Deceptive Truth: Cowboy Justice Association (Serials and Stalkers Book 4) by Olivia Jaymes (psychology books to read .TXT) 📗

"I can buy you a stuffed animal," Knox offered, snuggling closer and taking in her heady scent, a mixture of florals and fresh rain. "Hell, I'll buy you two."

Jenna nudged his shoulder. "Thank you, but I'm okay. Just a little disappointed. I'm simply too competitive for my own good. I want to win everything."

"There's nothing wrong with that as long as you’re not body checking people to knock them out of the way."

Giggling, she pressed a quick kiss on his jaw. "I thought about it but I controlled myself."

He waggled his eyebrows, his pulse quickening. "Control is overrated."

"Think so?" she whispered, her breath warm on his cheek and her fingertips skating along his arm. The skin tingled in her wake. "What would losing control look like?"

"We'd definitely be closer," he said, his lips brushing her ear. "A lot closer."

They'd been taking it slow but he wasn't against taking a big leap in their relationship. Right into his king-sized mattress. Her could already see her long blonde hair tousled on his pillows.

Damn, he wanted her so badly it hurt.

She glanced over at their friends. "I don't think we can do that here. They might not let us back into this place."

"Are you suggesting that we would be indecent in public?" he chuckled, tangling their fingers together. He wasn't a big fan of public displays but there was something about this woman... He could barely keep his hands off of her.

"I think you were suggesting it."

"Actually, I was suggesting that we go somewhere else. Somewhere far more private."

"Private sounds good. But we can't just blow off your friends. That wouldn't be nice."

His friends were currently cock blocking him, and they probably didn't even realize it. Luckily, Mariah was yawning and clearly getting tired. She and Ryan were sure to call an end to the evening quite soon. It was already midnight and none of them were party animals anymore.

"I can wait."

But not for much longer.

Knox had a feeling that tonight was going to be fucking fantastic.

The closer Jenna and Knox got to her home the more nervous she became. Right now her stomach was tied into a painful knot and her heart was racing so fast it threatened to jump out of her chest and take off out of the car. She kept telling herself to breathe slowly and calm down but it wasn't working in the least. She was terrified her dinner was going to make an uninvited second appearance.

Things were moving far too fast, as in lighting speed, but Jenna didn't seem to know how to slow them down. Her relationship with Knox had taken on a life of its own and it only seemed to gain momentum with each passing day.

She liked him.

Really, really liked him. A lot.

He was intelligent, funny, kind, and sexy as hell. He was the kind of guy that she'd always hoped to find but hadn't had any luck until that night in the sports bar when she'd spilled her beer on both of them. Instantly, she'd been charmed by his flashing smile and easy laugh. He was far too handsome for his own good, but he wasn't arrogant about it. He definitely knew he was attractive but he'd never treated her as if she was lucky to be with him. He was a great person and she loved spending time together.

She was also lying to him.

It wasn't a teeny tiny lie, either. It was a big whopper and she was deeply ashamed of herself. So many times she'd tried to talk to him and come clean, but somehow he'd steer the conversation in another direction and the next thing she knew the truth hadn't come out.

Tonight, she couldn't put it off any longer. Because it was one thing to date a guy that didn't know the unadulterated truth, but she couldn't make love with him under these circumstances. She couldn't be intimate with him and lie to him all at the same time. It simply wasn't who she was. This time she wouldn't let him quiet her. She was going to say what she had to say and he was damn well going to listen.

Then he'd probably tell her that he never wanted to see her again. She'd be heartbroken because she'd really come to care for Knox Owens. She hadn't planned it, and it sure wasn't convenient or even wanted but here she was. She liked a man and she was probably going to get dumped tonight.

It's your own fault. You should have been honest from that first moment.

I just didn't expect to...like him so much. I thought he'd be different.

She had intended to be truthful. She'd never intended to keep her secret, but that first evening had just been so fun that she hadn't wanted it to end. Then on their second date, she'd honestly tried but when she'd said that she had something she wanted to talk about, he'd managed to keep her from talking. Mostly by kissing her, but it had been extremely effective. That had pretty much been his habit thus far.

She'd say they needed to have a serious talk and he'd start the romance.

And Knox Owens was a great kisser. He knew what he was doing and he absolutely knew that spot on the back of her neck that made her shudder and lose the ability to put sentences together. He could turn her into a pile of jelly with one smoldering look. The sex was sure to be off the charts too.

Not that she was going to find out.

Jenna had allowed this to go too far,