The sun was just beginning to rise through the window that separated Theo’s and my beds. I squinted my eyes after blinking a few times, realizing that he and I had fallen asleep together at some point through the night—again. Each night since he had come to the auditorium and demanded I go back to our room to rest, we’d watch at least one or two episodes of Supernatural together, sometimes in complete silence and sometimes chatting in between the serious parts of the show. I found a comfort in Theo that was hard not to read into. Things were easy with him, and I was beginning to look forward to going back to our room each evening after work or practice.
My neck ached from the position I had apparently slept in, and I peered down at his unmoving face. There was a warmth filling my chest as I saw his hand still resting against my ankle. He had no idea that there was a slight twinge in it every time I landed from my jeté, but it was as if his hand had subconsciously gravitated toward it. Heat blasted my cheeks when I focused on the way his skin was touching mine, and I cursed myself for not putting on leggings. But when I’d gotten back from my shift last night, Theo was smirking at me from his bed with his laptop already propped open and ready to commence our nightly ritual.
I stared at his wild smirk before following his cue when he motioned over to my bed.
Lying on top of my covers was a silky, black jersey.
His jersey.
The one he wanted me to wear to his next game to confirm that I truly was his girlfriend—you know, to ward off the puck bunnies.
I acted appalled, but Theo pinned me down playfully and draped it over my head, pulling out several laughs from me as I swam in it. He shook his head and blew a breath out of his mouth. Embarrassment made me shy away, but he quickly pushed me back on my bed and peered down at me. The way he scanned my body and told me not to take it off made me feel things I knew weren’t real. But still, I kept it on. I shimmied out of my jeans, pulled on some short sleep shorts, and for the rest of the night, I lay on his bed and watched Supernatural.
Pulling my hair into a high bun from the scrunchie on my wrist, I started to blow out a shaky breath and told myself to get it together. When I thought about the way he had looked at me last night, while wearing his jersey, I got butterflies. And I was perceptive enough to know that it wasn’t a good thing to get butterflies from your fake boyfriend.
I glanced around our room, recognizing how much had changed since the first time I met him. I’d had Theo Brooks pegged to be someone he wasn’t. He said something the other night that resonated within me. He said that everyone, including me, thought he was just like the next jock—selfish, self-righteous, and only seeking validation in hockey because they wanted to be the best. But what I was, was judgmental. That wasn’t Theo. He wasn’t selfish, and he wasn’t the type of guy who only wanted to reach the top to get his ego stroked. In fact, I hoped he made it in the NHL, because he deserved it above everyone else. He had drive, and that drive came from a passion that was the furthest thing from selfish.
Moving my gaze past my bed, I peered over at Theo once more. His brown hair was flopped over his forehead in the most adorable, messy way that somehow doubled as sexy. His jaw bone looked as sharp as a knife as his face was angled away from me, showing off his arched cheekbone with the tiniest little scar underneath his eye.
He truly was perfect.
There wasn’t a flaw to be had. Not a single one.
My heart caught a flame when I dropped my gaze to his lips, remembering how they had felt against mine. The thumping in my heart began to reach my lungs, and suddenly, I was breathing fast while looking at my roommate who was only using me to fend off the girls who were desperate to kiss him—like me, currently. And it wasn’t like I wasn’t getting anything in return. It felt so good to stand up to Chad, even if I wasn’t outright doing so. It felt too good.
I slowly pulled my ankle out from his grasp and began to move over him to escape my totally inappropriate thoughts. I thought of Chad’s insults to help ward off the feeling of being desired by Theo, because I knew it wasn’t real, even if Theo made me feel like it was. Even while asleep, with his arm clamped on my leg, I felt secure and wanted. I was blaming my curiosity of how else my roommate could make me feel—with his skilled hands, hard planes of muscle that flickered each time he moved his arms, and perfect lips—on the lack of physical satisfaction from my four-year boyfriend.
I gritted my teeth as I swung my leg over the side of Theo’s lifeless body, hoping the bed didn’t make too much of an indent as I slowly lowered my foot to the ground. Shit, my ankle. The pressure of the floor hit the bottom of my foot, and a breathy hiss left my mouth, but the pain quickly subsided as two strong hands gripped my hips. Theo’s eyes flickered, and he squinted at me before pulling me back down and flipping me to my side. One arm was under my head, and the other was draped over the dip of my torso. My ass was pressed firmly against the front of him, and I swallowed a gulp as his fingers splayed out against my belly, creeping underneath his jersey that he insisted I wear.
“Where do you think you’re going, Bryant?”
My heart rammed against my ribcage as I slowly brought my hand down and rested it over his. I suddenly felt like I was caught in a web with his arm pulling me closer, and I absolutely noticed the hard length pressing against my backside. Chills bubbled against my skin with anticipation in my gut, and when his thumb slowly skimmed over my skin, I knew he had noticed.
“We fell asleep,” I croaked, staying completely still because if I let myself move against him, I’d be in deep trouble.
“I know,” he answered, voice raspy and a little daring. “Boyfriends and girlfriends fall asleep together all the time. No big deal. Go back to sleep.”
I wanted to laugh to lighten the mood, but my words came out slow and forced. “We’re not boyfriend and girlfriend. Not when no one is watching, and I can’t go back to sleep. I have class.”
“Skip it.” Theo’s breath rushed over the sensitive skin against my neck. My sigh was breathy, and when he buried his face in my hair, I licked my lips. Oh, God. “I’m comfortable with you right where you are, Bryant. Stay.”
“I…” I cleared my throat, suddenly feeling panicked with the way my body was revving up with his hand on my stomach and his breath against my neck. “I can’t.”
“You can,” he protested, shifting behind me. I felt the slight curve of his hips as he tilted them, and I questioned if I was tricking myself with the feel of his length against my short shorts or if he was doing it on purpose.
His hand splayed out over my skin, and I knew he had to feel how quickly I was breathing by the rises and dips of my stomach. I was turned on, and I knew it was wrong on every level, yet for a slight moment in time, I wondered what it would be like to use him for more than just show.
The familiar twist in my lower belly that I’d felt at the party, with Theo slipping my jeans down my legs to help me make Chad jealous, began to curl, and I found myself arching my back and pressing myself into him. His fingers froze for a moment before one dipped under the hem of my shorts and swiped slowly over my skin, caressing me in a way that made me feel irresistible.
What are we doing?
I stayed unmoving but noticed the way heat snaked up my back and curved around my neck, locking me in a chokehold. Theo’s hips pressed into me again, and this time, I knew he meant to do it. My gulp was loud, and his breathing was even louder. I pressed back, craving his hard length against my body because it gave me the confidence that Chad had stolen from me.
Theo pushed his hand a little farther under my shorts, and if I didn’t have any self-control, I’d take my hand and edge him to the spot that I needed him to touch. I arched my back again, letting myself fall into a trap of desire and longing.
“Damn,” he rasped, suddenly inhaling deeply before he ripped his hand out of my shorts and pushed me flat onto my back. He climbed on top of me, his leg going in between mine as he stared down at me with his lustful green eyes and flushed neck.
“What are you doing?” I asked, keeping my hands down by my sides because I felt drunk and completely impulsive.
Theo zeroed in on my lips, and I got tingly all over. My breasts felt heavy, and the quickest thought zipped through that his mouth would feel really good on any part of my body.
“I can’t be held responsible for what I do with you looking at me like that while wearing my jersey.” He was still staring at my lips, and all rational thinking was going out the window the longer he hovered over me. “You look damn good in it, Bryant.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls who wear it,” I tried to joke again, but it came out hoarse.
There was a tight crease in between his brows, and he looked almost offended. “You’re the only one who has ever worn my jersey.”
“It’s just for show, though,” I reminded him and maybe even myself. “And no one is watching right now.”
Theo dipped his face low, and if I moved even a fraction, our lips would brush. With each breath that escaped his mouth, one of the tightly tied strings that was holding me together was beginning to unravel. “But what if they were?”
I flicked my eyes to his, and it felt like I was being fueled with passion. My lips parted, and the very second I threw caution to the wind, a knock sounded on the door, and I jumped underneath him, startling him at the same time.
“Claire! Let’s go. We’re gonna be late for class, and I brought you a coffee.” Taytum banged on the door, and the shock of what I was just about to do resonated the moment Theo pulled himself from me.
His arms hung down by his sides in the middle of the room as I jumped off his bed. “I’m coming!” I yelled back, half-limping over to my side of the room because of my stupid sore ankle. I quickly tore his jersey over my head and was left in nothing but my cotton bra and tiny sleep shorts. I refused to look back at Theo, though, because I was afraid to see the look in his eyes. So, instead, I pulled a sweater over my head, quickly shoved my shorts down, and pulled on leggings over my cheeky underwear.
I kept my back to him after I shoved my feet in my boots and headed for the door with my phone, books, and beanie in tow. “I’ll…um…see you later.”
The door was shut a moment later, and although Taytum looked at me with suspicion, I said nothing as I grabbed the hot coffee from her hand and downed it quickly in hopes that I’d burn the desire in my lower belly to ash in the process.
