Page 65 of The Roommate

“You okay?” he asked. “I heard cursing.”

“I don’t know what to wear,” she whined.

He gestured to her silk robe. “That looks pretty fucking hot.”

He flashed that gorgeous crooked smile, which was the last thing she needed before going on a date with another guy.

Please, please let me like the new guy’s smile, too.

Determined to keep character to convince herself as much as Graham, she rolled her eyes. “If you’re not gonna help me, move along.”

Graham moved farther into the room, eyeing the outfits she’d discarded on the bed. Putting his weight on one crutch, he gestured with the other. “What’s wrong with that one?”

Claire scrunched her nose. “I decided it’s too fancy, and a little too revealing.” She ignored the flare of heat flashing through his eyes. “He just asked me for coffee, remember? I need to consider the setting.”

Graham frowned as if the concept were foreign to him, but he didn’t argue. “Okay, what are the other options?”

She pulled out a floral sundress that she’d always found cute and flirty and made her ass look great.

“You look really hot in that.”

“I do?”

“Sure. You wore it last year when we went out for your birthday.”

Her heartbeat slowed a fraction and she hooked the hanger on the back of the doorknob, trying to ignore the way her hand trembled slightly. She grabbed an emerald green silk tank top. “Um, I was also considering this one. With jeans.”

“Also a good choice. Didn’t that make it through an entire night at Dante’s Bar?”

It had, and that night had beeninsane. “How do you remember what I wore that night?”

He didn’t answer the question and instead asked his own. “What about that yellow dress you have? The one with buttons down the front?”

What the hell was happening?

Don’t call attention to it.

She did a one-eighty back to her closet and mouthedholy shitto her clothes. Carefully keeping her expression neutral, she faced him again. “This one?”

“Yeah. I’ve always thought you look nice in that one. You know, goes with your hair and stuff.”

It suddenly felt as if the walls of her room were slowly moving in. “Really?”

“Why are you looking at me like that? It shouldn’t be news to you that I think you’re beautiful.”

A tingle spread along the back of her neck as if he’d touched her there. “Beautiful?”

He appeared dumbfounded. “Have I not made that clear?”

“I don’t know... You usually use words likehotorsexy.Beautifulsort of feels like a different category.”

“You’re all of them. Hot, sexy, beautiful. Gorgeous. Stunning. A knockout. Take your pick and let’s move on already. The guy finding you attractive is the last thing you should be worried about.”

It took a second for her brain to trip over all the flattering words he’d just used to describe her and arrive at the second part. She stiffened. “Because once he gets to my personality I’m in trouble?”

“What? Hell no. I didn’t say that. I don’t understand why you’re so convinced you’re not the kind of woman men want. It’s total bullshit.”

Claire deflated. “I’m sorry. I think I’m just nervous.”

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