The Dating Experiment (The Experiment, #2)(26)

“You just seem…weird,” Chloe said. “For one, you’re working half naked.”

“Well,” I said, clicking on another profile, struggling to keep my eyes trained on the screen, “I wasn’t exactly expecting you to come by, or I’d be wearing a shirt.”

“You don’t—I mean…” She trailed off, then coughed.

I peered over top of the screen, one eyebrow quirked in amusement.

“Don’t wear a shirt on my account,” she said. “I’m just here for my phone.”

“Just as well. I don’t have one down here.” I smirked and looked back at the computer.

“Right. Why would you?”

I saw her shift awkwardly out of the corner of my eye.

“I was going to ask you something, but I guess that can wait until tomorrow.”

I finally pushed the laptop away and looked up at her. “Why can’t you ask me it now?”

“Because you’re—” She swallowed, blushing. “Never mind.”

“Because I’m shirtless?” I smirked.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You were going to.”

“You can’t prove that.” She folded her arms across her chest, eyes flashing in challenge.

“I don’t need to, Chlo. You’re blushing like a thirteen-year-old who just met the eyes of the high school quarterback.”

She clapped her hands to her cheeks and pursed her lips. “Now, I’m not going to ask you because you’re pissing me off.”

Laughing, I waved my hand, then leaned back in my chair. “Just get on with it. I have work to do.”

She hesitated for a second, as if she were really considering leaving. “I was thinking about what you said yesterday.” She walked to my desk and put down her phone and keys. “About not wanting a date?”

“If you’re asking whether I’ve changed my mind, the answer is still that I haven’t.”

“No.” She gripped the back of the chair on her side of the desk and leaned forward, just slightly allowing me a look down her shirt at her cleavage. “I was thinking about what you said after. About anyone I find not being able to compare to what you want.”

I didn’t like where this was going. I should have just agreed to a new date, shouldn’t I? Fuck it.

“What about it?” I ran my tongue over my teeth.

“What did you mean when you said that?”

I tilted my head to the side. “Why did it have to mean anything? Can’t I have an idea of the kind of woman I’d like to date?”

She shifted, one shoulder rolling back as she straightened up. “Well, yeah. Sure, you can. I mean, I have an idea of the kind of guy I want to date. I was just… You sounded specific.”

“I would hope I did. Otherwise, my idea of the woman I’d like to date is just a hair color and the fact she has a pair of tits.” I drained the last of my coffee and got up. Her eyes followed me as I walked to the kitchen, mug in hand. “Are you checking me out, Chloe?”

“No!” she shouted a little too loudly. “I was just…watching you go and thinking that you’re lying.”

“Ah, lying.” I put the mug in the sink and leaned against the doorframe, grinning at her. I folded my arms. “There’s some of that going around today.”

Her gaze dropped first to my arms, then to my lower stomach.

I cleared my throat. “You’re doing it again.”

“Oh my God, put a shirt on!” she snapped. “Walking around like that you’re basically asking me to stare at you like you’re a piece of meat!” She flung her arm in my direction, running her other hand through her hair.

My cheeks hurt I was grinning so much. “I don’t have a shirt. I told you that. You’ll just have to behave until this conversation is done. Unless, of course, you want to leave.”

“I want you to tell me what you meant when you said what you did. I can help you find—”

I shook my head. “No, you can’t help me. It’s done, Chloe, give up. I don’t want to date anyone right now.”

“But—”

“There are no buts!” I pushed off the frame and stared her down. “No buts. I don’t want to date. I don’t want you to find me a date. It’ll happen when it happens. Shouldn’t you be worrying about your own date instead of what I’m doing with mine?”

“He’s still out of town.” Another awkward shuffle.

“So, you’re fixating on me now?”

“If you’d put a shirt on, I wouldn’t have to.”

I laughed. “I’m not putting a shirt on. Just like I’m not gonna put any underwear on.”

She dropped her eyes to my crotch.

I cleared my throat once again.

“For the love of God!” Chloe clapped her hand over her eyes and spun around.

More laughter escaped me. “Someone needs to get laid.”

“Someone needs to dress to see other people,” she hissed.

“Excuse me if I wasn’t expecting you to come by today.”

“It’s my office, too!”

“I know. I have to listen to you bitch at me at least five days a week.” I walked back over to my desk. “Now you’ve gotten your phone, are you gonna leave me in peace to work?”