Roommates with Benefits

Chapter 1: The Heat of the House

The old Victorian house creaked under the weight of its new tenants, and I, Lila Voss, was the only woman brave—or crazy—enough to share it with three infuriatingly hot guys. Rent was cheap, the location was prime, and I wasn’t about to let a little testosterone scare me off. But as I stood in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner, I could feel the air thickening with something far spicier than the chili I was making.

‘Damn, Lila, you trying to burn the house down with that heat?’ Jace, the resident bad boy with tattoos snaking up his forearms, leaned against the counter, his smirk as sharp as the knife in my hand. His dark eyes flicked over me, lingering on the way my tank top clung to my curves.

‘If I wanted to burn something, Jace, it’d be that smug look off your face,’ I shot back, not missing a beat. I turned to slice a pepper, my hips swaying just enough to keep his attention. ‘Besides, I thought you liked things hot.’

He chuckled, low and dangerous, stepping closer. ‘Oh, I do. But I’m not talking about the food, babe.’

Before I could fire off another retort, Ethan, the quiet, broody artist of the bunch, wandered in, paint smudges on his cheek and a hunger in his gaze that had nothing to do with dinner. ‘Smells good,’ he muttered, but his eyes were on me, not the pot. ‘You always this… intense in the kitchen, Lila?’

I raised an eyebrow, flipping the knife in my hand with a flourish. ‘Only when I’ve got an audience. You boys gonna stand there gawking, or are you gonna help?’

‘Help?’ Ryan, the third roommate and resident gym rat, sauntered in, his tank top doing little to hide the hard lines of his chest. ‘I’m more interested in what’s cooking under that apron, sweetheart.’

I laughed, sharp and unapologetic, setting the knife down and crossing my arms. ‘Keep dreaming, Ryan. This meal’s the only thing you’re getting a taste of tonight.’ But even as I said it, I felt the heat rising in my core, their combined stares like a match to kindling. I wasn’t some damsel to be drooled over—I was the one stoking the fire, and I knew it.

Jace moved first, closing the distance between us, his hand brushing against my hip as he reached for a piece of carrot. ‘You sure about that?’ he murmured, his breath hot against my ear. ‘Because I’m pretty damn hungry for something else.’

My pulse quickened, but I didn’t back down. I turned, my chest brushing his, and looked up with a challenge in my eyes. ‘Careful, Jace. Play with fire, and you might get burned.’

Ethan stepped closer, his voice a low growl. ‘Maybe we like the risk.’

Ryan grinned, leaning in from the other side. ‘Yeah, Lila. What’s life without a little danger?’

The kitchen felt smaller, the air charged with unspoken promises. My skin prickled with anticipation, their proximity making me hyper-aware of every inch of my body. I wasn’t about to let them think they had the upper hand, though. I reached out, trailing a finger down Jace’s chest, feeling the hard muscle beneath. ‘If you boys think you can handle me, you’d better be ready to prove it.’

Jace’s eyes darkened, and in a flash, he had me backed against the counter, his hands on either side of me, caging me in—but I wasn’t trapped. I was exactly where I wanted to be. ‘Oh, we’re ready,’ he growled, his lips hovering over mine.

My breath hitched, my body already responding, wet heat pooling between my thighs as I felt the others close in, their presence a delicious threat. This wasn’t just dinner anymore. This was a feast—and I was the main course.