Cocky Roomie: A Bad Boy Romance Novel (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 1) (4 page)

We stare at each other a few seconds before he opens the front door for me to leave. “Goodbye, Jake Cocker.”

“Goodbye, Drew Charles.” He holds out his hand and I shake it. “A woman roommate. Never would have thought it.”

I stare at him as he shuts the door, feeling he is my savior. My cocky, gorgeous angel who just might become my friend since he can’t be my boyfriend.

As soon as I’m in the old, beat-up Honda Accord I rescued from Daddy’s garage, I start to breathe normally again. I sit a moment, replaying what just happened. The showered naked man challenging me to look down. The reluctant tour. The bay window. The rejection. The break down.

And how handsome he looked when he waited for me to figure out he’d said I could stay.

“Drew honey, you might’ve just done the stupidest thing of your life,” I mutter, turning the ignition on, fingers still buzzing from his touch.

JAKE

^“
B
est fuckin’ burger in town,” my brother Jason groans with ketchup dripping down his lip. “Fuck! So good.”

The Vortex has won the unspoken burger-competition in Atlanta. No doubt. I nod with a mouthful of perfectly cooked beef, BBQ sauce, fried egg, bacon and onion rings trapped between a toasted bun. “Doesn’t get any better than this.”

Jason downs his beer then shakes the empty bottle. “Where’s our waitress?”

I scan the room. “Probably with Justin in a closet somewhere.”

Jason laughs. “You might be right.”

“Might be?” I take another juicy bite. This round table isn’t really big enough for three guys like us, though I do like the height and barstools. In fact I like everything about this place from the snarky menu that tells you where to shove it if you don’t like their policies, to the smoky air.

Jason chows on some fries from Justin’s abandoned plate. It’s a twin thing. He’s been doing it since he was a kid. Drives Justin crazy. “I need another beer and he’s fucking the waitress in a closet.”

“I said I
think
he is. I don’t know that.”

“C’mon. You know he’s doing something with her. You saw how they were talking?” I nod. “Jake, answer me this: Why didn’t God make my twin a good guy?” Jason’s mock innocence and curiosity is amusing. I’m glad I came out tonight. Ever since Drew moved in, I’m having a hard time being at home without wondering what she’s doing.

“Because he wouldn’t have fit into our family,” I answer, grabbing my beer as he goes for it. “Ah ah ah. Get your own.”

“Fucker,” he mutters, searching for a waitress to help us. “Hey!” A lanky, heavily pierced girl with dyed-black hair raises an eyebrow at him as she saunters up.

Over classic rock, she asks, “You think I’m a dog or something?”

I grin, knowing he picked the wrong girl to ask. The Vortex has a thing where at least one server a shift acts like a complete asshole. They get to say whatever they want, however they want. It’s amusing as all hell – part of the appeal of the rock-and-roll vibe.

“You can only call a dog like that, and have it not think you’re a dick.”

Jason asks, “You’re thinking about my dick already? You just got here.”

She turns and shouts to the room, “The Cocky Brothers are out on the town. Keep your girls inside, people!”

Under our breaths Jason and I start laughing as heads turn. To a woman peeking over, I smile, “That means you.”

Her eyes go wide as she quickly turns back to her unamused husband.

“How about another Monday Night Slap Fight, you charming seductress.” Jason smirks. It’s the name of a beer from a local brewery, if you can believe it.

Unimpressed, she sneers from Jason to me. “This isn’t my section, dimwits. Where’s Tanny? And wasn’t
Justin
here with you? Oh shit. Motherfucker.” She storms off.

She just realized where Tanny is.

We’re notorious. Born and raised here. Atlanta is a small town dressed as a big city. Most people know us, or know
of
us. Kinda hard to hide when you come from old money, a long line of politicians, and you’ve got six brothers raising hell as soon as they hit Kindergarten, all the way on up. In fact I don’t think we’ve ever stopped raising hell.

Sopping up mustard with the last crispy fry, Jason mutters, “He’s gonna have to rein it in if he’s going to be a Senator one day.”

“Modern days. People expect less of us. Besides, he’s only twenty-seven.”

“And a half.”

“They’ll forgive him.”

Jason shrugs. “When I was working with H-Core on his last album and he got caught…you know…”

“With the dude in the bathroom?”

“Yep. Fuck Justin’s out of fries now, too! First beer, now this. Give me some.”

“No.”

Jason shoots me an irritated look, but continues, “His rep as a ladies man deflated and I lost money on that album. And so did he.”

“Justin will be just fine. Don’t worry about him. He always lands on his feet, like a cat.”

The subject of our debate walks up with a lazy stride, running his hands through his dirty-blonde hair. “If I’m a cat then I’m the one who ate the canary.” He hits the baseball cap on his twin’s head and takes a seat.

Jason and I both shake our heads.

“Next time you eat our waitress will you make sure that WE have enough to eat, first?” Jason motions to their empty plates.

Justin stares at them, then hits his brother. “You ate my whole fucking meal!”

“Duh!”

I raise my eyebrows at Justin that he should know better. “That’s what happens when you leave it unguarded. But I have a feeling she’ll get you more.”

Up walks Tanny Walters with blue-tipped fingers twined around three ice-cold bottles.

“These are on me,” she smiles, eyes locked with Justin’s. It’s instantly clear she really likes the guy, and that she’s in over her head. Jason and I exchange a look, because she has no idea she’s being obvious and that it’s never gonna happen.

Women tend to get their panties in a bunch over our family. Partly because we aren’t a fucking bunch of pussies, and partly because of the money. And prestige.

It just makes us jaded, suspicious, and guarded, knowing this. And besides, Justin will marry a woman who will look good to voters.

But he will never turn down free pussy or free beer.

Justin takes them from Tanny and uses the Southern drawl he lays on thick when charming people into doing what he wants. “Well, now isn’t that sweet of you.”

“Least I could do,” she says, thinking she’s mysterious. We know exactly why she bought this round. Payback for the big O he just granted her. Flashing a smile around the table, she floats off, but not before glancing suggestively to him over her shoulder on her way.

He waves.

“I’m going to puke,” Jason mutters, low enough for just us.

“I’m right behind ya. Shit, Justin. How long that take you?” He shrugs and looks from his empty plate to Jason’s, then to mine. I’ve still got a few morsels left. “Don’t touch my food. I’m not kidding.”

His hands go up. “Alright!” He stares at my fries.

“Stop it.”

“Going to have to order some more food,” Justin smirks, giving up. “You never answered me earlier.”

I remember the question. “You took off before I had the chance to. You think with your dick. It’s like having dinner with a gnat, that’s your attention span.”

“Only when there’s a woman around who touches my leg like she did. Door was open. You would have walked through it.”

I shrug. Tanny’s not my type. She’s not his, either, but that wouldn’t stop him from a temporary tongue-to-pussy-lashing if there’s a private place to do it. A place only someone who worked here would know about.

“So, I’ll ask you again. How’s your female roomie situation
coming
along?”

Shaking my head at his emphasis on the word
coming
, I sip my fresh, cold beer and set it down. “She keeps to herself. Paid me a deposit and first month, plus prorated the extra days.”

My mind travels back to this morning when Drew came out of the bathroom with a towel around her head and body, and saw me waiting my turn.

“Oh, were you waitin’ long?”

“Nah, just made coffee and came over.”

She tucked loose wet strands under the towel-turban and smiled shyly at me. “I thought you got ready for work later than this.”

“Have to go in early today.” At her apologetic expression, I cut her off. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not late.”

“Oh,” she glanced to my bare chest.

“I like your outfit,” I smirked.

“Your tailor made it for me,” she dryly threw back.

“Ha.”

“Well, have a good day.”

She headed to her room leaving a fruity soap smell lingering in the air. I stared at the back of her bare calves, and went in to take my own shower. Had a good run at myself in there. Cold water did nothing to abate the horniness that’s becoming increasingly more insistent every time we have these brief exchanges. It’s the first time a woman has wanted to get away from me. She always leaves first. It’s intriguing and irritating at the same time.

I shrug to Justin and add, “All good so far.”

“You gonna hit it?” Justin asks.

Jason is staring at me like he wants to know, too.

“Naw.” I take another sip because the truth is I don’t know. Plus it’s none of Justin’s business. And I don’t want to explain why I haven’t already. It’s been over two weeks she’s been living in my home. It’s weird having a woman there, but even weirder that I’m starting to like it. “Want rent paid on time.”

They both grin, and Jason calls me out. “You don’t need the money, Jake. Who do you think you’re kidding here?”

“We know you. What’s up with the girl?”

I shrug again and pop the last fry in my mouth. “Not interested.”

“She’s not hot then?”

“Nah.”

Justin looks for a server for more food and mutters a disappointed, “Huh. Oh well.” This is enough to switch him over to his favorite subject – politics. I’m normally interested, but now my mind is on her.

“I’m goin’ to bed, Jake. ‘Night.”

“You don’t wanna watch a movie?”

“Umm,” she smiled, shaking her head a little as a bare foot rested on the other, toes bent and awkward. “No. I have to interview for jobs again tomorrow. I want to be rested. Thanks, though.”

“Raincheck then.”

She whispered, “Sure,” but didn’t mean it.

When I rented to her it was out of pity only, because I knew for a fucking fact that I wanted to fuck her, and that wasn’t going to work out well since I have no intention of being monogamous AND it’s kinda hard to hide being with other women when one’s living in your home.

But then she went and cried. That crushed, stumbling speech of hers melted my insides.

She looked like her puppy got killed and I couldn’t turn her away at that point.

The second she left I thought,
Oh shit, Jake. You fucked up. She’s going to be a clingy, needy, hurt little bird and you’ve just set a precedent for being a softy when she cries. She’s going to be sobbing every damn time she wants something.

Never expected her to be mostly absent, always in her room when she’s home, always out looking for work when she’s not. She hasn’t asked me for a thing, and her eyes haven’t been red in over two weeks.

“Where you from, Drew?”

“Small town. Didn’t I tell you Dublin? Yeah, small place. Quaint, but…Goodnight!”

“Hey Drew, what are you doing today?”

“Oh, don’t worry about me. You have a good day at work, okay?”

“Your phone is buzzing, Drew.”

“I’ve got it! Thank you.”

Then she zips off every time like she forgot to feed the secret hostages she’s hiding in her room or something.

It’s making me want to steal her phone and read what’s on it. And that ain’t like me at all. But…she’s interesting. Only one night did I get her to hang out with me, and watch some T.V. But I had to trick her. I didn’t ask her a single question about herself. I didn’t ask her to watch Game of Thrones, I just put it on. I didn’t ask her if she wanted my legendary ribs, I just put out two plates. And I remembered she loves garlic, so I made sure the veggies had some.

It was like earning the trust of a wild, abused animal. I loved every second of it.

“Jake!”

Swaying from the stinging punch my arm receives out of nowhere, I come back to the present. “What?!”

The twins are staring at me. Justin says, “I’ve been talking to you for fifteen minutes!” Glancing to the table, I see their beers are empty.

“Sorry. We’ve got this problem at the site. Waiting for a permit and the city isn’t budging.” I hand him my beer. “Want the rest of this? I’m gonna head home.”

Jason grabs it first.

Justin throws him a look. “You’re fucking quick.”

“Years of practice,” he grins.

Justin turns back to me. “When I get in there, things will be different.”

“Fix the fucking potholes.” Jason grumbles.

“Amen to that,” I say, rising up and pulling out my wallet. I love Atlanta but the potholes are nuts. “And thank God you took the bar exam before Vortex sues you for what you just did in their closet.”

“And risk the cooks walking in? It was the ladies bathroom. Left stall. Handicapped. Nice and big.” He grins at me. “We gave the women who came in something to dream about later.”

“Dick.”

“I’ve got the tab, Jake.” Jason motions for me to put my cash away.

Justin leans forward. “Yeah let him get this one, since times are so tough you can’t fuck your roommate for fear of losing rent money.”

Chuckling, I shoot back, “Go lick another waitress’ pierced clit so your mouth can have a purpose.”

Their laughter fades as the distance grows between us. My smile does, too. I’ve got one thing on my mind now, and one thing only:
I wonder if Drew is home.

DREW

^“
T  
omorrow, Daddy.”