Nate crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Yeah, Mary does seem perfect. Too bad I’m still stuck on that last woman I was with. Don’t you think I need some time to get my head straight? Or convince her to take a chance on us?”

She shook her head hard. “You need to look at the big picture. Mary is more suited to you; this other one will break your heart.”

He took a step in. “How do you know?”

“Because she’s a mess.”

“Maybe I like messes.”

“Maybe you don’t know what’s good for you because she fogged your head with sex.”

Wolfe whistled. “Way to go, Nate.”

Nate continued, staring Kennedy down with everything he had. “Maybe she should give me more credit to know what I want and see the situation clearly. Maybe she’s so terrified of taking a chance on a real relationship because she’s never had one before.”

“Maybe she’s the only one seeing things clearly and trying to protect you.”

“Maybe she’s full of shit.” He took another step in. His eyes gleamed with a fierce light that shot sparks of fury and frustration. “Maybe she just doesn’t want to know the truth.”

“What truth?” she asked.

“That I love her.”

She gasped. Her heart stopped. Then took off at heart attack pace. The room spun and the glass almost slipped from her numb fingers.

“Uh, dude, when I told you to admit your feelings, I meant to the woman herself. Not your matchmaker.”

They locked gazes and ignored Wolfe. “Don’t say that,” she whispered. “It’s not true.”

“You don’t get to tell me what I feel. You can throw a bunch of women at me, hide away, pretend this is something it’s not, but I’m done with the lies. I love her, and it’s not going away. Go ahead and make me date Mary, or Sue, or any other woman you toss in, but it won’t change the outcome. I love her.”

Her body shook with mini convulsions. He had said he loved her. He thought he loved her. But how could he? How could he know all her secrets and still think she was a good match for him? Men loved her body, her face, her persona. They loved the way she looked on their arm, and her power career, and that she didn’t need a man to make her happy. They didn’t look into her damaged soul and love the hidden parts. How could they when she didn’t even love them herself?

Coldness seeped into her skin and bones. She couldn’t do this anymore. He’d already become way too important, and she was slipping under his spell. She had to cut him loose.

“You’ll get over it.”

The words dropped like stones between them. He jerked back as if slapped, and her heart crumbled into tiny pieces that she feared would never be able to be sutured back together.

“Is she that much of a coward?”

“She’s that much of a realist,” she said brokenly. “You need to go out with Mary.”

Wolfe cleared his throat. “Okay, this is way over my head. Why don’t I leave you two alone?”

Nate clenched his jaw. Disappointment, and a deeper emotion she didn’t want to name, emanated from his defeated stance. “No, Wolfe, that’s okay. We’re done here.”

He turned and paused in the doorway. “I’ll text Mary and take her to dinner this weekend. Thanks for the advice, Ken. You truly are an excellent matchmaker.”

Her knees trembled as she watched them walk out the door. She stumbled to the bench to grab on to her composure, trying to settle her nauseous stomach. What had she done?

The right thing. The only thing. Right?

Feeling faint, she placed her head between her knees and dragged in long breaths. She heard her name being called from a distance, but she didn’t look up, just concentrated on getting oxygen in her lungs. When she raised her head, Kate knelt in front of her.

“Sweetie, did you drink that much champagne already? You need to pace yourself better. We found Gen, and she’s with David. Are you okay?”

“No. Something happened.”

Her friend’s face lit with alarm. “What?”

She gulped. “I slept with Nate Dunkle.”

“Oh, my God. When? You didn’t tell us. Was it good? Are you happy? Is he off the client list?”

Kennedy mashed her fingers against her mouth. “No, it’s terrible, well, the sex was off-the-charts amazing, but this whole thing is terrible, I made a big mistake, and now I think I screwed him up. He needs to fall in love with Mary, not me. Oh, please let him fall in love with Mary this weekend so I can go back to my normal life.”

Kate sighed, rummaged for her phone, and tapped the screen. “This is too much for one of us. I’m going to Skype Arilyn in so we can discuss.”

“But she has the flu.”

“She can talk from bed. She probably needs a distraction anyway, she was so upset she couldn’t make Gen’s party. Hang on.”

Ken waited. After a few minutes of back-and-forth texting, her screen flashed on. Arilyn was propped up in bed, her nose bright red, glasses on, her hair a bird’s nest of a mess, and a grim expression on her face. “Tell me nothing dramatic happened. Did Gen call off the engagement?”

Kate frowned. “No. Why? Did you suspect something?”

“Gen hasn’t been happy lately. I got a bad feeling. What’s up?”

“Kennedy has a crisis. She slept with Nate Dunkle.”

A coughing fit mixed with a gulp of surprise. “The rocket scientist?”

“Aerospace engineer,” Kennedy corrected. “Yes. Him.”

“Once? Twice?”

“About fifteen times over last weekend.”

“Bitch,” Kate murmured. “You need a rest, not an intervention.”

“Kate, focus,” Arilyn said.

“Fine. But I think my record is twelve. Slade has to work harder.”

“Sweetie, why are you panicking? Kate slept with her client and they’re happy. Sure, it’s against the rules, but sometimes rules are meant to be broken. I can contact the dates you set him up with and straighten out the situation. I’m sure it will be fine.”

Kate sighed. “No, Arilyn, you don’t get it. Kennedy wants him to fall in love with someone else and already set him up with Mary for a date.”

Arilyn cursed. “What is up with you guys pushing the men you want into another woman’s arms? I feel like we’re doing the Slade thing all over again.”

Kennedy shook her head. “No, it’s different. I can’t have a relationship with Nate.”

“Why?” Kate asked.

“Because! I don’t do long-term relationships. I get itchy and restless, and I’m a bitch to deal with, and he needs someone sweet and smart to complete his life and give him babies and all that stuff I can’t.”

Arilyn sniffled, wiped her nose, and glared at the screen. “Back up. You are all of those things. You deserve happiness, too, Ken. Why are you so reluctant to take it?”

“I’m not! I’m being realistic about what I can handle and give back. You guys are always saying I find things wrong with men all the time. I’m not ready for forever.”

“Okay, give me a list of everything wrong with Nate and why it wouldn’t work,” Kate demanded.

Kennedy sniffed. “Too much to name.”

“Give me one.”

“He loves golf.”

Silence. Arilyn glared through Skype. “You went golfing with him and told us it wasn’t bad.”

“Once was okay. Twice maybe. Not every weekend!”

“Lame,” Kate declared. “Next.”

“He’s too intellectual.”

“So are you. You’re a complete Gemini—two halves of a coin. You love Science Today as much as Vogue, and don’t deny it.”

“He doesn’t respect my food choices. Always makes me try unhealthy things.”

Kate laughed. “Well, amen, sister. About time to join the land of the living, and salad makes you a cranky bitch. You’re toast. You love him.”

“No! I don’t love him.” She moaned and clutched her stomach. “I don’t, he’s going to marry Mary.”

Arilyn groaned. “God, you’re just as delusional as Kate was. Listen, babe, we can beat you over the head with the truth, but you need to find it within yourself first. You need to let go of these restrictions from your past finally. You’re worth everything, and Nate would be lucky to have you. Trust yourself to love him back.”

“No.”

“Bitch,” Kate muttered. “I knew she’d be the toughest out of all of us. You are meant for Nate. I know this.”

“How?”

Kate shrugged and didn’t meet her gaze. “I just do.”

“I don’t want this intervention anymore. My head hurts, I’m in a bad mood, and I just want to drink and celebrate Gen’s engagement. Okay?”

Kate and Arilyn shared a deep look over the iPhone. “Fine,” Arilyn said. She sneezed. “Take some photos for me and give Gen a hug. Miss you guys.”

“Bye, A.”

Kate clicked off. Frustration beat from her in waves, but she stood up and offered her hand. Ken took it. “I am going on record to say your plan is asinine and you will end up together, either the hard way or the easy way. But I will drop the subject and drink with you. Slade is designated driver. Now, let’s hit the fountain.”

“I love you, Kate.”

“Back atcha, babe. Back atcha.”

fifteen

NATE CUPPED HIS hands around his microbrew and watched his brother trudge into the bar. It had been the week from hell, between endless work hours and coming to terms with the fact that Kennedy didn’t want him. Of course, he was the biggest dumbass on the planet. Who else confessed his love in third person? In front of another guy? In code?

He deserved for her to walk.

Connor slid into the booth, and ordered a Coors Lite from the waitress. “Bad day, Con? You didn’t even hit on her.”

He waited for his brother’s easygoing laugh and a crude retort, but Connor only shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever. What’s going on with you?”

Besides losing the woman he loved? “Thought we had a breakthrough with a formula, then found out we didn’t. Wayne almost cried like a baby. Told him he needed to get out of the lab or he’d go loco. How’s the new job?”

“Fine. Same group of guys, so no surprises.” His brother snorted. “Not that there’s any surprises in my life.”

Nate frowned. The beer came, and his brother guzzled it down like water. “What’s up? You’re not yourself.”

Another shrug. “Nothing. Jay caught his girlfriend cheating on him and went nuts on the job. She’s a nail technician, remember? Really hot blonde. Told you, little brother. Stay away from those women; they’ll nail you and watch you bleed for fun.”

Whoa. He wondered if he could talk with his brother—really talk. Wolfe’s advice was helpful, but after the engagement party fiasco, he just wasn’t sure if he should try to move on or keep fighting. He cleared his throat and tried not to feel like an ass. “Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“It’s about Kennedy. Do you remember her?”

“Yeah, the looker from your matchmaking agency. What’s up?”

Ah, he hated this open-heart, male-to-male stuff. Especially with Connor. “Well, she was setting me up with that girl Sue, remember?”

“The one I met at your place? Yeah. You liked her, right?”

“Sue? Yeah, I liked Sue, but I’ve been spending a lot of time with Kennedy, and I sorta fell for her.”

Connor took another guzzle and wiped his mouth. “Like how? You mean you wanted to sleep with her?”

“Yeah. Well, that’s not all I wanted, but we ended up sleeping together.”

“Nice! That’s what I’m talking about! A little Sue, a little Kennedy, and you’re back in the game, my man.”

Nate pushed his hands through his hair and tried not to groan. “No, you’re not listening. See, I didn’t sleep with Sue. I decided Sue wasn’t right for me, but when I say I fell for Kennedy, it means more than sex. It means I fell in love with her.”

His brother stilled. His voice dropped to ice. “What are you talking about? You can’t love that woman—she’s the matchmaker, right? Didn’t she try to make you hot shit to find someone else?”

“Yeah. But it got complicated. We ended up spending time together, I got to know her, and I fell in love.”

Connor shook his head. “Listen, you need to back off. You spent way too much time with her, and she did this transformation thing, and you got sucked in. Keep your mouth shut, and it will go away, I promise.”

“I already told her.”

“Shit.” His brother drained the bottle and raised his hand for another. “Nate, I saw her, and she’s gonna destroy you. She’s like a walking supermodel with sex vibes. You don’t need a life like we had with Mom, just waiting for her to leave.”

“She won’t. I know she won’t.”

“She will!”