Pete gave a jerky nod and turned his head quickly. “Thank you. Thank you.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
His client hurried out, leaving him in silence. The buzz of the phone and low murmuring from conversations drifted in the air. A heaviness tightened his chest and constricted his breath. This was going to be a long battle and a ton of money. He’d have to kick in some of his own or his boss would go ape shit. Still, he’d be damned if he let Pete hire an incompetent attorney who only cared about getting his fee. Those children needed him.
He groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. He craved his recliner, a cold beer, and his DVR. Instead, he had to go out on a date with Emma, a woman who might be perfect for him.
A woman who wasn’t Kate.
Still, he swore he’d try. If someone else could dig Kate Seymour out from under his skin, he’d be eternally grateful. Stalking her in bars and stealing kisses wasn’t his usual style. Of course, he’d never had to chase a woman this hard before either.
Slade glanced at his watch and went back to work.
TEN O’CLOCK.
Kate absently rubbed Robert’s head and tried to concentrate on Bridesmaids. She usually laughed her ass off, but the image of Slade on his date kept ruining her concentration. So stupid. She was so stupid.
She pushed away the remnants of her homemade hot fudge sundae and patted her overfull stomach. If only she could relax and go to sleep. Did she still have that joint from her mother? Did she dare light up and sink into criminal activity?
Or . . . she could take out the neon pink vibrator. Of course, the thing looked like it could choke a horse. What was her mother thinking? The image hurt her brain, so she refocused on the movie and tried not to think of drugs and sex.
Her phone vibrated.
Heart pounding, she studied the number. Her finger paused on the Answer button for a moment. Then she hit it.
“Why are you calling me?”
His husky laugh curled her toes and stroked between her legs. Damn, the man was dangerous even over the phone. “Thought you’d want me to check in. See how my date went.”
She swallowed and wondered why he had so much fun torturing her. Kate kept her voice cool and clipped. “Of course. I always encourage my clients to call and give us full feedback. Did you enjoy yourself?”
“I did. Wait till I tell you about this.”
“You didn’t sleep with her, did you? I gave you specific rules to follow, Slade, and I mean it.”
“No sex, I promise. But it was pretty damn close.”
She tried not to sway in the chair. “Oh. Well, I g-g-g-guess that’s a good sign.”
“Imagine this. Tender, fresh meat that melted in my mouth. Cooked medium rare, with just a slight seasoning of peppercorn for a bit of heat. The potatoes came with some crazy type of Gorgonzola cheese, which complemented the rib eye, and crisp asparagus in a lemon butter sauce. Do you believe it?”
Relief cut through her first, then pure aggravation. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“No, I swear. You have to check this place out, it’s close to Tribeca, but I never had the opportunity to eat there. It’s called Mums and they have the best steaks I’ve ever seen. It’s making a big name for itself.”
Her voice rose. “I don’t care about the food! How was Emma? Did you like her? Did you get along? Did she have a good time? Do you even know what she had for dinner?”
Silence fell over the line. “Of course I know what she had for dinner. Pity she didn’t try the meat, she’s sort of a vegetarian so they made her a platter of fresh vegetables. But even those were grilled and seasoned nicely. And she did share the wine. I went with a peppery, spicy Pinot Noir.”
Kate squeezed her eyes shut. “What is wrong with you? I’m working very hard to match you correctly, and I think you’re sabotaging the whole thing! How was the date without the food?”
“Geez, we went to dinner, I figured you’d want to know the details of the meal. Emma was great. Pretty, funny, we had a good conversation.”
“Finally. That’s a relief. When do you want to go out again?”
“Oh, I don’t want to see her again.”
She clenched the phone and dropped her voice to a whisper. “What?”
“You did a brilliant job, Kate. You’re definitely very good at matching people. I’m starting to realize you’re not as much of a con artist as you are misguided. Still, my sister can end up a casualty with all your good intentions, so I need to keep an eye on this whole process.”
“I’m honored I’ve been promoted to crazy rather than a criminal. Why don’t you want to see Emma again? Are you really closed off to finding your mate? I told you this process can’t work if you don’t—”
“I know, I know, I’m open. I tried, and I pictured us together, and on paper it was perfect. But she’s missing an unknown spark, something I can’t put my finger on.”
“Sexually?”
“Maybe. It’s an unknown quality a woman has. I either feel it or I don’t.”
The realization slammed through her. All of the perfect characteristics Slade had recited were for paper purposes. To find his correct match, she needed to look deeper. Maybe a woman with more of an edge, a bit more assertive, more of a challenge. Yes, as a lawyer, he craved a bit of mental banter, physical sensuality, and kick.
Elena.
She was a bit of a wild card, but definitely worth a shot. Elena would surprise him on all levels. The only danger was Elena didn’t like to play by the rules, and if she wanted him physically, she’d go after him. Kate teetered on her decision to send him to the arms of a woman who could claim him.
But that was her job.
“I know who I want you to date next.”
“You?”
She flinched at the silky, caramel tone that wrapped her in goo. “No, we’re not good for each other. Her name is Elena and I think you’ll be perfect. She’s different from the others. Are you willing to go out this week again? I can set it up quickly.”
“You still want to play this game?”
His meaning throbbed in her veins and mocked her as a big fat liar. No, she wanted to rip off his clothes, climb on top of him, and ride him to oblivion. She wanted to claim him for her own. Kate imagined him home, sprawled on his couch, shirtless, all that rough toasty skin bare to her view. Imagined him hard and throbbing beneath her stroking hands. Imagined his head buried between her thighs and bringing her to pleasure over and over again. She had to fight the attraction and find his match. It was the only true way to free them both and prove her business a success.
“Yes. It’s not a game to me, Slade.”
His voice hardened. “Got it. I’m free tomorrow night. Set it up.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but he clicked off the line.
Kate stared at her phone for a long while, wondering if this time she had finally pushed hard enough for him to go away. Robert whined, as if sensing her distress, and pushed his nose into her palm. She sank into the crocheted blanket, petting her dog and watching her movie and telling herself she was happy with her life.
KENNEDY POKED HER HEAD into the office. A huge grin flashed her gorgeous white teeth. “Guess what?”
Kate pushed the mounds of paperwork away from her, swiveled her chair around, and stretched her legs. “What?”
“Edward and Justine are getting married!”
Kate broke into delighted laughter. “I can’t believe it. Yes, I do, I knew they were the perfect match from date one. How did you find out?”
“They’re here in my office right now. Come and see them.”
Kate got to her feet and followed Kennedy into the office. The couple sat on the white couch together, holding hands. Kate remembered the first time Justine had come in, unsure, shy, and inexperienced with dating. She’d held a small mixer to get an idea of her type and immediately sensed a connection with Edward. All it took was a simple nudge in his direction, and after the first date they’d become inseparable.
Justine caught sight of her and squealed, jumping from the couch to give her a big hug. “I’m engaged!” Laughing, she shoved the pristine round diamond out in the universal gesture of a new fiancée. Edward grinned and stood. He towered over six feet, and Justine barely topped five two, but together they fit perfectly, her reddish curly hair tucked neatly into the crook of his shoulder, his arm naturally resting at the small of her back.
“I’m so happy for you guys. The ring is gorgeous! When’s the wedding?”
“Next May. And of course, the whole staff of Kinnections is invited. It wouldn’t have happened without you.”
Edward beamed. Kate’s heart clutched with emotion, and once again she realized this was the reason it was all worth it. Bringing people together to start their lives was a heady power. Satisfaction rushed in a powerful flood. She prepared herself for the sting but moved forward to hug them both together, waiting for the release of energy to escape that always proved she’d made the perfect match.
But she felt nothing.
Kate held on a bit longer, desperate to experience the heady rush, but there wasn’t even a rustle of recognition. Were they correctly matched? She stepped back, keeping her smile in place while her heart galloped like a mad pack of Thoroughbreds. Oh, God, what if she matched them wrong? She always confirmed the connection when her clients got engaged or married. Panic nipped at her nerves, but she kept calm and engaged in light chatter about the wedding and their future plans.
By the time they left, Kate was on the verge of a full panic attack. She dropped into the matching blindingly white chair by Kennedy’s desk, mashing her knuckle against her mouth. Ken came back and dropped into the leather chair beside her. A frown marred her brow. “Are you okay? Did you get too much of a shock this time? I told you not to touch the newly engaged couples, Kate. What if you get some crazy electrocution thing that fries your brain?”
Kate lifted her gaze. “I didn’t feel anything, Ken.”
Her friend stared at her, dumbfounded. “What do you mean? Oh, my God, are you telling me they’re not a match?”
Kate dropped her face into her hands and groaned. “I d-d-d-don’t know! I don’t know what’s going on. I lost the t-t-touch. Completely. I’m working blind, but I haven’t told anyone because I keep thinking it’ll come back. Now I’m terrified it’s gone forever.”
Her body shook. Funny, how many years had she prayed for the gift to go away? She craved normalcy and hated consistently knowing if two people were meant to be committed or not. It was too much pressure, so she decided to use her talent for good, to help bring people together rather than sit helplessly by and watch them either miss each other or marry the wrong partner.
Now, she got her wish. Emptiness pulsed in her gut, a lack of something inherent within her. What was she going to do?
“Don’t panic, sweetie. We’ll figure it out.” Kate lifted her head and watched Ken turn to the cabinet behind her, take out a shot glass, and a tiny bottle of amber liquid. “Here, drink this.” She pushed the shot across the desk.