The Dating Experiment (The Experiment, #2)(55)

She blinked at me. “I don’t know how to respond to that.”

“You could agree.” I grinned.

“No. I don’t think you need the ego boost, in all honesty. And you’re taking this conversation off-track. Don’t think I’m going to let you get away with saying I agreed to date you.”

“All right, I won’t say it. But I will say that you happily invited me to your bed with ice-cream.”

“And I’ll tell everyone I promptly followed that up by considering kicking you out and replacing you with the ice-cream.”

“Most people would probably be more horrified that you threatened it and didn’t do it. I’d rather sleep with ice-cream than with me.” I shrugged a shoulder and pulled out another chunk of the chocolate treat.

She snatched the tub back. “Stop abusing my ice-cream, you savage.”

“Are you still in a relationship with it, or are you and I back on?”

“I never said we were on.”

“Your denial of everything makes me ridiculously happy.”

Chloe’s brows drew together in a frown. “Why does me refusing to admit to being in a relationship with you make you happy?”

“Because, when you eventually admit it, I’ll be right. And I’m pretty fond of being right.” I grinned. “So, you may as well just admit it now.”

“And make you right?”

“Get it over and done with. What? Are you gonna marry me and never admit to being a relationship with me?”

“Who said I was going to marry you?” Her voice was close to a shriek.

I put the ice-cream on the side and leaned back against the headboard. “Well, you’re getting a little close to thirty now, and time isn’t on your side.”

She stared at me incredulously. “If you’re trying to win me over, you’re not doing very well.”

Fuck. It was hard not to laugh. “I mean, your tits won’t be this perky forever. Are they as lively as they used to be?”

Her jaw dropped.

“And your ass won’t always be this free of cellulite. Never mind going gray. I mean, I’m willing to take all this on as a part of you, but—”

“Asshole!” She laughed, launching herself at me. She punched me in the arm and, laughing, I moved away from her and off the bed. She jumped off it, coming after me. I ran around the other side of the bed, holding out my hands.

“Careful. There’s still no life insurance policy. You don’t wanna beat me up too bad.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “I could kill you right now, but I do want to benefit from your death.”

“Which is why you’re an excellent businesswoman. Terrible girlfriend, but great at your job.”

“I’m not your girlfriend.”

“Chloe. We both know you’re my girlfriend. At least, you will be tomorrow morning after you’ve had my pancakes.”

She paused, dropping her fists. “You can make pancakes?”

“Yeah,” I said slowly. “It’s not hard.”

“Huh. I can never get those right,” she mused. “But I’m still not your girlfriend.”

“And your tits still aren’t getting any perkier.”

“Jerkface!” She jumped on the bed and, once again, threw herself at me.

This time, I was able to catch her.

I grabbed hold of her as she pummeled my shoulders with her fists.

“Put me down!” she shouted.

“No.” I spun and dropped onto the bed, bringing her with me. She shrieked, grabbing my shoulders instead of punching them.

I much preferred the grabbing. She had one hell of a right hand, even when she was punching me like a three-year-old.

“Why did you do that?” she demanded. She flattened her hands on the bed either side of my head and looked down at me. Her hair fell forward around her face, tickling me on the cheek.

“It made you stop hitting me, didn’t it?” I asked, eyebrow quirked.

“Can I carry on now?”

“No.”

“Will you let me go then?”

“No. Not until you admit that you’re my girlfriend.”

“You sound very high school,” she muttered.

I rolled us over so she was below me. I straddled her, grabbing her hands and pinning her to the bed so that she couldn’t wriggle away from me. “Admit it.”

“No.”

“We both know it’s going to happen.”

“Real cocky for a guy who has to pin me down and coerce me into dates.”

“I told you earlier. I’m fine with playing dirty.” I gave her a lopsided grin and leaned down, bringing my face closer to hers. “Plus, you and I both know you’re just being awkward. I know just how long you’ve been in love with me, Chloe Collins.”

“Do you, now? And how did you find that out?” She tilted her chin up.

“Peyton has a big mouth.”

“Gonna kill her,” she muttered.

I snorted, sliding my hands over hers and linking our fingers. “You’re gonna get one hell of a jail sentence.”

“It’ll be worth it.”

I smiled, looking into her eyes. “Just admit it, Chlo. You’re hopelessly in love with me, and there’s no chance in hell that you’re going to walk away from giving us a chance.”