The Love Hypothesis

by Ali Hazelwood

“It’s okay. Expiration dates are for the weak.”

my husbands mindset fr

It never occurred to Olive that Dr. Adam Carlsen—known ass—had called her by her name.

“Yep. I’m so glad he finally scrounged up the courage to ask you out. He’d been going on and on about this ‘amazing girl’ for years, but he was concerned about being in the same department, and you know how he is…” He shrugged and waved his hand. “I’m glad he finally managed to pull his head out of his ass.”

“Olive,” Dr. Aslan interrupted her with a stern tone. “What do I always tell you?” “Um…‘Don’t misplace the multichannel pipette’?” “The other thing.” She sighed. “ ‘Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man.’ ”

She grinned, for no reason other than—Adam was here, with her. And he was smiling.

It wasn’t until a few minutes later, when she was sitting on her bed staring at the Boston skyline and chewing on her lunch, that Olive realized that the protein bar Adam had given her was covered in chocolate.

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”

“Pay attention, sweetheart.”

The way he parted her with his tongue, it was as though she was butter and he meant to slice through her like a hot knife.

“You’re so big.” He groaned into her neck. His entire body was vibrating with tension. “You can take it.”

“I’m going to kill you,” he gritted out, little more than a growl. “If you say another word about the woman I love, if you look at her, if you even think about her—I’m going to fucking kill you.”

“I am going to take care of this,” he told her. There was something determined, earnest in his eyes. Olive had never felt safer, or more loved. “And then I’ll come find you, and I’ll take care of you.”

“Ik hou van jou, Adam.”

Adam smiles, too, and thinks, This is it. He thinks, I love you. He thinks, Maybe, one day, you’ll even let me tell you.