The Soul Mate (Roommates, # 4)

I resisted the urge to hand her the clearly marked prenatal vitamins from my pocket to get her colleague to stop drooling over her but instead forced a grin. “Just thought I’d stop by to see you in action.”

She cocked her head and nodded to the baby pig in her arms. “Well then, welcome to my world.”

Her companion glanced from me to Bren and back again, his face falling a little. “You want me to take over?” he asked, gesturing to the pink.

Adorably dressed in a diaper, the pig was nestled in close to Bren’s chest and she leaned to press a kiss to its nose. “It’s okay, sweetie. I’m not going yet.” She turned her attention to the man in front of her. “I’m good from here, actually, if you want to go punch out.”

“Oh, uh, yeah. I was gonna get going anyway.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and skirted from the little enclosure. “I’ll see you on Monday, Bren.”

“‘Kay, see ya,” she said to the other man, who hesitated and spent one moment too long staring at her.

Yeah, see ya, chump.

The guy, I could only assume was Carlisle, looked so deflated as he trudged away that, for a second, I almost felt sorry for him.

Almost.

I pulled the bottle from inside my jacket and handed it to her. “Actually, the other reason I came was that I thought you could use these. Just as a precaution.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” She went a little pale as she balanced the formula bottle and pig in one hand and snatched the bottle of pills with the other. She shot a look around before quickly shoving it in one of the many pockets of her khaki cargo shorts.

“I didn’t mean to interrupt,” I said.

“No, no, we’re just finishing up for the day. It’s time to punch out, but I like to feed the babies before I go.”

I shot a glance at Carlisle’s retreating back in the distance and then faced Bren again. “How long has he been after you?”

“What?” she scoffed. “Carlisle? Are you serious?”© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“He was asking you to go for a ride, and I’m pretty sure his car is option B. Option A was a ride on his d-”

“I get your meaning,” she cut in, her cheeks turning red. “But Carlisle isn’t like that. We’re just friends.”

She set the baby pig back in its pen, treating me to a glimpse of her firm ass as she bent over.

“Trust me, when it comes to women like you, all men are like that.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, yeah? Even you?”

“Especially me.”

A sizzle of tension rolled down my spine. Damn it all if I could figure out how she even made her lime-green zoo polo look like the sexiest thing in the world. Her pretty golden hair was pulled back in a ponytail, emphasizing the crystal clearness of those bright eyes, but when I spoke, she looked away from me, focusing instead on the baby in her arms.

Which, of course, made her look all the more irresistible.

As she stared down at the little lump in the pen, she practically glowed, and when she smiled, it seemed like she was grinning with all of her body. Like she was truly, blissfully happy. Like she loved her job more than life itself.

And that was a feeling I knew all too well. But even more than that, I couldn’t escape the very real feeling that she would be just as enamored of our own baby…if we were having one, that was.

Bren cleared her throat, pulling us both from the tense moment my reply had created. “Tell me, Mr. Baby Expert, have you ever fed a baby pig?”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Can’t say that I have.”

“Then I think it’s time you learned.” She motioned for me to join her and I followed her instructions, standing so close that our skin brushed as I reached for one of the pig’s siblings. “This little guys is special.”

“I thought you weren’t supposed to have favorites.”

“Oh, I have favorites in every enclosure. Like the new koala baby’s mom, Sheila. I love her.”

“And what makes a koala so special?”

She shrugged a single shoulder. “She just is. She has the most personality of any of the other koalas, which is why all the males try to imprint on her.”

“Imprint?”

She laughed. “You really don’t know much about animals, huh?”

“Clearly.”

“When a koala wants to mate with another koala, he excretes a certain pheromone from his chest and rubs it on his intended.”

“And they say romance is dead?” I murmured, a grin hitching my lips. I always enjoyed my work, but I couldn’t deny, being here with her had been the highlight of my day so far.

Bren rolled her eyes. “Sheila is the belle of the ball in the koala habitat.”

I nodded. “So, what’s your favorite animal?”

“Type or in particular?”

I laughed. “How about both?”

“Personally, I’m a big fan of Nibs, the cheetah. But I also like caring for the babies…”

“Why can’t the piglets mother feed them?”

Her gaze turned soft and her thoughts looked faraway. “She got an infection in her milk ducts shortly after delivering. Poor thing is on some strong antibiotics and needs her rest so she can recover.”

“I can see why you like them so much,” I said, still marveling at how cute the damn things were routing around in the hay, and mewling softly as they got cozy.

Bren nodded. “They’re sweet.”

“Like you,” I said, and a slow pink flush took over her cheeks.

When it’s bottle was done, she took the pig from my arms, settled the animal back in its pen, and then locked up the gate before leading me down the pathway.

“So, look, I don’t know if you had plans tonight, but I’ve got a ton of food in my fridge and nobody to share it with. Interested in coming over tonight and letting me cook for you?” I asked, trying to keep it nonchalant even though my blood pulsed through my body in hot rushes.

She studied my face for a long moment, apparently considering her options.

“I won’t try anything funny,” I said, then added, “unless, of course, you want me to.”

“Let’s see how it goes.”

“Is that a yes?” I asked.

“Yeah, why not. Let’s have dinner.” She turned and led me out of the enclosure, careful to make sure I sanitized my hands again on the way out, but I was only half listening to her instructions.

I’d reverted back into my head, busy planning what I would cook for her-what I would say next.

What I was going to do to replay that incredible night we’d shared so many weeks before.

Because today had only sealed the deal for me.

If I had any say in the matter, Bren Matthews was going to end this night screaming my name and begging me for more.