ROMANCE: MC BIKER ROMANCE: CARSON (MC Biker Romance)(Bad Boy Motorcycle Club Romance) (Contemporary Military Romantic Suspense Thriller) (52 page)

Chapter 2

Rocco

“I haven’t heard much. Just that she is a marine biology major. I think that is all any of us need to know.”

“Come on, she could be hot.”

I just gave him a look. I had never met one that was and since I had banged most of the girls on campus, I was pretty sure I was an authority on it. “Trust me, she won’t be.”

“I don’t like the idea of a chick living here again. You remember Jessica?”

We both cringed. She was the roommate that had just left and the one that the new girl was going to replace. “Yeah I remember her. We are both broke because of having to pay her part of the rent. We need a third and this chick was the only one looking on the boards, so we will just have to make it work.”

“It’s going to be hard to deal with some ugly chick walking around here.”

I just sighed. “It won’t be much different than the girls you have being bringing back here the last couple of weeks. I am going to start cutting you off if you are too drunk anymore.”

He waved me off. “You don’t need to worry about me. Jessica left because you couldn’t keep your junk in your pants. You can have anyone you want, just not the roommates. Seriously Rocco. I want to have beer money this month, so no scaring this chick off.”

“What’s her name again?”

Carl just shrugged. “Does it really matter?”

It didn’t matter to me, but I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty about Jessica. I had tried to keep away from her and it hadn’t been that hard, but then I had woken up from a hangover and needed some. She was there and looking all roused from bed. I couldn’t help myself.

I went back to look at the letter. I was pretty sure that she was supposed to be there later that day. “Her name is Nicole.”

Carl still didn’t care, but I couldn’t help but wonder if she was going to be another Jessica.

We both looked at each other over the dining table when we heard the doorbell. It had to be her, all of our friends knew just to knock or come in. There was nothing hanging on the door at the minute, so the house had always been opened without it.

Carl was going to get up, but I stopped him. He never made the best first impressions and if she was ugly like we figured she would be, it was best if I went. I had a better poker face. Then at least he wouldn’t piss her off when she first gets here. When I opened the door, I was not expecting the little petite blonde that was in front of me. She was more than a little cute and for a second I thought she wasn’t the roommate. But I had never seen her before. I would have remembered her.

“Hi, I’m Nicole. I am supposed to move in today.”

I just stared at her for a minute and I knew that I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help her. Her long blonde hair was falling all over her shoulders and her chest heaved as she was a little out of breath. Color rose to her cheeks as I looked at her. Did she know how hot she was?

There was no makeup on her face and she looked at me with a little concern of my mental wellbeing. There was no guile in her eyes or a knowing look that I was used to.

“Am I at the wrong house?”

She pulled a sheet of paper out of her pocket and I shook my head, finally able to get it together enough to give an answer at all. “No, this is the right place. I am sorry. Come in please. I was just not expecting you to be so…”

“So what?”

I just shrugged, knowing that I was about to put my foot in my mouth. I didn’t want to tell her about the conversation I had just being having with her other roommate, guessing how hideous she was going to be. It was comical now and I was at a loss of words.

“Let me introduce you to the other roommate. We have lived here for several years now together.”

“So you run the other ones away?”

I chuckled. She was going to be interesting. “Carl. Our new roommate is here.”

Carl’s face showed the surprise that I had felt when I first saw her. When I saw him start to give her that smile, I had to laugh a little to myself. He had been lecturing me just a few minutes before about Jessica and there he was drooling over the new girl.

She didn’t seem fazed, but had the same concerned look that we may both be idiots. Sticking her hand out, Carl took a moment to move. It made me feel a little better that I wasn’t the only one. “Nice to meet you Carl. I am Nicole, but you can call me Nikki if you want.”

Turning to me, she asked my name and I heard myself telling her. I was lost in her blue eyes and she looked away. “Well nice to meet you both. Would you like to show me which room is mine?”

I nodded my head. I may very well be an idiot. “Yeah come on.”

Carl and I had close to a tug of war with her bags and she was walking ahead of us to the hallway. Nicole waited for us to get there and then Carl pulled ahead to open the door. I don’t know what was going through my head, but I wanted to be the one. Me and Carl had never competed for anything, especially not a girl, but she was different. I wanted her bad.

“You can paint it however you like. I will help you out if you decide to. The last roommate was kind of strange and she really liked black.”

I could tell that Nicole was less than impressed. I suddenly wished that I had gone through a little more trouble to clean the place up. I was just so happy to get Jessica and her tension out of the house that I just gave over the deposit without really checking anything. She had left the walls black and it was dark in the small room.

Nicole went to the window and yanked the dark sheet off of the window. She smiled to herself and then to me. “It’s a nice view. I will be painting. I couldn’t imagine such a dark color.”

I just nodded my head, back to being an idiot. “Just let me know when.”

“Sorry?”

“When you are ready to paint. I don’t mind helping. Just let me know when.”

Nicole nodded and thanked me. Moving to the bed, she sat down on it and the sound of the springs reminded me of the last time I was in the bed.

“Thanks. I have been traveling for a while and I think I am going to settle in.”

“Yeah sure. I will leave the agreement and the key on the bed. If you need anything, anything at all…”

She nodded that she understood. I was leaving the room and shutting the door before I realized I had been kindly dismissed. I didn’t blame her. She probably thought I was an idiot the way I was acting. Carl just looked at me and I just shook my head. I prided myself on the chase and always having the upper hand, but I didn’t feel so confident right then.

“Chick has you all out of sorts. I think I already like her.”

I pushed him away, not wanting to hear it. I couldn’t deny it though. I wasn’t feeling myself around her and I wasn’t used to feeling this way.

Chapter 3

Nicole

Sinking down into the bed, I tried not to think about the germs in a room like that. It was painted black. That couldn’t be normal. The little quaint town didn’t seem right with a black room in it. The color was going to have to change, but I didn’t want to think about anything else. All I could think about was getting some sleep. I was even too tired to do much more than slide my clothes off and cover up with a blanket from my duffel bag. The mattress was soft and I was finally able to get some sleep.

When I woke up it was dark outside and there was loud noises from out in the living room. I wasn’t ready to deal with the guys, so I decided I would take a shower first to wake up. I threw on a T shirt and moved towards the bathroom right down the hallway.

I wasn’t expecting the noise to get so much louder as I opened the door. It had held back a lot of the noise and then I saw all of the people. There could have been at least fifteen people dancing, drinking and having a good old time. A few saw me coming out and I felt eyes on my bared thighs. Rocco seen me and I couldn’t let him know that I was that disconcerted. I didn’t want them to think me a prude, so I just kept going, weaving my way through a couple of people and was more than relieved to see the bathroom empty.

Closing it and leaning back against the door. It was going to be a lot more different than my last place. Those guys were slobs and obviously didn’t have much concern about their new roommate. I missed Annie. After I got out, I gave her a call and tried to downplay the drama. The party was raging throughout the house, but instead of meeting all the drunkards, I decided to hide out in my room and try to make it livable. Having Annie on the phone just made it a little bit better, but I was already ready to leave.

I couldn’t though. I didn’t have any more money to go running around. The school had already gotten all of my loan money. It was a done deal and I was just going to have to learn how to get used to them. Carl and Rocco were the typical college jocks and I was going to have to get used to parties. The only good thing out of it all was the door seemed to keep most of the craziness out of my little sanctuary.

***

The next morning I was surprised to see the house almost clean. It wasn’t near as bad as I thought it was going to be. I made sure I was dressed all the way, learning my lesson with the last time I had ventured out without my shorts on. I was just so used to living with Annie.

I stopped in the doorway to the kitchen. Rocco was standing in front of the refrigerator in his boxers. It was becoming clear that he had forgotten that there was a woman in the house now. I couldn’t help but check out his hard body, rippled and tanned. His arms were huge and his bum was round and itching to be grabbed. Feeling my heat start to rise in my face, I accidently leaned too far on the table and knocked a glass off.

He turned around suddenly and I was left standing there, looking ridiculous. “Hey are you okay?”

I nodded that I was. He came towards me and helped pick some of the pieces up off the floor. “Where is your broom?”

“We don’t have one.”

“You don’t have a broom?”

He shrugged and I couldn’t believe it. What kind of place didn’t have a broom? “So how do you clean?”

“I don’t.”

I sighed and stopped the conversation. There was really no sense in arguing with him. It was like I was in the twilight zone or something. I was already making a list in my head and I figured I would add a broom to the ever-growing list. I was going to be broke and that just reminded me that I was going to have to find a job as well. My list kept growing.

“Thanks for the help.”

He kind of smiled at me, leaning in enough that I sat way back from him. Rocco apparently didn’t understand personal space and I was very aware of that as he stood over me. “Any time.”

I just kind of nodded at him and swallowed the lump in my throat. I wasn’t prepared to see him every morning, especially not if he was going to be standing around like that. It was impossible not to like the way he smelled and the warmth that emanated off of him was nice. I caught myself from leaning in to feel his touch. The man was intoxicating and he knew it. That was a dangerous mixture that I wasn’t ready to get involved in. Men like Rocco were heartbreakers.

As if on cue, a barely clad woman walked in and kissed him on the cheek. Rocco seemed to remember that he had a guest over, but he didn’t bother to introduce her to me. I didn’t know if that was because she wasn’t going to be there long or I wasn’t. Either way was a good guess.

I got out of the kitchen and went to change before heading out for some beach time. School was starting in a couple of days and I wanted to get some beach time in before I had to go back to classes. I had four years of it to go and I figured a few days off was needed.

I had heeded Annie’s advice and not took that aquarium with me and I was glad I hadn’t. It was already awkward to meet them and lugging around a glass box with creatures inside would have made it even worse. Though I couldn’t help but think that he would have at least had somewhere else to look. Carl was just as bad, but I didn’t mind it for some reason. Rocco made my body tingle and slightly tremble, so it was hard not to notice him. At least that is what I told myself.

Getting back out of my room after getting dressed, it wasn’t long before I was out of the house and on my way towards the sea spray. It was half of the reason that I picked that college. It was all about location. I tried to forget about everything else on my walk. The little quaint town was more than it first appeared. I wasn’t sure how well I was going to fit in there, but it almost didn’t matter when I got in the water. Even if everything there went to hell, at least I would have the beach to go to. The water wouldn’t be getting cold for several months, so it was just going to be there waiting for me. It was a good feeling to have and it helped me forget about the guys at the house.

A man like Rocco had a way of sidetracking a woman and I was trying not to be that women, knowing that there would be nothing but pain in that endeavor if I made that mistake.

Chapter 4

Rocco

“What do you think of the new girl?”

I just shook my head. Carl knew what I thought, much because he was thinking the same thing. Nicole was hotter than Jessica had been, though Jessica had been far more willing to do what was asked of her. I didn’t see Nicole just giving in like Jessica had. Nicole was the type of girl that had to be worked for. I had seen her hesitation and beyond that, her fight with her own need and it gave me hope. She may have been a little prudish, but it really didn’t matter. Things have a way of changing.

“She’s hot and not giving it up.”

Carl laughed and shook his head in agreement. “Yeah I got that vibe too. You don’t think she is a lesbian, do you?”

All I could do was look down. Carl must have got his feelings hurt to be going there. “Wouldn’t give you the time of day, huh?”

Carl’s soured face gave me my answer and it made me laugh. Whatever happened, Nicole was already livening up the place. “Have you had any better luck?”

I hadn’t and I didn’t like the way he smiled about it. I guess we were both not the studs that we thought we were. For me it was hard to take that. I never had trouble getting the girl. It was kind of what I did. But now all of that suaveness doesn’t seem to matter one way or another on a girl like Nicole. For a second I had thought that she had wanted me too, saw distant need in her eyes, but it was gone the next time I looked at her and there was certainly nothing that came of it.

“No luck. I don’t think she is lesbian, just shy or maybe one of those good girls.”

“And you can’t wait to make her bad. Is that it?”

I couldn’t help the smile on my face. It was our last year and Carl knew me too well. Both of us played football together and though it wouldn’t go much further than some college ball, it had made me a legend in our small college town. That made women an easy task most of the time. I had met a few good girls in my town and I had found out that they were usually the freaky ones. It was all a matter of getting them to be a little naughty for me. I liked the idea of seeing Nicole make the change, my mind never thinking that it wouldn’t happen.

“Yes. Nicole can definitely be bad and what better position to have front row seats?”

Carl shook his head. There was no need to make the bet, it was already silently made. He wanted her too and though I was assured that I would have her, I still didn’t like the idea of her choosing him instead. The fact that he was thinking she was of the female persuasion, told me that he hadn’t had any more luck than I had.

“Where is she at anyways?”

Carl was of no help. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen her since last night when she came out in a night shirt. That was hot.”

I was the one that couldn’t speak. It had been a moment I would remember for a time, the way she looked at me was enough to make any man’s blood boil.

“I don’t know. I know she is going to be a hard roommate to have.”

***

Carl and I were putting together a project that we had been working on. The shelves in the kitchen were falling apart and since Nicole had made a comment about them falling, we decided to get it done while she was out. A show of good faith in a way.

We didn’t notice the door opening or Nicole when she came through. I just caught a bit of the back of her as she walked back to her room. It was obvious that she had been swimming. Her hair was damp, making her white shirt see through. What I wouldn’t have given to have seen the front of her. But she was gone and Carl was nudging me to grab the other side of the board to put up.

Turning back to what we were doing, I tried to shake the feeling that she left. It wasn’t long before we had the last shelf replaced and was sitting down to drink a beer. She finally came back out of her room and she had just thrown on some dry clothes. Nicole was leaving and I asked her where she was going. “Just down to find some paint. That wall is depressing and I wanted to get it painted before classes started.”

“Do you want some help? I can give you a ride over there if you want. It’s about a mile and that’s going to be a long walk with a couple gallons of paint.”

She bit her lower lip and looked at me as if I may be a trap. “Sure. I would appreciate that. I am worn out from the surf. It’s a lot different than pools.”

I just nodded and smiled. Carl had missed out and I wasn’t going to offer to give him a chance to go too. I wanted some time with Nicole alone. I wanted to see how much of a good girl she really was.

Getting in the truck, I had a bit of a buzz, but the hardware store wasn’t far down the road. She didn’t say much and every time I tried to make a move at get closer, she just sidestepped it without even acknowledging it. I didn’t know what that meant or what I was supposed to do. The truck was far too big and she was on the other side away from me by the time we got there.

I followed her in and we talked a little bit. She wanted to know what I did there. I don’t work and most of the time I was in training for one sport or another. I would have played them all if the seasons didn’t clash sometimes. It was about all I did, train, play, repeat. If I was honest it didn’t sound so great when I was saying it out loud to someone else, but I was going to miss it. With only one last season of ball and then graduation. I knew that I was going to miss those days more than any other time so far.

“I never got into sports like that. They are so physical.”

I just nodded my head. Of course she wouldn’t like sports. It was like everything that gave me the shoe in with other women, didn’t mean much of anything to her. I was not getting any closer to finding out how good she was. She was good enough that Nicole didn’t seem to be fazed by me at all. I had thought I had saw something in her eyes once or twice, but now I was questioning everything. Maybe I was just seeing what I wanted to see.

Helping her take the paint in and offering to help her, she just nodded and told me that she had it. I was trying to be helpful, but once again, she had politely dismissed me. That woman was going to drive me mad.