Page 31 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

“I can’t believe we did that,” Tess whispered, looking completely scandalized. A person would’ve thought she’d actually shimmied her hand under the blanket and touched him skin to skin.

Her eyes were so wide and blue, and her mouth had dropped open so far, Jonah wanted to kiss the shock right off her lips just to see how it tasted.

“What?” He grinned uncontrollably, forcing his voice to go innocent even though his damn smile vibrated out every pore of his body and he must look one hundred percent ornery. “Don’t tell me you’ve never touched me there before.”

Okay, fine. He asked that just to make her blush. But, Jesus, it worked. A pink tinge spread down her cheeks, her neck, and disappeared into the opening of her collar. He wondered how far down that amazing color went.

Glancing away, she mumbled, “Not in public like this where someone could catch us any second.”

“Do we do it a lot?” he pressed, fishing for another reaction. “Like, all the time?” When her eyes flared wide, he couldn’t help himself. He had to tease her. Flashing a wolfish smile, he snagged her hand again. “I bet you can’t keep your hands off me.”

“Jonah.” She choked out his name, looking stunned to the core. When she pushed her wild red hair out of her face, showing him just how scarlet her cheeks had become, he tugged her closer to the bed.

Alarm filled her face. He chuckled, too happy to feel any kind of regret. “Don’t worry, Contessa Anabelle. I won’t make you touch me there again.” Then he winked. “At least not in public where someone cou

ld catch us at any second.”

“I’m not…” She bit her lip and tightened her grip on his hand. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be such a prude. I’ve just…I’ve always been ultra-conservative in…this department.”

He lifted his eyebrows. “Even with your boyfriend?” He caught his breath and held it before he added, “With me?”

She cleared her throat tactfully. “Well…you might have coaxed me out of my timid shell a time or two.”

“Really?” Still tugging on her fingers so she’d have to move closer yet, he grinned. “Now this sounds interesting. What’s the kinkiest thing I ever got you to do?”

Her embarrassment kept growing. He hadn’t thought her cheeks could get any more crimson than they already were. But they did.

She glanced away. “I don’t know.”

He knew he should drop the inquisition, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. After she’d left him last night, he hadn’t been able to get her off his mind. And now that she was back, he wanted to push their relationship and somehow cement it into place so nothing could rock its foundation. Not even the truth.

“When was our first kiss? And don’t tell me you don’t remember that either. I’m the one with amnesia here.”

She rolled her eyes as she turned back to him. “I know that. I just—”

“Don’t want to talk about what we were like together…before?” he asked quietly. He should stop with this line of questioning, but he was realizing he learned more about her when she answered him, from how she reacted to what she said…and didn’t say.

Shaking her head, she sent him an irritated frown. “No, that’s not it at all.”

If she said they weren’t together, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. He was even more worried what she’d do. If she left now…Shit, he wasn’t going to think about that. But even as his skin went cold with dread over the very possibility, he pressed, “We are broken up, aren’t we?”

“No,” she growled, her glower gaining strength. “Will you just hush and let me talk?”

So relieved by her answer, and a little surprised by the force behind it, he spiked his eyebrows up. He was coming to realize she didn’t lose her temper easily, but when she did, she knew how to stand up for herself. He liked that.

He zipped his thumb and index finger across his mouth and sent her an angelic smile.

She rolled her eyes. “Thank you. Now, where was I?”

He shrugged, refusing to speak. She gave a long, suffering sigh and leveled him with a dry look. He figured anything he did right now would get on her last nerve, so he simply kept smiling innocently.

Finally, she gave in to a reluctant grin. “First kiss, huh? Well, it happened on our…third date. After one or your football games. We went to this frat party and…and you taught me how to take a JELL-O shot.”

Jonah lowered his brow at the picture she painted. Jesus, that was the worst lie she’d made up yet. “So, I liquored you up and took advantage of you?”

She flushed again and ducked her chin. “It wasn’t like that. And I certainly didn’t mind your…advances.”

Lie or not, his chest swelled with an arrogant kind of pride just to hear her brag about his prowess. “So, you approve of my kissing abilities, huh?” He waggled his eyebrows, hoping she might praise his accomplishments a little while longer or maybe let him give her another sample of them.

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