The Billionaire's Matchmaker(35)

“Oh.” Conflicting feelings tore her in two. On the one hand, they had a no-strings-attached relationship, and that was working for them. On the other, they were friends as much as lovers. Even if she ignored the slight over his not inviting her, fresh hurt arose over the fact that he’d never mentioned this before now. She told him everything, and she’d thought he told her everything. Apparently, that wasn’t true.

He jumped off the bed, bent down and kissed her, then shot out of the room like a rocket.

She stared at the door he’d left open, her stomach tied in knots, her chest tight and a river of tears backing up behind her eyelids.

He hadn’t even hinted about taking her…or offered an apology for not asking her along.

He didn’t think of her at all.

She slid down on her pillow again, told herself not to cry, and reminded herself that this was their deal, but her heart still shattered. The absolute worst had happened.

She’d fallen in love.

She crawled out of bed, put on a T-shirt and jeans, and called Charlie. With a bark, he bolted into her bedroom. She scooped him up with one hand and wiped away her tears with the other. It was stupid to cry. Really stupid.

After slipping on a hoodie to protect her from the cool May night, she slid into shoes, packed Charlie into her new Mercedes, and drove to her shop. In two minutes, she was inside her office, her computer open, Charlie snoozing at her feet. Work was the only way she knew to avoid the pain, so she would work.

An hour went by, then two. She heard something that sounded like someone trying to open her locked shop door, but she ignored it. Eventually, they’d get the message that her office lights might be on, but she wasn’t open for business.

She turned back to her computer. The noise went away. A few minutes later she heard the rattle again. Her heart popped. What if it was an intruder?

Normally, she’d have been terrified. Tonight, she chuckled and grabbed her cell phone and an umbrella. She dialed the 9 and 1 as she crept through her office. If this was an intruder he was going to be sorry he picked tonight to rob her. The mood she was in, she would happily swat him around with her umbrella before she’d let him rob her.

She slowly made her way along the display case toward the door. Streetlights illuminated the faces of her three friends, Gabby, Mia and Jenny, pressed against her front window.

She closed the cell phone without dialing the final 1, dropped the umbrella, and opened the door.

They poured in. Mia reached her first. In an uncharacteristically open move, her hand immediately went to Marney’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

She faked a laugh. “Nothing is wrong.”

“It’s after ten. You’re never here after nine.”

“I’m designing.”

Gabby glanced around. “You usually design at home at night.”

“I didn’t take my laptop home so I had to come back.” She shrugged. Working here was better than facing the memories of Dell in every corner of her house. “Figured I’d stay.”

Gabby found glasses and the wine Marney kept hidden for celebrations. She set the glasses on the display case and poured the wine. “You’ve been weird for over a month. Something’s going on. We’re not leaving until you spill.”

Gabby’s determined voice let her know she wasn’t kidding, but Mia and Jenny’s serious faces sealed the deal.

She sighed. She was tired of hiding this and if anybody could be sworn to secrecy, it was her three friends.


“Promise not to tell.”

Jenny laughed. “You want a blood oath?”

She shook her head. “Just a promise.”

Gabby touched her forearm. “You always have our promise.”

Marney blew her breath out on a tired sigh. “I’ve been seeing someone.”

Jenny gasped. “I knew it!”

“The problem is he doesn’t want a relationship. I knew that when we got involved.”

Mia frowned. “But you fell in love, didn’t you?”

“Head over heels.”

Jenny squeezed her hand. “Maybe he fell in love, too.”

Remembering Dell’s quick exit, she shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

Gabby handed her a glass of wine. “Have you asked?”

“No, but…”

Gabby sighed. “No buts about it. You have to ask.”

Marney sucked in a breath. She knew her friends were right. She had to ask. She should have known better than to get involved only for a fling, but she hadn’t. Now she had to pay the consequences of admitting she’d fallen hard and letting him decide if their relationship went forward or ended.

…

Dell returned to Chandler’s Cove early. He’d missed Marney so much that he’d bowed out at three on Sunday afternoon. He didn’t even stop at his own house. He drove directly to hers, jumped out of his car and raced to her back door.

It opened on an empty kitchen. “Anybody home?”

She peeked out of her pantry. “Hey.”

He walked over, caught her elbows and kissed her. “Hey.”

“I was going to make soup.”

“Why don’t we go upstairs and make soup?”

She laughed. “Because one of us is seriously hungry.”

He tugged her to him and growled in her ear. “How about a glass of milk to tide you over?” He didn’t like the fact that he’d missed her. But holding her close, he realized he might not have missed her as much as he’d missed this. The easy familiarity. The ability to really be himself with her. Especially sexually. There was no artifice. No game playing. They both enjoyed sex, enjoyed each other. And that’s what he’d longed for all weekend. A little unpretentious fun.