Mismatch - By Nana Malone Page 0,62
onto him. No self-assured woman worth her salt would be attached to some man, trying to make him keep her company because she was terrified of social situations. Certainly not her.
Making her way over to Vince she smiled. “Fancy meeting you here.”
He looked a little startled to see her. “I see pink is definitely your color.”
“And you're still a charmer, I see.”
He grinned. “So how's uh, Eli, doing?”
“He's good, I think. The idea of schmoozing up people is a little clinical and cold to him though. He’d rather be painting. But I'm trying to make him see it's a necessary evil.”
“You know, I think he'll be okay.”
“Yeah, should be, but left to him, he'd be in the studio all day. He's always working.”
Vince’s eyebrows shot up. “Yeah?”
“Yeah, as his manager, I'm thrilled. But I want him to learn to relax a little.”
“You and me both.”
After chatting with Vince for another several minutes and dancing to one song, she searched the crowd for Eli.
“So are you going to let me buy you a drink?”
Jessica turned to find Mr. Tall Dark and tattooed to her right. He was clearly an artist and not one of the old money financiers. Just her type. Just her old type. She held up her glass. “Thanks, but I have a drink.”
“Well, I always say a beautiful woman needs another.”
Okay, not taking the brush off. “But I’ve barely even started this one.”
“Fair enough.”
He was pretty, in that too-thin guitar player way. Before Samson, she’d have leapt at the chance. His dangerous edge appealed to her. It was a language she spoke and understood. She eyed his arm. “Impressive ink.”
He indicated her shoulder. “Yours, too.”
She shrugged. It had been so long since she'd even taken a proper look at hers. She quickly looked around the room for Samson and found him surrounded by women, including Destiny. Destiny said something to him, and he grinned at her. Not the usual lopsided one Jessica was used to seeing, or the smirk he often wore if he was talking about Vince, but a full on grin. Then the evil cow put a hand on his arm and leaned in conspiratorially.
White-hot fury had Jessica clutching her hand around the glass. He’s a free agent, she reminded herself. It doesn’t matter who else he's talking to. That’s not the kind of deal you guys have. Or rather, that’s the deal she'd given him right away.
Refocusing her attention on tatted and lanky, Jessica plastered a smile on her face. “So let me guess, you're an artist masquerading as a guitar player.”
His expression confused, he gave her an unsure smile. “How did you know I was a guitar player?”
Jessica laughed. “I have this weird thing where I can pick out the guy in the band in a crowded room. It's a pretty great skill to have.” She smiled at him sweetly. If Eli could flirt, so could she.
The brunette beside Destiny ran her hand across Eli's shoulders and down his arm. Staying there a moment too long.
“What's your name anyway, guitar guy?”
“Blake.”
“Well, Blake, how about a dance?”
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