Daddies Brat

Leslie

I did it. I handled the whole thing in the best possible way, letting logic dictate my actions. It was my only way out of this disaster of a situation, and I nailed it.

And then he threw me against the wall and kissed me.

All at once, my resolve melted like a candy bar in a microwave. The emotions and desire from last night rushed back into my body, electrifying me with lust. The same lust I felt churning from Riley’s lips, powerful and unquenched.

It was over as quickly as it began, and then Riley was gone.

I leaned against the wall for several long moments, collecting myself. Riley ditched me last night, then lied about the reason why. I knew his excuse about going to look for Avery was bullshit. Then he walked in here, agreed to just be roommates, and gave me a kiss that left my toes aching from how hard I curled them inside my shoes.

Talk about mixed signals.

I stayed in my room all afternoon and convinced myself that I was just busy unpacking, and not that I was avoiding Riley. Eventually, I was too hungry to stay holed up. When I went downstairs, the three guys-my three new roommates-were hanging out in the living room watching

SportsCenter.

“Want to watch the game?” Avery asked. “We’ve got plenty of beer.” “I’m good. Going to get some dinner,” I replied.Belongs © to NôvelDrama.Org.

“There’s pizza on the counter,” Riley said. “One pepperoni, and one extra sausage.”

He didn’t say extra sausage in a suggestive way, but my brain twisted the words to make it seem sexual. I mumbled something about wanting a cheeseburger and left, grateful that none of them commented on me hiding out in my room all day.

I struggled to fall asleep that night. I had all the normal anxiety about starting a new semester, with the added bonus of having Riley in the room right next to mine. If I closed my eyes and concentrated really hard, I imagined I could hear him breathing. I pictured him lying on his belly in bed, one arm thrown over the pillow. Did he sleep shirtless? That’s certainly how I pictured him.

Normally, I would blow off some steam by watching porn and getting myself off. But this room didn’t seem like mine yet. I felt like a guest here, and I didn’t know how thick the walls were. The last thing I wanted was Riley to hear the hum of my vibrator and know what I was doing. As if this situation couldn’t get any worse.

Despite my struggle to fall asleep, I woke the next morning feeling wellrested and ready to start the semester. Riley’s bedroom door was closed, so I got to use the bathroom first. I took a nice long shower, noting that the pressure and heat were better than the dorms where I had previously stayed.

When I left the bathroom, Riley’s door was open. “Don’t use all the hot water,” he called as I walked by.

I paused in his doorway. He was still in bed with his laptop in front of him, and was wearing a T-shirt. I guess he doesn’t sleep shirtless after all. “I never take too long in the bathroom. I’m famous for it.”

“Just jerking your chain,” he replied with a smile. “We have a huge water heater. We’ve never run out. Feel free to take as long as you want in there.”

“Did you get up and open your door just so you could watch me walk by wearing only a towel?” I asked challengingly.

Riley shrugged and returned his focus to his laptop. “I needed to know when you were done. We’re just roommates, remember?”

Just roommates, I thought as I returned to my room. He can say that all he wants, but I know why he opened the door.

It was a beautiful August morning as I walked out the door and headed toward campus. I had two classes on Monday-Wednesday-Friday, both in the morning, which meant my day was over before noon. I would pay for that tomorrow, since I had four classes on Tuesday-Thursday, but for now I was happy about the easy day.

The campus of Coastal California College was sprawling with green lawns and old sycamore trees whose branches and leaves spread over walkways like green ceilings. I breathed in the fresh air and enjoyed the sight of the first day of class. It was easy to spot the helpless freshmen, walking around like lost little sheep who couldn’t find their flock. I was one of them, once. It felt like a long time ago.

Now I was on the cusp of being a real adult. Not just in the legal, eighteen-year-old sense. But in the sense that I was going to be thrown out into the real world and told to figure it out. The prospect scared and excited me.

If I can get through the next two semesters.

My first stop was a 400-level psychology class with only eight students in it. The professor was amazing though, and even though I left the first class feeling overwhelmed, I was intrigued by the breadth of study we would be tackling. After that was my easiest class of the semester: an astronomy class that had nothing to do with psychology. I needed four science credits for my degree, and this seemed much easier than chemistry, biology, or physics. Most students knocked out these kinds of classes as freshmen or sophomores, but I was happy to have saved it until my final year. It was in a giant auditorium with over a hundred other students, which meant I could sit in the back row and only pay half-attention.

The sun was directly overhead as I walked home from class. In the past, I lived in dorms that were on campus. That sense of always being on campus permeated everything, and made it feel like I should study non-stop. But walking away from campus, and into the adjacent neighborhood, created a distinction in my head. I was at class, and now I’m home. I can do whatever I want. I wondered if that would make it hard to focus when I needed to bear down and study.

I used my key to unlock the front door-something I hadn’t done when I moved in, and it gave me a sense that this was my home, now. But when I walked into the area where the kitchen bled into the living room, I was quickly reminded that other people had been living here first.

Avery was standing in the kitchen, wearing only a towel around his waist. It was sagging, at risk of falling off entirely. I gave a start when I saw him and blurted out, “What are you doing!”

He frowned at me. “Making a smoothie.”

I was in so much shock that I couldn’t help but stare at him. More specifically, at the parts of him that had been covered by clothes when last we spoke. Where Riley was tall and lean, Avery was more solidly built. Broad shoulders, thick pecs, and sun-kissed skin. His hair was damp, and a few rivulets ran down his temple. His hazel eyes seemed more vibrant as he stared back at me, confused by my alarm.

“You’re… naked!” I said.

“No I’m not. I’m wearing a towel.” He looked down at himself. “See?”

“Yes, I see. But why are you wearing a towel in the kitchen?”

“Because I just got back from a jog. Went around the whole campus twice. Good people-watching on the first day of class.” He looked down at himself again. “Right, the towel. I was going to take a shower, but wanted to get some protein in my system first. Why aren’t you at class?”

“I already finished my two classes for the day.”

“Oh.” He blinked and seemed to realize my discomfort for the first time. “Sorry. I thought you would be gone all day. I didn’t think about it.” “Don’t you have class?” I asked.

“Nope! I made sure my schedule had nothing on Mondays. Pretty dope, right?”

“Lucky you,” I said, retrieving a glass from the cabinet so I could pour a glass of water. Why was it hot in here all of a sudden?

“Yeah, pretty lucky,” Avery continued. “There’s lots of accounting classes to choose from. That’s what my degree is in. Accounting. Accountants are always in demand, even in recessions. Maybe especially then. Plus, I like numbers. They’ve always been easy for me to figure out.” “Huh,” I replied, taking a long pull from my water.

“Want to know something funny?” Before waiting for me to answer, he went on. “I wanted to hit on you at the party the other night. Riley and I had to play rock-paper-scissors, and he won. Crazy, right?”

“Yeah,” I said. “Crazy.”

The blender roared to life, mixing the fruits and protein powder into a smooth consistency. He poured it into a big glass, then smiled warmly at me.

“But don’t worry-I’m totally not going to hit on you now. We’re roommates. We’re cool.”

And then he disappeared down the hall into his bedroom.

I shook my head once he was gone. Even when I avoided Riley, I had another sexy roommate to contend with. Erin was right: this was just like living in the co-ed dorms freshman year. Except the guys are a lot hotter. The image of a shirtless Avery wasn’t going to leave my mind any time soon.

“I promise he’ll clean that up.”

I flinched at the voice, and it took me several seconds to find the source. Harper was in the living room, sitting in the big recliner that was half facing the TV, and half facing the kitchen. He politely raised his hand when my eyes settled on him.

“Huh?”

“The blender,” Harper said. “I didn’t want you to think he would just leave it there. He makes a mess around here as much as the rest of us, but he always cleans up after himself. Sometimes it just takes a few minutes.” “I’m not, like, a neat freak or anything,” I said.

Harper chuckled. “I am. Living with him drove me crazy the first few weeks of sophomore year, until I learned his routines.” He marked his place in a thick textbook and rose from the chair, stretching. “I want to echo what Riley told you last night.”

Which part? I wondered. The lie about why he ditched me, or the kiss that I still can’t stop thinking about?

“Boundaries are important,” Harper explained while joining me in the kitchen. He pulled a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread out of the pantry and began making himself a sandwich. “We want this to be a house you feel welcome in. And safe. Aside from Avery being very comfortable with his body in public areas, we’ll do our best to treat you like a normal roommate, and not a female roommate.”

“I do feel safe,” I replied. As I said the words, I realized I meant them. “I don’t want you to change your routines and habits just because I’m here. That would be treating me like a female roommate.”

Harper nodded while biting into his sandwich. He really was cute, although not as muscular or physically imposing as the other two. He was the kind of guy you dated, and not just hooked up with. Husband material, as Erin would say.

“Fair enough,” he said. “If you ever feel like we are treating you that way, don’t hesitate to put us in our place.” He smiled again and returned to his recliner and textbook.

Okay, I thought as I went upstairs. Maybe I have three sexy roommates.