Page 7 of Loud Hot Roomie (Taboo Streets #4)

Derek

He’s so loud.

Like super fucking loud.

Does he always need to blast the music or sing or talk?

Yes. The answer is yes. And, admittedly, I like it. When I was with Casey, so many evenings were filled with uncomfortable silence. It was awkward as fuck and painful.

Riko has a lot to say, loves to hear himself talk, and makes noise like it’s his calling in life.

“I said sit down,” I tell him, pointing a finger his way, and glowering. “You did the hard work. I can manage pulling the pizza out of the oven and cutting it up.”

He narrows his eyes at me like he might argue but then decides against it. As he recalls a story of his youth about a “dickhead” coach he had, I listen with rapt attention. His voice is comforting, but I’m also unnerved by it. It soothes my raw chest while simultaneously setting it on fire.

What the hell is wrong with me?

You know, man.

I do know. Earlier, while on lunch, I scrolled through the dating app. Not one woman did it for me. Not a single one. So, out of curiosity, I browsed through men who matched up to me. While I found a few attractive, there wasn’t this visceral feeling I get like when I’m around Riko.

It’s him.

Something about him turns me upside down and shakes me up.

I’ve never felt so scattered and confused in all my life. It feels good. Like life isn’t as predictable and boring as I’d imagined. For once, I don’t know what will happen and it’s exhilarating.

Riko flirts. A lot. I could flirt back, more so than my sad, previous attempts. Hell, I could put the moves on him, and I’m sure he’d reciprocate. I don’t think he’s the type to make fun of me if I totally suck at fooling around with a guy.

It’s a terrible idea, and yet, I fucking ache to see where this could go.

Riko’s not an experiment, though. That’s not fair. Behind his loud, zany personality is someone with real feelings. Men jump aboard his crazy train for the fun time and then hop off when they’re over it. I’m not wired that way. If I get on a ride, I stay for the duration.

Like with Casey?

Look how well that turned out.

I glance out the window briefly, and suppress a grimace when I see Casey and Clara walking the trail. Tearing my gaze from them, I set to cutting the pizza. It smells divine and my stomach grumbles audibly. I can already tell this will beat delivery pizza by a mile.

After tossing an extra oven mit on the table, I set the pizza pan on top and then fetch our plates. By the time I sit, Riko is filling his plate with slices of cheesy pizza.

“I don’t understand how you made this,” I tell him as I grab my own slices. “You’re like a magician in the kitchen.”

He snorts out a laugh as he chews on his bite. “You’re the second person who compared food to magic today.”

“Just speaking the truth.” I take a bite and the savory, gooey melted cheese makes me groan in pleasure. “I love you, Riko Valentine.”

His smile is my undoing. I have to tear my gaze from his to focus on the pizza because I like the look on his face a little too much. It was just a playful way to thank him for his pizza-making efforts, but I sort of feel those words scratching at my cold, dead heart.

“Mom taught me a lot,” he says after he inhales his first piece. “She makes a bunch of bougie shit for her friends and Dad, but when it was just us two, she would make comfort food like this.”

“Remind me to thank her whenever I see her.”

He arches an eyebrow. “You planning on meeting the parents?”

Here we go again with the flirting.

“Yup.”

“We haven’t even had our first date,” he jokes. “My, my you move fast, sir.”

“You called me your hubby last night. I thought we’d moved on to the next level of our relationship.”

Fuck, this is dangerous teasing, and yet, I don’t want to reel it back.

Riko’s joy is erased when he mutters, “They don’t approve of my lifestyle.”

“Meaning…”

“You heard me last night. They want me to marry one of their country club friends’ daughters and pump out a bunch of babies to carry on the Valentine name.”

“Most parents would just want you to be happy.”

He devours another piece of pizza before muttering, “Are yours like that?”

“They are.” I groan when I take another bite. “This is really fucking good, man.”

“I know,” he says, preening. “If you all of the sudden started liking dick and brought one home, they’d be cool?”

The thought of Riko’s dick has me nearly chocking on cheese. I’ve spent the better part of the day trying not to think about it to no avail.

“They don’t care. As long as I’m happy.” I blot at the grease on my lips with a napkin.

“Do I make you happy, Dere-Dere?”

I stare at him, unable to look away. This is all teasing and joking and flirting, but there’s a realness pulsating throughout every word. I feel it. Does he?

“Now that I’m getting to know you, yeah.”

He sobers up and intently focuses on his pizza. Did I say something wrong?

“Linda made a pass at me,” Riko says, his smile returning. “Wants me to be Eloise and Topher’s new daddy.”

The delicious pizza curdles in my gut. “Are you for real right now?”

“She warned me away from Clara, too. Says she’s the neighborhood slut.”

Clara has always been a thorn in my side, but she’s not a slut.

“Linda mouths off a lot for someone who dumps her kids off on complete strangers,” I grumble. “Clara’s single and hasn’t found the right person, but she’s not a slut, man.”

“I figured,” he says with a nod. “Are you jealous?”

At this, I scoff. “No.”

“Someone’s lying…” he says in a sing-song voice.

“Are you jealous that I looked at men on the dating app today?”

As soon as the words tumble out of my mouth, I immediately regret them. Riko flinches as if I’ve struck him. Little does he know, I only looked at them to see if this thing I feel for him was a fluke. It only made me realize I’m craving something about him when he’s around.

“Fuck,” I mutter. “I don’t know why I said that.”

Riko forces out a laugh as he abandons his plate and rises to his feet. “It’s fine, Derek. You can date people. I’m not your keeper.”

Then, he limps out of the kitchen, and heads upstairs.

My gut twists painfully. I hurt his fucking feelings and I feel awful about it.

So he does like me more than a little harmless flirting. Maybe he’s exploring how far he can push my buttons to see if I’m truly interested in him back, and I just fucked it all up by being a dick.

As much as I want to rush up there and apologize, I force myself to put the food away and clean the kitchen.

Once that’s done, I take the steps two at a time, frustrated to find him locked away in the bathroom taking a shower.

Like a stalker, I pace the floor in front of the door, eager for him to finish up.

After what feels like an eternity later, he finally opens the door wearing nothing but a pair of basketball shorts.

His eyes widen in shock to see me right outside the bathroom door. I rake my gaze shamelessly down his muscular chest, noting every droplet of water and how it would quench my parched tongue if only I could taste just one.

Forcing my head up, I meet his gaze. “I’m sorry for being an asshole.”

He opens his mouth to say something, most likely to let me off the hook, but I can’t take it.

My words put distance between us and I instantly hated it.

With Casey, I let that distance grow and grow until we were worlds apart.

I don’t want that with Riko. Even if it’s a simple friendship. I don’t want to hurt him.

I surprise us both when I yank him to me for a hug. Since he’s nearly as tall as me, he can rest his cheek on my shoulder. The way he melts into me has my heart skipping a few beats. As much as I want to see where all this flirting could lead to, this is what he needs.

Why do I want to be the one to give it to him?

His arms wrap around me after a beat and he hugs me back. As I hold him, I can’t help but think of one of my fights with Casey.

“You never hug me or touch me. I always have to initiate. Even in bed. What’s wrong with me?”

I’d been so pissed at her for jumping to such a ridiculous conclusion. There was never anything wrong with Casey. It was me who had the mental shit preventing me from having true intimacy with her, or anyone for that matter.

Hugging Riko, though, felt like a need I couldn’t ignore.

The desperation to comfort him and apologize was maddening.

Now that I have him in my embrace, peace settles over me. I nuzzle my nose into his wet hair, inhaling his expensive scent. His shampoo probably costs more than my entire outfit.

“In case you didn’t notice,” I rumble against his hair, “I suck at peopling.”

He chuckles against my shoulder. “That’s not all on you. I’m not great at it either. It’s my fucking mouth. Always getting me in trouble.”

I drag my fingertips down his back, a thrill shooting through me when he shivers. “Can we go back to our lovely evening, hubby?”

He shoves at me as he cackles with laughter. It makes me smile too.

“If you keep toying with my emotions, you’re going to end up balls deep in this troublesome mouth of mine,” he says as he runs his tongue along his plump bottom lip. “Perhaps that’s been your evil plan all along.”

Thoughts of Riko choking on my cock are too much. My blood is on fire and desire rushes through my veins like hot lava.

“Perhaps I’ll tell you my evil plans,” I say, clearing my throat and subtly covering my straining cock with my hand. “Right after you tell me about your coaching plan.”

“There is no plan, remember?” he mutters, crossing his arms over his chest. “Not fair, man.”

“I guess you’ll never know my true agenda.” I wink at him and then pass him to head for the stairs. “You get the movie ready and I’ll grab the beer. We have a business to plan.”

Fifteen minutes later and we’re in our usual place on the couch, deep in conversation about this coaching gig.

The more he talks about it, the more excited and animated he gets.

When we’ve filled several pages in his notebook and gone through quite a few beers apiece, we finally settle to watch a movie.

And when he leans his head on my shoulder, I obsess over the warmth of his touch, aching for him to put his hands on me too.

I’m losing my mind over this guy and I don’t know what to do about it.

Liar.

You know exactly what you want to do.

It takes everything in me to focus on the movie and not illicit fantasies of Riko making good on his promise to suck my dick. Doesn’t work. Instead, I imagine gripping his messy hair and watching his pretty lips slide over the crown of my cock.

Would he like it if I called him a good boy while he chokes on it?

Fuck.

This is going to happen and there’s nothing I can do to stop it.