Page 46 of The Temporary Roomie: Extended Edition

The one she gave Henry was definitely number five, and I want to know why. I want to know everything about her.

Conversation breaks up when servers begin to bring plates of food to the table. I notice something in Jessie’s demeanor change. The spark that was present earlier in the night has dissipated. Maybe she’s tired? Nauseous? I don’t know, and it’s killing me. Jessie is only my fake girlfriend tonight, but I still feel responsible for her. I want to take care of her.

I use the opportunity to lean a little closer to Jessie. My thigh brushes against hers, and she peeks up at me. “Everything okay?” I ask quietly.

“Mm-hmm,” she says, with a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

She picks up her water, her hand trembling slightly, and takes a deep swallow.Something is definitely off.And then, like a switch was flipped, Jessie’s eyes pop up and she makes me add a new smile to my list:wicked.I watch curiously as she digs somewhat mindlessly in her clutch, looks at me over hershoulder, raises a taunting eyebrow, and drops her eyes to my mouth. Her soft pink lips dare me to lean forward and take them.

My pulse quickens, and I’m so distracted by her lips and whatever it is she’s silently trying to tell me that I barely notice something tumble out of her purse. “Oops. Can you grab that for me,Andrew?” Something in my mind tries to alert me that she used my full name—the one we only use for each other during battle—but the more powerful part of my brain is too busy fantasizing about Jessie to pay attention to it.

Is she giving me some serious bedroom eyes or what? She looks like she wants meright now.It’s the same look she was giving me in the bathroom, but a more intense version. I can’t take my eyes off of her. I’m hypnotized, and she looks like a bronzed goddess in her black velvet dress, green eyes blazing, soft skin begging for me to glide my hands all over it.

Before I even realize it, I’m sliding off my chair a little to grab whatever it is she dropped, eyes never leaving her. My eyes shouldnever,everleave her again. If they do, it will break the spell, and I’m ready to admit this is not a spell I want to break.

I aimlessly feel along the ground for the item, and I have to stretch so far my knee practically touches the ground, but I finally grab hold of the little box and hold it up for Jessie to take. It’s then that she bites down on her bottom smiling lip and gasps so loudly I nearly jolt. Her hand flies to her chest and pushes against her cleavage like a dramatic heroine in an old black-and-white film. The wordyestumbles loudly from her lips.

I blink, spell broken, and realize the trap instantly. I don’t need to look down to see what’s in my hand, but I do anyway.Yep.It’s a ring box.

“Yes! Of course I’ll marry you! I thought you’d never ask!” She’s bubbling over with all the excitement of a woman deep in the throes of love.

I’m shocked—and then mortified as the entire ballroom suddenly erupts in applause.

“Show us the ring!” Henry calls above the clapping that’s ringing in my ears like a fire alarm.

I’m still resting on my knee, box poised in front of me, stunned into stone-cold silence. Jessie reacts for me, leaning forward slightly to open the box and reveal a tiny (fake, I’m sure) diamond ring. It’s so small it should come with a magnifying glass.Great.A brilliant addition to the prank, Jessica. Well done. I’ll be a laughingstock.

A fresh round of gasps is released around the table, and I finally look up into Jessie’s eyes. Hers are locked on mine, and she looks as if she’s trying not to die of laughter. I consider telling her to go right ahead, and I’ll get to work on her grave.

“You are a dead woman,” I mumble through my fake smile.

She sinks her teeth into her bottom lip again and slips the ring from the box right onto her finger. She throws the icing on the cake when she pronounces, “You outdid yourself, Drew! You remembered I love grand gestures. You never forget anything, do you?” Her eyes slide from the pathetic excuse for a ring down to me, and I see nothing but bitter revenge boiling in her irises. It’s then I realize she’s been planning this since the beginning. She bends over slightly to whisper in my ear, “What’s worse, Dr. Stuck-up? Being stood up? Forgotten? Or getting tangled in a lie in front of five hundred colleagues with an itsy-bitsy, teeny-tiny ring?”

Anger, mortification, and betrayal all war and sizzle beneath my skin. I thought . . . I thought we were friends now. Apparently I was wrong.

“Bless him, he’s blushing!” someone at the table whispers, and I want to die. No one will forget this, and I’ll either have to keep up a fake engagement for the rest of my life, tell the truth and humiliate myself, or tell everyone I broke things off with themother of what they believe is my child and look like a complete jerk. Either way, I’m not coming out of this in a favorable light.

I manage to peel myself off the ground and retake my seat, suddenly feeling the need to loosen the tie around my neck. The room is swirling, and everywhere I look smiles are beaming at me and offering congratulations.

“Drew, give her a kiss—don’t leave the poor girl hanging,” says Richard from somewhere within the hazy rush of anxiety I’m feeling.

I slowly turn to Jessie and can see her chest and shoulders shaking with restrained laughter. This only ignites my fury more. I’m angry—no, I’mpissedat Jessie, but I’m also not so far gone that I’m going to waste this moment.

She angles her self-satisfied smirk toward me and presents her cheek, still enjoying her moment of control.

If she’s going to ruin me tonight, I’m going to ruin kissing for her from now on. I’ll make sure that, in comparison, any first kiss after this one tastes as dry as burnt toast.

I curve my hand firmly around the back of Jessie’s neck and lean forward. She gasps at the pressure of my fingers against her skin, and everything around us melts away. My eyes drink up the features of her face, her pink mouth, the curve of her long dark lashes, her delicate collarbones extending out under taut, golden skin. I can’t wait any longer. I need her kiss like I need air.

My mouth covers hers in a sweet, fragile press that she wasn’t expecting. No doubt my eyes look hungry, and the pressure of my hand prepared her for a firm collision—but I’m not some anxious frat boy cornering her at a party. I’ve got nothing but time and patience as I tilt her face so our lips can meet over and over again in luxurious coaxing presses. My heart pounds, and the rhythm of her mouth’s movement accelerates. She smells like coconut and tastes like heaven, and the sudden gentle grip of Jessie’s hand on my knee spurs me to lightly brush my tongueagainst her lips, coaxing them to part so we can deepen the kiss. Jessie nearly falls off her chair trying to slide closer to me. I can’t help but smile against her needy search of my mouth, but then, sensing my amusement, Jessie pulls her lips away and her eyes flutter open. She looks shocked and startled and drugged. I want to gloat, but instead I can’t resist dragging my thumb across her lower lip one more time.

We stare at each other, both frowning in disapproval as the room erupts in applause, catcalls, and whistles. Suddenly, I’m angrier than I’ve ever been in my life. Not because of the prank—although I’m going to have a hell of a time unraveling it—but because of her obvious hatred behind it. I feel like an idiot for seeing the last few weeks as anything other than what they were: a setup. She let me think we were becoming friends so when she squashed me in the big reveal, it would make her victory twice as sweet. Just like the bucket of water above my door.

But I don’t know . . . somehow those thoughts don’t feel right either. There’s more to this, more lurking under the surface, but I don’t see it yet.

Finally, I grin (read: sneer) and take her hand in mine, holding it up in the air like I’m the one who actually won this match.

CHAPTER 25

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