Page 74 of Roommate Wars
“Too stuffed for dessert?” I lifted an eyebrow. I had zero interest in eating, for once, but I could muster up if she could.
She considered it a moment. “Give me thirty, maybe forty minutes. Then I’ll be good.”
I laughed. We didn’t actually eatallthe food—but we’d eaten way too much. That didn’t stop Elise from saving room for dessert, which was one of the things about her I admired. I also doubted she’d wait thirty minutes before digging into the sweet stuff, but I was willing to humor her.
Approximately two minutes later, she said, “What dessert did you order?”
I ticked off my fingers. “Apple pie from a famed pie house, milkshakes from Moe’s Diner that have been kept on dry ice—”
She sat forward. “Milkshakes?”
“There’s more.”
Elise laughed. “It’s a good thing our relationship is almost over, or I’d be the size of a whale after another month of dating you.”
I flinched, not liking the sound of that. Time to redouble my efforts. “You’d be a cute whale.”
“Stop teasing me and get to the last dessert.”
“Limoncello and raspberry cake. Full size. Not the minis we had at the dinner party that one night.”
She smiled sweetly. “You remembered how much I liked those?”
“Maybe.” I may have taken several notes on Elise’s likes and dislikes.
She leaned forward on the couch and covered her head, then moaned. “My belly aches, but I can’t pass up Moe’s and limoncello raspberry.” She dropped her hands and looked up. “You are a cruel, cruel man.”
I stood and reached for her hand, pulling her up. “Just have a bite or two.”
She followed me into the kitchen and leaned against the counter where the dessert boxes sat. “I’m willing to sacrifice my stomach if you are.”
I didn’t bother with finery and simply pulled out fresh forks, took a giant scoop of the cake, then held it out for her.
“Classy, Jackson,” she mumbled as her mouth consumed that giant bite and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.
After the cake, we let our stomachs digest with a couple of episodes of trashy dating reality TV. About an hour later, I brought over the Moe’s milkshake and sank beside her on the couch.
Her eyes widened and she ogled the inside of the carton. “It’s chocolate mint?” She reached for the spoon in my hand and took a scoop—the shake was too thick to drink. “I love you, Jackson, have I said that yet?”
She was joking, but it was a start. “Only with your eyes.”
She chuckled, then her gaze took in my face. I wasn’t upset, but I wasn’t laughing either. I was waiting. Consuming cold milkshake and waiting…
Elise leaned over and pecked me on the cheek. “Thank you. For everything. This was the best non-date I’ve ever had.”
“Real date, Elise. Also, that kiss was a few inches to the left. You should try again.”
She smiled with a gleam in her eye. “Was my aim off? Let me fix that.” She leaned in and kissed me lightly on the lips.
I reached for her waist and held her close. “You’ve got some ice cream on your mouth. Let me get that for you.”
I kissed her full bottom lip, sucking it just a touch and pulling her flush against my chest. “Next phase of the date begins now.” I scooped her into my arms and carried her to my bedroom.
ChapterThirty-One
Jack
“Jackson!You said sex wasn’t a part of the dating agreement.”
