Page 10 of Unlikely Match

"Mmm, not your fault." Jewel shifts, and I move my legs together so she can straddle me. Stifling a groan from the pressure in my balls, I'm not sure if she can feel how hard I am. "Ridiculous question time," she says. "When's the last time you were in a relationship?"

I actually have to think for a minute. "Over six years ago. You?"

Another delectable flash of pink on the high points of her cheeks. "Never."

My body craves hers in a way that feels so right, yet something makes me shift slightly, putting an inch of space between us. "Jewel, I don't want to rush anything."

She curls closer, teasing the back of my hair with her delicate fingers. "But maybe I do. Maybe I want to make the most of this weird blind date."

Slipping her clothes off and caressing her in the dark would be so easy. Jewel is so eager that I could take her right here, right now.

But I want more than her luscious body.

I need her heart.

5

JEWEL

I've never connected with anyone like this before. Alex's warmth, his faint mahogany and leather scent, the way he seems fascinated by me… I already feel incredibly close to him.

Placing my forehead against his, another round of tingles flows through my belly, then tickles lower. "Why was Dora so surprised that you actually showed up?"

He laughs, shaking us both slightly and letting my thighs settle more firmly around his hips. "She knows how private I am when it comes to photos online."

"But why?" Taking his jaw in my hand, I turn it carefully from side to side, studying his bone structure. "I'm sorry, but with a face like this, you have nothing to hide."

His smirk makes him boyishly charming. "My business is sometimes a bit delicate. If a company is trying to streamline its inner workings in anticipation of a sale or merger, they don't want that to get out. So it's important that I stay anonymous. No online profiles. No photos of me with my name. And nothing that could possibly be construed as unprofessional."

"Oh." His hands run up my back, holding me in a way that makes me wish we were both naked. I can feel every muscle, but what does he look like under this tight shirt? "So you're kind of taking a chance with this contest?"

"I am. But Dora was desperate." His strong hand cups the back of my head, tilting me back gently to trail a line of kisses along my collarbone. "Then I meet you: an exquisite artist, who agrees to not show my face. That sort of thing is worth exploring, don't you think?"

My breath is shaky as his teeth skim gently along my skin. Is he implying that there's going to be a second date? My thoughts are all tangled, caught up in this rush of lust. "You explained why you agreed to the contest. Why the obsession with winning?"

"You mean, until we ended up locked in the basement, likely ruining our chances?"

"Well…yeah."

He bounces me on his knees. "It's funny. I've only known you for a few hours, but I think you're the only person in the world I could explain this to." Whenever he says something so sweet like that, it feels like my heart is opening like a flower as it turns toward the sun.

"Quite frankly, Jewel, I need the adrenaline hit. This past year and a half has been so predictable that my life has become suffocating. My job is going well, my company is running like a Swiss watch. I have a good home, a good housekeeper, and a good personal trainer. My routine is stifling."

"So, you're bored."

"Exactly. I'm not just in a rut. It's more like a trench."

"And you think winning this contest will dig you out of the boredom trench?"

"Well, it can't hurt."

Pulling out my phone, I flip the camera to take a selfie, aiming it at my throat. "Bite me."

"Excuse me?!"

"Just enough of a nip to leave a red mark."

Wow. The way his eyes blaze every time I say something even remotely saucy makes my thighs clench and my nipples tighten. Alex is the only man to ever trigger these kinds of reactions in me, and they're becoming stronger each time.

---