The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

“Okay. Second rule. Actually, it could be interpreted as an
extension of the first rule. But”—Olive bit into her lip, willing
herself to bring it up—“no sex.”
For several moments he simply didn’t move. Not even a
millimeter. Then his lips parted, but no sound came out, and
that’s when Olive realized that she had just rendered Adam
Carlsen speechless. Which would have been funny any other
day, but the fact that he seemed dumbfounded by Olive not
wanting to include sex in their fake-dating relationship made
her stomach sink.
Had he assumed that they would? Was it something she’d
said? Should she explain that she’d had very little sex in her
life? That for years she’d wondered whether she was asexual
and she had realized only recently that she might be able to
experience sexual attraction, but only with people she trusted
deeply? That if for some inexplicable reason Adam wanted to
have sex with her, she wasn’t going to be able to go through
with it?
“Listen”—she made to stand from the chair, panic rising in
her throat—“I’m sorry, but if one of the reasons you offered to
fake-date is that you thought that we would—”
“No.” The word half exploded out of him. He looked
genuinely appalled. “I’m shocked that you’d even feel the
need to bring it up.”
“Oh.” Olive’s cheeks heated at the indignation in his voice.
Right. Of course he didn’t expect that. Or even want that, with
her. Look at him—why would he? “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to
assume—”
“No, it makes sense to be up-front. I was just surprised.”
“I know.” Olive nodded. Honestly, she was a little
surprised, too. That she was sitting in Adam Carlsen’s office,
talking about sex—not the meiosis kind of sex, but potential