The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

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Oh. Maybe, now that they had sex—good sex, Olivethought, amazing sex, though who knew about Adam?—heneeded his own space. Maybe he wanted his own damn pillow.She returned the empty glass and sat up. “I should move tomy bed.”He shook his head with an intensity that suggested that hedidn’t want her to go, not anywhere, not ever. His free handclosed tight around her waist, as if to tether her to him.Olive didn’t mind.“You sure? I suspect I might be a cover hog.”“It’s fine. I run warm.” He brushed a strand of hair fromher forehead. “And according to someone, I look like I mightsnore.”She gasped in mock outrage. “How dare they? Tell me whosaid that and I will personally avenge you—” She yelped whenhe held the icy-cool glass against her neck, and then dissolvedinto laughter, drawing up her knees and trying to twist awayfrom him. “I’m sorry—you don’t snore! You sleep like aprince!”“Damn right.” He set the glass on the nightstand, appeased,but Olive remained curled up, cheeks flushed and breathinghard from fending him off. He was smiling. With dimples, too.The same smile he’d smiled into her neck earlier, against herskin, the one that had tickled her and made her laugh.“I’m sorry about the socks, by the way.” She winced. “Iknow it’s a controversial topic.”Adam looked down at the rainbow-colored materialstretched around her calves. “Socks are controversial?”“Not socks per se. Just, keeping them on during sex?”“Really?”

“Totally. At least according to the issue of Cosmopolitanwe keep at home to swat cockroaches.”He shrugged, like a man who’d only ever read the NewEngland Journal of Medicine and maybe Truck-PushingDigest. “Why would anyone care one way or the other?”“Maybe they don’t want to unknowingly have sex withpeople with horrible, disfigured toes?”“Do you have disfigured toes?”“Truly grotesque. Circus-worthy. Antithetical to sex.Basically a built-in contraceptive.”He sighed, clearly amused. He was struggling to hold on tohis moody, broody, intense act, and Olive loved it.“I’ve seen you in flip-flops multiple times. Which, by theway, are not lab compliant.”“You must be mistaken.”“Really.”“I don’t like what you’re insinuating, Dr. Carlsen. I take theStanford environmental health and safety guidelines veryseriously and— What are you—”He was so much larger than her, he could hold her downwith one hand on her belly as he wrestled her out of her socks,and for some reason she loved every moment of it. She put upa good fight, and maybe he’d have a couple of bruisestomorrow, but when he finally managed to take them off,Olive was out of breath from laughing. Adam caressed her feetreverently, as though they were delicate and perfectly shapedinstead of belonging to someone who ran two marathons ayear.“You were right,” he said. Chest heaving, she looked at himcuriously. “Your feet are pretty hideous.”

Oh. Maybe, now that they had sex—good sex, Olive

thought, amazing sex, though who knew about Adam?—he

needed his own space. Maybe he wanted his own damn pillow.

She returned the empty glass and sat up. “I should move to

my bed.”

He shook his head with an intensity that suggested that he

didn’t want her to go, not anywhere, not ever. His free hand

closed tight around her waist, as if to tether her to him.

Olive didn’t mind.

“You sure? I suspect I might be a cover hog.”

“It’s fine. I run warm.” He brushed a strand of hair from

her forehead. “And according to someone, I look like I might

snore.”

She gasped in mock outrage. “How dare they? Tell me who

said that and I will personally avenge you—” She yelped when

he held the icy-cool glass against her neck, and then dissolved

into laughter, drawing up her knees and trying to twist away

from him. “I’m sorry—you don’t snore! You sleep like a

prince!”

“Damn right.” He set the glass on the nightstand, appeased,

but Olive remained curled up, cheeks flushed and breathing

hard from fending him off. He was smiling. With dimples, too.

The same smile he’d smiled into her neck earlier, against her

skin, the one that had tickled her and made her laugh.

“I’m sorry about the socks, by the way.” She winced. “I

know it’s a controversial topic.”

Adam looked down at the rainbow-colored material

stretched around her calves. “Socks are controversial?”

“Not socks per se. Just, keeping them on during sex?”

“Really?”

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