Cocky Roomie_ A Bad Boy Romance Novel(36)

He tells me, “She’s modest. Ignore her,” loud enough for her to hear. She huffs and they share a look that he has won the battle, but she’s not happy about it.

“Lookin’ good. But you’re missing out on the best part, Drew.” Jason tells me over the other’s conversation as we walk to the table, my plate piled high.

“What’s the best part?” I ask Jake.

“He’s pissed the fucking ginger ale is gone.”

“JAKE!” May shouts.

“You know you love me, Grams.” He pulls out a chair for me, and takes the seat beside mine.

He’s watching as I take a bite of chili and close my eyes with awe.

“Right?! What’d I tell you?”

My cocky roomie didn’t exaggerate, not one bit. “It’s amazing, Mrs. Cocker.”

She smiles, but then glances to her husband. “If only Jett were here to enjoy some.”

His jaw tightens. He shoots her a look. She holds it.

Jake told me Jett and his father don’t get along. Seems sad when everyone is so nice like this, and gets along so well. I wonder what happened between them.





JAKE




I feel good as I unlock the front door and hold the door open for Drew. We’ve been talking for the past three hours and finding all kinds of things we have in common. We both camped as kids with our families, not the rented cabin type of camping, but the sleeping under the stars in a sleeping bag kind. We both saw a bear once, both nearly crapped ourselves. I told her my favorite band is The Doors, and she started humming Crystal Ship. That was the song I love the most of theirs, which I told her. She just nodded and said, “Me too.”

It was really comfortable being with her there. I was nervous for her at first, with how my parents were looking at her. I found out later that they’d asked the twins about her when they discovered we’d all gone to the Gardens. The thing is, I don’t bring girls home to my family. Outsiders earn their way in, and so far no woman has with me. I almost brought a girlfriend home in high school but then I found out she’d fucked one of the teacher’s while we were dating. Grew even more careful after that.

Dad’s assistant and her family have been coming for a long time, years of working with him and all. Our nanny used to come to the BBQs but she passed away last year, unexpectedly. Hit us all hard. And of course there’s our Aunt on my mom’s side, her husband and our cousins, all around the same age as us. They’re usually there.

“Aunt Anna is going to be pissed when she finds out I’m leaving.”

Drew slides out of her sandals and leaves them on our shoe-mat. “Is that your mom’s sister?”

“Yeah. She forgot to call her. That’s a sure sign she’s upset. She hasn’t said anything to me about going to Denver, either.”

“With Jett and Jeremy gone, I’m sure she doesn’t want to lose another son.”

“Yeah,” I mumble, slipping off my shoes. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I look at her. She’s watching me with a compassionate smile and she touches my arm.

“You have a great family, Jake.”

“They’re pretty good.”

She nods and then looks at the door as a knock sounds. “Are the twins coming over or something?”

They’d better not be. I’ve got a plan to seduce Drew tonight and I don’t need distractions. It’s Sunday. I leave the day after tomorrow. I don’t want to go without feeling her body under mine again. And again. Getting to know her more, and seeing how good she held herself in public with the people I care about, just made me want to imprint myself on her mind so that she doesn’t forget me when I go away.

“Let’s not open the door,” I mutter, barring her way.

“Seriously?” she whispers, so whoever’s on the other side can’t hear.

I nod once and take her by the shoulders, looking down into her gentle eyes. I’m about to kiss her when another knock comes through, followed by a woman’s voice.

“Drew?”

“Bernie?” she frowns, moving past me to open it.

There on my welcome mat stands a woman I never expected to see tonight, if ever again. Bernie Lancaster, ex-model and now high-class hooker, is dressed to the nines except for a couple telltale details: her hair is a mess and her nose is red from the blow. I wonder if Drew knows she hooks. I have a feeling she wouldn’t be hanging out with her, if she did. They’re too different.

With eyes twitching, Bernie glances from Drew to me and her fake smile vanishes.

“Why the fuck is Jake Cocker here?”

Surprised, Drew looks at me. “You guys know each other?”