Dear Mr. Right Now: The Matchmaker Series Page 3

  5

  Ben

  * * *

  Rosie sleeps in my arms, her dark hair fanned out across the pillow and smelling apples, and all I can think about is this was the best decision I have ever made. I thought I'd be getting a wife; I didn't think I'd find the love of my life in one day. That's ridiculous. It’s something reserved for movies and romance novels. But here she is in my bed and all I want is to keep it with me. All I want to put my ring on her finger and make her mine forever.

  I nuzzle in against her soft hair and let the feel of the silk strands commit to memory. If I could wake up like this every day, I would be happy. She sighs in her sleep, her body shifting little closer to mine.

  "It feels nice to be in your arms," she murmurs, her voice still sleepy.

  "I was just thinking the same thing. I haven't had a woman in my bed in a long time, and I've never wanted to keep one there."

  "Have you been with a lot of women?"

  Her shoulders hold tension as she asks the question, but I know I have the answer she wants. "I've been with four women including you. One when I was in high school, then I had two long-term girlfriends in college. Now, you. And I don't plan to have anyone else."

  "Really?" She rolls over to face me, those big eyes of her searching mine for any hint that what I've said is a lie. I wonder who hurt her.

  "Really. I wouldn't lie to you...ever."

  She smiles, relief flooding her features. "I know this sounds crazy, but I really think Grace was right. I think we are perfect matches."

  My heart leaps because I feel the same exact way. I press a kiss to her forehead and then link our fingers, hoping what I'm about to ask her won't frighten her away. "Marry me?"

  Her eyes widen, shock rolling through her expression followed by excitement. "What?"

  "I'm serious. We can get dressed, go to City Hall, and get married today. I'm sure I can make a call and get our paperwork rushed through. I don't want to spend anymore of my life without you." As the words leave my mouth, I know beyond all reason that they are one-hundred percent truth. Even without the inheritance looming over my head, I know that this woman is it for me. It's clear I would do the same thing even if I didn't stand to inherit so much money.

  She stares at me, her brow furrowing, a pensive expression coloring her beautiful features. "You really mean this, don't you?"

  I sit up, taking her with me so I can stare into her beautiful eyes. "I do. I mean every word. It's almost Valentine's Day, what better way to celebrate that holiday, than to be with my brand-new wife."

  Her lower lip between her teeth, she's silent for a moment. Then she smiles and my heart leaps. "Yes!"

  I get off the bed, not caring about my nudity, and make my way out of the bedroom and to my office. I opened the drawer of my desk and pull out the folder containing all of my lawyer's information. He'll be able to get me a marriage license with a simple phone call, I'm sure of it.

  My phone is still in my jeans pocket where I left it last night. Grabbing my lawyer's card, I head for the kitchen to put on some coffee. As soon as I've got two cups brewed, I go back into the bedroom and find Rosie naked, rifling through my drawers, and everything below my waist stiffens.

  "Coffee's on," I say trying to hide my smirk.

  She smiles, then she pads across the room with one of my T-shirts in her hand and takes the offered mug from me.

  "You are a beer drinker and a coffee lover, look like a sinful Disney princess, and fuck like my wildest fantasy. Anything else I should know about you?" I take a drink of my own coffee and then place the cup on top of my dresser.

  Her cheeks turn a charming shade of pink and she looks down at her toes, the dark fringe of her eyelashes a shadow on her pale skin. "I think that about covers it."

  Then she looks up at me, a wicked grin on her red lips that tells me there is a lot more to this woman than those few things I listed. I can't wait to find out everything there is to know about her.

  "Are you going to be wearing my shirt?" I gesture to the T-shirt that she's holding in her hand. It's my favorite concert shirt. "I saw them my senior year of college. They might be old, but they put on one hell of a show."

  She cocks an eyebrow and glances down at the logo on the shirt. "You've seen them live? I am super jealous."

  I take the fabric from her, the cotton soft from all the times I washed the shirt. I've lived a lot on a very small wardrobe, and this shirt always goes with me when I travel. Now I can't imagine it should be anywhere but on her beautiful body. Holding it open I wait for her to place her mug next to mine on the dresser, then slide the T-shirt over her head and let the dark fabric fall over her perfect breasts, dying a little when she's completely covered. The shirt fits her mid thigh, and it's big enough that one shoulder keeps slipping down and baring her skin.

  "I think it looks better on you than it ever has on me."

  "I think you look better with no clothes on it all," she says as she fiddles with the hem and stares at my bare chest.

  I can't fight my smirk. It does something to me to know how she appreciates my body. Linking our hands I pull her out of the bedroom and into the kitchen. "Come on, let's get you something to eat."

  She giggles but follows me. "You're naked."

  That makes me laugh. "It's my apartment, if I want to be naked, I'll be naked."

  "So is this how it's going to be when we're married? You naked and at my disposal every moment we're home?"

  "God willing."

  I settle her at the breakfast bar and start making eggs and bacon with sliced avocado and pan seared tomatoes.

  She clears her throat before getting off the stool and walking toward me. "Cooking while naked is never a good idea."

  "Worried about me?" She's right though, I really need to put some clothes on before I start frying anything. I just don't want to get dressed because that means our magic night is over and she might change her mind in the harsh light of day.

  "More like, distracted. Your ass is something to behold."

  Pride rushes through me but I don't let her see. Instead, I press a soft kiss to her forehead and smack her on the ass with the spatula as I make my way back to my bedroom to put some clothes on. I think marrying this woman is going to be the best decision of my life.

  We sit together at the breakfast bar, eating companionable silence. I know I'm going to have to leave and take care of a few things before I can marry her, but I really don't want to. "I have to go see to some things. I have to talk to my lawyer and get our marriage license taken care of. Will you be okay here until I come back?"

  She traces the rim of her coffee cup with one finger and a little line forms between her brows. "Are we really doing this?"

  Fear races through me at the thought of her changing her mind. "I sure as hell want to. Now that I have you, I don't want you to go anywhere."

  She raises her eyes to me and I stare straight into her soul. "Okay."

  "Look, Rosie, if you're not sure about this —"

  "No. No, I am. It's just so impulsive. I've never let myself do something this crazy.”

  "I promise I won't let you down."

  Her hand slides across the marble islands tops and touches my. "Okay, let's do it. I'm going to need to go home and get a dress."

  A smile tugs at the corner of my lips at the thought of her in a dress waiting to marry me. "What if you don't go home, and instead you wait here, naked, in my bed?"

  She grins and her cheeks turn pink. "And am I supposed to get married wearing nothing but your shirt?"

  I harden at her words and the thought of her in nothing but my clothes, but I have other plans. "No, but I think if you're going to get married you need a new dress. And I would like to do that for you."

  She takes a sip of her coffee and she can't hide the smile even as she is drinking. "Well, then, I guess naked in your bed it is."

  6

  Rosie

  * * *

  I can't believe I am marrying Ben t
oday. It's insane, but I know it's the right thing. Stacy was one-hundred percent correct when she told me Grace would find my perfect match. I think deep inside I had hoped that this was going to be the outcome of my venture into matchmaking. But I never allowed myself to truly hope I would find someone like that.

  He's been gone about an hour and, though I've spent a good thirty minutes waiting naked in his bed like I promised, I got bored. So I got up, took a shower, wrapped my hair in a towel, and put his shirt back over my naked body. I need to get to know my new husband-to-be, and the best way to do that is to peruse his bookshelf.

  Wandering through the apartment, I notice there's a distinct lack of family photos, personal touches, and personality that usually grace someone's living space. But then I remember he's been traveling for the better part of this year and I wonder, given his upbringing, whether he's the type of person to hold on to things. I am nostalgic to a fault, and I hold on to everything. Even when I shouldn't. I think back to the drawer in my dresser that still holds Paul's favorite T-shirt, and the letters he wrote me when we were in school. I grit my teeth and take a long breath realizing now how much time I wasted on that man, now that I have Ben. This is so different from the man I thought I had loved when I was younger. Now, it's obvious the difference between falling in love, and hoping for love. It's been one day, less than one if I'm being honest, and I know I'm in love with Ben. I know this is meant to be between us.

  I can't wait for him to get back. One because I want to spend a few more hours in bed with him. But also because every moment we are together makes me feel like I am whole, like I'm special, like being his actually means something.

  My phone chirps at me from my purse which I had discarded on the floor of the entryway when we first arrived. For a moment I think it might be him sending me a message, but then I remember he doesn't have my phone number. His voicemail to me had been via the matchmaker's messenger service. I pad across the floor and bend down to pick up my hand bag. Rifling through, I locate my phone and open my text messages.

  Stacy: So, how did it go?

  Me: I'm not sure I want to tell you.

  I know I shouldn't be it afraid to talk with her about this quick marriage arrangement, but I honestly don't want anyone to talk me out of promising myself to Ben. A new message from her pops up almost instantly.

  Stacy: What happened? Did he catfish you?

  Me: No, nothing like that. He's amazing. But things are moving quicker than I planned.

  Stacy: OMG, are you with him now?

  Me: Technically, no.

  It's not a lie. Ben isn't here. Technically, I am not with him.

  Stacy: You little…

  I giggle. I don't know why I'm hiding this from her, she's not going to judge me. Stacy is the least judgmental person I've ever known.

  Me: He went out to talk with his lawyer.

  Stacy: Excuse me? Did I miss something? Why does he need a lawyer?

  Me: Because he's getting us a marriage license.

  I cringe as I write the words. It still feels surreal. Not wrong, but fast. The little bubbles on my screen indicate Stacy is writing a message. I bite my lip and wait for her response.

  Stacy: Do you have a dress?

  My heart lifts, excitement racing through me at my cousin's willingness to accept this.

  Me: Not yet, he wants to take me to get one. Then we're gonna go to City Hall and by the end of the night, I'll be Mrs. Ben Elliott.

  Stacy: Thank God you at least know his full name.

  Then she blows up my phone with a bunch of different emoji's ranging from a bride and groom, champagne, wedding cake, about a hundred hearts, and a few eggplants.

  Me: Okay, I'm sure he'll be back soon, and I promised him I'd be naked and waiting.

  Her only response is another five eggplants.

  Heart feeling lighter at Stacy's acceptance, I turn on some music and dance around the living room. I dance until my calves are sore, until my breath come in gasps. I don't stop until I end up in Ben's office where I find a sleek modern style that fits the entire apartment, with the exception of the manila folder sitting open on his desk. When I read the words, last will and testament, I can't help myself. But I wish more than anything that I had stopped reading. The words marriage contract, inheritance, clause, legal, forfeit, all stab me straight through the heart as I realize that what I have with Ben isn't a two way street. I may have fallen in love with him instantly, but he was using me. He is using me because the man needs a bride so he can inherit all his grandmother's money.

  There's a deep ache in my chest at this monumental betrayal, even though I shouldn't feel so attached after such a short time. It doesn't change the fact that I feel the combination of humiliation and hurt. My eyes fill with tears and I try to fight them back, not wanting to cry over a man I've known less than a full day. But that doesn't help. I blink and the tears roll down my cheeks.

  I hear the key in the door and my despair turns to panic. What am I going to say to him? How am I going to handle this? And what will my heart do if he lies to me again?

  I dart for the bedroom, scooping up my clothes as soon as I reach the doorway. By the time I hear his deep voice call out my name, I have locked myself in the bathroom.

  Dressing frantically, I try to pull myself together. This is stupid. This whole decision was stupid. I shouldn't be crying over a man who was using me.

  The door rattles as he knocks. "Rosie?"

  I clear my throat and force out a weak, "Just a minute."

  "Is everything okay? You sound strange."

  God, I just want him to go away. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just getting dressed."

  A low chuckle fills my ears even through the door, and I wish so much that he was the man I thought he was. "What happened to being naked and waiting for me?"

  A wash of sickness hits me. How far will this man go to get what he wants? "I… I got a phone call." I'm such a terrible liar, there's no way he's going to believe me. "There's something I have to take care of. I'm sorry I need to go."

  I open the door and find him standing waiting for me. His gaze roams my body but lands on my face, and it's then I know I've been caught in my lie. "You've been crying. What's wrong?" He steps towards me and attempts to hold me by the shoulders, but I jerk away. "Rosie?"

  "Don't touch me." I back away, unable to meet his gaze. I don't want to believe this was all a lie.

  "Are you… Are you having second thoughts?" There's a break in his voice, a hitch so filled with emotion I almost cave.

  "Look, I saw the papers. I saw the will, the note from your lawyer, the deal. If you needed a wife just to get an inheritance, why bother pretending? Why not just tell me? Or better yet, find some gold digger and get her marry you."

  His handsome face blanches and I know he realizes he's been caught. He opens his mouth then closes it again and I turn on my heels and leave, not looking back over my shoulder as the door slams behind me.

  7

  Ben

  * * *

  The sound of the door slamming jerks me back to the reality of my situation. Rosie is running from me. I don't know how she found out, but the weight of the engagement ring in my pocket makes me desperate to find her and proved her this wasn't all just for money. It may have started out that way, but from the moment I saw her, I knew.

  I run for the door pulling it open and dashing into the hallway, but she's nowhere to be found. Did she take the elevator? If she did, I might be able to beat her to the lobby by taking the stairs. With a sense of utter panic, I run for the stairs. I take them two at a time, my heart racing, skin prickling with apprehension. I don't know where she lives; I don't know her phone number. If she wants to, she can completely escape me and the only one who will be able to tell me where to find her is Grace, the matchmaker. But from everything I've learned in my dealings with Grace, she will not tell me if Rosie doesn't want to be found.

  By the time I reach the bottom of the staircase I'm breathing heavily,
a sheen of sweat covers my forehead, and I feel ill. But not because of the chase, because I'm so close to losing her. I burst through the door and catch just the hint of her scent.

  "Rosie!" I scream. Everyone in the lobby stops with alarm on their faces. I glanced wildly around the space with my heart in my throat. I don't care what the rest of the people think of me, I just need her.

  "Mr. Elliott, can I help you with something?"

  I turn at the sound of my name, recognizing the man's voice. It's Jake, the doorman. He looks at me with a combination of pity and concern in his eyes, and the deep wrinkles around his eyes tighten, changing as his expression morphs to one solely of sympathy. "Have you seen her?" I ask, working hard to control myself.

  He nods, his jaw set. "I called her a car. She went to the ladies room to clean herself up. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but that woman looks shattered." He crosses his arms over his chest and frowns. "I know it's not my place, but whatever you did to her, you need to fix it."

  I almost get angry with him for calling me on hurting her, but then I realize he's exactly right. This is my fault. I should've been honest from the get-go. Instead, I got caught up with the possibility of something real. Placing a hand on his shoulder, I look him straight in the eyes. Then I nod and say, "I know."

  The bathroom door opens, and she walks out, looking for all the world the beautiful tragic princess. My heart lurches. I cannot lose her forever. "Rosie, please."

  She stops in her tracks and her lips part. Then, looks away. "You promised you'd never lie, but you were doing it the whole time."

  "Please, just hear me out." I swear to God, I'll do anything if it means I can get her to give me another chance.

  "Hear you out? I don't know how you could further explain this. You lied. You made this seem like something it's not. You took advantage. But what I don't understand is why you'd pick me."