Page 4 of A Bossy Roommate
MONDAY MORNING
His clothes are gone. His helmet is gone. All that he left is the manly scent on his pillow.
Leather.
Musk.
A zesty hint of orange.
I shouldn’t be surprised. I should have known the jerk wouldn’t be here when I woke up. There was nothing about last night that made me think it was anything other than a one-time thing.
No kiss. Not even a peck.
It was just raw, filthy hot sex.
Still, I’m pissed to find the spot next to me empty. What a dick! He couldn’t even stick around to say goodbye?
It’s not like I was going to suggest we get breakfast and eat cupcakes or anything.
I’ve just arrived in New York City, all set to start a fresh chapter. I know I’m not the first girl to be left at the altar. But discovering your ex-fiancé wiped out your joint bank accounts?That’s a new low, even by my standards. A girl can only take so much.
I’m over Rob. My ex.
Yet I can still see the church ladies exchanging whispers as they watched me standing there alone in my white dress, their gazes filled with pitying glances and outright stares.Rude. After what seemed like a gazillion years of waiting, I finally made my grand exit, sprinting like my gown had burst into flames, unable to face another living soul. Little did they know, in that very moment, a dream shattered within me.
I could have done without a grand wedding. Or an over-the-top cake. Or a gown straight out of a fairy tale. What had devastated and sent me spiraling into a deep abyss had been something else entirely. I believed Rob and I would grow old together. “’Til the end of all days” wasn’t just a cliché to me—no, I really believed in it. Marrying the man who loved me unconditionally (and vice versa)—that’s what I always dreamed of.
See? Now you know why I need a change. When I was offered an apartment to stay in, rent free, for six months, I jumped at the chance.
And ontohim.
Carter Donovan.
That’s what he introduced himself to me as.
In my defense—he was darkly handsome, and said all the words I desperately needed to hear. Honestly, it tookverylittle convincing for me to invite him into my bed. I mean, really, why not go for it? If anyone deserved a night of crazy hot sex, it was me—or so I thought.
Now, gazing at the vacant bedside, all I wish is for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
I haven’t had sex like that inmonths. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever had sex like that. His hands, his mouth, his dirtywords…just thinking about it is sparking a delightful flutter between my thighs.
It was on a whim that I met him, my one-night stand. Carter.
I had finished a nearly six-hour drive from my childhood home in Ellsworth, a small city in Maine, to NYC. It was dark by the time I arrived, but I still marveled at the city lights. With my apartment not ready until later today, I opted to spend the night in a cheap motel. Little did I know, my night was about to take a sweeter turn.
His presence? Breathtaking. Commanding. He owned the room without even trying. Broad-shouldered, dressed in a blend of rugged charm and sophistication, with black biker boots that screamed “I’ve seen some things.” And that dark hair? Tousled just right, framing an unforgettable jawline—a jawline that clearly maintained a twelve o’clock shadow, regardless of how recently he had shaved. But what truly captivated me? His eyes, hidden behind long lashes, finally lifting from his phone.
I glance at the clock.
It’s almost ten minutes before six. The last thing I want is to be late on my first day, and I need to get ready. I want to start my first day at work refreshed and motivated.
“At least I don’t have to do the walk of shame,” I say aloud, sitting up in the squeaky bed. “There’s always a silver lining.”
I refuse to dwell on some jerk ditching me.
Last night was a whirlwind of fun, a temporary escape from reality. Judging by the soreness between my legs, I’ll definitely be thinking about it for a while—ouch!
What I won’t think about ishim.Today marks a new beginning.