Roommate Duet Series

Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

LENNON

Last year, Brandon went out of his way to make Valentine’s special for me. He proves how much he loves me every day, and I know tonight won’t be any different; if anything, it will only be magnified.

After I get out of the shower, I blow-dry and curl my hair, then slip on a slinky black dress and high heels. I meticulously apply a smoky look to my eyes and contour my face. I smile in the mirror when I finalize the sassy look with a coat of deep red lipstick.

Before I walk into the living room where Brandon patiently waits for me, I go into the bedroom and pull out the strand of pearls he gave me during our first year of dating. I grab my clutch and tuck my phone inside.

As soon as I enter his line of vision, Brandon turns around and immediately stalks toward me.

“Baaaaaby,” he says, running his gaze down my body with a smirk. Placing his hands firmly on my a*s cheeks, he pulls me in close for a kiss. “You look so damn beautiful.”

Butterflies swarm inside me, and I blush, and the only thing that breaks our gaze is my phone vibrating in my clutch.

“s**t. Hold on,” I tell him and see it’s a FaceTime call from my parents. “I have to take this.”

“It’s fine. We have plenty of time.” He swats my a*s and steals another kiss before I answer.

I accept and see my parents sitting next to each other, grinning wide. “Happy Valentine’s Day, honey!” Mom singsongs. I’ve loved this holiday for as long as I can remember. Something was always so fun about bringing handmade cards and candy to school and handing them out to my classmates and teachers. It was the best day of the entire school year because there was always a party with juice boxes and cupcakes. Now that I’m on the opposite end of that, I kept that tradition going with my students by treating them yesterday.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” I smile, and Brandon comes into their view when he stands behind me.

“Brandon!” They both squeal. It’s sweet how much they adore him. They haven’t met in person yet but have talked plenty on FaceTime.

“How’ve you been? You two look nice. Are you going on a special date tonight?” Dad asks in his deep, commanding voice.

We’re both grinning from ear to ear. “Yes. He just came over to pick me up, and we’re about to head out.”

“Such a gentleman. There needs to be more men in the world who meet their dates at the door,” Mom praises. “You’ve got yourself a keeper there, Lennon.” I wonder if she can see the pulse in my neck going haywire like it does every single time I lie to them about us living together.

Brandon nods, his smile never fading. “Always,” he tells my parents. “I’m never late either.” I hold back my laughter, knowing he’s just trying to get into their good graces as he plays along with my story.

“Okay, we’ll let you two go on your date. Going to call Sophie and Madelyn and wish them an awesome evening too. We love you,” Dad says.

“Love you too.”

Brandon waves. “Love you tooooo!”

I hurry and hit end and place my hand on my chest over my heart. Twisting me around to face him, he doesn’t smile but gives me a pointed look.

“Why do you keep doing this to yourself? You’re a nervous wreck every time you talk to them.” Brandon searches my face as my breathing steadies.

I let out a long breath. “Dad’s a pastor, Mom’s the daughter of a pastor. Ringing any bells?” I ask with amusement.

“But don’t you think it’d almost be easier to just tell them the truth, considering how long it’s been since you moved in?” He wraps his arms around me and pulls me against his chest.

I look up into his eyes and shake my head. “You know what kind of household I grew up in, babe. Sometimes, and in this case, what they don’t know won’t hurt them. It’s my life, and I want to live it how I want, but they don’t see it that way and never will.”

He nods, twisting one of my curls between his fingers. “I understand your decision, sweetheart. One day, I want to make you my wife, and I want your parents to be there because I know how much they mean to you. Whatever you think is best, okay?”

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”

“For what?” He chuckles.

“For understanding me. For loving me. For being everything I’ve ever wanted in a man,” I admit.

He leans forward and kisses me, then reaches around and grabs a handful of my a*s. “I should be thanking you for giving me a chance to prove how perfect we are together.”

I paint my lips across his and moan into his mouth. “If you keep kissing me and touching me like this, we’ll never leave the apartment.” I giggle.

“Oh, I almost forgot,” he says, then heads to the kitchen. He comes back with a huge bouquet of red roses. My mouth falls open.

“Flowers?” I ask, taking them.

“And chocolate,” he says, going back and grabbing the biggest heart box of candies I think I’ve ever seen.

“You sure know how to make a girl feel special.” I smile, biting my lower lip. “Thank you so much.” I bury my nose in the petals and sigh. “I love the smell of fresh flowers.”

“Does that mean I’m getting lucky tonight?” he taunts, smirking.

“We’ll see,” I singsong. Grabbing a vase from one of the kitchen cabinets, I place them on the table. The fragrance fills the room. I take a quick photo and post it on f*******:, tagging Brandon so both of our families can see.

He takes a few steps forward and cups my cheeks. “You are so special to me, Lennon. You’re everything to me.” Pulling me close, he slides his tongue against mine. I’m lost in the moment and don’t want him to stop. I am so damn lucky.

By the time we pull away, I’m completely under his spell. Laughing, he checks the time. “We should get going because if we don’t, I’m going to f**k you against every wall in this apartment.”

I lift an eyebrow at him and bite my bottom lip. “That might not be a bad thing.”

Brandon adjusts himself and swallows hard. “Dammit. Don’t tempt me.” He winks, grabbing my hand, then leads me outside.

“Maybe we should take the bike?” He looks over his shoulder and smirks as we pass his motorcycle.

“And mess up this perfect hair? No way. Also, I’m wearing a dress.”

“True. I don’t want any guys looking at my girl’s a*s. That’s just for me.” Brandon grunts, opening the car door for me. “Always a gentleman,” he adds, repeating my mother’s words.

“Shut up!” I snicker, shaking my head as I buckle up, and he climbs into the other side. He loves that damn thing so much and would ride it every chance he got if he could. I go with him occasionally, but it makes me nervous with how other cars don’t see us. Not to mention, my butt gets sore, my face gets windburn, and it sucks to sit in the traffic.

We drive across town, and I soon notice we’re leaving the city. I turn and look at him. “Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise that I’m not letting you ruin!”

He merges onto the highway as I try to figure it out. Eventually, we take the exit and head toward the bay. He parks at the harbor, and when I see a small yacht illuminated with lights, I gasp.

“No!” I turn and look at him, and he confirms with a nod.

“Thought we’d do dinner on the water tonight.” Brandon grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles. “Come on, babe. Let’s go. Unless you’d rather christen the back seat instead?”

I burst out into laughter, giddy about where we are. I’m so excited I can’t seem to find my words as Brandon leads me across the parking lot. Thankfully, the cold weather we had a few weeks ago has passed, and it’s sixty-five degrees outside. So far, everything is perfect, and I know the night has just begun. He leads me onto the ramp of the yacht and then to the upper deck where a table with candles and more flowers is set up.

“You’ve completely outdone yourself, baby,” I tell him as we sit.

He’s smiling, happy he was able to surprise me. A man dressed in a tuxedo walks up and fills the empty wine glasses and hands us two menus. Only six items are listed with no prices, so I can only imagine how much something like this costs.

“Bonjour, ma belle,” the waiter greets in a thick French accent, and I about lose my mind. I grin ear to ear and glance at Brandon who’s watching me.

“Welcome to Navire D’Amour. Please look over the menu, and I’ll return for your selections soon.” He bows before walking away.

I have to pick my jaw up from the ground. “Are you serious right now?”

A laugh escapes him. “So you’re surprised?”

I nod, unable to contain my excitement. “You could say that.”

The yacht leaves the harbor, and we cruise over silky smooth water. I walk over to Brandon and sit on his lap. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me deeply, so passionately, I almost forget we’re outside on a boat. We break apart, and I look up at the moonless sky and can actually see stars, which is something I miss being in the city. As we’re looking up, one shoots across, leaving a greenish trail behind it. Brandon squeezes me tighter.

“Make a wish,” he says just above a whisper.

“I already did, and I’m living it right now with you.” I lose myself in his lips, but before things can go too far, we’re interrupted by a throat clearing. We break away, and I shyly stand and walk back to my seat.

“I apologize for the interruption, but have you decided what you’d like?” he asks.

Brandon nods. “Chef’s choice.”

I suck in a deep breath and decide to take a chance. “I’ll have the same.”

“Perfect choice. Chef Ardoin will not let you down.” He grins, picks up the fancy silk papered menus, and disappears.

The smile on my face might actually be permanent as I sip the sweet red wine. The space of the table between us feels too far. As if he can read my mind, he reaches forward and takes my hands in his.

“I love you so damn much.”

“I love you too. Actually, I love you more,” I add with a grin.

“No way. Not even possible.” He gives me a wink, which always sends a shiver down my spine. The boat stops moving in the middle of the bay, and I hear a set of footsteps behind me. I turn to see two violinists sitting in two empty chairs I didn’t notice when I walked to the table.

I turn and look at him with wide eyes. “There’s more?”

Brandon playfully shrugs, then stands as they begin playing. He holds out his hand. “Wanna dance?”

I nod, then grab it. He holds me close as we dance under the starlit sky. I’m not sure what I did to deserve such a good man. He’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and there’s no doubt in my mind he’s the one.

I rest my head against his shoulder as we sway on the small dance floor. I want him so f*****g badly, I can barely stand it. After several songs, the waiter arrives with two silver platters of food. Brandon leads me back to the table, and we take our seats. When the waiter removes the covers, we both laugh when we’re served the biggest lobsters either of us has ever seen.

“If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to let us know,” the man says, giving us privacy. The violins continue to play softly in the background as we eat buttery lobster, steamed broccoli, and some fancy potato dish. I’m not sure if it’s cheese or Alfredo sauce, or what’s on top, but I could eat it every day for the rest of my life. It’s insanely delicious.

Once we finish eating and the plates are cleared away, Brandon takes my hand and guides me to the front of the upper deck. He takes off his suit jacket and wraps it around my shoulders as the boat moves effortlessly on the glass-like water.

We stand in silence, looking up at the stars with my body pressed against his. Everything about tonight has been perfect. When the yacht makes it back to the dock, I’m almost sad it’s over, though I’m more than ready to get home. Before we leave, he pulls me into his arms and kisses me one last time, and as I breathe him in, I know I’ll never get enough of this man.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.”

I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. “Thank you. I loved everything. You spoil me way too damn much.”

“And I will for the rest of our lives.” He brushes loose pieces of hair behind my ear and presses a light kiss on my lips.

“That’s a promise?” I ask with a hopeful smile, loving how he talks about forever with me.

“You better believe it.” He takes my hand in his. The entire crew thanks us as we walk off the boat and head toward the car. I feel as if I’m dreaming as we practically fly to the apartment, but I blame the bottle of wine I drank. As soon as we walk up the stairs, Brandon unlocks the door, then picks me up in his arms and carries me to the bedroom. He lays me down on the bed and carefully removes the black dress that’s hugged my body all night, and all I can think about right now is how much I want and need him.

The next morning, I wake up n***d, tangled in the sheets. Brandon sleeps soundly next to me, and I watch him before getting up. Sundays are our lazy day, and after our night of lovemaking, I need rest, lots of it.

“Morning, beautiful,” he says in his sexy sleepy voice, pulling me to his chest.

“Morning, baby. Sleep good?”

His eyes wander down to my exposed breast, and I laugh. “You’re insatiable. But I gotta pee, and I’m hungry. I’ll be right back.”

He watches me as I quickly slip on some clothes.

“Hurry back to me.”

I shoot him a wink, then rush to the bathroom for sweet relief. After I wash my hands, I look in the mirror and see how swollen my lips are. Our night of passion has left my hair a mess and my makeup smeared. I wash my face, then head to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water. As I twist the top and take a huge swig, the front door swings open and closes. Walking out of the kitchen, I make eye contact with Hunter who has regret painted on his face. He looks like he had a rough night, which causes me to laugh.

“Oh, look who’s doing the walk of shame,” I taunt, then take another sip of water.

At first, he ignores me, but then he stops and turns on his heels, taking a few steps toward me and closing the space between us. “It’s no different from when you did the walk of shame almost two years ago. Actually, it is, because I lived here, and you didn’t.” The annoyance in his tone is thick and harsh. He breaks our eye contact and walks to his bedroom, slamming the door shut. Sometimes he says things to be hurtful, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he might really hate me, regardless of what Brandon says.

I shake my head and think back to that night that forever changed my life. Sure, I’d spoken to Hunter first and felt the attraction then, but it didn’t matter.

In retrospect, I don’t think Hunter ever mentioned it because it didn’t mean anything to him. I was just another pretty girl at his bar who refused to be a notch in his bedpost. I was in a toxic relationship before I met Brandon. My ex made me feel less than, like I would never be good enough for any man, and I often wore my insecurities on my sleeve. I push the thoughts away and grab another bottle of water for Brandon, then walk into the bedroom. Soft snores fill the space, and I crawl back into bed and wrap my arm around his waist.

“I love you,” I whisper in his ear as my eyes flutter closed, and soon I’m falling asleep again.