Page 91 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

“You’re not seriously going to decline this, are you?” Her big blue eyes pleaded, and suddenly she looked as scared at he felt. “It’s the most important one yet.”

He gulped loudly and caved. “Of course I won’t. I’m just saying—”

“Great.” She clapped with joy and bounded to him, holding out her hand. “Come along then. We’re going to have to leave the apartment for it.”

Jonah couldn’t help but grin back as he pushed to his feet and took her hand, looking forward to his most important birthday present yet. His nerves eased a little as well, thinking if she had to take him somewhere to give him his gift, it must be a physical object and not her virginity.

“Is it a pony?” he couldn’t help but ask.

Tess laughed and swept herself against him for a hug. “Better.”

“Better? What’s better than a pony?” He kissed her hair, inhaling the soothing, familiar scent of her shampoo, thinking he knew exactly what would be a million times better than a pony. When his hormones stirred, he tried to convince himself he wasn’t disappointed it wasn’t sex after all. But damn, he was a guy, and once sex entered his head, it didn’t want to leave.

Tess pulled back from their hug just enough to grin up at him. “Let’s find out, shall we?”

They walked to his truck hand in hand. He could become addicted to handholding. As he paused at the passenger side of his truck, he lifted her knuckles to his mouth for a quick appreciative kiss before he opened her door for her. And he loved that she was so short; it gave him the perfect excuse to grasp her waist and lift her up into the cab so she didn’t have to try to crawl in by way of the running board.

She gasped from the unexpected boost but grinned back at him once she was nestled in her seat. “Thanks.”

He winked and shut the door.

“So, where to?” he asked, once he was behind the wheel and had the engine started.

“We need to get to four twenty-four East—” She paused a moment, opening her mammoth purse and pulling out a scrap of paper. She unfolded it and turned it up-right to read. “—Poplar Street. Do you know how to get there?”

Jonah squinted at her. “What’s at four twenty-four East Poplar Street?”

This time, she was the one to wink at him. “Why don’t you drive us there and find out?”

He rolled his eyes but had to bite his lip to keep from grinning. “Okay, four twenty-four East Poplar Street it is, then.”

Ten minutes later, he strained forward in his seat to read the numbers on the businesses on East Poplar Street. When he came to a fairly fancy hotel with a beveled glass atrium and brick-laid circle drive curling around to the front door, he glanced over at her. “A hotel?”

Oh, shit. Now the thought of sex was never going to leave his head.

Tess bobbed her head, smiling uncontrollably as she pulled a key card from her purse and flashed it at him. “We’re in room two twenty-five. It has a Jacuzzi, fifty-inch television, and a king-sized bed. Won’t it just be awesome to sleep in a real bed that’s larger than two feet wide? I’m so excited.”

“You—” His mouth went dry, and his hands froze to ice chips. With his heart thumping madly in his chest, he pulled into the parking lot. Once he had the engine off, he turned to face her fully. “Tess…”

What if she only wanted to rent a real bed for him to sleep in for the night, while he was over here with all his dirty, presumptuous thoughts?

“And the best part,” she went on as if she had no clue he was about to have a nervous breakdown. “I bought a new bra and panties I think you’ll like.” When she tugged down the side of her jeans to show off a peek of pale blue silk fringed with black lace, he croaked out a whimper, his mouth falling open.

“Plus…these.” When she pulled a box of condoms from her purse, he blanked out for a second.

But it was all…everything was just too…fuck. He didn’t know how to process this. He’d wanted to go slow with Tess, give her time to adjust and possibly even back out of their relationship once her reason caught up with her, because, seriously, soon she was going to realize being with him was awful.

Except, with the only woman he’d been daydreaming about lately offering herself to him, saying no seemed impossible.

“So…” She let go of her waistband, and her shirt fell back down over her jeans. When he still hadn’t responded, she bit her lip. “Why do you look like you’re going to throw up?”

He could only shake his head. “I think I just experienced my first taste of performance anxiety. But, Jesus, Tess.” He looked at the hotel and back to her. “This is big. This is huge. Are you sure—”

“I am so sure, it’s not even funny. So, please, please don’t say no. My confidence will plummet, and I’ll probably never have the nerve to do something like this again if you turn me down tonight.”

After a speech like that, there was no way he’d be able to turn her down. But he was too moved to speak immediately. No one had ever done anything like this for him before.

No doubt taking his non-answer for hesitation, Tess clicked off her seatbelt and crawled toward him. “I just want to make this the best birthday you’ve ever had.”

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