The Dating Experiment (The Experiment, #2)(48)

“Which, in all honesty, will probably be very short. As soon as I have your life insurance policy in place.”

Dom stepped back and gave a mock bow. “I’ve already been pricing quotes for you. How about that for true love, eh?”

“Save me the last slice of pizza, then we’ll talk.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I don’t know. I need to think about it.”

He threw his arms in the air, running one hand through his hair on its way back down. “No. You don’t. You’ll just overthink it.”

“I will not!”

“You will! I’ve watched you overthink adding ham to your pizza in the past!”

“Pizza is serious business!”

Dom rubbed his hand down his face. “I didn’t wanna do this, but I’m playing dirty.”

I did a double-take. “Excuse me?”

“We made a deal. Three dates with someone of the other’s choosing.”

Oh no.

“Both of us only went on one date.”

“Wait, but—”

“I’m setting you up with me.” He mimicked my standing by folding his arms. “And you owe me two dates to finish out this little experiment.”

“That’s not fair!”

He grinned, smugly. His eyes twinkled with silent laughter as they met mine. “Two dates. You owe me to get out of our little agreement.”

“Fine. But I’m not setting you up with me.”

“Doesn’t matter, Little Miss Stubborn. I already called it. You’re locked in.”

“I’m busy every night,” I huffed.

He shrugged. “So, we’ll go for breakfast.”

“I don’t eat breakfast.”

“Lunch, then.”

“I have plans.”

“Right now, then.”

“I’m bus—”

He cut me off with one sleek movement. His hand cupped the back of my head and his lips covered mine in a way that gave me no choice but to shut up and stop arguing with me.

And God, it felt so good.

Soft and warm with just enough pressure to make my hair stand on end.

“Now, you’re busy,” he whispered against my lips.

The break in the kiss lasted only a second before he continued. Slow and tender, his teeth grazed my lower lip as both his hands cupped my face. My fingers crept toward his t-shirt, winding themselves into the soft cotton as I did the inevitable and gave in to him.

Until there was a rousing knock-knock-knock at the door, and we jumped apart as if we’d just been caught making out under the bleachers.

Dom grinned, cupping my chin.

My eyes focused on the corner of his mouth. “You have, uh…” I rubbed my thumb against his skin. “Lipstick. Here.” I pulled a packet of make-up removal wipes from my desk drawer and handed them to him. “Use one of these.”

He pulled one out and gave a thorough wipe of his mouth. “Better?”

I nodded.

“Now, go fix yours.” With a wink, he went to answer the door, and I ran into the bathroom, wipes in hand.

One look in the mirror, and I needed more than a fix.

I needed a total re-do.

***

This. Was. Ridiculous.

He’d all but corralled me into two dates with him, and he was right. It was playing dirty, because he knew I wouldn’t back out of it. He knew I’d agreed, and part of the problem with growing up with Peyton Austin as your best friend was the uncanny ability to never back out of a challenge.

She was the most competitive person I knew, even more so than Dom. Unfortunately for me, they’d grown up competing against each other, and I knew there was no way out of this.

No matter how I felt or what I wanted, I had to go on two dates with Dom.

And deep down inside, I was as giddy as could be. Terrified, sure, but giddy as fuck. Truth was, I wanted to go out with him. I wanted to go on a date with him and see if this could work. If we could really let our feelings control our relationship in a new way.

I was still skeptical. Sure, he’d told me we would work, but he wasn’t a psychic. He had no way of knowing whether or not we’d be together in ten years, but a part of me wanted to find out.

It wanted me to believe him.

I wanted him to be right. Above all else, I was in love with him, and I wanted to be with him. Even if I did kill him one day. I wouldn’t even deny it, but there’d be no doubt everyone on the jury would agree he deserved it.

There was no doubt he’d deserve it if I ever murdered him.

I probably would if he ever did it to me.

Anyone who ever said you don’t kill the things you love never met Dominic Austin.

I took a deep breath and looked in the mirror. My hair was dry, but my body was still wrapped in a towel. I had no idea what his plans for tonight were, just that we were going on a date and I had to be ready by six-thirty.

It was six-fifteen.

It wasn’t looking promising.

How did we get here? How did this all get so complicated? It should be straightforward. That’s how it is in the movies. Everyone confesses they love each other, then they go for a nice, candlelit dinner, and then they have all the sex.

Was that what the plan for tonight was?

I wasn’t prepared for a candlelit dinner. I didn’t have the patience for it. Plus, I’d eaten an entire jumbo bag of Cheetos for a late afternoon snack, and that was clearly a mistake.