Page 12 of Unlikely Match

I want this man. I want him to take me. I want to feel him pressing inside me, stretching me open, making me his. Even though I don't know much about him, and I've only known him for a few hours, nothing else matters. We click, pure and simple.

My thighs press against his ears as the deep coil in my center tightens, my body trembling. The explosion happens slowly in a shower of ignitions up my spine, my shrieking moan echoing around the tiny space as Alex stares up at me with deep yearning in his eyes.

My arms and legs feel like jelly as he carefully lifts me down, holding me against him.

"What were you saying about…" I look up to see his dark eyes wide as he studies me. "You know. Up against the wall?"

A savage growl rips from his throat as he lifts me, placing my back against the raw concrete blocks. My gasp turns into a squeal as I feel the hard ridge of his erection rub up and down my still-twitching pussy.

"Is this what you want?"

"Yes."

"How badly do you want it, gorgeous?"

The urgency in his voice makes me even wetter. I've never felt wanted like this. Desired. Needed. Knowing that I stir up this lust in him makes me feel strangely powerful.

"Really badly. I?—"

A loud click behind Alex makes us both jump, then I'm shoved behind his back before being blinded by the overhead light turning on.

My eyes take a second to adjust, then when I peer around Alex's arm I'm blinded again by the distinctive, bright flash of a camera.

Oh crap.

6

ALEX

The split second I hear the click of the heavy door, I set Jewel on her feet, pulling down her skirt as I turn to shield her from view, no matter who it is. There's no mistaking that we've definitely been up to something.

Trying to focus as the lights come on, I'm surprised by the bright flash. Then I see the denim jacket couple laughing hysterically.

"Save couple 68?" the woman snorts. "They'd be couple 69 if there was more room in here."

I snag my phone, then Jewel grabs her purse, still half hiding behind me. "Thank you," I say. "It's good to think that our fellow contestants are looking out for us." Although I'd hoped to appeal to their sense of camaraderie, they definitely don't feel the same way.

"You think that showing off a Rolls-Royce and your thousand-dollar shoes will win this contest?" the young man sneers. "People like an underdog, man. You two don't stand a chance."

"Let's go, Marcus," the woman chortles, tossing her white-blonde hair. "Let's post this horrible shot once we figure out a good caption."

"Let's be reasonable…" I start, but they take off down the hallway before I can stop them.

Once we're safely out in the hallway, Jewel looks up at me, her bottom lip trembling. "I'm so sorry."

Her face is still flushed, her hair slightly rumpled, and the neckline of her dress is askew. There's no way to know what that photo looks like, but it definitely told a story. She looks so tragic that I force myself to put it out of my mind. "Shall we go upstairs for that band you wanted to see?"

"How can you even think about that now?"

"We still have a contest to win, baby. They don't have my name. You always labeled me as A. I doubt they're going to put a detective on the case or something." Damn, I hope I'm right.

"Good point." She tries to force a smile. "But still. I'm not in the mood for music anymore."

We go upstairs and out to the car, where Jewel slips her leggings back on and texts her friend to let her know that we've been released. Then she posts a photo of the sliver of the new moon rising through the trees across the street. "What should I caption this?"

"Let's kill them with kindness," I suggest. "Many thanks to #Couple47 for saving us from our basement prison. Best of luck to all of the #matchmaker couples!"

"Ooh, that's perfect." Jewel types quickly, then posts the photo. "Now what?"

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