Chapter 2

A part of me dies of embarrassment right then and there. I want to say, Yes, I’m fine, just really fucking horny, and the reason I’m flushed is because I just fucked myself while watching you through a pair of binoculars like a fucking insane person! Instead of opting for brutal honesty, I say, “I’m fine, just a bit nervous I guess.” “Nervous about what?” “Well, I need to ask you something, and I don’t want you to say no.” He gives me a sweet smile that makes me forget everything else for a few seconds. God, his green eyes are gorgeous. They’re almond shaped with dark lashes and the green is so vibrant that it takes my breath away every time I look into them. This time he does laugh. “Just say it, Nora. You know I could never say no to you about anything.” That makes me smile, and I move my body so I’m facing him better. “I saw that you have a room for rent.” His eyes widen a bit when he realizes where this is going. I hold my hand up to stop any excuses that might come out of his beautiful mouth. “You know I’m starting the university in the fall, and your house is so much closer. Plus, I’ve been saving for the last year, so I can easily afford the rent you’re asking.” When he doesn’t immediately say anything, I put my hands together and try flat-out begging. “Please, Ethan. I’ll be the perfect roommate. I promise. Please!” He sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “And what do you think your parents will say about this?” I roll my eyes and bring my hands back to my thighs. “They’ll probably say that a 30-minute drive to class isn’t that big of a deal, but it is! Your house is so close that I can walk or bike to class. Think of the environment, Ethan. This is really the right thing to do if you think about it.” He smiles at my logic, but says, “I don’t know, Nora. I was kind of planning on renting to a grad student and preferably a guy just to avoid any awkward situations.” “Well, yeah, that makes sense, but it’s me. You’ve known me my whole life, so you don’t have to worry about it being awkward. Plus, who better to look out for me than you?” I give him a sweet smile of my own and watch his resolve start to crumble. “Do you at least want to see the room? You may not even like it.” I give an excited clap and stand up. He laughs and leads me down the hall. I’ve been in his house a million times, but I’ve never just wandered through his rooms. Although, I’ve been tempted on many occasions to sneak a quick peek into his bedroom. He leads me to the spare room, and I’m downright giddy when I realize the room right to the left of it must be his bedroom because the other room is his home gym, and the door right across the hall is the bathroom. Opening the door, he flicks the lights on, and I’m thrilled to see it’s furnished. There’s a queen-sized bed, a chest of drawers, and there’s even a small desk in the corner. “It’s perfect,” I say to him before I’ve even taken a step into the room. He laughs and waves for me to follow him in. “It’s pretty plain, but I imagine you can spruce it up a bit.” When he sees my excited grin, he adds, “if you move in, that is.” “Oh, come on, it’ll be perfect!” I practically beg. “We already know each other, so you won’t have to worry about ending up with some weirdo, and I swear I’ll pay my rent on time.” He grins at me and watches as I flop down onto the bed. I smile when I see his eyes drift to where my shirt has slid up, revealing several inches of stomach to him. I think about spreading my legs, but I don’t want to scare him off, so I resist. I’ll have plenty of time to lure him in once I’m living here. When he brings his eyes back to mine, I’m surprised by the heat I see in them. I’m beginning to question whether or not I should just spread my legs when he scrubs a hand over his face and abruptly turns away. I get up quickly and follow him out of the room. “Is everything okay?” He grabs a bottle of water out of the fridge and when he offers me one, I shake my head no and watch as he guzzles it down. I bite my lip to keep from running my tongue along his neck and wait for him to finish. “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” he finally says. “Why?” He gives a heavy sigh before running a hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Maybe living with my best friend’s 18-year-old daughter isn’t the best idea.” “Well, I think it’s a great idea.” He gives me a soft smile. “Okay, then. Let’s go talk to your parents. If they agree to it, then I’ll help you move in tonight.” “Wait, what?” My mind races as I try to come up with some way to avoid this. I have no idea what my parents will think about this, but I know if they say no, then there’s no way in hell Ethan will let me move in. “Come on,” he says, grabbing onto my hand and pulling me toward the door. “You can drive us over there.” A sense of absolute dread rushes over me when I remember the binoculars I left in the front seat.