Page 70 of The Roommate Experiment

“What’s in it for me?” he asks playfully.

Nina whispers something in his ear, and Tristan’s face turns sheepish. “I am a man of principle, but I have my limits. What do you ladies want to know?”

* * *

Half an hour later, my mind is spinning with newfound knowledge. Apparently, Dylan is into legs, and can’t resist crew socks, messy buns, or off-the-shoulder tops—even better if it’s his old basketball jersey. He likes women who are into video games. I can’t play, but that’s a plus, apparently. I should ask him to teach me and use the opportunity to be close to him. Nina assures me he’ll be more than happy to mansplain to me all about boring video game stuff.

Basically, all I have to do now is put my hair up in a messy bun, steal Dylan’s basketball jersey, and wear it off the shoulder with no bottom piece and only crew socks on while asking him to teach me how to playHalo.

The plan is simple, but at the thought of going through with it, a prickle of unease creeps up my spine. I feel ridiculous just thinking about parading my assets around the house.

Can I pull this off? Will Dylan see me in a new light, or will I make a fool of myself? The questions swirl in my mind, but despite the doubts, I won’t let this opportunity slip through my fingers. Not again.

I glance around the table, taking in the faces of my friends. Nina is bouncing in her seat, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Tristan leans back, his signature smug smirk on his lips. And then there’s Adrian and Rowena, still lost in their own world of unspoken secrets.

It’s now or never, I decide. I’m going to seize this chance and force Dylan to notice me.

33

DYLAN

The controller vibrates in my hands as my character narrowly avoids an enemy attack near a ravine on screen, nearly taken out by a low-level enemy I should’ve dodged with ease. My focus is so scattered the video game is barely holding my attention. I glance at the clock on the wall—6.37p.m. Hunter should be home soon.

Today has been a surprisingly great Sunday. Volunteering at the soup kitchen this morning filled me with a sense of accomplishment. And spending an entire day without relationship drama and looming break-ups has been a welcome change of pace. And the evening should be even more promising. I’m equal parts nervous and excited to see Hunter.

No, I’m not planning to hit on her mere hours after ending things with Olivia. The last thing I want is for Hunter to assume I’m some kind of player, bouncing from one woman to the next faster than a New York minute. No, tonight is about having our first real, unburdened interaction as roommates and friends. No worrying about other people, crossed boundaries, or hurt feelings.

It’ll be nice to relax and joke around with Hunter without having to walk on eggshells. I can be myself. Maybe even flirt a little, see how she reacts.

My lips twitch into a grin.Yeah, that should be interesting.

The metallic jangle of a key turning in the lock yanks my attention to the front door. A quiet urgency unfurls within me, simmering, waiting. I twist around on the couch as Hunter drags her weekend bag across the threshold.

I’m speechless. Her dark hair is swept up in a messy bun, exposing the graceful curve of her neck. A few stray wisps frame her face, gifting her a careless kind of beauty. She’s wearing the same shorts from our drive out to the Hamptons yesterday, revealing a criminal amount of smooth, tanned legs.

I nearly drop my game controller. Damn, she’s a vision. The most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I have to mentally stuff my fist in my mouth to keep from blurting that out.

Hunter looks up, catching me staring. A shy smile plays on her full lips. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” I manage, hoping I sound casual despite my thundering heart. “How was the drive back?”

She kicks the door shut with a groan. “Awful. We should’ve left early like Adrian and Rowena. But a day at the beach was too tempting.” She drops her bag with a thud. “Then we hit rush-hour traffic. Took forever to get home.”

“Well, I’m glad you made it back.”

A pretty blush colors her cheeks. “Me too. It’s good to be home.” She toes off her sandals. “How was volunteering?”

“Rewarding.” I grin. “Puts things in perspective, you know?”

Hunter nods, mirroring my smile. Then she grabs her bag and heads down the hall. “I’m gonna go change. Be right back.”

As she disappears around the corner, I sink back into the couch cushions and blow my cheeks. I blink at the paused video game, the controller forgotten in my hands. The screen blurs into a hazy image while I wait until the quick snap of her bedroom door startles me back to clarity.

I shake my head like a dog after a bath, as if unruly feelings could fly off like droplets of water.

The effort proves useless when she reappears. Hunter has changed into an oversized T-shirt that slips off one shoulder, revealing a tantalizing expanse of smooth, olive skin. The shirt skims her thighs, and I can’t tell if she’s not wearing shorts underneath or only a tiny, tiny pair. Her legs are bare to mid-calf where her rolled-up white crew socks hit. She’s walked straight out of my daydreams—effortlessly sexy in the most casual, domestic way.

I swallow as she pads over to the couch, trying to keep my eyes from roving over her body.

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