Page 33 of Love Is…?

“I can’t do this. That was so forward.”

A slow smile lifted Jayde’s lips, and she ran her fingertips across the back of Tessa’s hand. “It wasn’t, actually. It was flirty. I would have enjoyed being on the end of it.”

“Really?” Tessa frowned, her eyebrows hovering diagonally over her wide eyes.

“Sure,” Jayde said, her glass hiding her lips, then she drank a mouthful, and Tessa watched the movement of Jayde’s throat as the liquid was swallowed. Tessa’s lips parted, then she came to her senses and yanked the sides of her leather jacket together because her nipples were just outrageous. Maybe it was the hormone clouds floating about the entire space but whatever it was, Tessa wanted to lean in and kiss Jayde. Like, really kiss her.

Which was a Very. Bad. Idea. Jayde was allergic to strings, and that made her allergic to Tessa.

She grimaced at the bartender, delivering a quick and somewhat apologetic, “Thank you,” as her mocktail was delivered.

“Have you thought of an opening line besides your name?”

Jayde’s question shook Tessa out of her reverie.

“Not really. I thought I’d wing it. Get the person’s vibe, you know.”

“Six minutes, Tessa.”

“Look, you can do a lot in six minutes,” Tessa said, glaring.

Jayde twitched her lips.

“For God’s sake, is everything about sex with you?”

One of the speed dating participants—the name tag gave it away—wandered past at that moment.

“Babe, I hope so,” they said, delivering a lascivious sweep over Tessa’s torso.

Tessa stared after them, then pivoted her gaze to find Jayde chuckling into her drink. Jayde turned square on, her knee bumping Tessa’s.

“Okay,” Jayde said. “You need a joke. That’ll break the ice.”

“Have you been talking to Angel?”

“No? Look, a sexy joke can work wonders.”

“I don’t—” Tessa heard Angel’s voice from the morning. “Fine. What’s a good one?”

Jayde’s wicked smile, slow and sexy, almost undid Tessa’s willpower.

“What do you call a woman with long fingers?”

“I can’t imagine. What?”

“Well hung.” Jayde helpfully waggled her fingers to demonstrate.

The amount of Sex On The Beach mocktail that Tessa managed to splutter from the top of her glass was astounding.

“I absolutely cannot say that!” she said, mopping the liquid off her skirt with the napkins from the bar.

“I dare you.”

Tessa pointed, tempted to flick a suspender in retaliation.

“There are enough dares hanging about without adding any more.”

Suddenly, the voice of the speed dating host, amplified via a small speaker on the table at the far wall, interrupted everyone’s conversations.

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