Seducing the Matchmaker

“I understand that. I thought you were ignoring me.”

“Well, I wasn’t.”

“I realize that now. I apologize.”

Several long, tense seconds passed in silence while she considered her options. What options? With one little piece of paper, he’d removed any options. And he was right; they did need each other. But could they work together?

“Okay.” She snorted. “Although Suzanne was the best candidate I had.”

“She’s a beautiful woman, and I’m sure a fine person—but she’s not for me. I have the utmost faith that you will find someone suitable for me.” He stood and buttoned his jacket. “I look forward to hearing from you.” With that he walked out of the office.

As soon as the door closed behind him, Noelle grabbed the synopsis off the desk and quickly ran it through the shredder.

She’s not married. Derrick couldn’t hide the curve of his lips as he considered the implications of what that meant. She’s not married.

The elevator reached the bottom floor, and the steel doors opened. He waited patiently for the people surrounding him to exit before moving forward.

As he headed to the rotating glass doors that led to the outside world, he noticed a bright red flower cart sitting off to one side of the marble corridor. As a thought occurred to him, he changed his direction and headed toward the cart.

Ten minutes later, with a spring in his step, Derrick emerged onto the bustling avenue where his driver, Don, waited with his black Lexus. Derrick slipped into the backseat of the car and, giving Don their next destination, settled back with a wide grin on his face.

Chapter 6

One week later, Noelle sat staring at the bouquet of wilting flowers sitting on the corner of her desk, just as she had done every day since they’d arrived unexpectedly. She still had no idea what it meant. Had Mr. Brandt sent the flowers as a truce? Given the way their last meeting ended, that was not an unreasonable assumption. But what if it meant something else?

Noelle could still see the look of triumph that flashed in his eyes when he realized—with certainty—that she was not married. Why was he so certain? She wondered.

She’d never confirmed or denied the claim, yet that something in his eyes left absolutely no doubt as to what he believed. Well, it didn’t matter. Either way, the sooner she was rid of Derrick Brandt the better. And it all started this evening with the first of what she hoped were viable candidates.

“Come in.”

Terri came into the room and gently pushed the door closed behind her. Leaning back against it, she folded her arms across her chest and glared across the room at Noelle. “It’s the jerk. Do you want me to throw him out?”

Noelle suppressed a smile. Derrick Brandt may not have realized it, but he’d made a formidable enemy in Terri. “Don’t you dare—not if you want a paycheck at the end of the week.”

Terri’s mouth twisted into an unwilling smile. “I didn’t say I wouldn’t take his wallet before I threw him out.”

“Like it or not, he’s our client. So show him in.”

Terri huffed. “If you insist. But I think you’re fighting a losing battle. The only woman that would be a match for this guy is the bride of Frankenstein.” She turned to open the door and paused. “On second thought, dating Derrick Brandt would be lowering her standards.” She opened the door wide. “Mr. Brandt, Mrs. Brown can see you now.”

Derrick Brandt appeared in the doorway, his light eyes boring into Terri. “By the way, you may want to make sure the door is firmly closed the next time you decide to slander a client.”

With a look that conveyed not a single ounce of remorse, Terri stepped around him, out of the office, and closed the door behind her.

“You need to do something about her,” Derrick said, coming forward into the office. “The next client may not be as understanding.”

Noelle came around the desk, meeting him halfway. She gestured to the sofa on the other side of the room. “Terri is indispensable to me. So I suggest you reconcile yourself to dealing with her if you plan to continue this.”

Derrick, startled by the sharp retort, glanced at Noelle. His sinister smile appeared briefly. “Nice try. You won’t get rid of me that fast.”

“Didn’t think so, but I had to try,” she muttered. “Have a seat.” She gestured to the sofa and the television sitting on a media cart in front of it.

Derrick obediently crossed the room and, unbuttoning his jacket, took a seat. “Did you like the flowers?”

Noelle took a seat on the opposite end of the sofa and picked up the remote sitting on the small, oak side table nearby. “Yes. Thank you,” she answered quickly, hoping that would be the end of it. Of course, it was not.

“Wasn’t sure what you like, so I just told them a mixed bouquet.”

She clicked the on button. “The unique thing about Love Unlimited, Mr. Brandt, is not one particular way of matching couples, such as video interviews, speed dating, et cetera. What’s unique is the way we take all the available resources and combine them for maximum results.”

“So, what do you like?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Flowers? What kind of flowers do you like?”

Noelle considered not answering but had a feeling that would only make him more determined to know. “Sunflowers.”

“Sunflowers. I should’ve known your choice in flowers would be as unique as everything else about you.”

Uh-oh. Noelle’s eyes flashed to his to confirm her suspicion. In that instant, Noelle realized just what message the flowers were suppose to send, and it had nothing to do with a truce. The ogler was back.

“I’ve compiled several video interviews from some of our most promising candidates. I would like to review the tapes with you, if that is all right.” She turned on the DVD player, and a pretty young woman appeared on the screen.

Derrick frowned. “How old is that little girl?”

“Twenty-three,” Noelle answered, a bit taken aback by his obvious displeasure.

“Twenty-three my ass. You’re trying to hook me up with jailbait?”

“She’s a legal adult, I assure you. Just take a look at her video.”

“Why? There’s nothing there.” He huffed dismissively. “Go on to the next one.”

Noelle could feel the anger swelling in her chest, but she fought it back. The last thing she needed to do was go off on this man, no matter how much he may have deserved it.

She turned to face Derrick on the sofa. “Okay, we need to get something straight.” She pointed her index finger at him. “I will not tolerate your cavalier attitude toward these women. The way you treated Suzanne last week was reprehensible! I will not, will not, send you on a date with a single candidate if you cannot conduct yourself in a civilized manner and as a gentleman.”

The pair sat staring at each other for several seconds as an uncomfortable silence descended on the room.

Finally, Derrick grinned. “You’re such a beautiful woman. Are you seeing anyone?”

The cap on her volcano popped. She was on her feet. “And that’s another thing! I don’t know what kind of agency you think I’m running here, but I am not a part of the service.”

“Hold up.” Derrick put up both hands defensively. “That is not what I meant.”

She placed her hands on her hips. “I know what you meant. But despite my financial troubles, I am still running a respectable business. Do you understand?”

His green eyes watched her for so long that Noelle began to feel a little squeamish. Realizing she was still on her feet, she sat suddenly. “Now…can we get back to the videos?”

His lips firmly pressed together, Derrick gestured for her to continue.

Three hours and many, many profiles later, they were no closer to finding an acceptable match. Derrick had rejected each and every candidate for one reason or another.

Hanging on to the tip of her final nerve, Noelle turned off the DVD player and turned to face Derrick. She slowly placed the remote on the table, hoping the additional moments would give her some restraint.

Taking a deep breath, she quickly rehearsed the proper, respectful words to convey her thoughts in her head once, twice, and then opened her mouth to speak.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Me?” Obviously, Derrick had been expecting the explosion, because he came right back. “I gave you a long list of very specific requirements, and none of those women fit my requirements.”

Noelle’s eyes widened in amazement. “What long list? You said big breasts and a sturdy pelvis. How the hell would I know if a woman has a sturdy pelvis?”

“I’ll show you.” In a flash, Derrick was off the sofa, and with two steps in her direction he reached down and snatched Noelle up off the couch. His large hands fastened on to her hips and yanked her forward until they were pressed body to body.

Before Noelle’s brain had time to even process that, he was kissing her. And much to her amazement, she was kissing him back.

Lord, he tasted good! Like a cinnamon bun, Noelle thought dreamily as she parted her lips and allowed his warm tongue inside. Of their own volition, her arms slid up and over his broad shoulders, and she discovered he was just the right height for her to rest comfortably against him. Most of the men she dated tended to be several inches shorter than she was.

In response, Noelle was unable to resist the soft sigh that escaped from her mouth. His tongue darted out and ran over her bottom lip in a slow, sensual glide, and Noelle felt her knees weaken.

But his strong hands bunched in the material of her skirt at each hip, holding her up and against him. She couldn’t have fallen if she’d wanted to. Feeling the growing warmth pressing against her center, Noelle knew she should end the kiss, end the touching. This was wrong…so wrong.

But all she could do was allow her head to fall back as his soft lips left a trail of kisses from her chin to her collarbone. Her heartbeat sped up as she felt him grinding his growing erection against her. She couldn’t have lied to herself if she’d wanted to. The feeling was mutual, and she spontaneously began to meet his grind with her own.

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