Page 24 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

look, worried about how bad the damage is.”

“Oh.” Right. The amnesia. Why did she keep forgetting about that tonight? “Well, you don’t look bad. I mean, the damage isn’t that bad. There’s a green ring around one eye where you have a fading bruise, and you have a patch of gauze on one side of your head. Then your arm…” She motioned toward his cast. “Well, you can see your arm. But other than that, you look—”

When she didn’t go on, too busy scanning his flawless features, he quietly asked, “How do I look?”

“Well…” She shrugged. “You look perfect. Your hair.” Unable to help herself, she reached out so she could curl a thick brown lock around her fingers. “It’s thick and dark and really, really soft. It’s straight but pliable enough to make it move however I want. And the color is…amazing.”

“What color is it?”

“Brown…but so much more than brown. It’s like…those commercials where they show dark chocolate in a liquid form. Then blend in a couple streaks of caramel, and there you have it.”

“Sounds…delicious.”

Yeah, Tess would definitely agree he had yummy hair. Yummy everything.

“It matches the color of your eyes as well as the beard growing along your jawline.” Her nails briefly tracked his five-o’clock shadow. “You have a very strong, proud jaw. Masculine. And your lips. Wow, you have those full, really soft-looking lips.”

“Damn,” he breathed. “I am gorgeous.”

Tess laughed even as she blushed hard, realizing just how much she was gushing.

His own smile smoothed into a serious expression before he opened his mouth, but a nurse—the same one who’d promised to mend his hand earlier—entered before he could say whatever it was he was going to say.

“We forgot to take our meds, Mr. Abbott,” she started, only to slow to a stop when she saw Tess. Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Visiting hours were over half an hour ago, miss. You’re going to have to leave.”

Jonah’s hand tightened on hers as he scowled at the nurse. But Tess gasped as she glanced at the clock. “Oh my God. I hadn’t realized it had gotten so late.” She stepped aside to let the nurse in next to him and hand him a cup full of pills. “You never did come back to see about his bloody hand and torn-out IV, either.”

The nurse glanced at the dried blood on Jonah’s skin and winced. “That’s right.” Instead of apologizing, she nodded. “I still have a little bit of time before my shift ends. Let me just…I’ll be back with the supplies I need.” She hurried from the room again, Tess frowning after her.

“Are you always treated like this?” she demanded, whirling to Jonah.

He shrugged. “I’m not exactly a model patient, so it’s not like I expect five-star service.”

“But—”

“It’s okay,” he said, reaching for her hand again. “As you can see, I did just fine without her for a couple hours.”

And it really had been a couple hours. Knowing she needed to get Bailey’s car back to campus, Tess took his fingers but only to squeeze them in farewell. “I better get going.”

He nodded, his expression taking on sorrow. Then he forced a small smile. “Same time tomorrow?”

Hearing him say aloud that he wanted to see her again filled her chest with a crazy, amazing sensation. Blushing madly, she nodded. “You bet.”

Like she was going to turn down a chance to see him again.

The sadness fled as his brown eyes twinkled with hope. Crooking the finger on his free hand, he beckoned her close as if he wanted to tell her a secret.

With a curious, confused grin, she leaned in, cocking her ear toward his mouth.

“Closer,” he whispered.

Her stomach swirled with excitement at the word. Really intrigued now, she lowered down to almost within an inch of his lips. “Yes?” Breathless and giddily light-headed, she waited for him to say something.

Instead of talking into her ear, though, he touched her chin and tilted her face around toward his.

“This might be presumptuous for our first date, but…” He set is mouth against hers.

Tess’s mind blanked out as her eyes flared wide. Then his lips brushed by hers again, lingering this time, and her senses took over. She held her breath, wanting it to last.

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