The Dating Experiment (The Experiment, #2)(58)
With the skill only a young child could have, she wandered over to the sofa and climbed up next to Peyton. She stuck her hand out, and Peyton tilted the bag so she could reach for it.
Just in time for Dom to walk in.
“Peyt. Seriously? Why will you share with her but not anyone else?” He held out his hands.
With a completely serious face, Peyton looked up and said, “I like her.”
“Oh, well, that covers it,” he muttered, moving the last box off the coffee table. “Where am I putting the table?”
“Outside,” I said. “Where do you think it’s going?”
“This is going to be a long day.”
Elliott’s laughter announced his return to the room. He smacked Dom on the shoulder, chuckled again, and headed outside.
“I think I regret this,” Dom said.
“If you don’t already,” I replied, grabbing the end of the coffee table to pull it across the carpet. “You will when I unpack the knives.”
***
I closed the door to the dishwasher and leaned against the counter. The laughter coming from my living room made me happy. The boxes everywhere? Not so much.
But they would disappear in time. I knew that. Especially if I took control of the unpacking, because God only knew nothing would ever get done if Dom was in charge.
A hard, familiar body pressed against my back, and Dom’s strong arms wrapped around my shoulders as he kissed the side of my neck. “Okay?”
I nodded. “It’s weird, isn’t it? Knowing this house is ours.”
“Yep. And we have so much space. This is definitely better than staying at my old apartment.”
“Which I hated,” I added, touching his arm. “Isn’t it weird how everything changed?”
“For who?”
“All of us. Did you think we’d be here eighteen months ago?”
He shook his head. “Honestly? I never thought you and I would ever break through the barrier that we had between us, never mind any of this. Especially Peyton being pregnant.”
“No kidding. That’s the weirdest one of all. I would have sworn on my grave that she would never have gotten pregnant. Ever.”
“You’re not the only person. I guess filing the adoption papers changed her mind completely about parenthood.”
“Well, she couldn’t have Elliott without Bri,” I said. “She told me they’re due in court in two weeks to finalize the adoption. Bri wouldn’t stop talking about it. She’s so excited for Peyton to be her mom.”
“Poor kid,” he muttered. “She has no idea what she’s getting into.”
I laughed and tapped his arm. “She’s a great mom to her, and you know it.”
“I do. But I’m still her brother, so…”
“Dom.”
He chuckled. “Do you think we’ll have kids?”
“Yeah, but we’re doing gender selection, because nobody needs another Dom running around this planet. One is more than enough.”
“A girl could turn out like Peyton. We share genes, remember?”
“Crap. I guess it’s a potluck, huh?”
“Something like that, yeah.” He kissed the side of my head again. “I’m glad we did this.”
“So am I.” I leaned into him, briefly closing my eyes.
He held me a little tighter, and I relaxed into his hold. It was perfect—it always had been. And, against the odds, we’d made it this long.
A part of me still wondered if we could actually do it. The fear that one day I would lose him completely was something I didn’t think I would ever get rid of, but I was so glad I made the choice not to let it rule me.
The only thing I regretted was that we’d taken so long to admit to each other how we felt. And, you know what? I’d never been so glad to go on a date with another guy or see him go out with another woman.
Without that, I knew exactly where we’d be. We’d be in the same office, having the same fights. I’d be saving him the last piece of pizza, and he’d be doing all the little things around the office, so I never had to.
It still amazed me that he could do all that, but he was basically unable to pay the internet company until I took control over that.
Then again, he was a little strange like that. Can’t keep a key in his pocket to save his life, but printer ink?
Sign. Him. Up.
“Chlo?” Dom whispered in my ear.
“Yeah?”
“I saved you the last piece of pizza.”
And that, right there, was true love.
THE END
FOUR DAY FLING
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A standalone romantic comedy of epically awkward proportions, from New York Times bestselling author, Emma Hart.
Imagine this.
You’re ready to leave after a one-night stand, and you’re figuring out how to—shock horror—leave your number and ask him to be your fake boyfriend for your sister’s wedding this weekend.
When he wakes up.
Well, that happened to me. And over coffee and omelets, I found myself a date.
Which was how I ended up arriving at the wedding with a guy I knew nothing about.