The Rival Roomies Page 7

  “Is asking you to walk around naked taking it too far?”

  She laughs then stands. “God help us. If you keep thinking that way, we won’t make it past day one. Bye, hubby.”

  She blows me a kiss and saunters out of the restaurant. Half the men are gawking at her ass and I can’t even say it belongs to me.

  Yeah, my hand and my dick are going to be best friends for the next five weeks.

  Chapter Eleven

  Valentina

  * * *

  New York City is dark and dreary as I join Ryder on the elevator to meet Max.

  “You have your passport? Don’t lose it. Stay near your dad and always be aware of your surroundings.”

  He puts his arm around me. “I’m gonna be fine.”

  Isn’t that what every fifteen-year-old would say? They all seem to think they’re invincible.

  “Keep your phone charged so I can call, and no matter the time difference, call me if you need me or if you just want to talk. I put a battery pack in your backpack just in case.”

  He laughs and turns me toward him, placing his hands on my shoulders. I stare up at him and try to remember exactly when the little boy who called me Mama left. “Stop watching the news.”

  This time I laugh. “You should try watching the news and not ESPN all the time.”

  “ESPN is the sports news.”

  I can’t argue with that.

  “I’ll be back in six weeks, Mom.”

  The elevator dings and the doors open.

  Max is waiting for us. “Stop with the tears, Val. This trip is going to be shorter than your kitchen remodel.”

  I roll my eyes as we step out the door of my building. A black sedan waits outside for them. I hand Ryder’s big duffle bag to Max.

  “What did you pack? Jesus. I’ll let the two of you say goodbye. Don’t drag it out, Val, we have a flight to catch.”

  “Come here.” I hug Ryder and flip off Max behind Ryder’s back. No need for him to see our animosity. “I love you and I’ll miss you, but I want you to have fun. Just not too much.”

  He chuckles. “I love you too. If you need company or anything—”

  I draw back from our hug because I am going to break down if we don’t make this snappy. “Stop.”

  He smiles. His gorgeous wide smile full of perfectly white teeth that cost me a fortune.

  “I’m good. I have a lot of reading to do.”

  He nods, rocking back on his heels.

  “Go.” I move in for one more quick hug then step back, sucking back the tears that want to fall.

  He walks toward the car, looking back at me every second step. Max packs the last bag, and right before Ryder ducks into the sedan, he waves. How did we produce such a great kid? I wave back as the car pulls away from the curb into the New York streets.

  “Always sad to say goodbye,” Ben says from behind his desk when I go back inside the building.

  “He’s gone for six weeks,” I say, remembering that I need to discuss me leaving with him.

  “Sounds like a great adventure for a father and son.”

  I shrug. I’m sure it will be an adventure. I just want the adventure to end with my son safe at home. “Hey, Ben, I’m going to be staying with a friend for a little while. I’ll pop by for my mail once a week, but in case anything should seem suspicious, could you give me a call?”

  “Of course, Ms. Sommerland.”

  “Thanks.” I step over to the elevator and press the up button.

  “I hope you enjoy your time with Ryder away. Sometimes moms need a vacation too.”

  I smile and turn around, stepping into the elevator. He has a point. The break will be good—if only I didn’t have to spend it with Dominic Mancini.

  I knock on the door to Dom’s condo, my bags dropping to the creases of my elbows.

  The door swings open and he spreads out his arms. “Welcome home, honey.”

  I blow the strand of loose hair off my forehead and step into his space. A space I’m familiar with. A space where memories of us naked and screwing are present in every room and on every piece of his expensive furniture. I drop my bags by the door. He’s nice enough to wheel in my big suitcase.

  “Is there a moving van with the rest of your stuff?” He laughs and steps away from the door and into the kitchen.

  His stainless steel gourmet kitchen.

  One thing most people don’t know about Dom is that he’s an excellent cook.

  Do you know how intimidating that is for an Italian woman who can barely follow directions on the back of ramen noodles? I was raised thinking the key to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Maybe that’s why I’ve never fully won Dom’s heart.

  “I made you something.” The timbre of his low voice pulls me from my thoughts.

  He’s busy chopping an onion, and when I look at the breakfast bar, I spot piles of chopped up veggies and garnishes.

  “Mongolian beef?” I ask. “With lo mein?”

  The man can cook anything from Chinese to Indian to Italian. His curry is out of this world.

  “Still your favorite?” he asks.

  I join him by the cutting board and sneak a piece of the meat sizzling in the pan. “Only yours.”

  “Are you saying you only like my meat?” He looks up from what he’s doing and grins at me.

  If we were still that couple who pretended they were just fuck buddies, I’d lay my hand over his crotch and whisper in his ear exactly how much I love his meat. But we’re not. We’re… married now. Somehow that changes everything.

  “How are you doing with Ryder gone?” He doesn’t allow me to answer his sexual innuendo because it was meant to make me feel uncomfortable, not as an invitation.

  “I’ll miss him.”

  “You can always use me as a good distraction.” He drops all the vegetables into the pan with the Mongolian beef and flips the pan over the open flame. His forearm flexes from the weight and it’s so damn sexy I might have to call a truce on that deal we made about not sleeping with others.

  “Are you going to keep making sexual advances?”

  “I’m not making sexual advances.”

  I slide up on his counter, my feet dangling. His gaze skips over my body for a second. “You keep throwing sexual comments out there.”

  “That’s because I’ve always loved your blush.”

  “I thought you hated me.”

  He sighs. “I’ll never hate you, Val.”

  I watch him stir the veggies and meat then take the noodles from the water and place them in another frying pan with soy sauce and garlic that’s already simmering. It’s so unbelievably hot, admiring him in the kitchen. The amount of ease and trust he has in his capabilities. I once asked him why he learned and he said that it was because his work was so stressful, he wanted to excel in something he could set the pace around. Being the perfectionist he is, he kept finding new cuisine to master.

  He picks up the frying pan and shakes the contents, the muscles in his forearm and bicep flexing as he does.

  “Ugh!” I jump from the counter. “You’re playing dirty.”

  “Dirty?” His smirk says he knows exactly what he’s doing.

  “You know what your cooking does to me.” I scramble over to the front door and grab my bags, then I weave back behind the big sectional couch he’s had me on in multiple positions.

  “I’m just being nice and making you a welcome meal.”

  I drop my bags in the guest room and storm back down the hallway. “Tell me you don’t want to sleep with me.”

  He shoves the pan to the back of the stove, turns off the burners, then walks toward me. “I always wanna fuck you, Val. Feel me right now and you’ll find out. But me making you this meal isn’t a way to get you in my bed… again.”

  I throw my hands in the air. I know Dominic Mancini and I am not seeing things that aren’t there. His sexual comments. All the ‘wife this’ and ‘welcome home baby’ shit. He’s an agenda kind of guy. There’s al
ways an end goal in mind.

  “Then stop. I’m not going to survive five weeks if you keep doing nice things and saying stuff like that to me. Just keep your distance. We need to keep this platonic.”

  He laughs and shakes his head. “There’s nothing platonic about us.”

  His light eyes search mine, but I have no clue what he’s looking for. I swallow the lump in my throat and will my feet to stay in place. Don’t run to him. Don’t jump into his arms and kiss him until his hands run along your body and he walks you to his bedroom.

  I use every ounce of my willpower to stay grounded. If we cross that line, I’ll only end up devastated again.

  “You’ve got your wish.” He raises his hands. “I’m officially your roommate only.” He goes back to the kitchen, scoops the food onto a plate, and slides it in front of a breakfast stool.

  “Dom.” I step forward now that he’s not looking at me, because it’s safer now. “I just want us… you know as well as I do that if something happens—”

  “I know, Val.” He walks to the entry table and grabs his computer bag, sliding his wallet into the back pocket of his jeans. “You don’t have to remind me. It was honestly just dinner. I knew you’d be upset about Ryder. It was a way for us to find our way back to the friendship we had, not a way to sleep with you.”

  Before I can respond, he opens the condo door and shuts it behind him softly. Somehow, the absence of a slam or bang makes me flinch harder.

  I eat the meal he prepared, package up the leftovers, then clean the dishes because it’s the one thing I can do well in the kitchen. It isn’t until two in the morning that I hear him come home. With my door closed, I hear him drop his keys onto the table and open the fridge. He always has a water next to his bed at night.

  The shadow from the hallway light I left on is interrupted by his shadow on the other side when he stops at my door. I want to tell him I’m awake. To come in so we can talk this out. But I don’t say anything, and the shadow disappears.

  I roll over and curl into a ball. How will I ever survive five weeks of this?

  Chapter Twelve

  Dominic

  * * *

  Nell is hovering again. She’s walked by my office five times this morning. I told Ash to tell anyone who inquires that I’m busy. Even so, there’s probably no time like the present to nail this coffin shut. Nell needs to know that what was going on between us is over.

  I straighten my tie and smooth it down my chest as I leave my office to head to Nell’s down the hall, but when I round the corner, she’s right there. I jerk back in surprise.

  She giggles. “Did I scare you?”

  Nell’s upped her game today with a short black skirt and a red blouse with a lacy cami underneath that she has no problem showing off. My guess is that’s probably because I didn’t message her all weekend. Since Vegas, I haven’t approached her, even after she left her panties in my desk drawer.

  “Yeah, a little.” I get the sense that this could move into boiling bunny territory if I’m not careful with my wording. “Can we talk?”

  She looks around and, not seeing anyone, steps closer, her red polished nails sliding down my tie. “Supply closet?” She pulls me toward her by my tie. I put my hand over hers, but she grips the fabric harder. “Come on. I miss my guy.”

  Her baby voice never turned me on, but it didn’t grate on me the way it is now.

  “Nell…” I’m tempted to screw her. I can’t lie. Val has me so twisted that I want to fuck someone else imagining that it’s her. Even if I know it’ll do me no good. I haven’t slept the past two nights now that she’s right next door to my room.

  “Come on.” Her hand slides down the front of my slacks and I step back.

  “Sorry for interrupting.”

  Instead of stepping back, I jump this time. Nell’s hands slip from my tie and my junk.

  I spin around. “Val!”

  Though she’s smiling, I can tell she’s not amused. She’s in a pair of yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt that falls to the side, revealing one bare shoulder. I want to yank it down to expose one of her mouthwatering tits, but there’s a time and place for everything.

  “Honey, you forgot your wallet this morning.” She taps it against her lips. “I thought I’d bring it by. You know, being a good wife and all.”

  “Wife?” Nell asks, her face now ghostly white.

  Val smiles and weaves her arm through mine. “Is Dominic keeping that all to himself? We got married two weeks ago. It was a Vegas thing, but we have a long history together.” She looks at me with a Stepford wife smile.

  “I didn’t know.” Nell looks her up and down, but Val isn’t one to be intimidated. One thing Val has is self-confidence.

  “You know our Dominic. He likes to keep his secrets.” Val pats my cheek. “I’m still getting used to this facial hair thing.” She shakes her head at Nell. “We’ve known each since pre-puberty and I always loved him with smooth skin. Reminds me of the Dominic who once scaled a tree to save me. Remember that, honey?”

  Her use of a pet name says she’s selling this hard. Nell is clearly taken back by the new revelation.

  “I should go,” Nell says. “I have work to do.”

  Val puts out her hand. “It was nice meeting you.”

  Nell shakes her hand, then looks at me as though she needs more clarification. I try to convey to her with my eyes that this is what I was going to talk to her about.

  “Nice meeting you… Val, right?” Nell says.

  “Yes. Valentina Som—well.” She giggles and lovingly looks at me. “Valentina Mancini now. Still getting used to my new name.”

  “Let’s not pretend you haven’t been scribbling that name since we were thirteen.” I purposely up the ante.

  Val’s eyes narrow slightly. Her hand stays on my cheek, and she gives it a tap that’s closer to a slap. “What can I say? Guess I’ve always loved you.” Then she pinches my cheek and I know it’s going to leave a red mark.

  “You just had to find a way to catch me.” I turn to Nell. “She had to get me drunk in Vegas.”

  Val’s shoulders tense next to me. One thing about her is that she can’t hold her temper for long. “I think you’re mistaken. Remember, you tracked me down and messaged me.” She smiles at Nell. “As I’m sure you know, our Dom isn’t that romantic.” She lays her head on my shoulder. “But I still love him.”

  “I’m happy for the two of you. Sorry, I have a meeting to get to.” Nell slides by us.

  Val straightens, removes her arm from mine, and says to a departing Nell, “We’ll have you over for dinner sometime.”

  “Nice act.” I signal for her to go.

  Val laughs, walking in front of me. We round the corner and I open my office door.

  “Ash! How are you?” Val opens her arms and Ash stands, eyeing me from over Val’s shoulder.

  It’s been nine months since Val’s been to my office. We used to do lunch. She’d come to my office to pick me up or bring me a surprise. Sometimes the surprise was that she was the lunch.

  “Valentina,” Ash coos as if they’re long-lost friends. “How are you?”

  “Good.” Val sits on the edge of her desk, and Ash sits back down. “Ryder went to Europe with Max and it’s driving me crazy. I already miss him, and it’s only been a couple of days.” She leans forward and touches Ash’s arm. “What about you? How’s little Molly?”

  Ash grabs her cell phone and holds up a picture of her daughter, Molly.

  Val takes the phone. “Not so little anymore. Where are her chubby cheeks?”

  Ash leans back, and I stand in the doorway of my office. Ash and Val became quick friends. Mostly because my meetings ran late or I had to cancel last minute on Val. Basically whenever I put work ahead of Val.

  “I know. They grow so fast. I think I might be ready for another.” Ash bites her lip and looks at me as if she needs my permission.

  “Just give me a heads-up, okay?” I push off the door frame
and stand up straight.

  “We both know Dom can’t function without you.” Val and Ash laugh, their eyes shifting to me.

  I signal for Val to join me in my office. “Let’s go.”

  “What’s the rush?”

  “I have to work.”

  Val rolls her eyes, pushing up off Ash’s desk. “You shouldn’t work all the time. It isn’t healthy.”

  Ash watches us for a second. “Are you two…?”

  Figures. She might be the only assistant in New York who isn’t afraid of her boss. Not that I want her to be afraid of me, but I wouldn’t mind if she refrained from asking personal questions.

  “We’re married,” Val says.

  Ash’s mouth drops open, and she glances at Val’s left hand.

  Val catches the shift. “Oh, no, it was a quickie wedding in Vegas.”

  “Vegas?” Ash sits up straighter.

  Val is next to me now, and all I smell is her. The scent turns me into a lion smelling its prey.

  “Yep. We’re getting it annulled, but our mas—”

  “She doesn’t need to know everything,” I grumble.

  “She’s your assistant.” Val turns to me briefly before circling back to Ash. “Our mothers want us to give it an honest effort, so I’ve moved in with him.”

  Ash’s forehead crinkles. “You both agreed to that?”

  “It’s called Catholic-Italian mama guilt. It’s a real thing.” Val looks at me with an expression that says, “pipe in here.”

  “It is,” I confirm. “Can we go into my office now?”

  I scour the area to make sure there’s no one else around. Ash, I can trust. She’s kept more than her fair share of secrets. But anyone else in this office? No way.

  “Huh.” Ash diverts eye contact.

  “What? I know it seems ridiculous. That’s why Ryder leaving for Europe was a blessing in disguise. We can pretend to do this for our mothers, but we’re not really anything.” Val waggles her finger between us. “Five weeks is nothing.”