Page 61 of Stroked by (Stroked)
“Awe, you really like me?” she responds in a teasing tone.
“All right.” I shake my head and get off her, looking for my shorts.
“Oh, come on, you’re going to be all sensitive now. Can’t take a little ribbing?”
“No, I can.” I look for my shorts and then run my hand through my hair. “I just need to go tell your roommate who your man is, and maybe break his dick off so he doesn’t walk around naked anymore.” I head to her bedroom door, knowing full well I won’t be talking to Jonathan but wanting a reaction out of her.
“What? No,” she shouts a little too loud. Jonathan calls out from the living room.
“What, sweetheart?”
I will tell you right now. I don’t fucking like him calling her sweetheart.
“Oh my God, hide.”
I don’t move.
“Reese, hide.”
She tries pushing me but I don’t budge.
“What are you doing? Hide.”
“Paisley, did you call for me?” His voice is nearing and panic sets in her face so I decide to ease the fear in her eyes.
Just before the door opens, I duck into her closet, hiding from Jonathan. From the crack of the door, I can see his tall, muscular frame. He’s not as defined as me, but he’s definitely got a strong body on him.
You know those horrible movies where the best friends don’t realize they’re meant for each other so they date other people until they realize they are meant to be, leaving the poor chumps left behind? I refuse to let that be me.
“What’s going on in here?” Jonathan asks.
Paisley immediately bends down and grips her calf, wincing. “Charlie horse. These things are a real bitch.”
Jonathan is silent and I can see him looking around her room. I’m actually kind of nervous that he might find me, dong out, squatting in Paisley’s closet. Not the best first impression.
“What the hell did you do in here last night? Your room is never this messy.”
“Um, restless night. Bellini has me all kinds of crazy.”
“I can understand that.” He looks at his watch and winces. “Shit, I have to get going. Your leg okay?”
“Yeah, sorry about startling you.”
“Not a problem, sweetheart.” He leans forward and presses a kiss against her cheek before taking off, making my inner Hulk want to bust through this closet and tear him limb from limb. “Catch you later. We should go out to dinner before you leave for Omaha. I’m going to miss you.”
“Sure. Text me later.”
“See ya, Pay.”
Oh what a fucking cute-ass nickname. Fucker.
The minute the door shuts, I’m out of the closet and closing in on Paisley. I pin her up against her wall and hold her hips in place as I speak sternly to her. “I don’t fucking like him.”
She laughs, and the sound that normally makes me sweat with need, grates on my nerves. “You didn’t even meet him.”
“I didn’t need to. He called you sweetheart. That doesn’t settle well with me, Paisley.”
She cocks her head to the side, studying me. “Are you being serious right now?”
