Page 84 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

Her fingers clenched at her sides. “You have no idea how much effort it’s taking not to cover myself right now.”

He caught both her wrists and pinned her hands to her sides. “Don’t even think about it. You’re so amazing right now, Tess. I can’t even…” He looked up and met her gaze, but that only turned him on even more. “It’s taking everything I have to keep from…Oh, screw it.”

He leaned down and kissed her. There.

Her hips arched off the couch as she yelped in surprise. But the move only made her push deeper against his mouth. “Jonah! What’re you…oh…you shouldn’t…it…God.”

He let go of her hands to catch her waist and ease her back down. Then he licked her again.

She lurched under him once more and grabbed handfuls of his hair. “Omigod, omigod. That’s…wow. Wow.”

He almost came.

Holding her steady, he began to feast. He’d only intended to touch a little tonight. Get her used to the feel of him. This should probably stop here and now, because he was only going to want more when she finished. He knew she was inexperienced; he shouldn’t rush too much in one night, but damn…He didn’t want it to end. And now that he’d had a taste, no way was he stopping until she was falling apart under his tongue.

Besides, he could tell she wanted him to keep going from the way she writhed in his arms, begging him with her gasps and the grip she had on his hair. Which only made it that much more impossible for him to keep himself under control.

When her breathing told him how close she was, he pushed a finger inside her and almost wept from the snug, wet fit.

Her body went rigid, and he knew this was it. Throaty cries filled his ears as she came against his mouth. Concentrating on nothing but her, he stroked her through her completion, overcome by how perfect she was. When her thighs loosened from around his head and began to tremble while she petted his hair with shaking fingers, he slid his fingers free and looked up.

“That was…that was…” She paused to lick her lips.

He slid up her body to snuggle with her. “Are you okay?” Hugging her, he grinned as she burrowed close against him, quaking as if cold.

“No, I’m…not okay. Okay is so tame for what I am. God. Amazing is too tame for what I feel right now.”

Hearty male satisfaction filled him. “Good,” he said and kissed her hair. Then her cheek. Her neck. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

TESS HAD TO BE FLOATING at least a foot off the ground. She wiggled into Jonah’s T-shirt and wasn’t at all surprised to find the hem fell nearly to her knees. He paused to grin at her after he slipped on a pair of track pants.

“God, you’re adorable,” he murmured, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe such an adorable woman was in his apartment with him.

But what was more, he made her feel adorable. She loved that about him, just as she loved pretty much everything else about him. He was just so…Jonah.

Needing to escape the intensity of everything he did to her, she took his hand and dragged him toward the kitchen, because both of their stomachs had been growling for the past ten minutes.

She’d assumed they’d graze on whatever snack they could find, but Jonah wanted to cook her his cheeseburger specialty since she hadn’t gotten to taste it at the diner. Tess protested, not wanting him on his feet for longer than he should be. He did too much without his cane, hopping around on one foot as it was. Sometimes, he even stepped down, putting his weight on his bad leg. She sucked in a breath and cringed every time he did that. But he didn’t seem to be in much pain, so she tried to calm herself.

Still, she insisted on helping him, to speed up the process, so they could sit and eat.

Jonah did the smiley face on her hamburger again, and grinned bashfully when he handed her the plate. “Since I know it’s actually coming to you this time,” he said.

She rolled her eyes as if the gesture was silly, though, honestly, it touched her deeply. Over supper, he told her how he’d spent his last few months, and she told him about all the changes that had happened around campus.

“After the suicide—” She started, breaking off with wide eyes. “I mean, did you know…?”

“Yeah.” He laughed softly, lowering his gaze. “I was there when they brought the body out of Grammar Hall. I can’t believe Roadrunner would do that. But I guess if he was feeling as guilty as I was…” He shrugged and looked up to catch her expression.

She reached across the table and took his hand. “I worried about any guilt you might feel.”

Jonah nodded, squeezing her fingers. “Yeah.” He blew out a breath. “I always wondered if people thought I should’ve done what he did, since I was—”

“What?” Tess surged to her feet to gape down at him with her hands on her hips. “You absolutely shouldn’t have done what he did. No way. No how.”

Jonah bit his lip a let out a breath he’d been holding. “I kind of felt like a coward because I couldn’t even consider the idea.”

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