Page 72 of The Roommate Subtext

Maggie hadn’t been sure what to expect, but she should have known that Blake, who was good at everything, was also an incredible kisser. His mouth moved over hers, casual and confident and steady, coaxing her lips open and brushing his tongue across hers. Oh, fuck, she had needed this. Heat raced through her body, all her nerves on fire, tuning in to this man, this moment, and the intensity of this kiss. She caught her breath and kissed back, tangling her hands in his hair, running her fingers through the soft strands like she’d wanted to do all night. God, she hadn’t realized how much she wanted to touch him.

“I could kiss you forever,” he said against her mouth, then paused, smiling. “Mmm. Actually, no, probably not.” Before she could protest, he caught her earlobe between his lips, making her knees go weak. “At least, not your mouth.”

“Christ.” She swore, making him chuckle again. Who was this guy? This was a whole different side of Blake. Between his confident presentation and schmoozing at the fundraiser and this talented, wicked mouth, she was having a hard time reconciling this man in her arms with the one who kept a cataloged binder of houseplants and wrote to-do lists for fun.

“Stop overthinking,” he said into her ear, kissing her jaw and nipping lightly at the skin.

Maggie exhaled as his teeth worked down to her collarbone, her words coming out shaky. “What—what makes you think I’m overthinking?”

“I can just tell.” He sucked a kiss against her collarbone, smiling against her skin when her hips jerked against his. “That’s better.”

Maggie laughed despite herself. “Are we going to do this on the living room floor, or are you coming to bed with me?”

“Your bed or mine?” He smiled. “They’re equidistant.”

“I can’t believe you’re using equidistant while seducing me.” She shook her head.

“I’m seducing you? You started all of this.” He slid his hands down the bare skin of her back and slotted her against him, his hard cock pressed into her lower belly. “Wearing this dress, flirting with me.” He slid his hands lower, dipping beneath the gathered fabric of her dress until he could palm the curves of her ass. “Are you wearing anything under this at all?”

“Barely.” She grinned. “Want to see?”

He returned her smile. “You have no idea.”

She dragged him toward her room. “Your room, then,” he said.

She tugged him inside and took a moment to pull the blinds closed, flicking on the desk lamp. “I have condoms. Always, um … prepared and all that.” She couldn’t deny the bubble of nerves, or the fear that this was a horrible mistake.

And of course, he read the subtle expression change on her face. “Hey.” He stepped in and kissed her once more, like it was natural, like he’d done it a million times before. “We don’t have to.”

“I want to.” She swallowed, her throat bobbing. “It’s just been … a while.”

“But you have condoms.”

“And an IUD,” Maggie added, then shrugged. “And a full gamut of tests after each new partner. Can’t be too careful.”

Blake smiled. “Same. For the testing, I mean.”

“I like to be ready.” Maggie licked her lips. “I’m hopeful.”

Blake leaned in to kiss her. “Don’t worry. We can stop anytime.”

She looked at this man, beautiful in the soft amber light of her lamp, and her heart went out to him. He was gentle and good and kind, and he deserved good things. And she did want him. But how could she tell him that she also wanted him to pin her down and do wicked things to her? How could she tell him that the hardest she’d come was when a stranger told her to punish her clit with a ruler and beg him for release? In this gentle sweetness between them, the complexity of her feelings rose like a wall that she tried to push down.

What was it the Pimpernel had said? It can just be fun, he’d said. It doesn’t have to be the end of the world.

She didn’t want to think about the Pimpernel right now.

Stepping forward with determination, she tugged his bowtie loose. “You’re overdressed.”

“Very.” He grinned and allowed her to remove his tie, then his tuxedo jacket and vest, which he carefully laid on the chair. “It’s a rental.”

Maggie had to smile. “Good thing I didn’t fuck you in the coat room at the benefit,” she said. “You’d never get your deposit back.”

Blake laughed. Her fingers worked the tiny buttons down the front of his shirt, focused on the movement, then on the thin white shirt, slowly revealed as each button came free. “Too many layers.”

“You’re making quick work of them.” His voice sounded too composed. He was too composed, like this wasn’t affecting him at all, and Maggie wanted to shake him up. She pressed a palm against his erection, through his slacks.

“Oh!” It was a gasp more than a word, his eyes going wide, and Maggie wrapped her hand around his length. Fuck, she’d done this to unsettle him, but it filled her with desire as well. He was still mostly dressed, and she wanted to take him apart.