“Meredith?” he whispered, his eyes dark with desire.
She went up on tiptoes and placed her lips over his. The second they connected, her world righted itself.
God, this was what she should’ve done when they’d woken up. What had she been thinking, getting freaked out over a few simple words?
Someone cleared their throat and they jumped apart. Linc slid his fingers down her arm and laced their hands together.
“Hi, Eric.” Linc sounded cool and calm, and if she hadn’t had her lips locked on his not ten seconds ago, she would think he was meeting Eric in the street. “How are you?”
Isabella’s father’s grin was large. “Hello, you two. This is a nice surprise. Guess I need to tell your grandpa you don’t need my matchmaking skills.”
Meredith laughed and gave Isabella’s father a hug. “Hey, Eric, it’s good to see you. And as for matchmaking, I think Linc’s got a handle on that. After all, he did help you set up your daughter.”
“Ah, Meredith.” He patted her cheek in that loving father way. “Nothing gets past you. And speaking of my daughter, where is she?” he asked and looked around the room.
“Your granddaughter needed her diaper changed. I’m sure if Isabella, the recipient of my excellent matchmaking skills, knew you were coming, she may have waited for you so you could do it for her,” Linc teased.
Meredith held up her hands. “Okay, you two. Yes, you’re both master matchmakers. We can all agree on that, but I’ve got to say, you’re never going to let that title go, are you?”
“Nope.” Both men spoke in unison, smiling, then high fived each other.
Meredith rolled her eyes, but she was grateful for the lighthearted mood surrounding them.
For the first time since she and Linc hooked up, she couldn’t deny how grateful she was that she’d never have to go through what Isabella was about to go through over the next few months.
Linc’s arm slid around her waist. She leaned into him and whispered, “You may not think it was the right decision, but at this very moment, I’m glad you’re no longer in the army.”
She kissed him softly on the lips.
*
As Linc followed Meredith’s taillights down her street, he once again recalled the words she’d whispered to him before giving him a short, sweet kiss.
I’m glad you’re no longer in the army.
He hadn’t had a chance to talk to her further about it because Isabella had walked back into the room, seen her father, and started to cry. The pain on Ethan’s face, knowing his career choice was causing his wife distress, made Linc hold Meredith tighter, until she’d pushed against him murmuring that she couldn’t breathe.
Linc had no doubt that by the time Ethan was deployed, Isabella would be in a better place. From what he knew of her, she had a good support system in place and she was the type of woman who would get through Ethan’s deployment and come out even stronger than she already was.
Linc also had no qualms in believing that once Ethan hit his twenty years, he’d be out of the air force faster than he could blink.
Meredith’s invitation to her house had been a surprise, given the way they’d parted this morning. But during the dinner, she had maintained her closeness with him, touching his thigh or resting her head on his shoulder, and he couldn’t deny that he liked it.
He switched off his car and got out, reaching Meredith’s car in time to watch as she released Buster from his very impressive car seat.
“I never knew they made car seats for dogs,” he said as he followed them inside.
“Yep, I wanted to make sure Buster was safe whenever I drove him anywhere. He’s a little dog and could get hurt if I was ever in an accident.”
Linc shuddered at the thought of anything happening to Meredith and Buster. He’d come to care for both of them in such a short space of time. Initially, it had scared the crap out of him—now, not so much. The idea of picket fences and kids had never been high on his list, yet it was becoming a regular thought since he and Meredith took up again.
“Makes sense. When I travel with Mack, he’ll be in a specially designed cage in my car.”
“Mack?” she asked as they walked into her house.
“My new working partner I met today at work.”
Meredith set Buster down and he immediately went to the back door to be let out. “You should get a doggy door for him,” he mused as he watched her let the little animal out.
“I probably should, but tell me all about your first day, you only told me it was good.”
He shrugged as if it was no big deal, yet excitement fizzed through him. “I think it’s a great fit for me. And Mack is going to be a great working dog.”
“Going to be? You mean he’s not already?” Meredith asked over shoulder as she let Buster back in.
Linc sat on one of the kitchen chairs and waited until Meredith did the same. “This company pairs up new employees with new dogs. One of the guys who works for them recently retired and took his dog with him. I just happened to apply at the right time when they needed someone. They’d already reached out to the breeders for a new dog who was ready for the next step. I don’t know all the details of where they get the animals, but it seems they have an arrangement with them.”
“So you train the dog from the beginning so as to build a relationship between you both?”
“Yep. It’s a little different from what I did in the army, although the foundation is the same. It’s important that both handler and dog connect, otherwise there could be issues when they’re trying to do their job.”
Meredith nodded and then smiled. “I’m guessing you and Mack hit it off today?”
Linc knew he was smiling wide. “We did. He’s a great dog. Really intuitive. Took to my commands as if we’ve been working together for weeks, not a few hours.”
Meredith reached out her hand, and he grasped it in his and brought it to his lips, keeping his eyes on her. When his mouth brushed her knuckles, her eyes widened and a slight flush bloomed on her cheeks. She couldn’t hide the smile tugging at her lips.
He didn’t want to talk anymore. What he wanted to do was worship her body.
“Can I stay?” he asked huskily.
She licked her lips, and his body responded immediately. “I’d like that.”
Keeping hold of her hand, he stood and walked to her chair. She stood and wrapped her free arm around his neck, her lips zeroing in on his with the precision of a sniper.
Sure, they needed to talk about things, but right now, all he wanted was to lose himself in her arms and body. He had an idea Meredith needed the same thing.
*
A purple hue greeted Linc as he opened the back door to let Buster out. He’d heard the dog’s whimper and jumped out of bed before Meredith could wake up. She needed her sleep. He smiled. He didn’t think he’d ever forget the sight of Meredith riding him. Her breasts bouncing in time with her movements. Her head thrown back as she cried out her orgasm.
Probably not a good idea to have those sorts of memories while he stood naked in Meredith’s kitchen. The dog rushed back inside and Linc scooped him up, making sure the door was secured before he headed back to Meredith’s warm bed.
He set Buster on the bed, where he promptly curled up on the far corner, seemingly happy to let the two adults occupy most of the space. Linc had to admit, the dog knew how to keep himself out of the way of any activities going on.
“Where did you go?” Meredith mumbled when he slid back into bed and pulled her against his chest.
“Buster needed to be put out. Go back to sleep, it’s still really early.”
“You’ll be here when I wake up?”
Linc kissed the back of her head and stroked her belly. “Always.”
The next time he opened his eyes, the room was a lot lighter. He reached out and picked up his phone, bolting upright when he saw the time. “Shit, I need to go or I’ll be late.”
Meredith sat up, holding the she
et against her bare chest as she brushed her hair out of her eyes. She looked deliciously rumpled and he’d like nothing better than to push her back onto the mattress and kiss her senseless. But he didn’t want to be fired. He probably had enough time to run home, take a two-minute shower, dress, and he’d only be about five minutes late. That was, if traffic cooperated for him.
He hesitated though, not wanting to give Meredith the idea that he had used her. She gave him a shove in the middle of his back. “Go, Linc. I don’t want you to lose your job on your second day.”
Hopping out of bed, he grabbed his jeans and pulled them on sans underwear. “How about we meet for lunch? I’ll text you a time and location near my work.”
“Sounds great. I don’t have any plans.” Meredith slid out of bed and he caught a glimpse of her perfect ass. He bit back a groan and willed his body to settle down.
Pulling his T-shirt over his head, he strode around the side of the bed and framed her face. “You know I wouldn’t leave like this if I didn’t have to.”
“I know. It’s fine, Linc.”
He pressed his lips to hers before breaking contact. “I’ll see you soon.”
As he pulled out of the driveway, he saw Meredith, her lithe body leaning against the doorframe, arm lifted in farewell. He raised his hand in response, a huge smile breaking over his lips.
Damn, he could get used to her waving goodbye to him every day.
*
Meredith tried her best not to skip down the sidewalk. Her heart was full of joy and she was on her way to have lunch with the person responsible.
She was falling head over heels in love with Lincoln Forrest. It was unexpected, but wonderful. She wanted to yell it out for the whole world to hear.
Happiness like she’d never known before overwhelmed her. She couldn’t believe she’d been with Mark for two years and thought she’d marry him and they’d be happy. If he hadn’t broken up with her, she could’ve ended up in a toxic relationship like her parents.
Now, with the blinders covering her eyes removed by love, she could see all the places where she’d given in to Mark. Had agreed to anything he wanted when it was the last thing she wanted to do, even a second chance when she shouldn’t have.
While her relationship with Linc might be new, she had no doubt he would never bully her into making a decision that would benefit him more. Picturing them holding hands at the park with their dogs running around wasn’t hard. She would know the father of her child, and his relationship with their child would be that of an acquaintance and not a fully-fledged father.
But who did that?
Well, now he would be involved in every stage of a pregnancy, because she could see the future between them as clearly as the sun was always shining down on someone, some place, even if clouds obscured her view.
Nothing could snatch this away from her, not this time. Love had finally found her.
Linc had sent her the address of a café near where he worked, but instead of meeting him there, she’d decided to surprise him and wait for him in front of his new workplace.
She looked up and stopped suddenly, ignoring the grumbles of the man who’d had to veer to the right sharply to avoid running into her.
Everything seemed to slow around her as her gaze zeroed in on a couple standing about thirty feet away. The man had his hand resting on her shoulder in a familiar way that bespoke of a comfortable relationship. One of the woman’s hands touched the man’s cheek in a soft caress. They were laughing, clearly happy to see each other. When he hugged her a look of pure contentment washed over the woman’s face as she accepted the man’s kiss on her forehead. A gesture so loving, it belonged in a movie.
The couple belonged together.
The joy that had consumed Meredith only seconds ago shriveled into a cold, hard lump of betrayal.
Linc had another woman. A woman who made him laugh. A woman who he had no problems pulling into a hug and kissing her cheek. A woman who wasn’t her.
Whoever she was, she had long, blonde hair. She was almost the same height as Linc and her figure could’ve graced the cover of a fashion magazine. She was thin but curvaceous and very beautiful.
How could he do this to her?
More to the point, how could she have opened herself up to him? Didn’t she know better? Didn’t she know that the second she let those barriers down, let someone into her heart, that person would always let her down? Didn’t matter that Linc didn’t know she was in love with him.
She knew.
What was it about her that made it easy for the men she was involved with to find happiness in another woman’s arms? First Mark, now Linc.
Why couldn’t she be the one and only woman to make a man smile the way Linc smiled at the woman in his arms? Meredith thought she was special to him.
How wrong she’d been.
Blindly, she turned and stumbled her way from his work toward a place she could duck into so Linc didn’t see her.
She slammed into the back of someone, knocking her a back into reality.
“I’m so sorry,” she said, and when the person turned around, she received the second shock of the day. “Mark?”
“Meredith.”
He actually sounded like he cared. She burst into tears.
“What the hell?” Mark placed his hand on the middle of her back and directed her into the café. She went with him, uncaring that they were getting looks from the patrons. It wasn’t like she was going to be in this part of town again. No way would she go anywhere near where Linc worked.
Mark sat her down in a chair, mumbling something that sounded like he’d be right back. Taking a couple of deep breaths, she brushed away the tears and attempted to get herself under control.
A few minutes later, he returned with a to-go coffee cup in one hand and a bottle of Coke and a straw in the other—at least he hadn’t forgotten her favorite drink.
“Thanks,” she said as he placed it in front of her. She unscrewed the cap and stuck the straw in, studiously avoiding looking at him.
“Are you okay? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you cry spontaneously like that. I hope seeing me didn’t cause you that much distress.”
She sniffed and tried to smile. “No, it wasn’t you. I just saw…” The image of Linc smiling down at the pretty woman hit her and the tears welled up again. Determinedly, she sucked in another deep breath. “It doesn’t matter.”
This was the first time she’d seen him since he’d phoned her to tell her they were over. She allowed herself to really study him, noticing the few strands of gray that lighted his temple, strands that hadn’t been there when she’d left. He was only a couple of years older than her, but worked a stressful job as a stockbroker.
Mark reached out and placed his hand over hers. The touch did nothing for her, so she pulled her hand away from his.
“Even with red, bloated eyes, it’s really good to see you. I’ve missed you, Meredith.”
Her bruised ego leaped at those words. It shouldn’t. Not a single part of her, including her ego, belonged to her ex. Never would again, but at that moment, she rejoiced at hearing someone had missed her.
“I guess it has been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
“How have you been? Are you working again?”
For a few seconds, Meredith wondered if she’d walked into an alternate reality when she’d stepped through the doors of the café. This conversation with Mark appeared too normal. Like he had no idea his admission of cheating and breaking up with her hadn’t hurt her deeply.
Although this wound would be considered superficial in comparison to the deep wound Linc’s betrayal had caused.
“I’ve got a job lined up for the school year starting in August.”
“That’s good.”
He took a sip of his coffee, avoiding looking at her. Was he now regretting helping her?
Great, now even her ex wanted to get as far away from her as possible.
“Meredith?”<
br />
Something in his tone made her eyes flick from the crack in the wall she’d been studying back to him. Lurking in the recesses, a glimmer of hope seemed to lighting his brown eyes.
Oh no.
“Do you think there’s a possibility we could try again? I made a stupid mistake. One I’ve regretted since I cheated on you.”
Oh, my God, what are the odds? The man she’d fallen in love with seemed to be cheating on her with another woman and the man who cheated on her wanted her back for the third time.
She totally had entered the twilight zone. No way was she going down this path again.
Meredith looked to the door of the café and her heart stuttered to a halt. Linc stood just inside. Oh the irony, the café she’d escaped into with Mark was the café where they were going to meet. Linc’s face was devoid of any emotion. She’d seen that look before, when she’d hurt him after she’d lost their baby.
Her heart clenched, but she attempted to steel herself against it.
Time stood still as they stared at each other. Their gazes were still locked when Mark picked up her hand, brushing his thumb across the top.
Irrational anger built up inside of her, replacing the desolation she’d felt when she’d spied Linc on the pavement outside his work. She wanted to strike out and hurt him, like seeing him with another woman had hurt her.
She broke her connection with Linc. It was as if someone had taken over her body and she was floating above, observing it all. She didn’t pull her hand out of Mark’s grip when he lifted it and pressed it to his cheek.
She was cold inside. Oh, so cold. Her eyes closed. She couldn’t look at the hope in his eyes.
What was she doing?
Yes, she was hurting, but allowing Mark to touch her was wrong.
When she opened her eyes, Linc was still watching them. This time, his emotions were plain as day on his face. Pain etched in the lines around his mouth. His hands were clenched at his sides, and in that second, he looked like a dangerous soldier.
The Matchmaker’s Match Page 15