Authors: M. Dauphin
Dirty Desire
Dirty Desire
© July 2016 by M. Dauphin
All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental. All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older.
This book is for sale to ADULT AUDIENCES ONLY. It contains substantial sexually explicit scenes and graphic language, which may be considered offensive by some readers. Please store your files where minors cannot access them.
Cover design
© 2016 Inked Imprints
First Edition July 2016
Editor:
Flat Earth Editing
Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
“All I did was fall in love.
How many years have to go by before I forget you?”
“Harper! Your friend’s here!” Momma keeps calling for me, but I don’t want to leave my room. I’m scared of making new friends. I don’t want people to make fun of me, and all friends eventually end up making fun of me.
I just want to sit here in my room with my dolls and not leave.
Ever.
“Hey baby,” my momma says as she cracks open my bedroom door. “Everything ok?” She slides onto my bed where I’ve been brushing the same doll’s hair forever and smiles at me as she rests her hand on my cheek. “You want to come down and play?”
“Mom, all the other girls make fun of me. I’m too fat. My hair’s too stringy. The gap in my teeth is ugly. I just don’t want to have any friends. It’s so much easier that way.” I pout, sticking my bottom lip out, but it doesn’t get her to leave me alone.
Even at ten years old, I know more than I probably should about the difference between true friends and not true friends. Unfortunately, my school is full of fake friends. The ones that go behind your back and spread rumors about you that make you into the whore of the school.
“Oh honey, girls are mean. I get it. We’ve all gone through a part of our life when the bullies seem to own you, but you can’t let them.” She sighs and takes a doll into her hands. “Anyway,” she says, pulling the doll’s hair back into a ponytail. “I think a ponytail and jeans is way cuter anyway.”
I smile, not understanding how she always makes me feel better without changing anything at all.
“I don’t want to play with her today, mom.” I huff, throwing myself back on the bed.
“Her?” She nudges me and smiles. “Amy isn’t here to play today. She’s sick. But her brother is waiting downstairs and he can’t wait to break out your Nerf gun collection.”
I look up at her and smile.
“Oh,” I say, grinning even wider. Leigh’s here. “Ok.”
“Time to get up!” Leigh barges into my bedroom with no warning and whips the blinds open, letting the sun shine on my bare ass. Perfect.
“Jesus Christ, Leigh. Privacy, dude.” I mumble, pulling the covers over myself as his eyes catch the bare skin of my ass. He rolls his eyes and shakes his head at my current state.
So I sleep naked. Who cares?
“Get your ass up. It’s moving day.” The look on his face tells me he’s excited for this new chapter in his life, but that he’s trying to hide the fact he feels semi guilty about moving in a total stranger with his best friend.
That’s right.
A stranger.
Leigh swears this guy is a great guy, but I’ve never met the man. Apparently he works long hours that are opposite mine at the bar, so when I’m around, he isn’t. It all sounds a little weird to me. Some might say it’s not safe moving a stranger in with you, but I’ve known Leigh since I was just a pre-teen. I trust him with my life. He’s not going to move a killer in with his best friend.
“Ugh, today’s here already?” I groan, pulling the covers back over my head. I got off at three a.m. and it’s not even ten yet, but he’s already waking me up.
“Yes, Peach, today’s here. Now get up, have some coffee with me, and help me with this shit. The moving van will be here soon.” He waltzes out of my bedroom, but as soon as he makes it to the doorway he spins on his heel and storms to the bed, grabbing the covers off me as soon as I have them pulled over my head again. “Up. Now!” he sings from the hallway as he takes my comforter with him.
I can’t believe the nerve of him.
Well, yes I can. I’ve been best friends with him practically our entire lives. I think it’s safe to say nothing from him surprises me anymore. The minute he came out of my bedroom at seventeen years old caked in my makeup and singing a Gloria Estefan song, I knew he was the crazy one out of us.
I huff and roll out of bed, throwing on a pair of shorts and a tank top. It’s hot as hell outside and I’m not about to get dolled up to move shit out of our apartment, just to end up being covered in dripping makeup and underarm stench. Plus, why would I get ready for a day I don’t even want to happen? I’m happy for Leigh, not so much for myself.
Leigh and I have lived here together for years, but recently he’s become more involved with his boyfriend. As relationships go, he’s moving in with him and leaving me to fend for myself in this big old world.
Fucker.
“Here,” he mumbles as he shoves a coffee cup at me. I look down and grin, knowing it’s exactly how I like it. Black. One sweetener. Cool enough to chug, but not too cool to be gross. He’s too good to me.
“Thank you,” I say, sliding onto a stool near the counter.
My eyes scan over the living room and how bare it looks now that he’s got the majority of his belongings boxed up. Thank God he’s leaving the couch. I definitely don’t have enough money to replace it. Bare shelves are one thing; my favorite piece of furniture in this apartment is something totally different. I should have seen this move coming. He’s been with his boyfriend for well over a year, and the two of them are perfect for each other. Honestly, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened sooner than now, but I’m happy about that. I love Leigh, but I’m going to miss him something fierce. He’s been my rock since everything in my world crumbled. He was there every day through high school when the mean girls would make fun of me. He was there when my dad died and when my mom left. His family took me in three days before my eighteenth birthday when I had nowhere to go.
He’s my Leigh, and he’s leaving me.
“Stop,” he says, clapping his hands, bringing me out of my daydream. “I see what you’re doing. I see those wheels turning. No tears today, Harper. I’m moving thirty minutes away. Just to the other side of the city. We’ll still see each other a shit ton.”
I roll my eyes and let go of the sorrow over the loss of my best friend. He’s right. He’ll be close. But our lives are no longer attached at the apartment. You hear it all the time ‘we’ll still see each other’ but the reality is, he has to focus on him and John and I have to focus on not being a third wheel in their relationship.
“Plus,” he says, taking a drink of coffee, “I know the minute you lay eyes on your new roommate, I’ll be toast.” He grins and sets his cup down when my eyes widen.
“What the hell does that mean?” I sputter. “Is there something you’re not telling me? Shit, I knew this was a bad idea. I don’t even know what the man looks like!” I stand and start pacing the small kitchen. The wood floors bare and the exposed brick wall behind me have always made me feel at home. I’m comfortable here. Am I still going to be able to feel this way with a stranger living with me? Why the fuck did I think this was a good idea!? “Oh my god, Leigh… we can’t do this. I can’t let a stranger move in here.” I start panicking that he’s going to murder me, and my pacing becomes more frantic. “Nope, call him, we can’t do this.” I’m pacing and waving my hands in the air while trying to figure out how I can afford to live here on my own. I can sell off a few of my dad’s things, but that’ll only get me a month or two of rent. I can get a second job, that’ll help, but then I’d never be here to enjoy the apartment I’m paying for.
“Hey, chill Harper,” he says, his hands landing on my shoulders. “He’s a great guy. I wouldn’t put a killer with you. Plus, he’s only here for a couple months, so it gives you time to find someone else and get them ready to move in when he’s gone. It’s strictly a business transaction, Harper. Stop stressing about it.” He chuckles lightly and shakes his head. “I promise you, you’re safe. You won’t even know he’s here.”
“Right. He better not be a slob,” I grumble and grab my shoes, sliding them on and get to work moving the boxes to the van. Why he didn’t hire a moving company is beyond me. From the sounds of it, John makes a good living with whatever he does, so they can definitely afford it.
It’s three hours of pure sweat and work before the last box is loaded.
“Leigh!” I yell down the stairway as I swing open the apartment door, holding his plunger he had sitting by the door. “I’m going to need this, you can’t take it from me!” He’s standing on the sidewalk, talking to someone, and I’m so tired I don’t even care that I’ve announced to the entire street that I take big shits and clog the toilet. It’s not my fault that the landlord installed tiny toilets with tiny pipes and weak flushes.
Everyone poops.
I
didn’t
care, at least. When the man he’s talking to turns and smiles at me, though, I start rethinking my plan of attack to keep the beloved plunger.
“Hey, Harper, come here a minute,” Leigh yells from the side of the street.
He’s grinning from ear to ear as I set the plunger down and walk down the three flights of steps it takes to get to our apartment. Three flights, and thank Christ, because the redness covering my cheeks at this point looks like a terrible sunburn. I keep making glances over to them as I walk down the steps and over to where they are. Leigh’s just as sweaty as me, but the man standing beside Leigh…
wow
.
Dark hair, dark eyes, and a body like I’ve only ever seen in the magazines; this man is definitely my type. Hell, he’s any girls’ type. Who the fuck is this man, and how did I not know Leigh knew someone that looks like this? He’s about six inches taller than Leigh and has at least fifty pounds on him; all muscle from the looks of it. Tanned skin radiates from under his bright blue polo shirt, and I’d bet money that there’s not a drop of sweat on his body.
I, on the other hand, am a hot, sweaty, humid fucking mess. I put on a brave face as I reach them and extend my hand to introduce myself.
“Hi, I’m Harper,” I say, smiling, inwardly cringing because I’m fairly certain I didn’t put on deodorant this morning either. What a way to meet, huh? Plunger hands, sweaty face, frizzy hair and BO.
Fuck.
“Knox,” he says, his hand enveloping mine in a warm embrace. I’m so drawn to him and his gaze I don’t hear Leigh start talking until he nudges me.
“Wow,” he chuckles and nods at Knox. “Told ya,” he says, winking and walking back into the moving truck.
“Told me… what?” I’m so confused and even more so as to why this Knox man won’t take his eyes off me.
I don’t mind it at all, but I know I’m a hot fucking mess. This isn’t a great first impression.
“So,” Knox says as I stare at the moving truck, waiting for Leigh to elaborate on his earlier comment.
What did he tell me?
I turn to look back at Knox and immediately grin. Dear lord, he’s good looking. I really want to see what’s under that shirt though.
And those jeans.
“Sorry… he’s just… weird.” I can’t find words right now. Not appropriate ones anyway. There’s so much I’d like to say to the man standing in front of me, but they all start off with ‘let’s fuck’ and I’m sure Leigh wouldn’t like me screwing one of his friends again. I’ve only tried it once, and good god he was mad after it.
“I know, he’s crazy. I bet you’re going to miss him.” He smiles at me and a slight grin comes to his face.
“Yeah. A shit ton. Did he tell you who he’s moving in with me? A damn stranger. I could be murdered in my sleep and Leigh wouldn’t even know about it because he won’t be here.” I furrow my brows again and try to shake off the anger that I’m letting him do this. He gave me three weeks’ notice so I really haven’t had any time to find anyone else, but as soon as this new roommate is out, you better believe I’ll be finding a place I can call my own with no one else to rely on for rent.