Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 47107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47107 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 236(@200wpm)___ 188(@250wpm)___ 157(@300wpm)
Bren and Aspen were talking about someone I didn’t know when Zeke glided over.
“Ladies.” He gave everyone a smooth smile. “You called, my new roommate?”
I frowned. “I did?”
“Your look. It said, ‘help me.’” His smile grew. “I’m helping. Whatcha need?” He looked at my drink, and an eyebrow rose. “Another drink maybe?”
“What?” I was mortified, thinking Aspen and Bren would think I needed his help to get away from them. I didn’t. I didn’t know what I was doing, but his other question threw me, and I looked down. I didn’t even know what I was drinking. I hadn’t had a sip of it.
“Come on. Let’s go.” He reached for me, taking the cup first and handing it to Bren.
She gave him a look. “Excuse me?”
He only smiled. “You don’t have a drink. Take it. You can loosen up a little.”
Oh, boy. Bren beat people up for a living. I did not want to mess with her, and when her mouth dropped before she started to get all scarily calm-looking, I darted forward, grabbing Zeke’s hand. “Uh. Yeah. Maybe… yeah. Another drink?” I shoved him forward, smiling uneasily over my shoulder at Bren and Aspen behind me. Though, Aspen had her head in her hand and her shoulders were shaking so I didn’t think it was as bad of a situation as I thought.
Zeke let me push him a few more feet ahead before he switched places. He began guiding me forward, his arm around me. He bent forward, his mouth teasing my ear. “You’ve not been around, but you’ll find out that I enjoy pissing Monroe off. It’s our thing. She’ll get all worked up, threaten me, and nothing will happen. Or if something does happen, it’s usually between Blaisie and her man.”
“You mean Blaise and his brother?”
“Course.” He was a little smug as he was maneuvering us past the kitchen, past the other room where a bar was set up, and down the back hall into his primary bedroom.
A couple was kissing on the bed.
Zeke ordered, “Out. Now.”
“What?”
The woman scrambled up, hurrying out with the guy moving slower.
Zeke’s smile was polite as he said, “Have a nice time, just not in here.” The guy threw him a glare, but Zeke dropped the act, letting him see a hardness in him, and the guy hurried out. Zeke glanced my way. “Sorry. I’m all for people enjoying themselves, but one of the rules of partying, you don’t take shit when you want shit to happen.”
“I know how to handle drunk people.”
Zeke was shutting the door, locking it before he looked back, another eyebrow raising up. “I’m sure you do.”
“Those people weren’t drunk.”
“True, but sometimes I like being a dick to people who deserve it. Those two people, they deserved it.” He went to a bar that he had in his own room and poured me a drink. “Blaise informed me that maybe I shouldn’t have thrown a roommate-warming party on your first night here. Was he right?”
I opened my mouth to tell him no, of course Blaise wasn’t right, of course I’d love any party Zeke would throw at his own house, and then realized this was now my home too. Or where I’d be living until something changed, and I relaxed, maybe for the first time since our quickie in my bedroom. I took the glass he handed and went over to his patio door. He had his own sitting area. It was connected to the rest of the backyard, but it was behind a corner. Unless people wandered all the way over to a far corner of the yard, no one would know we were outside.
I opened the door, hearing the sounds of the party already muted from our little area and sat down on one of the lounge chairs. “Is this a party where I need to lock my room?”
Everything I owned was upstairs, still in boxes.
Zeke shook his head. “I went up and locked your door when people started arriving. Most will stick to the basement, main floor, outside, and garage. I’ve had parties before. Not many venture upstairs, and if they do, usually they see the cameras I have in place.”
“You have cameras?”
“Security. I meant to tell you, but we just haven’t gotten around to it. It’s in the main rooms and hallways. There’s none in the bedrooms or bathrooms.”
“Good to know.”
He was studying me again. Some of the party-Zeke was fading, and I was getting some of my Zeke. He said softly, “I can turn them off when you’re here. Turn them on at night or when we’re gone, if you want. I’ll give you the controls so you can do it yourself, if you want. I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. With the size of the house and because I travel a lot, it seemed smart to have them installed.”