2B or Not 2B (Roomies Series) (21 page)

His lips just under my left ear brought me back to him
, and the urge to take a risk returned, barreling into me and vanquishing everything else. I was starting to understand what Sydney tried to tell me when she thought love―some kind of love at least―was worth the risk.

I smiled at him and fished my phone from my pocket. I checked the caller ID and sighed. What a shitty timing. "It'll have to be just a kiss for now."

He tilted my face up, and his smile got bigger. "You don't want my body then?"

I smiled back and patted him on his pec
―and of course the sucker flexed his impressive pecs. So not fair when I had my phone ringing again and that I needed to answer or else all hell would break loose in this apartment. "I want you to do, and do to you, so many things, Lord, you have no idea, but it's my mother calling." I flashed him the picture on my phone of my mother sneering at the camera. It's one picture I cherished very much because it captured the main part of my relationship with my mother. I thought it was fun, she did not.

He leaned into my ear and bit the earlobe. He wasn't playing fair. The phone stopped ringing to start again a second later. His teeth grazed my tender skin
, and I came closer to his body. "You love me, then?" he whispered next to my ear, his breath caressing my neck and down my cleavage.

I pushed him away
, and he chuckled. But the lines between his eyes as his frown didn't disappear completely made me realize that he really doubted me. "That kiss meant more than just a kiss, okay? It meant that I want you naked to lick all your body before you fuck me good again, and it also meant that I won't run away or kick you out of my room afterward, which is a declaration of love coming from me."

He laughed deeply, his head thrown back and his eyes closed. "Damn, you're so romantic."

"I'm not the one pussy whipped."

He choked on his breath and brought me back against him. "Hey now."

"Shut up," I retorted and put a finger to his lips. He parted his lips and bit on my pointer finger. I glared at him and finally answered my mother's call. "Mom? What's going on?"

"Finally! I thought you'd never answer." Her voice was as stern as usual. "Did you have enough time to get dressed?"

“Huh? What are you talking about?" I asked distractedly as Byron kissed my pointer finger, then my thumb, my hand, and now he was onto my wrist.

"You didn't answer your phone the first time I called
, and you sound breathless," she replied with an annoyed voice, served with some disgust on the side.

"I wasn't sleeping with a guy!" I blurted out appalled. Byron bit on my wrist softly to not laugh out loud. The only problem was that it turned me on some more. He put my arm around his waist and kissed my hairline before he settled me against him. "I'm not sleeping with all the guys I cross path
s with, Mom."

"Never mind, London. Your father told me again that I shouldn't hound you
, so let's focus on another topic at hand."

Please, let not it be about Sydney's sex life or I'm screwed
, and I won't even have the time to embrace my new relationship before my parents ship me off to some far away country.

"I called Byron's family and invited them tonight. We didn't want to tell you both
, or we knew you'd try to find some kind of excuse to not show up. Apparently, Byron is just like you for that. I heard that he isn’t on good terms with his little brother, and I believe that it might be a good thing to have everyone for dinner."

"Wow!" I pushed Byron's head away from the crook of my neck. "You called Byron's parents? But how did you even find their number?"

Byron's attention was riveted to my phone call now, and he looked quite intrigued. "It wasn't that hard, London. Now, where is your roommate? You need to leave now if you don't want to be too late for dinner."

I gaped at my phone. She was unbelievable. They were all unbelievable. And Sydney didn't even give me a head
s up! I lied for her, helped her for her big night, and this was how she thanked me?! I never thought she'd be like those girls who had a guy and only thought about their relationship and nothing else.

“Uh
… Byron's here. I guess we'll leave in ten minutes," I mumbled, defeated. I knew when I’d lost a battle, and this one I wasn't even given any weapons to make a good spectacle.

Byron's frown reappeared
, and he cocked his head to one side, questions written all over his face. I hung up after my mother told me one last time not to try and find an out. "She invited your family over, and they didn't tell us. Can you believe this? Our families united? Under the same roof?"

He cringed and ran a hand along his scar. "Unfortunate din
ner roomies. It's a recurrent topic between the Reed and Davis families. It began with us."

"Not fun, hot stuff." I patted his firm ass and moved away from his embrace. We had to get a move on
, or we would be not very welcomed by my mother. "Let's go, and maybe we will still be up for some hot sex afterward."

"I'm always up for that."

"Oh! I know."

"I wasn't talking about the other girls, Bridge."

“Never mind, Byron. We need to go, and then we will comfort each other. Okay?"

He mumbled, but followed me out. "You drive. I need a free pass for some drinks."

"Unfair. What will I do then?"

"You have your witty personality and that uncanny ability to either turn everybody insane or diffuse tension."

"Sweet talk. You owe me two orgasms, one for the drive and the other one is mandatory daily."

He laughed and ran to me for a big kiss. I was weightless
, and that was epically weird. I never felt this before.

Chapter Twenty-Two

DAY 47

This was surreal. When we arrived the Reeds and Davises were happily talking while Sydney and Logan were trying
―quite ridiculously so―to not look at each other, and yet trying to entertain a polite conversation. That smelled fake from the hall with the view to our big dining room that could sit approximately sixteen people at the long wooden table.

Byron whistled next to me and pushed me to move on when my mother called out to follow for the second time. That wasn't my fault if I felt like I was heading to my execution. Maybe I was a little overdramatic, but it couldn't be helped. And seeing Macon there with his Ty
—a big and bulky handsome guy with very dark hair and kind brown eyes—did nothing to ease me when his eyes travelled from my roommate, now boyfriend, and back to me. When Macon’s smile went from big to gigantic and his laugh caught everybody's attention, the only thing I thought to do was to cower against Byron and hide my face in his firm chest.

Instinctively, he put his arms around me.

"No way!" Logan said loudly, expressing everybody's thought, I was sure.

"Kill me now," I moaned in Byron's neck.

"We're together, and before you ask, we were having
the talk
when Mrs. Reed called." Byron kissed the top of my head and squeezed me one last time before he released me, and I was forced to face everybody.

Mrs. Davis looked like she would burst with happiness. Her husband nodded at his son like he accomplished something extraordinary
, and I couldn't help but arch my eyebrows. What? Fucking a girl and then falling for her was such an accomplishment?

My mother was not
as stern as I was expecting her to be. Instead, she seemed quite serene, and she even smiled at me. My father was another story entirely. If his glare could kill, Byron would already be dead and buried. Papa Bear would strike quite soon. I snickered at Byron, who lost some of his flame when he saw my father. Fathers would always be the most dangerous men when they were defending their daughters.

Sydney was beaming at us, almost bouncing on her chair, her hair flying brightly around her head. Logan was amused
, and I was pretty sure that he would rub his big brother with his feelings. Family was a pain, but at the same time we couldn't be without them.

And then, there was Macon sitting like a king on a throne when he was, in fact, just sitting in the middle of the table with a wrinkled shirt and jeans that knew better days. His hair was oddly quite tamed
, and it gave him a strange serious vibe that was in contradiction with the wicked gleam I perceived in his eyes. I couldn't imagine the questions he had in store for me.

"Next will be the wedding. When would you like to marry?" Macon called out as we s
at at the table, and everybody froze while Ty glowered at and elbowed him. Or maybe it was just Byron and me frozen because I couldn't feel anything at all. Not even my body.

"No wedding!" Byron and I blurted out in a same voice, before looking at each other and chuckling. He took my hand in his and entwined our fingers. My heart was beating, begging for him, begging for more. It was such a simple move, but I never had that with a guy before, not unless they had an ulterior motive. It was heartwarming.

"Why?" Logan asked, teasing us openly with his big smile and the nudge on his brother's shoulder on his other side.

I leaned over Byron's shoulder to stare at the youngest Davis. "Boring day
-to-day life and being chained to someone? I'll pass."

Byron nodded. "And we don't need it. I don't even know why we're talking about this! We know each other just enough to say that we're not strangers."

At the same time, almost as if it was choreographed, Macon and Sydney and Logan choked on their water. Macon even spit some onto my face. With a cringe, I dried my cheek with my light blue napkin.

"Don't worry, Bridge. At least, they don't know how smoking hot we are in bed," Byron whispered in my ear
, and I relaxed a little, a little laugh spreading inside me.

"That's what you both said about love
, and look how it turned out. You're awfully cute together, and he even whispers sweet nothings to you," Macon pointed out loud enough that the parental units ceased speaking to look at us.

"It's not sweet nothings!" I retorted appalled. "He's talking dirty naughty!"

My mother squeaked weirdly and almost fell off her chair. "London!"

Mrs. Davis glared at her oldest son. "Byron! Show some respect!"

The fathers were powerless, quite flabbergasted really, while the others laughed their asses off, even Ty that I had never met before. What a first impression.

"You didn't just say that!" Byron said between laughters as I shrugged, trying to ignore the fire in my cheeks. I momentarily forgot the parents. We were all feisty to the end!

“I thought I’d never see the day you’d be with someone, Byron,’’ Mrs. Davis said in a dreamy sigh, her eyes looking more appeased than the last I had seen her.

I bit my lower lip before I let out the crazed sounding chuckle I felt building in my chest. To be honest, I couldn't believe that we’re a couple and together.

Byron shrugged and glanced at me with a seriousness that took me by surprise. That guy was so intense sometimes. Under the table, he squeezed my knee.

“If it wasn’
t for her, I’d be re-enlisting.’’ His voice is gruff, not very loud, and yet everybody heard him. They all stopped their chatter as his mother froze, her eyes widening.

“What? But why?’’ She grabbed her husband’s hand for support. The poor woman
went pale in a matter of seconds.

Byron shook his head and waved the air before him while under the table his thumb was tracing idl
e circles that were going to drive me nuts enough to drag him to the closest bathroom in order to relieve the ache in my core, but he kept it going. Parents or no parents.

“Don’
t worry, Mom. I’m not going back in the army. Bridge wouldn’t let me anyway.’'

“
Damn straight! If I’m doing this with you, it’s not to see you leave me for who knows where. I’m not army girlfriend material, and I get bored easily.’’ I bumped my shoulder against his and smiled at him. “Don’t forget.’'

He chuckled and smiled at me, making me forget about his scar, about his troubled past in the army
, and how fucked up his family situation was with his brother’s plans. But we’re here right now, happy, and as sappy as it sounded. I could have never dreamed of something as crazily perfect when I went on an apartment hunt a month and a half ago.

“Thank you, London. You have no idea what it means to me to keep my son here and safe.’’ Mrs Davis sniffled
, and she excused herself. Her husband promptly followed her. Logan tensed, but remained quiet.

“I’ve already made your mother cry,’’ I whispered to Byron as my mother kept her eyes on me, making sure that I’m not embarrassing her further, I was sure.

“You’re talented, Bridge.''

Byron kissed my cheek
, and I felt his smile against my skin. Underneath all this spectacle and my crazy behavior, knowing that I was the one who brought a smile to his face was the best thing that I could do. I didn't know how things would turn out or if we could last being so feisty and everything, but at this moment when my heart was beating strong in my chest and as I felt alive to each and every inch of my skin, it meant that it was worth it. Putting my heart on display and trusting Byron with it was the best choice I could make, even if falling for him was not a choice. I thought that you had to put yourself out there to fall in love, but sometimes it just dropped on you, even when your guard was up. The difference was that I decided to act on my feelings.

Let's see if he would keep me after our two
-month trial. Two more weeks to go!

I crossed my fingers under the table and squeezed his hand with the other one.

* * * * *