Taking the Heat (Jackson: Girls' Night Out 3)

“I’m not surprised. There are a lot of rentals around here.” She dug her keys from her bag and led the way to one of the ground-floor doors.

“I won’t come in,” he said for clarity’s sake. Even if he might have wanted to, she was way too drunk for him to feel right about it.

She stabbed her keys toward the doorknob several times. “Don’t worry. I didn’t think you wanted to.”

“Okay, because I— What? Why would you think that?”

She waved her free hand and the keys jagged two inches to the right. “I’m not that girl. I get it.”

“What girl?”

“You know.” She finally got the key into the hole, and when the lock turned, she gave a little cheer. She pushed the door open and then lurched in before spinning back to him. “I’m not going to try to jump your gorgeous bones, Gabe. You’re safe with me. I’m sexual kryptonite.”

“What?” he asked again, even more confused.

She reached down to pull one of her high-heeled boots off, but the other ankle wobbled dangerously.

He jumped forward to grab her elbow so she could pull off the boot without falling. She smiled up at him and took off the other boot. He was surprised by how much shorter she was without them. He could now see straight down her dress. The view was lovely and so was her lacy black bra. He stepped back quickly.

She stared up at him. “It’s true,” she whispered.

“What’s true?” he asked.

She watched him for a long moment, then leaned a little closer. “Can you keep a secret?” she asked.

He nodded.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” he said, not sure what he was hoping to hear her say. Whatever he’d expected, her next words were not it.

“All that advice I give? All of the wise insights on love and sex that I helpfully hand out to strangers?” Her voice was getting softer.

Gabe put his hands on her shoulders. He wanted to lean down and kiss her. Her mouth looked so plump and her eyes so happy. But he couldn’t. Not tonight. “Mmm-hmm,” he murmured, using his hands to hold her steady instead of pulling her close.

“That’s the biggest lie of all, Gabe. I’ve never even done it.”

“Done what?” he asked, distracted by the pretty way her neck arched so she could watch him.

She moved even closer, going up on tiptoe to bring her mouth toward his neck. “Fucking,” she whispered.

For a moment, his brain stuttered over the provocative word, guessing that she was trying to turn him on. Not that he’d act on it tonight, but it was a nice problem to have. Then the rest of the conversation caught up and overrode his libido.

He stood straight. His hands gripped her shoulders with more strength. “You what?”

Instead of reacting with the seriousness he thought the moment deserved, Veronica burst into laughter. “You should see your face!” she chortled, pointing at his face in case he’d forgotten where he’d left it. “Oh, my God, you’re so cute!”

“You were kidding,” he sighed, feeling a relief he didn’t understand.

“Oh, I wasn’t kidding. But it’s still funny.”

He blinked several times. “You’re a virgin?”

“Pretty much,” she said, her face suddenly getting serious.

“What does that mean? Can you even be pretty much a virgin?”

“I mean, I’ve done things. On occasion. But I’ve never really done things. Do you get it now? Look at me! I’m a fraud, Gabe. An undesirable, freakish fraud!”