The Roommate Problem
by Mariah Ankenman
Series: Mile High Happiness, #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 10, 2020
To Moira “Mo” Rossi, the world is full of sunshine, goodness, and happily ever afters—so of course she figures finding the perfect roomie will be easy. But after four creepos who ask if benefits come with the room and one woman who claims she’s a vampire, Mo is officially desperate. So what if the guy she agrees to on paper ends up being the Derrick Downer to her Sally Sunshine in person? She’s the queen of making lemonade.
August Porter expected his new roommate Mo to be like him—neat, practical, and oh yeah: male. Not the outrageous hippie with more stars in her eyes than there are in the sky. She’s infuriating, exasperating, his exact opposite in every possible way…and the bright ray of sunshine he didn’t even realize his gray world was missing. Suddenly, falling into bed with his roommate isn’t the worst idea he’s ever heard. Just falling in love with her is.
But one of them is keeping a secret that could turn their opposite attraction into utter disaster.
Each book in the Mile High Happiness series is STANDALONE:
*The Best Friend Problem
*The Best Man Problem
*The Roommate Problem
“So, what do you think?” she asked as he handed some cash to the man behind the table who gave him a bag of—gag—zucchini. Why did the man need four zucchinis? No one needed that much green food.
“Good selection, prices are a little high.”
She barely held back a groan. Could nothing satisfy this man?
They started to walk again when Mo almost tripped over a large golden retriever. Her arms went spinning, trying to find her balance again, but it was no use, she was going down. Except she didn’t. Two big, strong arms caught her, saving her from cracking her head on the hard pavement. She glanced up, staring into a pair of beautiful hazel eyes and a firm, turned down mouth.
“Are you okay?” August asked with concern.
Heck yeah she was! She was currently being held by a very sexy redhead. Who wouldn’t be okay with that?
“You just keep coming to my rescue today. You’re like my very own knight in...” she glanced down at his tight black t-shirt and dark, worn blue jeans, “rough denim.”
Feeling exceptionally playful, she moved up on her toes to place a grateful kiss on his cheek.
Mistake!
The brief contact of her skin pressed against his sent a bolt of sexual awareness through her. The hands on her hips tightened, pulling her slightly closer, his thumbs stroking the small strip of skin left bare between her shirt and skirt. Heat blazed in August’s eyes for just a moment before he blinked it away, releasing her and stepping back.
Hmm, that was interesting.
A friendly bark drew Mo’s attention down to a happy faced pup with a pink tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. She reached down to pet the animal.
“Oh, aren’t you just the sweetest little puppers there ever was? Yes you are, yes you are. Who’s a sweet doggo? You are.”
The dog whined, tilting its head and staring past her to August.
“Just go with it man,” August replied. “She’s weird, but it kind of grows on you.”
Whipping her head around so fast she nearly cracked her neck, she glared. “Hey!”
The corner of his mouth ticked up in an almost grin. He reached down to pet the dog on the top of its head. Silly mutt preened like the sun itself was touching it. Having felt those big, warm hands on her body very recently, she knew the dog wasn’t that far off.
“You gotta watch where you’re running, boy.”
“How do you know it’s a boy?”
August nodded with his chin. “Collar says Rudy.”
Well would you look at that? The collar was indeed stitched with large letters spelling out Rudy. How had she missed that? Must have been the adorable, distracting doggy face.
August knelt down beside her to give Rudy more loves. The shameless pup abandoned her lovin’ to practically crawl into August’s lap, licking his face in encouragement.
“I think someone has a fan.”
“He’s a good dog. Aren’t you, boy? All dogs are good.”
“You like dogs?”
He nodded. “Dogs are great. Better than people. They’re always up for a walk, easy to get along with, and they don’t leave their dishes in the sink long enough to gather mold.”
She ignored the last barb. “Did you have a dog growing up?”
The contentment on his face died. Relaxed expression disappearing as his jaw tightened.
“No.”
One word. The end. No explanation. She’d obviously hit some kind of sore spot. She wanted to ask more, but right at that moment, an older woman hurried over to them.
“I’m so sorry,” she huffed out the words, reaching down to latch a leash onto the dog’s collar. “Rudy jumped out of the car before I could get his leash on. He just loves the market.”
“Not a problem; he’s a sweetheart.” She smiled at the woman.
“Have a good one, Rudy,” August said to the dog, standing and tipping his head to the woman.
The woman walked away with Rudy, who kept looking back longingly at August, probably missing those big hands giving him love rubs.
Me too, Rudy. Me too.
“Good selection, prices are a little high.”
She barely held back a groan. Could nothing satisfy this man?
They started to walk again when Mo almost tripped over a large golden retriever. Her arms went spinning, trying to find her balance again, but it was no use, she was going down. Except she didn’t. Two big, strong arms caught her, saving her from cracking her head on the hard pavement. She glanced up, staring into a pair of beautiful hazel eyes and a firm, turned down mouth.
“Are you okay?” August asked with concern.
Heck yeah she was! She was currently being held by a very sexy redhead. Who wouldn’t be okay with that?
“You just keep coming to my rescue today. You’re like my very own knight in...” she glanced down at his tight black t-shirt and dark, worn blue jeans, “rough denim.”
Feeling exceptionally playful, she moved up on her toes to place a grateful kiss on his cheek.
Mistake!
The brief contact of her skin pressed against his sent a bolt of sexual awareness through her. The hands on her hips tightened, pulling her slightly closer, his thumbs stroking the small strip of skin left bare between her shirt and skirt. Heat blazed in August’s eyes for just a moment before he blinked it away, releasing her and stepping back.
Hmm, that was interesting.
A friendly bark drew Mo’s attention down to a happy faced pup with a pink tongue hanging out the side of its mouth. She reached down to pet the animal.
“Oh, aren’t you just the sweetest little puppers there ever was? Yes you are, yes you are. Who’s a sweet doggo? You are.”
The dog whined, tilting its head and staring past her to August.
“Just go with it man,” August replied. “She’s weird, but it kind of grows on you.”
Whipping her head around so fast she nearly cracked her neck, she glared. “Hey!”
The corner of his mouth ticked up in an almost grin. He reached down to pet the dog on the top of its head. Silly mutt preened like the sun itself was touching it. Having felt those big, warm hands on her body very recently, she knew the dog wasn’t that far off.
“You gotta watch where you’re running, boy.”
“How do you know it’s a boy?”
August nodded with his chin. “Collar says Rudy.”
Well would you look at that? The collar was indeed stitched with large letters spelling out Rudy. How had she missed that? Must have been the adorable, distracting doggy face.
August knelt down beside her to give Rudy more loves. The shameless pup abandoned her lovin’ to practically crawl into August’s lap, licking his face in encouragement.
“I think someone has a fan.”
“He’s a good dog. Aren’t you, boy? All dogs are good.”
“You like dogs?”
He nodded. “Dogs are great. Better than people. They’re always up for a walk, easy to get along with, and they don’t leave their dishes in the sink long enough to gather mold.”
She ignored the last barb. “Did you have a dog growing up?”
The contentment on his face died. Relaxed expression disappearing as his jaw tightened.
“No.”
One word. The end. No explanation. She’d obviously hit some kind of sore spot. She wanted to ask more, but right at that moment, an older woman hurried over to them.
“I’m so sorry,” she huffed out the words, reaching down to latch a leash onto the dog’s collar. “Rudy jumped out of the car before I could get his leash on. He just loves the market.”
“Not a problem; he’s a sweetheart.” She smiled at the woman.
“Have a good one, Rudy,” August said to the dog, standing and tipping his head to the woman.
The woman walked away with Rudy, who kept looking back longingly at August, probably missing those big hands giving him love rubs.
Me too, Rudy. Me too.
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