to see the room?” I gesture back inside.
“I don’t room with boys who look at me like I’m a meal.”
“That’s not what was happening. Not at all.”
“Really?” She juts her hip.
“Please. You’re disgusting. Totally not my type,” I joke, but it’s lost on her. She’s aghast, and it makes me laugh because she wants me to think she’s pretty but not admire her. The truth is she’s even prettier when she’s angry, especially with her lips twisting into a half pucker. Lips I’ve been dying to kiss. I snag my own lip between my teeth. If she moves in, I’ll enjoy razzing her.
When she tries to leave again, I lurch forward to lightly grab her arm. She spins back. But by her expression, I understand it’s my final chance to win her over. My hand falls away.
“Come on. I’m a guy. You’re a pretty girl. Give me break. I wasn’t expecting you to be so cute. I’m sorry.” I act like I’ve never laid eyes on her. But in reality, I’ve only never been this close, and being close apparently turns me into a complete meathead.
“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”
She keeps moving, so I flounder, watching my chance with her slip away with every step she takes. Now standing outside, I blurt in desperation, “I’ll give it to you for three-hundred instead of six-hundred.”
She stops in her tracks but pauses before facing me with a look of suspicion. “You’d give me half off the rent? Why?”
I dig my hands into my back pockets and shrug. “Steph said you need a cheap place to crash since your parents cut you off. It’s only beer and pizza money for me. My family owns the building.”
“A rich, spoiled brat and a jerk, huh?” She intensifies her gaze.
“And to think, I could be your roommate. Enticing, right?”
After a long moment of consideration she relents with a huff and steps up the stairs, through the lobby, and back inside the condo. I’m giddy for a moment because this gives me hope she doesn’t hate me. So I follow her into the living room, doing my best not to look at her ass, and that alone is a monumental fucking achievement.
By her rigid demeanor I determine she’s still not sold, so I give her the grand tour. “Gourmet kitchen, dining, living area.” I swing my arm around the large open floor plan of the condo.
“And your room and bathroom are here.” I open the door in the hallway, allowing the room to do the talking. It’s big and bright, with a bay window, walk-in closet, and a private bath with a double sinks—the best accommodations on campus, and now, unexpectedly the cheapest.
She paces the apartment looking everything over. Even at the full price of six hundred a month, it’s a steal. She has to know that. At least, I hope she does.
When she faces me again, her smooth ponytail flops over her shoulder. “If I’m doing this, we need some ground rules.”
“Pretty and demanding. I like it.”
She rolls her eyes and begins, “No touching, no kissing, no sex, no sleepovers, no drugs, no alcohol, no parties, you stay out of my room, out of my belongings, out of my business, and quiet time starts at ten p.m. every night.” She counts each item off on her fingers like they’re memorized. And with the way she is, they probably are.
“That it?” I grin.
“Oh, and I wake up at five a.m. every morning to run. I hope that won’t be a problem.”
“Now I’ll tell you my rules.” I step one foot closer. “First rule: there are no rules.” I remove the spare house key from my pocket and toss it at her. She claws the air, snatching it without hesitation, and I try not to appear impressed.
“Welcome to your new home, roomie. I have a feeling this will be fun.”
I stroll out of the room on a flirting high. After talking to Steph, I know Cait can’t refuse. She’s in a bind, and I’m going to save her, she just doesn’t know it yet. In the kitchen I open the cabinet and grab a glass, fill it with water, lean against the counter with my ankles crossed, and wait. After a few sips she appears.
“No rules?” She spins the key ring around her finger. They clank with each rotation.
I nod, set the glass down, spread my arms wide and grip the countertop. She could drop the keys on the counter and leave, blowing any chance I may have ever had with her. But instead, she pockets them and heads for the door.
Before exiting she looks back, grins, and says, “You’ll regret this, roomie.”