Page 9 of Forbidden Virgin Mate

"I hope you like fairs, too,” I say, grinning.

"What's not to like? All the sweet treats a person could possibly eat, mixed with rides that spin all around."

"You ever go to the Santa Clara Fair? You're from the Bay Area, right?"

"Sort of," she says, suddenly looking out the window. Feeling the mood shift, I wonder if I've said the wrong thing. "You ever been to Santa Clara?” she asks me.

“Yeah,” I say quickly, trying to move the conversation on. “Diego and I went a few years ago. Nice area.”

“Yeah, it is.” But she’s still a bit quiet, and I start to panic.

“Well, the fair here is probably smaller than you’re used to,” I say, “but I know for a fact there are plenty of spinning rides. Maybe we should eataftergoing on them.”

She flashes me a beautiful smile at that, and I feel instantly relieved. “I’m gonna hold you to that,” she says, holding my gaze seductively as we pull into the lot. “I’ve never met a ride I couldn’t handle.”

My heart races, and I can feel my face going bred. I almost stall the truck in response to the sexy innuendo, but thankfully, I manage not to embarrass myself completely. Tanya's eyes sparkle with laughter as she sees me struggle, and I take a deep breath.

"Challenge accepted," I finally say, winking at her. "Let's see what you got."

I get out of the truck and walk around to her side. Opening the door, I help her climb down from the cab. I take her surprisingly small hand and feel a jolt of electricity as our fingers touch. I can't help but take in her long legs, encased in tights and a short skirt. Her cheeks are pink, and she smiles at me, making my heart race even more.

I take a step back from her, forcing myself to remain a gentleman despite my thoughts. We stare into each other's eyes for what feels like an eternity before I finally step back and offer her my hand.

"Ready to go?" I ask as she slips her hand into mine.

Tanya nods as if she knows exactly what I'm thinking about—and given the mischievous twinkle in her eye, she seems to like it. Taking a deep breath, I give her hand a playful squeeze and pull her toward the fairground.

I love how her eyes go wide as we walk under the arch, and she sees the vast array of stalls. The sweet smell of caramel apples and cotton candy fills the air. I'd worried the fair might be a bit smaller than she's used to, having grown up in a city, but the wide smile on her face tells me I needn't be concerned.

"Hey, miss," a girl calls to us, waving excitedly at Tanya. She and her friends giggle when they see she's with me, and I groan. Small towns like this are rife with gossip.

Tanya waves back, not seeming affected the same way I am. Perhaps she's forgotten what small towns are like.

The group of girls is standing with some older women, some of whom are looking daggers at Tanya and me, which is a bit strange. "Friendly kids in your class, I presume?" I ask.

"Mmm," she replies casually.

“You want to go over, or is that not cool for a teacher?” I laugh.

Just then, I see one of the older women gesture toward us again. Tanya sees it, too, and I feel her tense next to me.

"Something I should know about?" I ask, my wolf rankled.

"No," she says, brushing it off. "The kids are friendlier than some of the parents. My family wasn't overly popular around here."

I squeeze her hand, not wanting a few ignorant women to ruin our date before it's even begun. "I know how that feels, believe me," I say, pulling her away from the entrance and toward the food stands. "I think it's time for donuts."

That seems to do the trick. Tanya’s beautiful smile returns, and I squeeze her hand tighter as we head off.

Chapter 5 - Tanya

I know how that feels.

His words took me by surprise. As I stand, waiting for him to return with the donuts, I struggle to get my head around it.

He can't possibly know how I feel. None of what I went through happened to him.

My cheeks burn with shame at being singled out by those women. It's true what I said—the young students at the college are pretty awesome, and the only problems have come from some of the parents. I thought I'd be safe at Zack's town fair, but the two packs mingle more than I realized.

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