Nancy Thompson - Maddie Fortune's Perfect Man

“Is that what you tell all the ladies?” Maddie asked. “That you’re a sensitive kind of guy?”

Zach flashed his best smile. “Whatever works.”

“Whatever works,” she repeated. “Is that your philosophy?”

“Nope. Sensitivity is my philosophy. How could you forget?” He made a stabbing gesture in the center of his chest. “I thought we’d finally found something in common. You know, you liking sensitive men and me being sensitive.”

She laughed and her cheeks colored. He liked the thought of rattling calm, cool, collected, perfect Madeleine Fortunado. He wanted to get under her skin. Because it was the closest he’d come to ever getting under anything of hers.

* * *

Maddie took a sip of her margarita, willing herself to calm down. She was grateful when Schuyler and Carlo moved from their original spot and joined them.

“What’s wrong?” Schuyler asked Maddie when they sat down. “What did I miss?”

Zach snared Maddie’s gaze and he raised his eyebrow, issuing a challenge for her to explain the conversation.

“Zach will explain.” She turned to him and smiled.

“Whatever works.” He winked at her and her cheeks colored again.

He cleared his throat. “I was just asking Maddie what she did for fun. You know, I’m starting to get the feeling that all she does is work. She doesn’t always work, does she?”

“Pretty much,” Schuyler said.

“There has to be something else,” he said. “I’m curious about what she likes to do for fun.”

Schuyler looked as if she wasn’t buying it. “Oh, really? I know my sister works a lot, but you two get together every Friday night at the Thirsty Ox, don’t you?”

“Of course we do,” Maddie said.

“But that’s still work-related,” Zach qualified.

“And Zach usually brings a date,” Maddie added. “Or he stops by and rushes out to meet a date.”

“I didn’t realize you noticed,” Zach said.

Carlo and Schuyler watched them banter back and forth as if they were the lunchtime entertainment, and Maddie wanted to bolt.

“Even so,” he said. “How is it that I don’t know much about you? What are your interests outside of the office? When you’re not thinking about real estate, what do you think about?”

Maddie felt herself blanch. “That’s a little personal, don’t you think?”

“No, it’s not,” Zach said. “Is it? I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I just want to know you better. I was hoping you would tell me one thing I didn’t know.” He held up his hands. “But if you’d rather not, it’s okay.”

Before Maddie could reply, he turned his attention to Carlo and Schuyler.

“Where will you live after you’re married?” he asked.

“I’m helping them find a house in Austin,” Maddie cut in before her sister could answer. “And I have a dog.”

“What?” Zach looked puzzled.

“You asked me to tell you one thing about myself that you didn’t know. I have a dog. So, there you go. That’s one thing.”

Zach nodded. “I didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing it with me. What kind of dog?”

Maddie shook her head. “Nope. You said one thing. Now it’s your turn. One thing. Start talking, McCarter.”

He blinked. “Fair enough. I lived in San Antonio for five years and before that I traveled around a lot.”

“I know that about you,” Maddie said. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Really?” He wrinkled his brow. “How do you know that?”

Maddie bit the insides of her cheeks. She had to be careful not to tip her hand. A lot of her Zach information had come from perusing his social media accounts, which were usually pretty generic and real estate–oriented, but occasionally a friend of his would post a personal morsel and Maddie would gobble it up like cake. Of course, she’d be mortified if he ever found out that she stalked him on Facebook and Instagram. But, hey, it was a free country, and his social media pages were open to the public. It wasn’t as if she’d hacked in or was doing anything devious. It was all completely aboveboard.

Sort of.

Social media was a secret crush resource. It was fair game.

Even so, she would be mortified if he found out.

“I’m sure you mentioned it before,” she said nonchalantly. “How else would I know?”

“Is that a tactic to get me to divulge two things about myself to your one?” He looked smug, as if he’d uncovered her diabolical plan.

“Okay. Whatever.” Maddie shrugged him off, wanting to quit while she was ahead. “It’s not that important.”

She immediately regretted how cold her words sounded. If she was good at flirting, she could’ve gotten some mileage out of their banter. But the truth was, flirting sort of freaked her out. She could do it up to a point, but when he got too close, she choked. When she choked, her defense mechanisms kicked in and she came across as prickly. Because it was so much easier to pretend like she didn’t care. It was just as well, she supposed. Because she shouldn’t care.

But then Zach was sitting there pretending to look wounded and her stomach flipped.

“Ouch!” he said. “I have been put in my place.”

No! That’s not what I meant. I didn’t know what else to say.

Then he smiled and those dimples winked at her. If her mind had been spinning before, she was at a total loss for words now.

She was glad when his phone rang.

He took it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. “Sorry, I need to take this call. Excuse me, please?”

She watched him unfold his long body from his place at the table. He answered the call while he was still close enough for Maddie to hear him say, “Hey, how are you?” His voice sounded low and sexy, qualities that suggested he wasn’t talking to a client. Her heart fluttered and then sank. She’d heard him on the phone with clients before. This was definitely a girlfriend. Zach had a lot of girlfriends because he was a flirt. He had an easy appeal, especially with women. He flirted with any woman who would flirt back... Not so unlike the way he was flirting with her.

You’re not special. He flirts with everyone.

That thought was like a cold glass of water, a reality check to remind herself that she really should stop this nonsense before she embarrassed herself. She was already way out of her element carrying on like she had been.

He was good at what he did. And because he was good at what he did, Maddie needed him on her team at Fortunado Real Estate when she took over for her father.

Priorities. Do not muddy the waters. Remember what’s important.

“Speaking of house hunting,” Maddie said, looking at her sister.

Schuyler looked puzzled. “We weren’t.”

“I mentioned it a few minutes ago,” Maddie said. “I have a house to show you. It’s not even on the market yet. One of my clients gave me the heads-up. It’s a dream house so it’ll go fast. When can we go look?”

Schuyler clapped her hands. “Let’s go this week. As soon as you can come to Austin.” She turned and looked at her husband-to-be. “Carlo, can you take some time off next week?”

“Anything for you, my love.” Carlo leaned in and planted a kiss on Schuyler’s cheek.

“Okay, then,” Maddie said. “I’ll call my client and check her availability.”

She started to excuse herself from the table, but Zach was already making his way back.

On second thought, maybe the call to the client could wait until after lunch.

Zach caught her eye as he walked back to the table. His long stride was loose and comfortable. Her mind raced, searching for something witty to say after he sat down. She thought about quipping about the call being personal, maybe teasing him about showing his sensitive side. But they’d worn out that joke. Instead, she resorted to the traditional and polite.