His eyes flashed with amusement before he roared with laughter. I watched in complete confusion, as his deep laugh echoed around us. I couldn’t understand what was so funny; he was the one who’d just lost the bet, so why was he in hysterics? I sat, stunned by his reaction.

“Ashy,” he choked out as he got his laughter under control. “I have never blown my load in a woman’s mouth before, and I certainly didn’t finger fuck her last night. She passed out on my couch ten minutes after we got to my apartment.”

“Why the hell would she lie about something like that? And really? You’ve never come in a woman’s mouth? Wow, that’s kind of special in a sick and twisted way.”

“I guarantee you, hand on heart, on everything we have shared, that I did not touch Tori last night. And she certainly didn’t touch me.”

I observed him for a long while. The arrogance that followed him had fled the building, and now he was just too handsome, with his pleading, amused eyes. Damn it. I huffed loudly as I opened my purse and pulled out a twenty. I couldn’t believe I lost a bet about sex with Mr. Sex himself. “I cannot believe I lost.” I shook my head in complete disbelief as I handed him his winnings.

“How’s your memory of last night?” he asked, pulling out his wallet and putting the twenty inside.

There was only one part of the night he could be referring to, and it certainly wasn’t what we had for dinner. It was a conversation I wasn’t sure how I’d handle sober. Josh was the guy. The guy who remained in my memories no matter who I was with. He was also my friend, my first, my torment, and my secret temptation.

“Clear as day,” I replied quickly.

Ky and Eden returned to the table with her cake, and the four of us sat around shooting the wind. There was no talk of the night before, and Josh began talking with Ky about something to do with the magazine. I knew it was only a matter of time until the text message I received the night before decided reappear in my thoughts. It was the text message that had drawn unwanted attention from Eden and Josh. Lachlan’s words painted themselves behind my eyes, so I constantly revisited them.

When are you coming back to me? You won’t stay away for long.

Who did he think he was? I couldn’t understand this guy. How could someone change so drastically? I wasn’t into games, but it seemed like Lachlan was set on making me a part of whatever fucked-up mind games he wanted to play.

Josh coughed softly beside me, and hit my leg under the table. I pulled myself away from going down memory lane and offered him the briefest of smiles. It was clear he could see straight through me by the way his eyes roamed my face.

“I’m heading back to my apartment, so I’ll see you whenever you come over.” He leaned in closer, until his mouth was close to my ear. “And whatever is happening in that head of yours, we are going to talk about it.”

Without another word, he walked out of the diner and headed back to our apartment.

This afternoon I’d be moving in with Josh.

Let the games begin.

THE SOUND OF A key sliding into the lock pulled me away from my afternoon of watching television. After leaving the diner, I came home, cleaned my apartment, went to the gym, and was now waiting for my new roommate to arrive. Ashlyn appeared, still wearing the sexy-as-fuck sundress that she had on at the diner. Her legs looked phenomenal. The dress was sitting mid-thigh, and it swished around with every movement she made. She hesitated briefly in the door frame, her pink suitcase by her side and matching pink laptop bag over her shoulder, before stepping in.

“Hey, Ashy,” I said from the couch.

She jumped about a foot and shrieked, “God, you scared me.”

“Where’d you think I’d be? I had to welcome my new roomie.”

“Roomie sounds so official.” She laughed. After wheeling her suitcase to the wall beside the hall, she placed her laptop bag on the table, then came over and collapsed beside me on the couch. She tucked her feet under her body and turned her focus to the television.

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as she settled in for an afternoon on my couch. She looked relaxed, completely carefree. I had no idea what this week would bring. All I knew was that I wanted her to have time that Lachlan didn’t encroach on, and I wanted time to make her realize that there was no way in hell she was going to London. Was it a selfish move? Of course it was. I didn’t want her to go because I didn’t want to deal with the thought of her not being here. Fuck, I’d take her to London if she really wanted to go¸ as long as she stayed with me.

“Was that your stomach?” She chuckled after a low grumble fled my body, not so subtly announcing that I had watched enough football and needed food. “How about I cook?”

I stood from the couch and stretched. “I can order take out.”

“Joshua, I just offered to make you a home-cooked meal. I am offended that you would rather buy dinner than let me cook,” she scoffed, and threw a cushion at me as I walked to the lamp in the corner and switched it on, since late afternoon was now turning into early evening.

“Don’t get your panties in a knot.” I laughed. “Have at my kitchen. I don’t know what food I’ve got in there though.”

Ashlyn jumped off the couch excitedly and rushed into my kitchen. Her dress moved around her thighs as she hurried, and I groaned as the briefest flash of light blue panties filled my sight. Jesus Christ, my hand was going to get a good work out this week, and those lace blue panties would be tonight’s visualization.

I leaned against the door frame and watched. Ashlyn hummed to herself as she opened the fridge and popped her hip out to the side. “You have beer, left over Chinese food, and something that kind of resembles watermelon. How do you have that kind of body when you have a fridge that looks like this?”

Everything froze as she realized what she had just said. Her cheeks flushed and, as quickly as she said it, she dismissed it. With a shake of her head, she closed the fridge and rushed back into the living room, then grabbed her bag from the table.

“I’m going to run to the store and get some things for dinner.”

“I’ll come with you.” I switched off the television and started looking for my keys.

“No, it’s fine. I’ll be like thirty minutes.”

“I’ll go for a run then, but call or text me if you need anything.”

An hour later, I entered my apartment and was greeted by a cock-twitching sight. Ashlyn was lying curled up on the couch, completely out of it. My eyes trailed over her sleeping form and took in her shapely legs that were covered in black tights. Then I realized she was wearing the hoodie that I had taken off before I left the apartment for my run. My stomach clenched at the sight of her in my clothes. It was immediate arousal; an instant ache in my cock that begged for relief. As quietly as I could, I placed my keys on the coffee table and headed down the hall to grab a shower. I striped out of my sweat-drenched shirt and sweat pants, and stepped into the scolding hot shower. Fuck me. Ashlyn hadn’t even been in my apartment for three hours, and all I could focus on was the glimpse of her panties and the curve of her ass in those tights. I was going to be on the edge of orgasm all week at this rate. I rested my head against the tiles, and my hand ran over my stomach as I soaped up my body. My breathing increased. I wrapped my hand around my cock in a tight grip and began stroking feverishly. Immediately, Ashlyn flooded my thoughts, and the best night of my life thus far appeared.