Perfectly Matched: ...And the Rest of the Matchmaking Chef Books

by Maddie James

  “Don’t think, Sam.”

  “Probably we should think.”

  “No. Don’t.”

  “But Becca, I don’t want you to regret...”

  “Flames, Sam. Lick them. Fan the flames.”

  If she said lick one more time, he was going to do just that.

  “Now.”

  Before he realized it, he’d removed her pants, panties, too, and was smoothing his hands along her satiny smooth thighs and seeking the one place he knew that would be the source of so much pleasure for them both.

  He knew it. But...

  “Kiss me,” she pleaded. “The flames...”

  When she said those kinds of things, he couldn’t resist. He positioned her on the couch and perched himself straddle over her. He started at her mouth, kissing and sucking, then slowly and methodically dragged his lips over her body, giving equal attention to both breasts and those sinful nipples, first one and then the other. He laved tender affection and deliberate caresses over them until he had his fill. She whimpered and moaned, squirmed and arched... Lower, he traveled, to explore her cute belly button and then further, to the v-shaped curly patch at her center and the delicate, sensitive crease between her leg and hip... Sliding his tongue lower and then finally, settling between her thighs.

  Her musk spurred him on, made him crazy with desire.

  He spread her lips with his fingers to expose her to him. At the first touch of his tongue to the pearl between her legs, she jumped and called out. Her fingers grasped his hair and she held him close. She was ripe and wet, and as his tongue played, he knew she would come fast.

  And hard.

  She shouted his name on the crest of her first shudder and panted over and over again as he rode her until her tremors subsided and her legs fell back languid against the couch. He gave her a moment before continuing, lifting his face to watch hers: her head lolled to one side, her hair fanned over one shoulder and breast, her face flushed, her breathing slowing.

  He watched, and knew that he was falling hopelessly in love with this minx. From the first, she had captured his attention like no other woman. When she opened her eyes, reached out for him, and said, “Come here, make love to me,” he knew he was over the top in love.

  With as much haste as he could muster, Sam rid himself of his clothes. Taking no time for either of them to back out or check reality, he plunged into her. Her legs wrapped around him, and her arms held him tight. He plunged again and again, her silky insides drawing him deep. Nearly as ripe for an explosive orgasm as she, he knew it wouldn’t be long before he would experience sweet release.

  With his sweet Becca.

  His. Becca.

  The upsurge overtook him with unleashed abandon, as he plunged into her like it was his last dying deed, and buried his cock deep inside her like there would be no other chance to do so.

  Shuddering, dizzy, and totally spent, he lay over her and savored the moment. Her hands gently caressed his back as his breathing evened. And all he wanted to do was possess her like this again, and again, and again....

  It was Becca who spoke first, and the words she said weren’t exactly the ones he had expected to hear. “I hope this wasn’t a mistake,” she said. Alarm coursed through him.

  He loved her. This could never be a mistake, unless....

  He didn’t raise his head to look at her. “What do you mean?”

  “It...so fast. Happened so fast.”

  “You wanted it, Becca, as much as I did.” She shivered a little beneath him.

  “I...I... Oh hell, Sam. This was a mistake. Please, let me up.”

  No... No.

  But he sat back and let her up. He wanted to argue with her. Wanted to tell her how much he loved her. Wanted to sweep her off her feet and take her home with him for the rest of their lives.

  The look on her face, however, told him to back off.

  “Becca, this will be okay.”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “You will be okay. Nora will understand.”

  “I don’t want to break Nora’s heart. She’s had enough heartbreak.”

  “This isn’t about Nora, Becca. It’s about us.”

  She stared at him, not responding at first. “I... I don’t do this, Sam. I don’t have casual sex like this. I... I don’t want a relationship, and I... I’m off men.”

  Casual? “Becca, this was far from casual.” And then he added. “For me.”

  Her face screwed into a puzzled mess, and she couldn’t look at him. What was going on?

  That’s when the panic really gripped him. “What are you afraid of, Becca?”

  She rose and reached for her t-shirt, holding it in front of her. “Of course it’s about Nora. I don’t have a clue what I will say to her.”

  “What about just saying, ‘Nora, I’m seeing Sam. I hope you’ll be happy for us.’“

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  By now, he was convinced something else was going on.

  There was a little comfort in that. It wasn’t about him. It was about something else.

  “Is that really what this is about, Becca? Or are you just afraid to try a relationship of your own?”

  “You should go now, Sam.”

  Bingo.

  He dipped his head in a nod. “All right.” He quickly dressed without saying anything else at that point, but before he left, he stepped closer and hooked his forefinger under her chin.

  With only a slight tip of her face, he angled her lips toward his, but resisted the temptation to reach out and kiss them.

  “Whatever you can’t say, Becca, it’s okay. I might walk out that door tonight, but that doesn’t mean I’m walking out of your life. Think about what’s bugging you...and I’m pretty sure it isn’t Nora...and then let’s talk. And truly, I mean talk.”

  He dropped his hand and her gaze lowered to the floor.

  There was one more thing he wanted to say. “Oh, and Becca? I don’t regret one bit what happened here tonight, and I don’t think you should, either. Good night, sweetheart.”

  Chapter Six

  From her vantage point, Becca figured there was only one thing to be done. She had to tell Nora. And she had to tell her before ten o’clock this morning, when they were due at Suzie’s bed and breakfast in Legend to get ready for the taping.

  It wasn’t going to be easy, since Nora could talk of nothing else but Sam and the taping for several days now. To say the least, Becca was a mite tired of listening to every rehashing of the plans, but by later in this day, it would all be over.

  Thank goodness.

  Becca had a plan of her own. She was to pick Nora up in fifteen minutes, and then they would drive the forty-five minutes to Legend together. Somewhere in that time frame, Becca planned to tell Nora the truth. Or, almost the truth. She would leave out the details about what happened on her couch, but she would tell her that she and Sam were, sort of, seeing each other.

  But was that a crock, too? Sam had been scarce. Were they truly “seeing” each other? And did she want to see Sam Ackerman, in that respect.

  She did. Had contemplated the entire thing all week. And she knew that the only way she would be able to move forward was to tell Nora the truth. She missed Sam and her heart had ached all week. The only thing that kept her going was the last words he spoke before leaving Saturday night.

  “No regrets” and “I’m not walking out of your life” were the two things she’d held on to all week long. Well, that and “are you afraid to try a relationship of your own?”

  That question was the kicker.

  As she slipped into her jeans, her cell phone rang. Nora’s name popped up on the screen.

  “Hey, Nora. I’ll be leaving soon.”

  Nora jabbered from the other side.

  “But I thought you needed a ride?” She listened for another few seconds. “Oh, okay. I understand.”

  She clicked off the phone and stared ahead. Nora was hitch
ing a ride to Legend with Patricia, who had a rental car, so she could show her the way. Well, all right then.

  Confession time to Nora would just have to happen in some other way. Maybe it was better that she tell her after the taping, anyway.

  ****

  Sam pulled into Suzie’s driveway with a knot as big as his fist firmly embedded in his gut, right under his ribcage.

  Sometime in the night it appeared, and by morning it was nothing but a big, fat ball of bundled nerves. It had been nearly a week since he’d seen Becca, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t constantly on his mind. She was. Both nervous about seeing her, and how they would get through this taping, as well as how she would react, was eating him up inside.

  He arrived early, just so he could settle himself in for a few minutes before everyone else arrived. If he knew Suzie, she’d have some cinnamon coffee brewing and with any luck, that might quell his nervous stomach.

  God, how he’d missed Becca. It was going to be hell not to run to her and fold her into his arms.

  He used the back entrance, as was his usual custom, and found both Suzie and Brad milling around in the kitchen.

  “Hey, man!” Brad greeted him with a handshake. He turned to Suzie. “Look at Mr. TV Man here, Suze.”

  Grinning, Suzie glanced his way while shuffling recipe cards and pouring a measuring cup of milk into a mixing bowl. “Yeah, he’s quite our local celebrity, huh?”

  “I’m afraid I’d rather leave that to you, Ms. Matthews.”

  “Not the TV type?”

  “No, sir. I’m ready for this to be over.”

  “Oh!” Suzie glanced out her kitchen window. “Looks like the crew is here. There is a van and very nice car following them. Must be Patricia and Nora.”

  Sam groaned a little and followed her gaze. Yep, there they were. The van, the car and, yes, Becca’s small sedan bringing up the rear. That ball in his gut clutched again.

  “That’s everyone,” he said, to no one in particular.

  “Nope.” Suzie shook her head. “We have one more person coming.”

  ****

  Becca’s fingers tatted nervously on her steering wheel. She had considered all the way from Pigeon Forge just how she would handle it. Tell Nora now, or tell Nora later. She weighed the pros and cons of each, and every single time, she came up with the same conclusion—she didn’t think there was going to be any good time to tell Nora.

  Hanging back, she idled in her car for a moment while the crew got out, stretched, chugged their last gulps of coffee, and began unloading equipment to carry into the house.

  Patricia and Nora talked quietly while they made their way up the steps to the back deck. Becca breathed deeply and exhaled. She’d already noticed Sam’s truck, so he was here.

  The butterflies that had overtaken her fingers earlier were now firmly ensconced in her tummy.

  “Now or never,” she whispered, and left her car. “Nora? Nora, wait up.”

  ****

  As the crew filtered in and out of the kitchen and dining room, setting up lighting and booms and whatnot, Sam worked his way to the fringes where he could watch both the back door and the happenings in each of the rooms. Patricia swept in and kissed Suzie on the check, shook Brad’s hand, and smiled big.

  “We’ve got a winner on our hands here, everyone. I know it.” She nodded toward Brad and smiled. “I hope you are ready to pack your bags for New York because in another month, we’ll be taping in the city.”

  Suzie’s face beamed, and she jumped into her husband’s arms. “I can’t believe this! Little ol’ Suzie from Legend. What a hoot!” She winked at Sam, and he was genuinely happy for her. Suzie had worked hard for a lot of years. She deserved this crack at the big time.

  “But right now, we’ve got other fish to fry,” Patricia went on, fussing about the kitchen and lifting lids on pots. “Oh!

  What a beautiful marinara sauce. What are you going to do with that, hon?” She glanced Suzie’s way.

  “Vegetable lasagna. I figured something half-way hearty for the men and healthy at the same time.”

  “Good thinking.” Patricia replaced the lid, then swiped her hands on her black jeans. “So, Sam is here, and Nora and Becca are out back. Where is our fourth?”

  “Coming,” Suzie replied. “Coming.”

  A fourth. He’d forgotten about that. Sam swung his gaze back toward the kitchen door, through which he saw an animated Becca, flailing her arms about, and a noticeably upset Nora wiping tears from her eyes.

  Shit.

  ****

  “You what?”

  “I never planned for it to happen, Nora.”

  “That’s no excuse, Becca. Friends don’t do these kinds of things.” She dabbed at an eye.

  “I know. Calamari vows are not to be broken.”

  “Any kind of vow is not to be broken. But damn, you went and worried all this time about me and Sam for nothing. Becca, I am so sorry. Truly, this is rather a hoot.”

  Becca tossed her hands into the air. “A hoot! My God! I’ve been worried for weeks about me breaking our vow. You kept talking about you and Sam, you and Sam...”

  “Oh hell, that was a distraction. I’ve been so nervous about this television thing. I really think I can do this. Can you imagine me being a reality television star? I didn’t think you were taking me seriously, though. I knew all along Sam had an eye for you. Could tell that from the day of the picnic.”

  “You brat, you!” Becca could barely believe her ears. Why had she been so worried?

  “Did I tell you I had a date the other night with Max Carpenter?” A naughty smile crossed her lips.

  “Get out of town.”

  “Sorry, I meant to tell you.”

  “Vow breaker.”

  “I know.”

  “Did you have sex with him?”

  “No!”

  “Well then, I one upped you.”

  Nora’s eyes grew big, and she grasped Becca by the shoulders and shook her. Her voice rose. “You did what! You had sex with Sam?”

  About that time Sam opened the back door and stepped out onto the deck.

  “Hey! Whoa. What’s going on here?”

  Both women turned and glared. Last thing he wanted to do at the moment was get into the middle of a catfight, but he might have to do what he had to do.

  “Sam?”

  “Take your hands off her, Nora. It’s not her fault. No one needs to get hurt.”

  Nora’s hands dropped to her side. “You don’t understand, Sam. Becca was just telling me....”

  “I know. I know. Nora, I’m really sorry, but I do not want a relationship with you. This matchmaking thing is not going to work. We can get through the show, but that’s it. You just have to realize that. I’m in love with Becca.”

  Nora’s mouth turned into an O, and her eyes grew equally round. Slowly, she turned her head to look at Becca. Sam shifted his gaze to the woman he loved, whose eyebrows had both arched significantly.

  “Well then,” Nora said, “I guess you told me.”

  Swallowing a huge lump in his throat, Sam glanced back at Nora. “I hope you understand.”

  “Sure.” She giggled and looked at Becca, who immediately burst into laughter.

  This was not what he expected. “What’s going on?”

  Someone behind him cleared her throat. Loud. “What’s going on, Mr. Ackerman, is that you have just ruined my television show.”

  All bodies swung back to the open kitchen door, where Suzie, Brad, and Patricia all stood, framed in the doorway.

  Suzie was wringing her hands.

  Patricia wore a scowl on her face.

  Brad gave him a thumbs up.

  “Ah, hell...” Last thing he wanted to do was screw things up for Suzie, but at least, it was all out on the open now. That was a huge relief.

  “Wait.” Suzie stepped forward. “There is something you are forgetting. This is a matchmaking show, and it is about couples, but that doesn’t mean it’s
about Sam and Nora, and Becca and the other guy.”

  Patricia narrowed her gaze. “What are you talking about?”

  Suzie smiled and glanced toward the driveway. “I’m talking about two equally sexy and viral men with hearty appetites. And I feel darned sure I can matchmake them both. Look.”

  A truck door slammed in the drive, and Sam smiled. Up the walk came his brother, Jack. He smiled, knowing that Suzie had likely been working behind the scenes. Turning on his heel, he looked Nora in the face and took her arm.

  “Honey, let me introduce you to my brother, Jack. I think you two may have a lot in common.”

  ****

  Much later that evening, after the taping was over, the crew had torn down the set, Patricia was on her way back to the airport, and Jack had offered to give Nora a ride home, Becca and Sam walked along the edge of Lake Legend bordering Suzie and Brad’s property. As dusk fell they held hands and glanced back up to the house further up the hill.

  One by one they watched the lights come on in the house.

  Becca smiled at the simplicity of it all.

  She wanted that. A life just like that. With a husband and children and maybe even pansies in the yard.

  The days were still warm, but the nights were turning cooler. Sam put his arm around her.

  “Let’s sit on the dock and put our feet in the water.”

  “Are you sure it’s not too chilly.”

  Becca shook her head. “Naw. I can handle it. Besides, we’ve been on our feet all day, and it might feel good.”

  They did. Becca leaned her head on Sam’s shoulder while they savored the calm, watched the fish jump, and marveled at the Harvest moon hanging over the lake.

  “Sam?” Becca whispered. “I do want to talk.”

  Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close. “I know.”

  “You scared me,” she breathed. “I couldn’t believe the feelings I was having while we made love...and even before that.”

  “The last thing I want to do is scare you, sweetheart. I want you to love me and trust me.”

  Lifting her head from his shoulder, she studied his face.

  “You said you loved me.”

  He nodded, smiling. “I’ve been around the block a few times, Becca, but I can tell you for certain, that up until I met you, I’d never been in love before. I know this has been fast, but I love you with all of my heart.”