She shook her head and went back to the messages, pulling up a guy with long brown hair.
“What about him?”
“Are you serious?” I said, snatching the phone away from her. “This says, ‘Online dating has been one of the better ways I’ve met partners, so let’s try this again.’”
“What’s wrong with that?” She fidgeted in my lap, and I gripped her waist, knowing my cock was going to wake up and demand attention if she didn’t sit still.
“Plus, he has a ponytail. I mean, do you want someone whose hair is more high maintenance than yours? Give it here.” I held out my palm, and she rolled her eyes, placing the phone in my hand and standing to put the dishes in the sink.
“I cooked. You clean, and by the time you’re done I’ll have found you someone.”
“You?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“Yep. Don’t worry, Emma. I’ll make sure he isn’t as handsome as I am.” I batted my lashes and straightened my shirt, puffing out my chest like I was a preening peacock. “After all, you’llnever find someone as amazing as me, but we’ll get you a nice runner-up.”
This time, her smile made her eyes dance before she huffed. “Sure am glad your mother taught you modesty, Miller, but fine. Just know, I’m only doing this because you don’t know how to load the dishwasher the right way.”
I chuckled and stood, refilling our coffees and heading to the living room. There wouldn’t be anything decent on television this early on a Saturday except cartoon reruns, so I switched to the Discovery Channel just in time to catch a program calledFifty Shades of Sharks.
Kinky.
The narrator droned on about the mating practices of tiger sharks as I backed out of her messages and checked her profile.
For research purposes and all that.
She was witty, funny, and her profile picture was hot as fuck. If she was going to do this—and I still didn’t agree with it—then I’d at least help her muddle through the idiots.
“Let’s see. An effective way to melt my heart is to always be up for lots of fun.Nope.”
I scratched my face and flipped through her messages and suggested matches.Yecch.There had to be a handful of respectable guys on here. Maverick tried online dating a while back and said he had met several nice girls, but he wasn’t ready to commit.
My roommate in college met his wife online, and they just had their second kid, so there had to be decent guys. Guys who deserved her.
Someone to spoil her and remember that she likes cucumbers but hates pickles. Chocolate and vanilla cake, but not marble. Raspberries but not blackberries.
“Find anyone?” she asked, sitting beside me and taking the mug from the coffee table. I made some sort of noise, hopefully,to express my displeasure with the entire situation, and she elbowed me lightly in the ribs. The air whooshed out of my lungs with the jostle, and I pinched her waist in retaliation before we both giggled, and I handed her back the phone.
“I suppose if I have to choose—”
“Hold on, now. Don’t act all put out when you were the one to offer to help. I was perfectly fine asking the girls when we meet for dinner tomorrow.”
I smirked, pressing my shoulder into hers, and she returned the gesture before pushing her thigh into mine. Satisfied she knew I was just messing with her, I passed the phone over and raised my brows, awaiting her judgment.
“Tyler?” she said, scrolling past a photo of him and to his bio. “Why him?”
“Look,” I answered, pointing to the screen. “He works at a law office, so you know he has a good job. He graduated with honors two years after you, so you know he’s smart. He posted a picture with him on a large back deck, so you know he makes decent money. And he’s not wearing Crocs with socks, like some of the jokers on here.”
“All right, then. Let’s give it a go.”
She clicked the big green accept button and shrugged, putting her phone beside her coffee on the table.
“Now, is there anything I can do for you to show my appreciation for last night and this morning?”
She drew her lip between her teeth, and her eyes flicked down to my crotch. Slowly, she dragged her fingers down my chest and to the waistband of my pants, tugging on the button and zip.
Damn. This girl.
My dick was definitely on board with her thinking, but I still saw the smudges under her eyes and the tightness of her shoulders. I didn’t go to the bar last night out of obligation. I went because Iwantedto see her. Just like Iwantedto makebreakfast for her, and Iwantedto veg on the couch watching television about the reproductive habits of sharks.
