The next applicant shows up thirty minutes late.She rushes in, reeking of perfume that gives me a headache, and from the moment she sits down, I can’t wait to get her out of my house.
The third applicant hates animals, so he’s a no.
The fourth asks whether “companionship” is part of the rent.Alexi screams at him for being a creep, scaring him off before I can even react.Beans growls once he’s gone, and I huff as I sink onto the couch.I scrub my hands over my face and lean my head against the cushions.
“So…that was rough,” Alexi says, sitting next to me.
“Yep.”
“There’s still one more.He applied a few hours ago,” she says, reading over the message.
“Does he seem like a weirdo?Cause then we can cancel it and save the time.”
“No… no, he actually seems kind of great,” Alexi says, sounding surprised.
“Great?How so?”
“He’s polite in the message.Seems professional.It says that he’s in the military and is here for a few weeks every few months, but he wants a permanent place.That would be perfect!You’d get the rent for a part-time roomie!”
“That would be perfect,” I agree.“When will he be here?”
“Uh…”
A knock sounds at the door.Beans barks, wagging his tail happily as he heads over to the front door.
“…now,” Alexi finishes, setting my laptop aside.
I stand and go to answer the door.
“Please be normal, please be normal, please be norma?—”
My words die in my throat as I open the door and see the man standing on the other side of the door.
He towers over me, his dark blond hair cut short on the sides and left longer on top.He’s massive, intense, and insanely attractive.
And he looks just as shocked when his gaze lands on me.
TWO
Ledger
When I first saw thehouse, I was sure I wasn’t going to accept this roommate situation.Then the curvy woman opened the door, and all of my plans changed.
As soon as I see her, all of my protective instincts surge within me.This woman, she’s mine.I can feel it in my bones.
I wonder if this is how Koa felt when he first saw Lula,I think as we stare at each other.
When Koa, my best friend, first told me six months ago that he was in love with my sister, I was shocked.They’d only known each other a few days at that point, but I still gave my okay.I know Koa is a great guy, and he’d never hurt my sister.
Koa and I met at boot camp.We bonded quickly and went through BUDs together.We’ve been Navy SEALs for the last few years.He’s had my back on deployments and in training, and I’ve had his.
When Koa and Lula got together, I started spending more time in Wolf Valley.It was good to get away from base on leave and spend some downtime with my sister and best friend.
Unfortunately, I hate the motel in town, and I haven’t been able to find anywhere else to stay.It doesn’t make sense to buy a place in Wolf Valley, since I only spend a few weeks here each year.That’s how I came up with the idea of a roommate arrangement.
This small town doesn’t have many places to rent, so when I saw this roommate listing, I jumped on it.
I’d hoped my roommate would be quiet and cool.
