Roommate Wanted (Sharing Space #1) (10 page)

"You answered my phone.”

"I thought it was mine. In case you hadn’t noticed, we have the same phone."

"That was the absolute last thing I needed right now."

"She didn’t know I lived here." No need for me to ask, I was just stating a fact.

"No. I was waiting for the right time to tell her you moved in. I knew she'd have something to say, that she'd be worried, and I didn't want her to find out like this. And then you go and answer the damn phone."

"Whoa.” I stood. "It was an honest mistake. Yes, you’ve been acting weird, but I thought it was because maybe you’d gotten back with your boyfriend or something and I know he doesn’t like me living here—”

Chloe cut me off. "He's not my boyfriend."

"Fine. Seriously, I see you’re upset and I’m sorry, but—”

Chloe shook her head and looked at the floor. "You have nothing to be sorry about. It’s just embarrassing, actually. For as long as I can remember I've always tried to avoid confrontations with my mother. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped in your ass like that.”

"Apology accepted for… jumping in my ass.”

"Well, to really make it up to you, why don't you join me for dinner? I've made too much for just me and it'll go to waste if you don’t.”

"I thought you'd never ask."

Later, after a delicious dinner of garlic-roasted chicken, steamed vegetables, and buttery rolls, Chloe and I shared a bottle of wine in the living room. I had my iPod plugged into the docking station and the sounds of my favorite jazz filled the apartment.

"Thanks again for dinner. I haven't had a meal that good in a long time."

"It won't happen that often. I rarely get the time to cook those kinds of meals."

"Well, the next one's on me."

Chloe laughed and took a sip of her wine. "Oh, really?"

"Don’t look so surprised. It may not be quite as good as what we just had, but it won't make you sick."

"What a solid endorsement,” Chloe replied, rolling her eyes.

We hadn't discussed the evening's earlier events over dinner and I didn't want to spoil the mood we had going, but I had to know. "So, what was the outcome of the conversation with your mother?"

Chloe set her glass on a coaster and sighed deeply. "She was not happy, but please don't take it personally. She's a worrier by nature, retired NYPD detective. Everyone's suspicious."

I let out a whistle.

"Yeah, so you can just imagine. She knows that I can take care of myself, but it doesn't stop the detective in her from wanting to run everyone's name through a computer, especially men in my life. You've never been arrested, have you?"

"Nope, I'm clean. For the most part.” I winked and we smiled at each other as I poured another glass of wine. Chloe stretched out on the sofa and yawned.

"I guess I'm keeping you up, huh?"

"No, that's okay. I'm fine. I was just wondering what it's going to be like when my mother comes for her Thanksgiving visit. Be prepared for a third degree. I'll be prepared for embarrassment."

"She’s that bad?”

Chloe laughed. "And then some. On the force she was the master of getting confessions. By the time she was through with them she had perps confessing everything from homicides to swiping the loose change off their mothers' dressers when they were ten."

Her choice of words caused me to smile. "Listen to you. Perps?" 

"Oops,” she replied with a sheepish smile.

"Yeah, remember you're talking to a civilian."

"I'd imagine that growing up with a firefighter for a father is not so different than growing up with a cop for a mom.” Chloe rolled onto her stomach and looked at me. She looked sexy in her gray shorts and white t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and lying like she was made her look all of eighteen years old. With some difficulty I tried to focus on the conversation and decided that I had just had my last glass of wine for the evening.

"I don't think we realized how dangerous our father’s job was until we were older. When you're young you look at it like being a superhero. We thought he was invincible."

"Then you realize that they're not." Chloe looked down at her hands. I knew she was thinking about her father and, although we'd definitely grown a little closer that night, I didn't think I should question her about him. I rose and started to gather up the wine and glasses.

"You turning in?” Chloe asked.

"Yeah. I have an early afternoon session."

"Well, leave that stuff. I'll get it."

Chloe stood and tried to take a wine glass from me, and in the process slipped on a throw pillow on the floor. I caught her in my arms, but not before spilling wine on my tee shirt.

"Whoa, sorry. I knew three glasses was my limit."

A bit of wine had splashed on her face and tiny drops ran down her nose. She must have felt it the same time I saw it because we both started to laugh softly. We were standing so close, Chloe still in my arms and both of her hands were flat against my chest. Without thinking, I ran my thumb down the bridge of her nose, wiping away the droplets. She inhaled quickly at my touch, and as my hand rested on the side of her face, her tongue appeared briefly and slid across her bottom lip.  

Just that quickly, I got hard. Had she been an inch closer, Chloe would have felt it. As it was, I was sure she could feel my heart hammering against my chest. I pulled my gaze from her mouth and our eyes met. I still had the glass in one hand but the other was on the small of her back. I used it to pull her closer and I knew the moment she felt how much I wanted her because she breathed in deeply again, her lips slightly parted.

I didn’t care about the consequences. In that moment, all I knew was that I had to find out how Chloe’s lips would feel against mine.

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven