Three Matchmakers And A Christmas Wedding (Hope Valley Book 2)

by Belle Calhoune

  “I go where the work is. As an event planner, I’m often in Denver where a lot of my clients are located. This gig with the Laughton family is very lucrative. It could make or break my business,” she confessed.

  “Wow. From what I can see it’s going really well,” he said in a low voice as his intense, onyx-colored eyes swept over her figure. She felt her skin get flushed as his eyes seemed to drink her in.

  “Thanks. Being an event planner is all I’ve ever wanted to do, to be honest. I guess playing wedding as kids really made an impression on me. I was really into the details. The dress. The flowers. So now as an adult, I get to plan events and make people happy. Hopefully. If all goes well. Like tonight. If Patrick Laughton is happy then that will really give a boost to my company since a recommendation from him is like a gold stamp of approval.”

  Exactly why was she blabbering on and telling him her life story? Shut up, Kit!

  Jayden's close proximity was doing strange things to her. Her heart was beating like crazy inside her chest, so much so that she would swear she heard a loud thumping noise. The smell of Jayden—woodsy and masculine—was doing things to her equilibrium. Her calm and cool demeanor was in serious jeopardy. What was she doing? This was incredibly unprofessional. She had a job to execute tonight, and it had nothing to do with a gorgeous, brown-eyed football player who was regularly photographed with beautiful women on his arm.

  She pulled her hand away and took a step backwards. “I'd love to stay and chat with you, Jayden, but I'm the event planner tonight and this job is very important to me,” she said in an abrupt voice.

  He took a step towards her and she sucked in a deep, steadying breath. He leaned down close to whisper in her ear, lending an air of intimacy to their interaction.

  “Give yourself a fifteen-minute break. We can have a glass of champagne, go out on the terrace and catch up on old times.” He winked at her. “Since you’re on the clock, we can have sparkling cider if you’d rather.”

  The smell of peaches drifted toward her from his lips and hovered sweetly in the air. For a wild moment she considered what it would feel like to be kissed by her childhood friend? She imagined it would be a heavenly experience.

  Things were getting out of control, she realized. She was standing here dreaming about kissing Jayden when she had an event to focus on. For goodness sakes, focus. Enough with the daydreaming.

  “I'm sorry, Jayden. I really can't,” she demurred.

  “Of course you can,” he drawled, flashing her a smile that showcased his adorable dimples. “We'll be discreet. Your boss won't even notice.”

  “I'm on duty. And it's my company, so I'm the boss. Imagine if someone asked you to leave the Superbowl when the game is in overtime with the score tied up. Would you do it?”

  He placed his hand on his chin and gently stroked it, affecting a thinker's pose. “Hmmm. Let me think about this one. If I stay in the game and the Cougars win the Superbowl, I'd get one of those big Superbowl rings, a fat check from the NFL, more endorsements, more fans, more press. I might even get a trip to Disneyland.” He exhaled loudly. “On the other hand, if I spend some alone time with you, we'd probably get along like a house on fire. We'd become totally lost in one another. We might fall head over heels in love, get married, buy a house in the suburbs, fill it up with a bunch of kids and basically live happily ever after. Given those two fantastic choices...I'd choose you, Kit.”

  She felt her mouth go slack, then widen till it was hanging open. Although she wasn't the type of woman to go all goo goo eyed and romantic, Jayden’s words went straight to her heart, touching a part of her that hadn't been touched in years. She felt her bones turning to mush and her pulse begin to quicken. The effect he had on her was tantamount to an ice cube being dunked into a warm, rich mug of hot chocolate. She was melting before his very eyes. And she had the feeling he knew it.

  She sucked in cool air, then exhaled. “You're good. Really, really good. I can tell you know how to properly romance a woman. And if I wasn't up to my knees in work, I'd let you take me out to the terrace and we’d gaze at the moon until dawn. I'd love to catch up with you.” She let out a chuckle. “Who am I kidding? You’re a total charmer, Jayden. You’re the type of man who women fall for…hook, line and sinker.” She tried to squash the feelings of disappointment rising up within her. It had been such a long time since she'd allowed herself to get entranced by someone. But the timing was all wrong. Her career trumped everything else. “But, I don't have time for any of that. I'm needed backstage. Celia is supposed to be introduced in fifteen minutes. It was great talking to you, Jayden.”

  Before Jayden could respond, Kit walked away, her strides long and efficient as she made her way backstage. She didn't have time to process the feelings of regret or the pang of longing shooting straight through her. There would be plenty of time for that later when the event was over and she was alone in her bedroom ruminating on the events of the day.

  From all the way down the hall she saw her assistant, Karla, racing towards her, a frantic expression etched on her face. By the time she reached Kit she was out of breath.

  “Kit, I've been looking for you everywhere. PP is having an absolute meltdown. She's decided that she wants to be introduced as Debutante of the Decade, Celia Laughton, and not as The Beloved, Celia Laughton.”

  Kit raised an eyebrow at Karla, then slowly counted to ten in her head. She couldn't afford to lose her composure, even though she wanted to let out a scream. It annoyed her that someone as entitled as Celia stormed through life getting everything she wanted. It was ridiculous! Kit vowed to rise above Celia’s pettiness. Above all else, she wanted her staff to view her as professional and capable. Screaming wasn’t an option. Although she was tempted to roll around on the marble floor clutching her belly with laughter at Celia's arrogance, she couldn't afford such a luxury.

  Lord, please give me the strength to finish out this job and not lose my cool. I’ve worked so hard to make a name for myself in this business. I can’t afford to slip up now.

  Karla was staring at her as if life as they knew it depended on her boss' response to this mini crisis.

  Yes, it was time for her to put her Superwoman cape on and save the day.

  “Not a problem,” she said in a crisp voice. “I'll introduce her in that fashion right after the music cues up.”

  Debutante of the Decade? More like Spoiled Brat of the Century.

  Kit took a deep breath and steeled herself to deal with the guest of honor. Jayden's unforgettable face flashed into her mind and she had to force herself not to relive the moments she'd just shared with him. A huge part of her wished she could've hung around and talked with Jayden. It would've been so much fun to kick up her heels and shoot the breeze with a face from her past. Although Jayden was a famous athlete, she would love to get to know the real Jayden and to find out who he was as a person.

  It had been a long time since a man had tempted her to distraction with good looks, charm and an awesome physique. She had the feeling that Jayden was the type of man who could make her laugh. How she wanted to be in the presence of a man who could make her throw her head back and laugh with wild abandon. Lately, her life was consumed by work. All business and no fun had made Kit a very dull girl. Surely God didn’t want her to spend the rest of her days alone.

  At the moment all she wanted to do was ditch the debutante of the decade and go back into the ballroom and find Jayden. She wanted to dance with him under the moonlight and talk to him until the stars were stamped from the inky sky. If only, she thought. If only she didn't have work responsibilities. If only she didn't have to deal with an eighteen-year-old debutante-zilla. If only she didn't have so much riding on this one event, this one over-the-top extravaganza.

  If only she could have her cake and eat it too.

  Oh, well. A girl could dream, couldn't she?

  ***

  Jayden felt as if he’d just been stung by a swarm of bees. What in the world had just
happened? Right when he thought Kit had been eager to reconnect with him, she'd walked away without even sparing him a backward glance. She'd turned on her strappy little heels and glided away from him as if he were nothing but a pesky gnat buzzing in her ear. That didn't happen to Jayden London. Not ever! Women threw themselves at him—all day, every day. He couldn't even step into a church pew without women batting their eyes at him. It was the one thing he'd always been able to depend on, other than his parents' undying devotion. Women couldn't get enough of him. Up until a few minutes ago he'd been convinced of that assertion. Kit Jefferson was making him rethink things.

  Perhaps he wasn’t as irresistible as he thought.

  Was Kit trying to play hard to get? He snickered to himself. He wasn't used to that game and he certainly didn't know the rules. This was the first woman in his life who'd ever had the audacity to walk away from him mid-conversation. Was she not attracted to him? No, that wasn't it. He'd felt something brewing between them, that powerful push and pull of attraction. He'd noticed the way she looked at him when she'd spotted him staring at her. Her eyes had been full of interest. And a hundred other emotions he wanted to explore.

  Should he chase after her? Not a chance. That would be in violation of Rule #1. Never chase a woman. Chasing after a woman was tantamount to admitting she had you in the palm of her hand. If he chased after Kit it would give her the chance to have the upper hand with him. That wasn't Jayden's style, not by a long shot. His stomach twisted at the thought of allowing a woman to lead him around by the nose. If his teammates caught wind of it, he'd be the laughing stock of the franchise, perhaps even the league. He had his reputation to consider, after all. Jayden London was known for romancing the most beautiful women in the world—not a single one had he chased after. They'd all flocked to him willingly, like moths to the flame. He knew some people would consider him conceited for acknowledging that fact, but it was the truth, pure and simple. He didn't have to run after women!

  He glanced around the room, trying to seem casual as he scoped the place for any signs of Kit. Was she still backstage? Was she coming back into the ballroom? When was he going to see her again? She'd said that Celia's introduction would be happening in fifteen minutes, which meant that she was probably backstage counting down the minutes. The thought of Kit having to deal with Celia made him want to ride to her rescue. Celia Laughton was the equivalent of a Category five hurricane slamming into downtown Denver. Although Kit seemed like a tough cookie, he knew from experience that Celia would chew her up and spit her out just for sport.

  Hmm. Fifteen minutes. In his mind, fifteen minutes was quite a bit of time to charm a woman. He could probably pull it off if he put his mind to it. The memory of her beauty spurred him on. Although it was against all of Jayden London’s rules to chase after a woman, this time he was going to make an exception. Kit was that amazing, that incredibly special. He couldn't remember ever being this fascinated with a woman, to the point where he couldn't even focus on anything else other than the thought of seeing her again.

  With a groan of defeat, Jayden strode towards the exit of the ballroom, intent on finding Kit and convincing her that the two of them had unfinished business.

  ***

  “Kit.” The sound of her name rolling off his tongue sounded heavenly to her ears. It caused a shiver to snake down her spine and slither low in her belly. She couldn't deny the joy that bubbled up inside her at the sight of him striding towards her on the stage, his movements full of raw power and panther-like grace.

  “Jayden. What are you doing back here?” Although she'd tried to hide it, she was unable to dampen the enthusiasm that infused her voice.

  Karla pursed her lips disapprovingly and looked at them over the rim of her horn-rimmed glasses that made her look like a hoot owl. “We're on in five minutes, Kit,” she said in a warning tone before she pivoted on her heels and walked towards Celia's dressing room.

  “I know you've got work to do, but I had to find you, Kit.”

  “Jayden, like I told you, I'm busy-.”

  “I know, I know. It's the Superbowl and you're about to kick a field goal with only seconds left on the clock.” The corners of his mouth tilted upwards in an amused smile.

  She felt a tugging at the corners of her mouth right before she surrendered to a full-on smile. There was just something about this man that made her want to grin like crazy. He was some kind of wonderful, she thought, and funny too. She remembered his humor from childhood. He’d always made her laugh.

  “I wanted to tell you that I'll wait for you to finish up. I know this little diner in where we can get coffee and dessert. Or, if you like, we can hit this spot that makes the best hot dogs in all of Denver.”

  “Come again?” Had she heard him right? He was going to wait for her? And he was going to sweeten the pot by feeding her?

  “I've got a strong back,” he continued. “I can even help you pack up if you want.”

  “I don't understand. I mean, no one has ever—.” He had her so giddy and off balance she was beginning to babble. And her insecurities were pouring out of her like water out of a watering can. She was letting him know way more about herself than she'd intended.

  He reached out and caressed her cheek with his thumb. His touch made her smile.

  “You're worth the wait, Kit.”

  For a moment they stared at each other, their gazes locked in an intimate connection. For a single moment everything stopped. It was as if nothing else existed but the two of them.

  Jayden moved a step closer and lowered his head towards her. She knew she should pull away. She really needed to stop him before this went any further. Any moment now she was going to shove him away from her. Oh, brother. It was too late. It was happening. She felt his lips as they brushed lightly over hers. He was kissing her.

  Whoa! It had been such a long time since she’d been kissed. Suddenly, the tempo changed and his lips slanted over hers in a powerful, bold kiss, one that spoke volumes about the man himself. His lips tasted like peaches, and although she knew it was neither the time nor the place, she kissed him back.

  Oh my Goodness! She heard trumpets blaring. A veritable symphony was playing in her head—violins, drums, flutes, trombones. Genuine bells and whistles. She'd always heard of kisses like this—earth-shattering, blistering, soul-searing kisses that left a person hearing music ringing in their ears. And now, she too was experiencing this blissful, lyrical kiss.

  Then she heard the scream. It was a deafening, ear-piercing shriek that threatened to shatter all the windows in the ballroom. She reluctantly pulled away from Jayden as a niggling sensation crept through her bones. Trombones? A symphony?

  “Please, God. No!” she whispered as she turned and saw Celia standing on the side of the stage, her mouth opened in an O formation as she screamed bloody murder. Patrick was standing next to her, his face a dark mask of fury as he glared at her. She watched in horror as Celia stamped her Christian Laboutin clad feet and violently shrugged off the comforting arm her grandfather tried to place around her shoulder.

  Cameras began to flash and pop like crazy as photographers jostled each other in order to get the best shots of her and Jayden. Feeling a bit disoriented, Kit raised her arm to shield her eyes from the bulbs. She felt Jayden’s arm around her shoulders, and for a moment she sunk into him, grateful for the warmth and comfort he provided.

  “Jayden, how long has this been going on?” a member of the press shouted.

  “Hey Jayden, what's her name?” another asked.

  “Tell us your name, beautiful.”

  “You and Jayden look great together!”

  Patrick Laughton came storming over to them just as the stage curtains closed around them, sheltering them from the audience's view. Patrick reached out and grasped Kit by the wrist, forcibly shaking her as if she were a rag doll.

  “You ruined Celia’s grand introduction!” Patrick shouted.

  “Get your hand off her!” Jayden snarled as h
e stepped between her and Patrick.

  “Mr. Laughton, I'm so sorry,” Kit said in a raised voice. Maybe it wasn't too late, she thought, to rescue Celia’s moment. Someone had opened the curtains prematurely and the audience had seen her and Jayden enjoying a romantic kiss. It was Celia’s worst nightmare. The attention had been taken away from her at the worst possible moment.

  Patrick’s lip curled. “Not as sorry as you're going to be, Miss Jefferson. I trusted you to deliver the debutante ball of the century and you've done nothing but subject my granddaughter to public humiliation.”

  Jayden let out a loud snort. “Humiliation? That's rich coming from you. Your media group humiliates people every day with its nasty headlines, unflattering photos and unfounded gossip.”

  Patrick's face was mottled with rage and he looked as if he wanted to hit someone. “Jayden. You've crossed a line tonight,” he said through clenched teeth. “I'd be very careful if I were you. I’m very good friends with the owner of your team. I could make things really difficult for you…and your career.”

  Kit placed a hand on Jayden's chest and none too gently pushed him back. The last thing she needed was for Jayden to get into an altercation with Patrick. She knew how vengeful Patrick could be if he was crossed. Jayden had his career to consider. He was a prominent figure in the community and if the media got wind of this it could make front page news.

  “I never meant for any of this to happen. And if you give me another chance we could still give Celia her grand introduction.” Kit hated the begging tone in her voice.

  “If I were you I'd consider a new line of business,” Patrick snarled. “Because you're done in this town!” After shooting her a look of utter disdain, Patrick strode off the stage, his steps full of unbridled anger.

  Kit stood there for a moment, her body frozen in time as she processed what had just happened. She sucked in a deep breath, a sharp pain filling her insides as the realization hit her that she had failed. Again.