Page 60 of The Roommate

She rearranged the food on her plate and asked, “What did you do all day?”

“The usual. Worked out, watched TV, sat outside.”

Wrote you an email.

“When did you say you can go back to work for light duty?”

“Next week. I’ll be at a different station where administration is, just filing paperwork and stuff. But at least it’s something.”

They continued on in easy conversation while they ate, and eventually came to dessert. Feeling guilty, Graham pushed the cheesecake in her direction. “We can split it, I guess,” he said grudgingly.

Claire put a hand over her heart. “Such a gentleman.”

She took half of each and pushed them back to his side of the table. They spoke less during dessert, too focused on eating. Graham wasn’t usually a fruit-dessert type person, but he had to admit the apple tart was pretty good. In fact, he’d liked almost everything Claire had ever introduced him to since they became roommates. Without her he’d still be on his old diet of pizza and chicken wings.

Gertrude had hovered around the table during the meal, hoping for a treat but unwilling to appear too eager.

Claire tossed her an extra piece of salami from the charcuterie spread. “There. Now stop staring at me with those eyes.”

Graham’s heart warmed at the nonhostile interaction between them.

“Did you have pets growing up?” he asked.

She sat back down. “No. My mom’s allergic to cats and she was too much of a clean freak to have an indoor dog.”

“You and your mom could not be more different.”

“Are you saying I’m a slob?”

He took a drink. “Did you hear me say that?”

She pursed her lips. “What about you? Did you have a Gertrude when you were a kid?”

“Nah. We barely had enough money for ourselves, let alone to spend on keeping an animal fed.”

He’d spoken without thinking as he put the last bite of cheesecake in his mouth, and didn’t realize how out of character it was to say something so personal until he looked up and found Claire staring at him, fork poised halfway to her mouth.

Graham quickly dropped his gaze and put his fork down, leaning back and threading his fingers together behind his neck. “Well, and you know how much it pains me to say this, you were right. This was fucking delicious.”

It was enough to break Claire out of her trance, and she grinned, finishing her last bite. “I’m glad you liked it.” She stood and gathered the containers to the middle of the table.

As he watched, he noticed a speck of whipped cream near the corner of her mouth.

“Claire.”

She didn’t look up. “Hmm?”

“Come here.”

Their gazes collided, and she straightened, moving to stand beside him.

Graham reached up and swiped his index finger across her lip, then brought it to his mouth, the creamy sweetness hitting his taste buds. His eyes didn’t leave hers as he lifted his hand once more, gently rubbing his thumb back and forth across her perfect, full lower lip. Her mouth parted and she leaned forward, her knee bumping his thigh.

“Fuck it,” she muttered, throwing one leg across his to straddle him.

Surprised, his hands went to her waist to steady her mere seconds before her lips crashed down on his. Her arms locked around his shoulders and she arched into him.

His mind went blank as her lips moved on his, his tongue sliding into the warmth of her mouth. Would he ever get over how perfect it felt to kiss her? How many friends slid into a dynamic shift as easily as they had? It wasn’t awkward, it wasn’t fumbling, it wasn’t weird.

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