Copyright 2022 | DJ Jamison

LINC

I woke reluctantly, dragged from a very sexy dream that involved me studying notes, asking interview questions, and riding Dare’s cock at the same time. An impressive feat—but not much need to psychoanalyze  that one. Juggling school, work, and a boyfriend was a lot.

I wouldn’t trade it for anything, but sleep had become a valuable commodity. So I wasn’t thrilled as I was tugged from slumber, not by my sexy boyfriend, but by a vibrating fur ball.

“What the—Purrito, no, bad cat!”

Purrito blinked at me out of his squashed face and continued purr as loudly as a motorbike next to my ear. His head nudged under my palm over and over, effectively taking the pets he wanted.

“We’ve talked about consent,” I scolded, giving the chunky tabby a shove. “Let me sleep.”

Purrito dug in, so I couldn’t move him. With a huff, I turned my back to him. But he simply jumped over my body—who knew he could be so agile when most of his daily exercise consisted of napping?—and went right back to harassing me.

I might have cried a little. Purrito never bugged Darren. I got out of bed and attempted to lure Purrito out of the room, but he was wise to my tricks. He gazed at me with his unimpressed face from my pillow.

“Fuck,” I groaned. “Don’t make me do it, hairball.”

Purrito was going to make me do it. With a sigh I climbed into bed and nudged Darren, who was an impressively heavy sleeper. “Dare?” I said gently. Then more forcefully, “Darren!”

He shot up, eyes wild. “Huh? What?”

“Purrito was forcing himself on me again.”

He scrubbed at his eyes. “Seriously?” He turned to the cat. “Why, dude? You get plenty of love during the day.”

“Maybe…” I started to voice a thought and stopped. 

“What?”

“Do you think Purrito needs a companion?” I asked. “Maybe a cute kitty to snuggle with at night.”

Darren looked from me to Purrito skeptically. “You really think we should take on another pet? We’re both running on fumes.”

True. While I juggled school and work, Darren was adjusting to running his own auto shop without his longtime boss and mentor in the building. Lately, he’d been pulling longer hours while they looked for a new hire to replace Curt, who’d tested Darren’s patience one time too many. Didn’t help that he’d just started a new ADD med and was trying to adjust to it. I felt guilty for waking him.

“Yeah, you’re right. Go back to sleep. I’ll deal with Purrito.”

“Nah, I’m awake now.”

I bit my lip, guilt intensifying. “I’m sorry. Maybe I can make it up to you?”

He waggled his eyebrows. “Oh, I’m sure you can.” He dropped a kiss on my shoulder and rolled out of bed. “Raincheck on the guilt trip.”

I huffed a little laugh as Purrito happily followed Darren out of the room.

I fell asleep again almost instantly. When I next woke, it was to the smell of coffee and Darren peeking into the room.

“Hey,” I rasped. “Thanks for letting me sleep.”

“No worries. Purrito and I had a talk about boundaries and then he stuck his claws in my gut, so mission accomplished.”

I laughed as I pushed myself up in bed. “He’s such an asshole.”

“Yeah, but a lovable one. I had to find the right balance since he was replacing Lyle as my roommate.”

I scoffed. “Lyle is always nice.”

“You’ve never seen him pissed.”

“He doesn’t get pissed.”

Darren handed me the mug of coffee and crawled into his side of the bed. “You underestimate my ability to piss off my roommate, and really you should know better, since you’re the one living with me now.”

“Impossible,” I said. “You’re adorable.”

“Ha! That’s why I keep you around.”

Okay, maybe he threw his towels on the floor too often. Maybe he was the messiest cook I’d ever seen. But each time I asked him to pick up after himself, he did it without complaint. He’d train up in no time. And it wasn’t as if I were perfect. I’d never lived on my own before–outside of my time in a college dorm. I still couldn’t believe how fast laundry and dirty dishes piled up. It was freaking never-ending.

This adulting thing was a process, and we were both learning together. 

I took a sip of the coffee and sighed. “And this is why I keep you around,” I teased. “It’s all about the wooing.”

“Ah good. Well, I did a little more wooing while you slept.”

I raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Darren showed me his phone screen, open to the animal shelter website, a picture of an orange kitten front and center. 

“What so you think?” he asked. “Purrito and I both have a thing for gingers.”

I laughed, delighted. I read the name on the screen. “Pumpkin looks perfect.”

“Oh, I was thinking we’d rename her to Em-Paw-nada.”

“Absolutely not,” I said with a laugh.

“Furrito?”

“No!” I put my coffee down and tackled him. “Let her have a little dignity!”

Darren palmed my ass as I clambered on top of him. Somehow he managed to convey his skepticism while groping me. “Pumpkin is dignified? I don’t know…”

I shut him up with a kiss. 

“Are you sure about getting another cat? We are busy.”

“Eh, there’s always room for more love, right?”

I kissed him again because yeah, he made me swoon. As the kiss grew heated, I was reminded of my dream. I never got to finish, but maybe I could make a study of Darren without the textbook this time.

“Name the cat later?” Darren suggested as I nuzzled his throat.

“Mm-hmm.”

After he came, he’d probably let me pick whatever name I wanted. But after I came, I’d choose Furrito because he liked it. 

Win-win for everyone except Pumpkin. And maybe, just maybe the next time I had a sexy dream, Purrito would be too busy hassling—er cuddling—his new roommate to interrupt my happy ending.

Of course, this ending wasn’t so bad either.

***

To read Linc and Darren’s romance, grab Truth or Darren on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.