Page 14 of Love Is…?

“Something that seems to be missing from your repertoire.” Tessa quirked an eyebrow.

Jayde rolled her eyes. “I’ll let that insult slide.” Tessa’s lips ticked up, and Jayde couldn’t keep a grin from sliding onto her mouth. “But you don’t have to gain relationship growth from pleasure. Pleasure can be simply pleasure.”

Tessa gathered the two mugs, hopped off her stool, opened the dishwasher, and placed the mugs upside down in the top rack. She spoke into the cavity. “Of course. But one night of sex doesn’t form the basis of a relationship. That’s my point. I’d probably never see that woman again because it’s just sex. There’s no potential for love.”

There was a pause as Tessa reclaimed her stool.

“And that’smypoint,” Jayde said, frowning, then she splayed her hands. “The lack of potential is the appeal. But it’s about connection, too. About two people givingeach otherpleasure.” Then she froze. “Oh, shit. I’m sorry. You’re not asexual, are you? I mean, that’s…Sorry. I just assumed?—”

“No.”

“No?"

“No, I’m not asexual. I…Pleasure is…Sex is lovely.” Tessa was blushing so hard that she was likely to incinerate something. “I’m just not very good at going to bars and picking up women. I imagine you’re somewhat of an expert, and would probably eat me alive if I wandered intoQueer Beers.”

Jayde’s smile grew slowly, and Tessa blinked.

“Oh my God. See? There you go turning everything into innuendo.”

“It really wasn’t hard. Come on. You have to admit.”

Tessa blushed, and rolled her eyes. “Yes. I guess that one was easy.” Then she regarded Jayde. “Love doesn’t happen at a—Look, I’m better at meeting someone organically like at a library.”

Jayde blinked. “A library…” Then she tapped the counter top decisively as an idea occurred to her. “You need to learn how to hook up,” she stated firmly.

“What? No, I—” Tessa leaned back.

Jayde waggled her finger. “I can teach you.” Then she raised that same finger to point at the ceiling. “In fact, let’s have a bet.”

“A bet? What sort of bet?” Tessa’s voice, despite holding both bafflement and bewilderment, hinted at an interest in the challenge, and Jayde grinned.

“I bet you that, due to my excellent instruction, you’ll successfully hook up with someone by the time I’m finished all my interviews.”

“But you said you’d be done in…That’s only three months!” Tessa stared, then shook her head as if she’d realised she’d actually thought about going through with the bet. “No.” She picked up the stool, and returned it to its home on the other side of the bench. Jayde stood as well. The distance between them narrowed.

“Come on. Let me teach you the ways,” she said, quietly, catching Tessa’s eyes. So pretty.

Tessa snorted. “The ways.” Then she gave Jayde a long look, and breathed heavily out through her nose. The long look expanded. “Fine. I can’t believe I’m doing this, but okay. I don’t back down from bets and certainly not this one because you’re going to lose. I told you that I’m immune to lines and what not, which means I can’t deliver them. People will laugh, like they di—” She snapped her mouth closed, and again, something flashed through Tessa’s eyes. Too quick to catch, but it looked like hurt.

“No, they won’t,” Jayde said softly. “Are you sure? It might be fun?”

Tessa hummed. “You know? I think it will. You’re fun, even though I’ve only known you a little while. I mean, I’m pretty sure you’re not a serial killer.”

Jayde ignored that last bit and mentally cheered. She and Tessa were about to spend a lot of time together, and she was very much a fan of that situation.

“However…” Tessa narrowed her eyes, then gave a slow smile, which was entirely too sexy, and slightly frightening. Asmuch as a gorgeous pixie was frightening. “I’ll take the bet under one condition.”

Scary, naughty pixie. Goosebumps—the lovely kind—travelled up Jayde’s spine. “What’s your condition?”

“You’re going to teach me to hook up.” Tessa darted her gaze from Jayde’s face, to the dining table, and back to Jayde’s face. Then she zeroed in on Jayde’s eyes. “We’ve established the futility of that exercise. Never mind. But in the same amount of time”—she stabbed her finger at Jayde—“I dare you to fall in love with love.”

“Fall in love with love,” Jayde said, deadpan.

“Yes.”

“That requires falling in love with a person if I’m to fall in love with love.”

“If the shoe fits.”

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