Free Dirty Desire by M Dauphin

was fun…I don’t remember much, though. Last thing I remember we were hailing a taxi to head across the river to a strip club. After that…nada.
    “Glad you’re alive.” He doesn’t sound very amused. My gaze is locked on the ceiling, and as much as I want to look at him and his beautiful features, I’m not. I’m not letting myself fall back into that hole. He’s my roommate. He’s leaving in a little over a month. I can’t get attached.
    But Jesus he’s a fantastic lay.
    “Me too. Last night was rough.”
    “You’re telling me.” He lightly chuckles and I hear movement. Moving my gaze to him, the first thing I notice is that I’m not in my room. What the fuck?
    “Where am I?” My eyes hit his and I see the dark circles and yesterday’s five o’clock shadow painting his normally refreshed features.
    “John and Leigh’s,” he answers, standing up. I watch him as he walks towards the desk across the room from me. Grabbing a bottle of water, I hear the rattle of the pill bottle and sigh.
    At least someone here is looking out for me. I shouldn’t be so relieved that it’s him, though.
    I should be able to take care of myself.
    “Here.” He shoves the bottle at me. “Drink. Hydrate. And take these.” His outstretched hand drops two ibuprofen in my palm.
    “Thank you.” The water goes down smooth. A much needed refreshment in my dry as fuck mouth, but it’s not good enough. My body needs about four or five of these before I’ll feel like myself again.
    “Why are you here?” My curiosity gets the best of me.
    “A ‘thank you’ would suffice.” He grins at me as he sits back on the chair next to the bed. It’s then that I notice his appearance.
    He looks like he’s been through hell.
    “What happened to you?” I sit up and see him cock an eyebrow at me, eyeing my chest.
    Great.
    However I went to bed last night, I must have decided it was easiest to strip off everything.
    I sleep like this at home all the damn time. Not at other people’s houses.
    “Sorry,” I huff, pulling the covers over my bare skin.
    “I’m not complaining.” The heat in his eyes, the same look that I’ve gotten used to seeing, is back. He grins at me and adjusts himself before relaxing in the chair.
    “So what are you doing here, Knox?” I’m tired of these games. I’m a big girl. There’s no reason for him to be here watching over me.
    “Well, racing home to find a ransacked apartment and no roommate in sight kind of sent me into a tailspin. Once I found you I decided I’d stay near in case your drunken ass needed me. And thank god for that,” he says, nodding towards the floor. “Looks like you’re going to have to pay John for floor cleaning services.
    I lean over the side of the bed and groan.
    “That’s the smell…” I whine. “Shit.”
    “Yeah, tell me about it. What the hell were you doing going out like that without me in town?”
    My eyebrows rise at him and I can’t find the words to yell at him for acting like a caveman.
    “You know how much trouble you could have gotten into?” He looks at me curiously and I lose it.
    “Seriously?! You leave town with no notice, not even a text! You have someone from your work find me and tell me you’re gone. Right after…after…” Fuck me I’m acting like a jealous girlfriend. “You know what. Never mind. I’ve gotta get going.” Tugging the blanket around me, I move to stand too quickly and almost fall in the process.
    “Woah there, Harp.” His hands come around my shoulders and there we stand. Face to face. Angry. Hurt. Worried. I see his eyes flick to my lips then back to my eyes. He wants to kiss me…I can see it in the way he’s looking at me.
    “Excuse me,” I grunt, pissed that even mad at him I can’t help but feel the sexual pull between us.
    I wrap the blanket around my body as modestly as I can and storm to Leigh’s room to find him and John in bed still.
    “Wake the fuck up, Leigh.” The door slams open, sending