All Chapters of The Roomie Complex: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The sharp trill of my phone was a lifeline—a loud, obnoxious escape from the trap I’d willingly walked into. I glanced from Aiden—all shirtless glory and smirking confidence—to the phone screen. Damon Bass. Of course. My timing for chaotic events was impeccable.Relief coursed through me as I clicked the phone open, stepping back to put some much-needed space between us. “Cheryl Taylor,” Damon’s husky voice filled my ear, smooth and commanding as ever. “Why haven’t you sent me your address yet?”I hesitated, glancing at Aiden, who was now leaning casually against the counter, arms crossed, his curiosity unmistakable. Clearing my throat, I tried to mask the surprise from my voice. “I didn’t think I was supposed to send it immediately. The date’s tomorrow, isn’t it?”Damon huffed, a sound of pure frustration. “I need you to send it to me right now.”“Yes, fine…” I started but stopped mid-sentence. A strange sense of defiance bubbled up inside me. Why did I have to do what he said? He wa

If I woke up one day to find out my parents weren’t actually my parents, I’d probably have a mental breakdown before breakfast. So as Aiden and I trudged along the street, his expression a mix of heartbreak and confusion, I couldn’t begin to imagine how he felt. I mean, how do you process that kind of existential whiplash? The fact that he wasn’t screaming or throwing things into the nearest trash can was impressive—or maybe worrying. Probably both.The sun was sinking lower in the sky, painting everything in hues of orange and pink, which would’ve been romantic if I weren’t walking beside a man who had just learned that his mom wasn’t who she seemed. Add to that the fact I had a date with Damon Bass in two hours—a date that was rapidly losing its appeal with each passing minute.I stole a glance at Aiden. He looked... distant. His gaze was somewhere far away, maybe lost in a memory or trying to untangle the mess the day had dumped on him. I thought about saying something—offering a p

I was pretty shocked when Tobias picked me. It felt like a drunken choice, though, because I had always thought Tobias and Pearl were a thing. But now it seemed like they were this toxic, on-and-off couple that did things to spite each other. I glanced at Pearl, and either she was a really good pretender, or my assumptions were wrong.I was drunk too, and this was the first time in my whole twenty-five years of living that I had been picked to play Truth or Dare—or, in this case, Drink or Dare. Aside from the minor rush pumping through my head, I couldn't help but think how great it would be to kiss Tobias in front of Aiden. Not that it would matter to him anyway. Anika was right there, throwing herself at him, and she was hot. I didn’t think I ran circles in his mind the way he did in mine.“So, Cheryl—are you going to drink or—” Tobias’s voice drifted into my head, pulling me out of my drunken thoughts. I offered him a lopsided smile.“I’ll do it. I don’t want to be a prude,” I said

“You – you own the place?” I nearly choke on my own words when we reached the parking lot, and I had finally recovered from my shock and found my voice.Damon chuckled at my shocked response “Oh don’t act humble now, I’m not going to fire you”“It’s not that” I interjected “You’re my boss literally, and – and I can’t date my boss. I’m sure it’s against the code of ethics or something”Damon chuckled again “What code of ethics?”“I – I – “ I was suddenly at loss for words“Get into the car Cheryl” he grunted as he held out the door for me. It was a sleek BMW and I was immediately engulfed in the new leather smell of the car, shiny leather glistening under the sun but there was something immediately comforting and equally uneasy about the sleek interiors of Damon’s car. Now Damon’s presence inside the car immediately shifted the whole dynamic. I became so aware that I was in the car with a man, and not just a man – the owner of the company I worked for and I just couldn’t seem to get p

DAMON’S POVHer lips on mine—soft, warm, and utterly unexpected.It was like the air had been sucked out of my lungs, leaving me suspended in a moment I didn’t see coming but had been craving since the moment I walked into the casino, my casino. But she was sitting right there, a novice expression on her face. I had never seen her before, was she a new hire or had I never taken note of the people that worked at my company? No, I’d have definitely noticed her. The innocence in her eyes could never go unnoticed, it shook something in me, something primal and beastly. I wanted her, but she wasn’t making it easy….. she had this way of flipping the script.She fell into my arms that very same night, drunk on something more than the tequila I’m sure she had sworn she could handle. And I knew then that she wasn’t just another passing fascination. No, she was the kind of woman who wormed her way under your skin and settled there.And now, she’d kissed me.Her hands were firm but tender on eit