“But…” She blinks at me, chewing on her bottom lip and making me want to make it my own. “Which bedroom?”
“Do we have to define it?”
“I guess not.”
“We can both just live here, and the rest we can make up as we go along.”
Her eyes bore into mine with an intensity I’m not used to. She wants to know why, why I’m so closed off to the idea of a future, of committing to anything.
“I was engaged.” The words tumble from my lips without permission and she stills in my arms, sucking in a surprised breath. “We were young, we’d been together since we were fourteen. She was my best friend, my first, my everything.
“We’d lived together all through uni. Our families thought it was a bad idea, but we were determined. It was… everything. Every day I fell in love with her more and more. Everyone thought we’d grow apart, but we never did.
“I’d been saving my arse off so that we could put a deposit down on a flat on the outskirts of the city. It was in a really shitty area, the flat was tiny, but I didn’t care. I just wanted us to be together, and thankfully my gramps helped to make it a possibility.
“I’d bought an engagement ring, and on our last day at uni, I took her to the flat and proposed. She didn’t see it coming at all. It was priceless.” I can’t help smiling as I think of that day, of the happiness I felt at knowing she was finally going to be mine.
Kas must see my face change, because she reaches out and cups my cheek, her thumb gently caressing my stubbled jaw.
“We never moved in.” Kas gasps, probably thinking that she died. Over the years, I wondered if it would be easier to deal with if she had. “She started an internship the following week, met some guy, and within six weeks she told me that she no longer loved me and walked away from everything we had.”
“Oh my God.” Kas’ hand lifts to cover her mouth. “Spike, shit.”
“I was left with a flat I couldn’t afford alone, and an engagement ring that was worth fuck all to pawn.”
“And a broken heart,” she whispers.
The ache in my chest I’m all too familiar with pulls tightly, making my breathing falter.
“Broken doesn’t even begin to describe it.”
“Jesus, Spike.” Leaning forward, she captures my lips with her own and kisses me so sweetly that it helps to release the pull in my chest, replacing it with a much scarier sensation.
We’re both breathless when she pulls back, her eyes dark with dirty intentions.
“I’d love to be your housemate if you want me. No labels, just… us.”
A smile twitches at my lips as I look down at her.
“That sounds pretty perfect to me.”
“There’s just one problem,” she says with a wince.
“Yeah?”
“Zach.”
“I’ll talk to Zach.”
“And tell him what? That we’re some weird mash-up between housemates and friends with benefits?” The colour drains from my face at the thought. How the hell am I meant to explain this to someone else if we don’t even know what it is?
“I’ll figure something out. In the meantime, stop distracting me from the incredible pancakes my girl made me.” I push her up from my lap and grab my fork.
I stuff a syrup-covered slice of pancake into my mouth and look up at her when I realise she hasn’t returned to her seat.
“What?” I mumble around the food.
“You called me your girl.”
“I did, didn’t I?” Weirdly, I don’t feel the panic I thought I would at that slip.
“Yeah. I liked it.”
“Good. Now eat. I’ve got plans for you later.”
Once we’ve finished, I reluctantly drag on my gym clothes and throw my duffle over my shoulder, ready to set off.
“Sure I can’t convince you to join me?” I ask, stopping in the doorway to Kas’ room where she’s rummaging through her drawers to find something to wear.
“At the gym? No fucking chance. You’re all the workout I need.” She wiggles her thong-clad arse at me, and I groan.
“Is your friend coming?”
“Jodie? Yeah. She’s on her way now.”
“Okay, well, have fun.”
“Spike,” she calls, running after me as I head for the door. “Don’t you dare leave like that.”
“Like what?”
“Without this.” She launches herself at me, forcing me to drop my bag so I can catch her instead.
Her lips slam down on mine and she kisses me until I almost forget about my trip to the gym and just take her back to my bed instead.
“Okay, you can go now,” she says with a wink as I let her slide down my body.
Her eyes drop to where my cock is now tenting my sweats. “It’s an all-male gym, right?”
“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Tiny.”
“Good, because that’s mine, and I’d appreciate every other hussy who wants a taste to know that.”
“Jesus, Kas. I may as well just hand my balls over now.”
“I think I’d prefer them exactly where they are.”
Chuckling at her, I pull the front door open and head out.
25
Kas
“What happened?” I ask the second I open the door to find my best friend standing on the other side with a black eye and cut lip.
“Ugh,” she says with a roll of her eyes as she pushes past me and into the room. “Some arsehole decided to jump me last night. It’s nothing, it barely hurts.”
“It looks sore as fuck. Have you iced it?”
“It’ll be fine. It’s not my first, and I doubt it’ll be my last.”
“Sit your arse down. I’m sure Spike’s got peas or something we can use.”
I rummage around his freezer and I do find the standard bag of peas crushed at the back. I bash them against the counter to loosen them up a little, making Jodie complain before I wrap a towel around them and pass them to her.
“Thanks,” she mutters sarcastically, taking them
