Her Wild Roommate (Her Sweet Seduction #1)

Chapter 1

Strips of midnight-blue velvet yank my cleavage so high I get a whiff of that new clothes smell. Not that you’d call these clothes; the lace barely covers anything, and the panties are so far up my butt I’ll be walking funny later. “I look ridiculous.”

“Emily.” Ally’s tone is scolding. She claps her palms on each cup as though muffling ears. “Don’t listen to her, girls.”

I roll my eyes and reach for the clasp. “I don’t need a push-up bra. Kyle’s never complained about the size of my boobs.”

“He also hasn’t given you an orgasm in months.” She slaps my hand away and clips the bra back together. “And since you refuse to kick him to the curb… I need to work my magic.”

Which involves picking lingerie with the least amount of fabric ever.

“It’s not like I haven’t actually orgasmed in months,” I argue.

Ally’s left eye twitches like it always does when she thinks I’m insane for staying with a guy who puts more effort into polishing his golf clubs than getting his girlfriend off.

She shakes her head. “Emily, Emily, Emily. Why are you keeping Kyle around if you’re doing the job yourself?”

“I’m not going to end it just because we’re going through a… weird phase.”

Kyle’s promotion means he travels more, so we spend less time together. It’s normal to be out of sync until we find a new routine.

This trip was longer than the others, so I’m hoping time apart has made the heart grow fonder, or something like that.

I tug on the straps of Ally’s magical new bra and stare longingly at the whitewashed dresser near my bed.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Ally waggles one finger in front of my nose, “and if you do it, I will burn every pair you own.”

I don’t get a chance to argue. The squeak of the front door opening and closing catches our attention.

“Let’s see what Liam thinks. He’s a guy,” Ally says, a little too enthusiastically considering she isn’t the one practically naked.

“Liam and I maintain our friendship because I do not ask his opinion on lingerie.”

“What’s the point of a BFF with a cock if he doesn’t offer insight into the male psyche?”

I arch an eyebrow at the clang of clothes hangers as she rifles through my wardrobe. “He doesn’t try to wear my clothes.”

Ally flutters her eyelashes at me as she picks out a black pencil skirt and matching jacket. She holds it up to her chest and examines her reflection. “Too professional?”

“Think a suit will help you sell more sex toys?”

Ally’s grin turns salacious as she plays with the buttons on the jacket. “If I forget to wear the shirt.”

I roll my eyes but can’t stop the grin. She was born to be an adult toy store owner.

“Honey, I’m home,” Liam calls from down the hall.

The domesticity of his entrance loosens the anxiety knotting my insides. Liam and I have been neighbors since we were born, friends as soon as we could talk, and roommates once we realized adulting was a lot more fun with the other around.

But there are certain lines we don’t cross… like seeing each other naked. I look down at my barely covered nipples in a panic. “Where’s my dress?”

His heavy footsteps start toward my room.

Ally dangles the fabric between two fingers, a devious smile on her face.

The door swings open before I can lunge for the dress. Liam bursts into the room and jolts to a sudden stop. His eyes widen and focus on lace.

I suck in a breath and stiffen, feeling more exposed in Ally’s magic lace than if I’d been naked, because it’s obvious I’m not wearing this for comfort.

“Fuck, Em.” Liam slams a palm to his face and covers those sea-green eyes that have been making girls weak in the knees since he filled out at fourteen years old.

Except for mine.

Growing up and seeing every side of Liam, including the stinky booger version, meant my knees were perfectly stable.

“I can see you peeking,” Ally snickers.

Heat tightens my skin and my nipples. Shit.

Liam bites his bottom lip and grins. Scissoring his fingers, he peeks between them. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, anyway.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Running around in our diapers doesn’t count.”

I glare at Ally, and she hands over my dress with a wink.

“What do you think?” Ally asks Liam, not fazed at the pink dotting my cheeks.

Liam drops his hand and scans my body, his grin huge. “Very nice. I approve of the color.”

Blue is Liam’s favorite color. Kyle’s too… I think.

Ally’s look says I told you so.

I ignore her and shove my arms into the lime-green sundress, letting it slide down my body, covering my nakedness and settling on my hips.

“Thanks for the warning, by the way.” Liam rests his shoulder against the doorframe—arms folded over his chest, watching me. “I have a date tonight, and greeting her with a hard-on is not how I planned on starting it.”

He tries to look annoyed, but his lips twitch, holding back a smile.

Liam’s dirty mouth doesn’t make me blush often, but the heat pulsing beneath my skin at his comment is fierce.

“And this is date number what this week?” Ally asks, her tone playful.

Liam drags his gaze from me to Ally, a flirty smile taking over his face. “A gentleman never tells.”

Liam and I are opposites when it comes to relationships. He wants carefree, and I crave commitment. That is one of the reasons we are such great friends—there is no chance of us getting together.

An odd feeling tightens in my chest, but I ignore it. Tucking my blue-painted toes into a pair of summer flats, I head toward the door and grab my bag. “I have to leave.”

Kyle’s plane arrives in an hour.

“And I’m off to work.” Ally points to Liam’s crotch. “You better take a cold shower before your date, and you…” she gives me a pointed stare, “better not let Kyle fall asleep until he makes your toes curl.”

I salute her as she walks out.

Liam’s eyes are focused on my chest. He gives me a coy smile when I catch him staring, then winks before walking down the hall to the bathroom.

I press my lips together to hold back the smile.

Maybe I don’t look ridiculous after all.