MisMatch (A Humorous Contemporary Romance) (21 page)

Blake’s eyes darkened with interest. “How
about more than a dance?”

And there that went—any interest she might
have pretended to have in him was gone. But looking over his
shoulder, she could see Eli was still surrounded and loving every
minute of it. “No, a dance is all I have the energy for now.”

“Maybe I can convince you.”

What Jessica wanted him to do was go away,
but since her date was otherwise engaged… “One dance, and we'll see
where that leaves you.”

“Fair enough.”

Blake wasn’t a great dancer, but he wasn't
dreadful. Maybe slightly a breath above. As they danced, he tried
rubbing his hands down the back of her dress. When she stopped him,
he tried to slide them up her side and graze one of her breasts.
With one hand, he held her tight against him, and she could feel
his erection pressing into her.

“Okay, you know what? I don’t feel like
dancing anymore.”

Eli's voice was harsh in her ear just then.
“I can’t even leave you alone for a minute without you getting into
trouble.”

Jessica’s body instantly warmed as she
extricated herself from her dance partner.

Blake stepped forward as if to protest, but
Eli stepped into his path. “It's a better idea for you to find a
new partner. Trust me.”

There was no way that Eli’s show of teeth
could be misconstrued as a smile. As soon as Blake slunk off, Eli
dragged Jessica off the dance floor.

“Eli, stop. Would you behave yourself before
you cause a scene?”

But he didn’t seem to care, merely kept
tugging on her hand, trying various doors down the hall to the
right of the ball room.

When he found one that was unlocked, he let
them inside. He didn't search for a light. The moonlight and the
city glow provided ambient lighting in the small auditorium. There
were several plush couches pushed up by the window, as if they’d
been left there for storage purposes.

“You want to tell me what the hell you think
you're doing, Jessica?”

She frowned. “Me? I'm the one who was being
manhandled, and somehow it's my fault? You’re an ass.”

“You think I didn’t see you at the bar
flirting with the guy?”

Enraged, she shoved him away with a hard
push. “You think I didn't see that brunette with her hands all over
you? And you weren't doing a damn thing to stop it. But I get it.
It's not like we're a thing.”

His head jerked back as if she'd slapped
him. Through clenched teeth he ground out, “You told me to make
nice with the patrons, and that’s what I did. You don’t like
it—tough.”

“You know what? This was a mistake.” Pain
sliced through her as she spoke. “Maybe this was all a
mistake.”

He shook his head and backed away.
“Typical.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to
mean?”

“It means that the moment something gets
hard, you bail. Well, you’re not getting rid of me as a client. We
have a contract, remember?”

“I do not bail.”

“Then why are you trying so hard to run
right now? You’re mad at me, and you want to run. But this isn't
only about tonight. You're thinking about the other day at the
Grove.” He shook his head. “You’re going to have to trust me at
some point.”

“I'm not the one with the problem. You can’t
just drag me around because I don’t do what you want me to. You
can’t control me. And then pitch a tantrum when I don’t act how you
want.”

“Now what the hell are you talking
about?”

“Tell me, Eli, how do you feel right now? A
little out of control, a lot annoyed, a little jealous, but mostly
pissed about not being in control?” She smirked and crossed her
arms in front of her. “Not so fun when someone does it to you now,
is it?” She misread his intent as he stalked over to her. She
thought he was going to get in her face and yell.
That
she was ready for.

The scorching kiss he slanted over her mouth
she was not.

Jessica dragged him to her by his tuxedo
jacket. She slid her arms inside to the shoulders, dropping it off
him smoothly.

Eli spun them both around and flattened her
against a wall, wholly devouring her lips. He licked inside her
mouth as his hips ground into her. Through his tuxedo pants, his
cock burned hot against her belly. Impatient, she quickly
unbuttoned his shirt, dragged it out of his pants, and placed her
hand on his abs.

His muscles contracted with every flutter of
her fingertips. And he murmured hot dirty words against her lips,
driving her crazy with his need, his urgency. This was the Eli she
craved. The raw and hungry Eli. The one barely controlled with a
very tight leash.

Jessica traced a path from his chest to the
light trail of hair just above his pants. She went for the button,
and his hand snapped to hers to stay it. He didn’t so much as stop
her as guide her. Unsure what to do, she stayed perfectly still for
several seconds as he continued to kiss her. This whole thing was
all kinds of fucked up, but she needed him.

When he didn’t move her hand, Jessica tucked
her palm under his and guided them into his pants. As she closed
her fingers around the rigid length of him, his hand closed over
hers. In tandem, they stroked him from base to tip. He showed her
how to tease the tip, how to hold the base steady and allow more
blood to flow into his cock. He even guided her hand down to his
balls and taught her how to pay homage to them. She used the tip of
her finger to tease his perineum, and he swore savagely.

“Jesus, Jessica.”

She pressed gently again, and his knees
buckled.

His voice was low and strained against her
ear. “I don’t want to come until I’m buried deep inside you. But
you keep that up, I’m not going to make it another second.”

Reluctantly, she withdrew her hand, and he
followed suit. Nuzzling her neck, he then whispered, “Turn
around.”

She met his gaze and searched it. Not sure
where this was going to go, she complied.

“Good, now place your hands against the
door.”

Her hands shaking, she did as he told her.
Uncertain, she looked over her shoulder. He was examining the
fabric of her dress. Quickly, he grabbed fistfuls of it and dragged
it upward, exposing her bare ass to the cool draft.

“Fuck, Jessica, don’t you ever wear
underwear?”

Her voice shook as she spoke. “Well, I used
to, then this guy I’m seeing kept ripping them off.”

“Wow, he’s got to work on his patience,
huh?”

“I’ve been trying to teach him that patience
is a virtue.”

That earned her a swift swat on her ass. It
surprised more than it hurt.

“I’m not particularly patient when it comes
to you.”

“Eli, I need you.”

Eli placed an open-mouthed kiss in the crook
between her neck and shoulder. He nipped her skin, then soothed the
nips with tiny licks. His hands reached up to her breasts, and he
circled her nipples with his thumbs. His forefinger and thumb found
her nipple ring and tugged lightly. Jessica moaned. Eventually, as
he kissed the nape of her neck, he abandoned that idea and tugged
down the top of the dress, exposing her fully.

“Do you have any fucking idea how beautiful
you are? So gorgeous. It’s been work trying to keep my hands to
myself all night. I’m sorry I over reacted, but you do something to
me. I want you, and there goes all my rational thought.”

As one hand caressed her ass, the other
slipped around her waist, then down between her thighs. Teasing her
slick lips for just a moment, he then slid two fingers into her wet
center. Jessica gritted her teeth against the onslaught of need.
Only Eli could give her want she craved. Only Eli could give her
what she wanted. He sank his finger deep, then stroked her inside
out gently. Teasing her, bringing her almost to the heights of
pleasure, then bringing her back from the brink. Then back
again.

Through a fog of lust, Jessica heard the rip
of foil. In another second, the thick hard length of him pressed
inside her slick entrance.

“Brace your arms, Jessica. Spread your legs,
baby. Wider. Yeah, like that.”

When he slid in to the hilt, Jessica cried
out. Eli bit her shoulder as he clamped his hands on her hips.
“There’s nothing sexier than when you say my name, Jessica. Say it
again.”

“E-Eli.”

He set a bruising pace, but she met him
thrust for thrust. She needed his brand on her, all over her. She
could pretend she was the kind of girl who could be caught. Who
could be possessed by a need so deep.

As he sank into her over and over again,
Jessica called out his name again and again. “Eli, Eli, Eli.”

The tingle in her toes started just before
he brought a hand around to dip between her thighs and stroke her
clitoris. Jessica’s body shook as she came apart in his hands. He
followed her quickly with one more thrust then stiffened behind
her. He whispered her name and kissed the column of her neck. “So
beautiful.”

He carefully slid out of her and cleaned up.
Jessica leaned against the wall, panting. In all her years as a
sexually experienced pseudo groupie had she felt anything like
this? God, no. And when she finally found something like this, it
was with a man she shouldn’t want.

After he’d rearranged his clothes, he helped
her adjust hers. Her hair was ravaged, so she let it tumble down
around her shoulders. No point in trying to pretend the French
twist was going to hold.

Before he could lead her out the door, she
tugged him back. “Eli?”

“Yeah, beautiful?”

“What are we doing?”

His smile was easy and quick, but something
about it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “We’re having fun. Being
spontaneous, right?”

She nodded slowly before she let him take
her back to the party. Before she could feel put out about his
response, he held onto her hand tight, making it difficult for
anyone watching not to have an idea of what they’d been up to.

“We’re leaving; but I need to make the
rounds. You okay with that?”

She nodded. Yeah, she was okay with that.
“When you’re done there’s something I need to tell you.” She needed
to tell him about the car that had tried to run her over. If he had
friends looking into Fenton, he’d want to know. She wasn’t used to
depending on anyone for help but this was one of those times she
needed it.

For the first time in her life, she felt
comfortable, like she belonged where she was. But for how long?
Given her history, one or both of them getting hurt was bound to
happen. And she’d rather it wasn’t her.

Eli felt like a kid about to ask a date to
prom, giddy with excitement and a little nervous. Considering how
he and Jessica had spent the night, he shouldn’t have been nervous.
Again, he’d slept like the dead, and as usual, Jessica had slipped
out of bed before he’d woken up.

When he walked into the gallery, she looked
up, confused but smiling. “Hey, what are you doing here?”

“I came to encourage you to play hooky.
Since you’re always doing that for me. Come play with me.”

She raised a delicately arched blonde
eyebrow. “You mean like a date?”

“Sure.” He could do dating. Right? “Want to
go grab a burger and some beer?” Not his choice, but she'd
mentioned that the dive bar in Hollywood was her favorite place to
mellow out with a drink.

She smirked. “Only the nicest places,
right?”

“Anything to make the lady happy.”

“I think I have a better idea.”

The low-lidded gaze she bestowed upon him
had his body rigid, hot lava flowing in his blood. She wanted him.
When he'd said date, her mind had immediately gone to sex. And to
be honest, so had his, but he'd meant what he said about them
having some fun. If he wanted to convince her to give him a real
chance, he actually had to try doing something with her that wasn’t
work or fucking. “I like what you're thinking, but maybe we should
stick to something public for the time being.”

“Kinky. I didn't know you had it in you. But
I love where your mind is going. This could be the beginning of a
beauti—”

He barked out a laugh. “You’re
incorrigible.” He tugged her hand and placed it against his chest.
“I mean it, Jess, we’re going out. On a real date. Where I take you
somewhere low-lit and tell you you're beautiful, feed you, and
maybe if you're well behaved, I can worship your body later.”

Her cheeks tinged pink. “You’re serious
about going out?”

“Yes, why wouldn’t I be?”

She rubbed her nose. “Okay, well, I have
plans for a little later this afternoon. Do you want to come with
me?”

He raised his brows. “Where we going?”

***

“When you said you had a thing to do, you
didn’t mention that it was at Jason Cartwright's place.”

Jessica blushed. She felt like she was
bringing a boyfriend home to meet the family. Sure, Eli had already
met her mother, and Izzy, Jason, Nick, and Kara were her extended
family. But she didn't want Jason to give Eli the hairy
eyeball.

“Well, I wasn’t sure if you'd want to come.”
Then realizing he'd probably misunderstand the significance, she
stammered, “And this isn't a thing. Or anything. It's just lunch at
a friend’s house. It's not like we’re together.”
Right
. That went well.

Adjusting her vintage Halston wrap dress,
she rang the doorbell. Jason swung the door open in all his blond
Adonis glory. He was married to her best friend and sort of like
her big brother, but Jessica probably would never get over the wow
factor of him.

“Jess, there you are!” He scooped her in for
a hug and whispered in her ear, “You have to save me. Izzy's trying
to cook again. This time it's chili.”

Jessica returned the hug and wrinkled her
nose. “What’s our back-up plan for lunch?”

He released her. “I’ve also got some BBQ
going, but you know how it is, she’ll be disappointed if we don’t
eat it. Frankly, I’m scared.”