“Ican’t believe you’re doing this,” my roommate whines.
“Come on, Clem. It’s not like you thought we’d live together forever.”
“Um, it’s exactly that. What happened to being two old biddies who smoke too much weed and can’t find their teeth?”
I laugh. “Gotta grow up some time, I guess.”
“Are you sure you’re not doing it to show Gabe how okay you are with him having a kid?”
“Will you keep your voice down,” I hiss. “Mace is just in the bedroom, and you know how sound travels in this apartment.”
“Oh, I know.” She mocks, “Oh Mace. I fucking love your big cock and piercings. Give it to me, harder. Oh, Mace. Yes, right there.”
“I’m flattered, Clem, I really am,” Mace says, leaning against the doorjamb. “But I’m into monogamy now.”
Jesus. How much of that did he hear?
“Besides, I think Tommy would be spewin’.”
“Ew.”
Clem makes a pffting sound. “Would all of you stop trying to make Tommy and I a thing? It’s never going to happen.”
“You don’t actually believe that, do you?” Mace asks.
“Of course I do. If I wanted Tommy, I would’ve jumped on that dick years ago.” Clem waves me away. “But enough about D. What the hell am I gonna do without you, Lo? Whose cookie am I gonna eat when I want a midnight snack?”
My eyes bug out of my head, and a flash of pink steals across my cheeks. Clem and I are close, but we’ve never beenthatclose. I glance at Mace, whose eyes have practically glazed over. Iplayfully wipe the corner of his mouth. “Honey, I think you have a little drool.”
“Wait, you guys do that?”
I frown. “No. We don’t do that. She’s goading you.”
Clem shrugs. “I coulda done that.”
“No. You couldn’t. At least not with me.”
“You know your girlfriend’s really a prude,” Clem says to Mace. “Maybe you should just move on and leave her here with me.”
Mace waggles his brows at Clem and snaps his gum. “Nice try.”
Tommy comes in from outside, wiping sweat from his forehead, despite the late afternoon chill. “Truck’s all packed. You fuckers need to stop moving. I’m sick of hauling your shit all over Venice.”
Mace’s second story walk-up is bright, airy, and surprisingly clean. Every night we’ve spent together has been at my apartment and it never even occurred to me to check it out before I moved in. Maybe Clem was right, and wedidrush into this.
Now, it’s late, and I’m in the tiny kitchenette unpacking when Mace struts from the bathroom, wearing only a towel, water curling his hair at the nape of his neck, and droplets beading his arms and chest.
“Whoa, the kitchen is a no clothing zone?”
“It is in this house.” Mace moves behind me and takes the vase from my hands. He sets it on top of the fridge, and I turn and lean against the counter as I watch him with a brow raised. “You’re breaking the rules.”
“The rules? I wasn’t aware the most laid-back Aussie on the planet had house rules.”
“Well, I do.” He steps closer, penning me in with his arms against the counter on either side of my body. I lick my lips, inhaling the masculine scent of his soap. Mace pops the button of my high waisted denim shorts and unzips my fly. With one hard yank, he pulls them off my hips, and they pool on the floor around my feet. “You’re new here, so I won’t punish you ... this time. But let this be a warnin’ to ya.”
“Yes, sir.” I lean against the kitchen counter in nothing but my crop top and a whisper-thin lace thong.
Mace drops his mouth to my neck and kisses a hot, wet line to where my shoulder and collarbone meet. I let my mouth fall open and angle my head to give him better access. His hand slides beneath my tee and cups my breast. Squeezing hard, he rakes his blunt fingernails over my nipple. I gasp and push my hips closer, feeling him lengthen against my belly. I slip a hand beneath his towel and take him in my fist, careful of his piercings. Mace pulls back a little to watch us.