Chapter 2
A week later, the sound of the front door opening woke her up. Kara groaned in frustration and rolled over, the bright sunshine hurting her eyes.
“Kara!”
She brought down the pillow over her head, drowning out the racket that Megan, her roommate, was already making in the living room. It was customary for her to shut all the drawers and doors with a force that caused unnecessary damage and it hadn’t gotten lesser in the past three years. So she had given up hope.
“Kara, wake up!”
The shout was accompanied with a resounding crash that told her the cabinet in the kitchen was going to be missing a door this weekend. It was followed by a string of curses and swearing. Knowing that she wasn’t going to be able to sleep after that, Kara dragged her feet to the floor and pushed herself off the bed. She loved and loathed Saturday mornings. On the upside, she got to sleep for exactly an hour and a half more, but on the downside, she had to wake up to Megan screaming her lungs off right after her morning run.
“Hey, sleepyhead.“, the said devil waltzed in, blowing a kiss in Kara’s direction, without so much as a pause. That was Megan, she couldn’t keep still for more than a second, she had to keep moving, inspite of Kara’s warnings of it being an unhealthy compulsion. Humming an off key tune, she pulled out clothes from the wardrobe that she and Kara shared, along with her Rapunzel themed towel.
“What is it?“, Kara yawned sleepily, trying to keep her eyes focused on Megan who was swaying to unheard music, her curvy hips a sight to behold, if Kara had been into her.
“We’re having a guest for a few months.”
Kara paused in the action of laying back down on the bed and gathering the comforter around her once more.
“Excusemewhat?”
Megan shrugged without turning around. “My cousin needs a place to stay for a while and since I’m the only family in London right now, he asked me to help him out.”
Fully alert now, Kara went still. ”He?! Megan, what did you tell him?”
Her roommate went still, before turning around, a sheepish look on her face. “I told him yes?”
Kara’s mouth hung open, her eyes popping wide, the prospect of getting a bit of more sleep flying right out of the window. “Aren’t you supposed to consult me first?! How can we have a guy living with us?!”
Megan rolled her eyes and sashayed over to the bed, her sweaty tshirt clinging to her torso. “Kara, please. He has nowhere else to go! I mean he already is the black sheep in the family and it’s the least I could do to help.”
“That’s not the point-”
“Yeah, I know I should have asked you first, but he called me last night after you had slept off, and he was almost begging- something that he never does- and asked me if I could get him a place to stay for a few weeks. His landlady shut down the place, ’cause she’s leaving for Egypt, a world tour or something. Can’t we do this for him? Please?”
“Meg, this isn’t about helping out someone, alright? It’s about living with a guy we know nothing about!”
“But I do know him. Atleast, I did when we were little.“, Megan frowned and shook her head, “Come to think of it, he was an ass when we were kids-”
Kara slapped her arm.
“Ow!”
“Tell him you changed your mind!”
“What? No!”
Kara got out of bed and flung the pillow away. “I am not going to live with a stranger for any period of time.“, she stated flintily and glared at Megan.
“Kara, please! Come on. The guy needs help and it’s only for a while.”
“I said no.”
Megan sprang up and grabbed her arm, making her stop. “Babe, please. I swear I’ll make it up to you. Just give him a chance. Please please, please? I’ll even have Rae come and check him out.”
Kara scowled at her best friend and pulled away with a jerk.
“Fine. But if I don’t like anything, and I mean anything, he needs to leave. Alright?”
Megan beamed at her, leaning in and giving her a noisy kiss on the cheek. “Thanks, sexy.”
Kara couldn’t stop herself from smiling back. With a mock glare and a huff, she walked away toward the bathroom.
*******
Adam glanced at his watch, his eyes scanning the gate to the university where his little cousin, Megan was currently a student at. A wry smile formed on his lips. She must be perplexed, wondering why he was approaching her now, for help. It wasn’t his style. Never had been. But he was desperate and she had agreed to help him out.
Thanks, Dad.
He ran his fingers through his thick dark hair, the only giveaway that indicated a hint of nervousness in him. Megan had told him about a roommate. A female roommate. He wondered for the third time if she was also Megan’s girlfriend. His cousin hadn’t hesitated to announce to the family that she had different sexual preferences and he admired her for that. It took guts and she had it. Although he would never admit it, his feelings toward her, bordered on almost affectionate. As a child, she had been annoying at the most, but she had always treated him without discrimination, given his family background, so he respected her.
He stood straighter when he saw the figure moving toward the gate.
Megan came to him, her blue eyes devoid of judgment.
“Adam, hey!”
Then she hugged him, a warm, crushing hug. He almost laughed. She had always been expressive. He responded with a one-armed hug, his traveler pack in his other hand.
“It’s good to see you, Meg.”
She pulled back and laughed. “You haven’t changed at all, have you? So moody.“, she tsked at him.
Adam shrugged, a light chuckle escaping his lips.
“Neither have you.”
She took his arm and began walking.
He cleared his throat. “Thanks for helping me out.”
This time Megan shrugged, her head hardly reaching his shoulder. “Don’t thank me yet.“, she teased, “You’ll probably hate me when you wake up every morning with a crick in your neck. You’ll be sleeping on the couch, old man.”
He smiled, “Yeah, I forgot about that.”
Megan giggled softly.
They reached the building where her apartment was and walked up the stairs.
She let go of his arm and rang the doorbell. “I hope she hasn’t slept off.“, she muttered.
“The roommate?”
Megan rolled her eyes, “She’s a person.”
He shrugged, “Whatever.”
Then there was the distinct sound of footsteps hurrying toward the door on the other side and the door flung open.
Adam looked up from his watch and froze, forgetting to breathe for a moment.
Fuck me.
It was her.
No fucking way.
Jet black hair tumbled around a face he couldn’t seem to forget. Full lips that were now partly open, and olive green eyes that were startlingly bright against her pale complexion, she looked exactly the way he remembered her.
He ran his gaze down her body.
She was dressed in a tank top with baggy shorts that reached below her knees. It was the most unflattering outfit he had ever seen on a woman. And yet, she was the sexiest thing he had ever laid eyes on. His pants were suddenly too tight.
He looked back up at her.
For just a second, he saw her eyes widen in recognition and then it was gone, replaced by what he thought was sheer terror.
He frowned.
“Adam, Kara. Kara, Adam.”
Megan’s voice intruded his observation.
Kara.
When neither responded, Megan narrowed her eyes and stared at them.
“Have you guys met before?”
Adam answered before she could deny it.
“Your roommate lost her balance and rammed into me in the supermarket.”
He saw the color rise to her cheeks.
He hardened even more.
“I didn’t ram into you.”
Her voice sent a shock through his body. Husky, musical and fucking sexy.
“Of course you did.“, he said lazily, as though it wasn’t of any consequence, the discomfiture in his pants the only evidence of how much she was affecting him.
Women never affected him. Period.
So why was he acting like a horny motherfucker now?
“It isn’t my fault that you don’t watch where you walk.“, she said haughtily, her cheeks reddening even more.
How would she look with that blush right between her breasts? Or between her legs?
Fuck.
He needed to get a grip.
“Typical.“, he answered.
“Excuse me?”
He stepped inside, placing his bag on the floor.
“It’s just like a woman, to lay the blame on someone else.“, he glanced around the apartment.
From the corner of his eye, he watched her sputter, reddening till she looked like a tomato.
He almost smiled.
Megan was merely watching them, her eyes lit up, clearly enjoying the show.
“Who the hell do you think you are?“, Kara snapped at him, stealing his complete attention again.
He looked at her. Pausing to gaze appreciatively at her chest. She wasn’t busty. Just the right size.
Yeah, it would be a perfect fit in his palms.
He had a full blown erection now.
She was scowling at him, her forehead puckering up till he decided to have pity on her.
“Megan, where can I keep my stuff?”
Kara cut in before Megan could speak.
“In the living room, right there.“, she pointed to the corner of the room.
He glared at her.
“Does this apartment belong to you alone?”
She didn’t look away, instead, her eyes narrowed.
“You’re a prick.”
His expression didn’t change.
“Guys I think you need to stop-”
The glare from Kara shut Megan up.
The next moment he had closed the gap between them and had her chin in his fingers.
To his satisfaction, he saw the slight widening of her eyes and her breath froze. His thumb caressed her jaw subtly. Her skin was smooth and soft. He wanted to bite her right there.
“What did you say?“, his voice sounded menacing to his own ears.
She had the most adoring cupid’s bow.
To his surprise, she scowled darkly and slapped his hand away.
“Don’t think, even for a second, that you can intimidate me, prick.”
Then she turned to Megan.
“I want him gone in the morning.”
That said, she turned back to him, gave him a condescending glare and left the room.
