HR
handed him a couple of forms to fill in and bring back, plus his
key to the downstairs gym. That seemed like the most important
thing. When he started the job he would meet his boss and
co-workers, but that could wait.
Tomas had other things on his mind. He should
have been focused on work, and on securing a permanent residence.
But he was distracted. The afternoon he had spent with Susanna
haunted him. It was a straightforward situation. She had been
willing enough to have sex with him, but nothing more.
What more Tomas wanted, he couldn’t have said
right then. But he did know he wanted more of the same. One taste
of Susanna was not enough, and he craved seeing her again, holding
her again. He reached in his pocket for her undergarment, and
fingered the feminine cloth. It made him warm and needy.
Maybe he was losing his mind. No woman had that
effect on him. Sure, he liked sex as much as anyone, maybe more.
But he had not found a woman he cared to share his bed with for
longer than a few weeks. Could Susanna be that woman?
It was ridiculous. He didn’t even know how to
find her. If her refusal to give him her phone number wasn’t a
clear message, then what would be? Yet Tomas couldn’t believe she
didn’t feel more. He was no stranger to women who could fake it.
Susanna wasn’t one of them. The depth of desire he had witnessed
with her in his arms was unmistakable.
So what was the problem? If only he could find
out, pin her down and make her tell him. She was a mystery, and
there was a lot more to her below the surface. It wasn’t all good,
either. He could tell. But Tomas wasn’t put off by a few issues.
Susanna was worth it, whatever it took.
*****
Heading for the door, Susanna nearly ran into
her roommate coming around the corner toward the kitchen. “Ah,
Kiara. I didn’t know you were up.”
Kiara Burke was only a few months older than
Susanna, and she worked as a waitress in town. She had long, curly
blond hair and bright blue eyes. Her heart-shaped face gave her a
cheerful look. In her pale blue sweater and jeans with her hair
tousled from sleep, she yawned.
“Yeah, barely.”
“Is Chace still here?”
Kiara shook her head. “No. He had to go to
work.”
Chace Walsh was three years older, had already
graduated from college, and was working at an investment company.
He made good money, and since he stayed over so much, had started
helping with the rent. Susanna didn’t know him well. Or Kiara
either. Their schedules were often different, and it was common to
have roommates for financial reasons, not because of
friendship.
The arrangement had worked okay. Kiara and Chace
weren’t too noisy. They stayed in their room a lot and didn’t wake
Susanna up, so she was fine with the shared lodgings. She tossed
her hair over her shoulder and adjusted her purse strap. “Well,
that’s where I’m going. Don’t want to be late. See you later.”
Walking was something Susanna enjoyed, even when
it was bitterly cold out. There was little else she did for
exercise, unless sex counted as aerobics. Her apartment wasn’t far
from Trinity College on Dame Street. Keeping a brisk pace, she
walked straight down Dame and followed the road around, passing
Christchurch on the right and leading onto Thomas Street.
She went left on Crane and right on Market. It
was a twenty-minute walk. Susanna liked the feel of the biting air
against her face, and breathed in the icy freshness of the morning.
The day would be a lot better if she didn’t have to go to work, but
that wasn’t an option.
Her finances were tight as it was. Her job was a
necessity, not a luxury. But the confines of the shop were
suffocating sometimes. Though she did find ways to entertain
herself. At least she had the movie with Rowan to look forward to.
That was something.
She didn’t know how others endured life without
alcohol, drugs, and sex, preferably all three. It tended to be
rather dull otherwise. Or maybe it was just her. She
handed him a couple of forms to fill in and bring back, plus his
key to the downstairs gym. That seemed like the most important
thing. When he started the job he would meet his boss and
co-workers, but that could wait.
Tomas had other things on his mind. He should
have been focused on work, and on securing a permanent residence.
But he was distracted. The afternoon he had spent with Susanna
haunted him. It was a straightforward situation. She had been
willing enough to have sex with him, but nothing more.
What more Tomas wanted, he couldn’t have said
right then. But he did know he wanted more of the same. One taste
of Susanna was not enough, and he craved seeing her again, holding
her again. He reached in his pocket for her undergarment, and
fingered the feminine cloth. It made him warm and needy.
Maybe he was losing his mind. No woman had that
effect on him. Sure, he liked sex as much as anyone, maybe more.
But he had not found a woman he cared to share his bed with for
longer than a few weeks. Could Susanna be that woman?
It was ridiculous. He didn’t even know how to
find her. If her refusal to give him her phone number wasn’t a
clear message, then what would be? Yet Tomas couldn’t believe she
didn’t feel more. He was no stranger to women who could fake it.
Susanna wasn’t one of them. The depth of desire he had witnessed
with her in his arms was unmistakable.
So what was the problem? If only he could find
out, pin her down and make her tell him. She was a mystery, and
there was a lot more to her below the surface. It wasn’t all good,
either. He could tell. But Tomas wasn’t put off by a few issues.
Susanna was worth it, whatever it took.
*****
Heading for the door, Susanna nearly ran into
her roommate coming around the corner toward the kitchen. “Ah,
Kiara. I didn’t know you were up.”
Kiara Burke was only a few months older than
Susanna, and she worked as a waitress in town. She had long, curly
blond hair and bright blue eyes. Her heart-shaped face gave her a
cheerful look. In her pale blue sweater and jeans with her hair
tousled from sleep, she yawned.
“Yeah, barely.”
“Is Chace still here?”
Kiara shook her head. “No. He had to go to
work.”
Chace Walsh was three years older, had already
graduated from college, and was working at an investment company.
He made good money, and since he stayed over so much, had started
helping with the rent. Susanna didn’t know him well. Or Kiara
either. Their schedules were often different, and it was common to
have roommates for financial reasons, not because of
friendship.
The arrangement had worked okay. Kiara and Chace
weren’t too noisy. They stayed in their room a lot and didn’t wake
Susanna up, so she was fine with the shared lodgings. She tossed
her hair over her shoulder and adjusted her purse strap. “Well,
that’s where I’m going. Don’t want to be late. See you later.”
Walking was something Susanna enjoyed, even when
it was bitterly cold out. There was little else she did for
exercise, unless sex counted as aerobics. Her apartment wasn’t far
from Trinity College on Dame Street. Keeping a brisk pace, she
walked straight down Dame and followed the road around, passing
Christchurch on the right and leading onto Thomas Street.
She went left on Crane and right on Market. It
was a twenty-minute walk. Susanna liked the feel of the biting air
against her face, and breathed in the icy freshness of the morning.
The day would be a lot better if she didn’t have to go to work, but
that wasn’t an option.
Her finances were tight as it was. Her job was a
necessity, not a luxury. But the confines of the shop were
suffocating sometimes. Though she did find ways to entertain
herself. At least she had the movie with Rowan to look forward to.
That was something.
She didn’t know how others endured life without
alcohol, drugs, and sex, preferably all three. It tended to be
rather dull otherwise. Or maybe it was just her. She
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