Page 9 of Unlikely Match

"I don't like picturing you hunched over the floor like some kind of goblin. You need a proper workspace."

Jewel laughs. "Why do you think I entered this contest?"

"So it's not all about the dream vacation?"

"No, although that would be cool. Since the winners get twenty grand spending money on top, that would make my cut ten thousand. My idea is to use as little as possible, and hopefully come home with a decent chunk of cash. There's an artist co-op where I could rent space for five hundred a month.Maybe after several months of dedicated work every single afternoon and night, I could be showing in more galleries, find more ways to get my art out there, and start making a bit of money to cover expenses."

Turning to face her, my left arm slips up her back as my right hand caresses her cheek. "People always say that artists are flaky. Yet here you are with a relatively solid business plan."

She blinks quickly, then stares at me with wide eyes. "I'm glad you see it that way. Most people seem to think I should be getting 'a real job' immediately."

I'm just about to kiss her again when she grabs her phone, taking a close-up photo of the door lock. Reading over her shoulder, she's typing, "OMG,can you believe we're locked in the basement of a club? Waiting for a friend or the staff to come rescue us. LOL."

"You've just confessed that we don't know how to open a door," I chuckle. "Will people pity us, or think we're idiots?"

"Hopefully they'll think it's super traumatic. That we're trapped." She looks around nervously. "Should you be saving your phone battery?"

"We're fine for a while."

Jewel's phone beeps, then she lets out a sigh of relief. "Stef is on her way here, and can let us out."

Stuck in here with this breathtaking girl is probably going to be the highlight of our night for me. "Are you cold?" I ask softly. "Do you need your blind date to warm you up?"

She inches closer. "It is a little chilly down here. And you're very warm."

Leaning down, I nuzzle just under her ear. "Did you just say you think I'm hot?" A chuckle sputters out of me. "Sorry – that is one of the most ridiculous questions I've ever asked."

Her delicate fingers slip into the back of my hair as she leans in. "Why don't we make a deal? Both of us can ask any ridiculousquestions we want all night long. I mean, the matchmaker thing might not really apply to us, but still… Maybe we should try to get to know each other a bit?"

"You're very smart."

"And you reallyarehot."

Her eyes widen as she realizes what she just blurted out. My arms scoop under to lift her onto my lap. I set my phone on the shelf so that the flashlight bounces against a row of vodka bottles, diffusing the light. "Jewel, I don't know a thing about romance. But I do know you're the sexiest woman I've ever met. I wanted to be competitive about this whole contest thing, but now…" My thumb brushes against her lower lip. "I really don't give a damn anymore."

She bonks me lightly on the nose. "You have to give a damn, buddy. I need to win."

I want to tell Jewel that I'll just give her the money. Take her on any trip she likes, and find her a fantastic art studio. But instead my lips gently crush to hers in a deep, slow kiss.

She makes a faint little whimper that sends blood rushing to my cock, aching for her. I've never felt sexual about anyone this quickly. Never felt this near-instantaneous rush of lust. I like every single thing about her, and can already picture her fitting into my life perfectly.

My palm grips her knee, caresses her thigh, then wanders up toward her rib cage. "Ridiculous question time," I murmur. "Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?"

Even in the strange blue light, I can see her cheeks turn pink. "Don't be silly."

"Do you have any idea the kind of things I've been thinking since the first moment I saw you?"

Her lips fall open. "Really? Like what?"

Watching her eyes carefully, she moans as my palm moves slowly upward to cup her breast, squeezing gently. "Kissing you. Touching you. Listening to those soft breathy noises you make."

"I don't make noises."

My fingers slip into the front of her dress and inside her bra, then I softly pinch her nipple until her head falls back with a low sigh. "You just did." Kissing along her throat, I murmur, "I could listen to that all day, baby."

Her luscious ass grinds into my thigh. "Speaking of listening, we're going to miss that band."

My teeth nip along her collarbone. "Are you going to punish me for that? I mean, us being trapped down here is all my fault…"

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