Page 26 of Slow Burn

What in the actual fuck was happening right now?

ELIJAH’S EYES SLANTED, his body now tense above her.

Finally, she was about to ditch her virginity, but something felt dishonest by not telling him. Like somehow, the sex gods above her were whispering she needed to come clean about this moment or they would curse her or something.

“It’s not a big deal,” Georgia said, and Elijah immediately rolled to his back on the bed. This wasn’t going as expected, so she sat up with her back against the headboard.

Not looking at her, he spoke. “If that was true, you wouldn’t have stopped us. So, no, I don’t think whatever it is you’re about to tell me is not a big deal.”

She tapped his shoulder, and he turned his head, so they were watching each other.

“I mean, it’s not a big deal to me, but it might be to you. I feel like I have to tell you or I will get cursed.” Georgia’s palm hit her forehead. This was a disaster. She was a medical professional, yet she was acting like a child.

Elijah sat up but said nothing.

“I’m a virgin,” she blurted out.

The silence screamed loudly between them.

Finally, he barked out a laugh.

Okay, maybe this wasn’t so bad.

Georgia didn’t think he would find it funny, but since he did, maybe they could just get back to the whole sex thing.

“You really commit to your fetish about being a virgin.” Elijah’s hand went to her thigh and caressed back and forth.

Wait a second…

He didn’t believe her.

She stopped his hand. “My virginity isn’t a fetish, but a very real thing I want to get rid of.”

Again, with the silence.

Then he got off the bed, searching around for something. A second later, her dress was thrown in her direction, hitting the pillow right next to her. Taking this as a signal to get dressed, she shimmied into it as best she could while still sitting on the bed.

Elijah sat across from her, wearing his boxer briefs.

“Are you serious?” he asked with his eyes practically begging her to tell him her virginity was a lie.

“Yes.”

He ran his hand through his hair. “How is this possible?”

“I had a boyfriend in high school, but it was high school, and I wasn’t ready for sex. In college, I had scholarships requiring a certain GPA, so I focused heavily on school. Then I was in medical school, which was time-consuming. When I was in residency, I was always busy with work.” Georgia ran through her love life as if she were explaining how to make a sandwich. It was nothing exciting.

Elijah opened his mouth a few times before he spoke. “But how? I get you were busy, but too busy to fuck?”

“In college, I didn’t want distractions. In med school and residency, I went on dates, but it never progressed. Now here I am at twenty-nine, trying to lose my virginity and failing at it.”

He stood and began pacing around his room.

“It isn’t a big deal to me,” Georgia tried to reassure him, but it was worthless. It was clear sleeping with her wasn’t something he planned to do, no matter how badly she wanted him.

He stopped in front of her. “It can’t be me.”

“Yes, I picked that up.” She pushed past him to get off the bed.