Free An Unlikely Match (The Match Series - Book #1) by Barbara Dunlop Page A

options and concluded he had none except to carry on.
    “I thought you’d be at work,” he returned.
    “Night off. Going swimming?”
    “I thought I’d cool off,” he said.
    “Perfect timing.” She held an empty wineglass in the air, waggling it from side to side. “I need a refill.”
    Again, he had no options except the obvious. “I’ve got a cab sauv.”
    “Yum. Come on over. The water’s fine.”
    “Sure,” he said, giving in to the inevitable as he kicked off his flip-flops to make his way across the lawn.
    Her underwater lights were on, illuminating her tiny , yellow bikini. Her tanned skin was obscured by the water, but she looked fantastic anyway. The closer he got, the more he desired her.
    Fixing his focus on her wineglass, he leaned over to pour.
    “You are a gentleman,” she told him approving ly, completely oblivious to the carnal thoughts running through his brain.
    He tossed his towel to one side, set the wine bottle and his own glass on the deck then lowered himself into the pool, sitting down on the wraparound tile bench.
    “Feels good,” he noted as the cool water surrounded him.
    “It must have been ninety-five toda y,” she observed as he poured himself a glass of wine.
    “Were you outside?” he asked, ordering himself to keep it light and impersonal.
    “Down at Andrea’s Gym.”
    “You work out?” For some reason, that surprised him. Not to say she wasn’t in good shape. She was in amazing shape. He just couldn’t picture her on free weights and rowing machines.
    “It’s a gymnastics gym.”
    “ Ahhh.” He swirled the wine in the bottom of his glass.
    “I’ve been involved in gymnastics since I was seven. Most cheerleaders are. I also do ballet, though not as often as I used to. But, depending on the role, I might take it up again on a regular basis.”
    “You dance ballet?” Now that he could picture.
    “ I look pretty good in a tutu,” she joked.
    “I bet you do.” As soon as the flirtatious words were out, he regretted them. He quickly took a drink of his wine to cover the mistake.
    “ What about you?” she asked.
    “I’d look terrible in a tutu.”
    She gave a soft chuckle.
    “At least, I hope I would,” he elaborated. “It’d be pretty damn depressing if I didn’t.”
    She made a show of eyeing him up and down under the water. “I think we’re safe in saying you’d look awful. So, what did you do today?”
    “ I went bike riding, quite a ways up in the hills.”
    “I thought the road ended at the park.”
    “There’s a huge network of trails up higher. One of my colleagues at Caltech is a big mountain biker. I’ve always done road biking, but I’m making the switch. It’s a whole new experience.”
    “ How so?”
    “No noise. No traffic. Lots of bumps, and plenty of up and downhill. And, of course, spectacular views.”
    “I’d like to try it sometime.”
    “Yeah?”
    “Yeah.”
    Okay, he got that if she was a normal woman, now would be the time to ask her on a date. But this was Amelia, cheerleader, budding movie star and goddess extraordinaire. She didn’t want to date nerdy researcher Morgan Holbrook. Again, he’d embarrass them both if he asked.
    “ Cole and I usually head out somewhere on the weekend,” he offered instead. “You’re welcome to come along.”
    There was a trace of amusement in her eyes. “Thanks.”
    Had he blown that? It felt like he’d blown it. But, of course, he hadn’t. He’d done the right thing.
    “What’s up with the reunion?” she asked.
    It took him a minute to figure out what she was talking about. “You mean the high school thing?”
    “Did you get it all set up?”
    He gave a noncommittal shrug. It was as set up as it was ever going to be.
    “It’s coming up next weekend, right?” she pressed.
    He had no idea how she’d remembered that. “That sounds right.”
    She straightened. “W hat do you mean it sounds right? Haven’t you made a hotel reservation?”
    “ It’s next