Page 65 of The Roommate Subtext

“Yeah, why not?” Blake had enough secrecy in his life. “It’s the truth.”

“We were roommates, then … we started dating?”

Blake nodded. “You fell for my intelligence and my ability to keep even the most difficult houseplant alive.”

Maggie laughed. “That was it. I was unable to resist your green thumb.”

“What’s the alternative?” Blake leaned closer, and he couldn’t help but tease her, lips close to her ear as he whispered. “You want me to tell people you couldn’t resist me in bed?”

Maggie spun, bringing their faces inches apart, and her pupils dilated.

Oh.

Maybe this attraction wasn’t one-sided at all. She’d teased him, flirted with him, dropped some innuendo, but he’d never turned the tables. That expression on her face, though, was an expression he’d seen on women’s faces before. She wanted him. The knowledge ran straight through his body like an electric current, and he thought about kissing her. It would be easy to bridge this tiny gap between them. She would breathe in quickly, a small gasp, then kiss him back, sliding her fingers into his hair and slotting her mouth against his, and—

“This is as close as I can get. Front of the building’s blocked off.” Hank pulled up alongside the venue, jolting Blake out of his reverie. Maggie seemed similarly surprised, like she’d been lost in her thoughts as well. Blake helped her from the backseat onto the curb and let his mind and body come back into focus.

He couldn’t afford to get distracted tonight. He had a job to do.

Maggie needed to get herself together or she was not going to make it through this night. She gathered her thoughts on the curb while Blake completed his ride in the app. Ever since being in his room, she’d been distracted. The way he’d been looking at her, for one, but also, something about his desk gave her déjà vu, which also left her off-kilter. She liked to make jokes to balance herself, and it had worked, mostly, until he’d made that joke about them sleeping together and she’d lost her whole mind.

It wasn’t only his proximity, or the fact that he looked like he wanted to kiss her, although both of those were certainly factors. But he’d never made a sexual joke like that before. She’d never heard that side of him, and for him to toss it out effortlessly, like it had been on the tip of his tongue anyway, had shaken her assessment of him right down to every iota of assumption.

“Cold tonight,” he observed, moving closer to her, and she noticed the temperature for the first time. She’d really been deep in her head. “We should get inside.” He offered her his arm.

She took it, and the warmth of him burned into her side all the way along her body, even where they weren’t touching.

Fuck, it was going to be a long night.

She hadn’t expected paparazzi, but as they turned the corner to the front of the building, press photographers had lined up to take their pictures. Apparently, that’s why the road was blocked off. “I didn’t know this was such a big deal,” she whispered.

“I thought we might be early enough that they wouldn’t be here.” He sounded apologetic. “Usually they only care about the donors. Want me to see about sneaking in through a side door?”

“Of course not. This is your night.” She tugged him forward into the short line. They posed for a slew of photographs, some bright flashes that made spots appear before her eyes, and she tried to smile naturally and look as if she belonged on Blake’s arm. The whole thing took only a few minutes, and they were inside.

Blake gave their name to the table of friendly well-dressed people in the foyer waiting to take the guests’ initial donations. She gave her wrap to a coat-check attendant and let Blake escort her to their table.

She dropped her purse on the chair next to a placard with her name on it. “Here’s the timeline,” Blake said. Now that he was in the ballroom, he was all business. “Cocktail hour goes until eight, when dinner starts. Dessert should wrap up a bit after nine, at which point the executive director of PlantSeed will get up and say a few words, then they’ll share information about the silent auction, and I’ll give my presentation. Then there’s schmoozing and dancing until it all wraps up, which they tell me is around midnight or one or something like that.” He reached out and plucked something from the end of one of her loose curls, making her breath catch as his fingers brushed her cheek. “You had a fuzz,” he said, but his voice hitched. “From your wrap.”

“Right.” She tried to sound calm, but her heart had begun fluttering in her chest. “Open bar, I take it.”

“Of course.” He hesitated. “I probably won’t have anything until after my presentation.”

“Smart.” She nodded. “I won’t overindulge, don’t worry.”

He tipped his head to the side and gave her a soft smile of disbelief. “I would never worry about you.”

Well, that was disarming, and Maggie was left gaping when a sudden presence to her right made her turn. A tall, slender woman with deep brown skin and wide-set amber eyes had just walked into their space, smiling at them. She wore an emerald tuxedo that accentuated her height, along with incredible matching heels. Her short black hair was styled in tight coils close to her head, and she wore large gold hoop earrings that caught the light when she turned. Maggie could feel her presence, a calming energy that nonetheless spoke of total control.

“Blake.” She extended a hand to him, which he took with a smile. “You look wonderful.” She turned to Maggie. “And this must be your guest.”

“Yes. Candace, I’d like you to meet my–my girlfriend, Marguerite St. Claire.” Maggie was probably the only one who noticed his slight stutter right before the word “girlfriend.” Blake continued, “Maggie, this is Candace Bellingham, the executive director of PlantSeed.”

“Just Candace, thanks,” Candace said, shaking Maggie’s hand and giving her a warm smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marguerite.”

“Please, call me Maggie.” Maggie returned Candace’s smile. She had an excellent handshake and a sense of gravitas indicating her confident control of the room. “You’ve done amazing work. I’ve been following your organization.”

“That’s kind of you to say.” Candace rested a gentle hand on Blake’s shoulder. “Your boyfriend has been doing excellent work for us this year.”