Nicola Marsh - The Tycoon's Dating Deal

‘Kara? Are you OK? You look kind of flushed.’

Wrenching her attention back to the present, Kara knew she had to escape. Now. He still held a strange, hypnotic power over her. She’d always been prone to fantasies around him and it looked as though nothing had changed. In nine long years she hadn’t mastered her feelings where he was concerned. The knowledge was scary.

The years and countless dates since had done little to erase the image of this man from her mind. He was imprinted on her mind and soul, seemingly forever.

Definitely scary.

Given the fight or flight option, she chose the latter.

‘Yes, I’m fine, Matt. Great seeing you again. Hope whatever you’re here for works out.’

She hesitated, memorising every detail of his face.

Old habits die hard.

‘Thanks; nice seeing you too. Perhaps we’ll catch up for a drink one day soon?’

She ignored her thudding heart. ‘I don’t think so. Thanks anyway. Bye.’

She rushed out the door before he could respond.

Don’t look back. He’ll think you’re still hung up on him.

She’d never been any good at listening to reason and risked a quick glance over her shoulder. He stared at her through the window. Funnily enough, he stood directly under the sign ‘Matchmaker’, which was emblazoned on the glass in red lettering. No chance of that ever happening. Matt Byrne, playboy extraordinaire, finding his perfect match and settling down? Not a hope in hell.

Matt stared at Kara’s back and tried to ignore the erotic images that filtered through his brain. She’d grown up. And then some. The statuesque strawberry blonde was all hot curves and big green eyes now. Not to mention everything else. Wow!

He was used to beautiful women. His world was inundated with them. Intelligent, gorgeous women who were more than eager to spend some time with him: lawyers, accountants, stockbrokers. The list was endless. However, none had captured his attention in a long time. Until Kara. She was a stunner, from her cat-like eyes to her shiny, reddish-blonde hair that hung in a sleek curtain down her back.

She’d been a nice-looking kid who had blossomed around the age of sixteen. He still remembered their endless talks, the sharing of confidences, the easy friendship…then Kara had grown up. Almost overnight his hormones had shifted into overdrive and all he could think of every waking moment, and most dreaming ones too, was Kara.

He’d wanted her with a fierceness that had scared him. He should have known better, being older, wiser, like a big brother to her. Even now, years later, he couldn’t forget the innocent passion of her kiss as she had flung herself at him on her eighteenth birthday. For one brief moment Matt had lost himself, all his fantasies come true, until he realised who he was kissing. He’d overreacted, pushing her away with an icy, verbal barrage that would have doused the hottest flames.

After all, he hadn’t wanted history repeating itself. One cradle-snatching Byrne in the family was enough and look how that had turned out. He could kill his dad sometimes, he really could.

He’d done the only decent thing possible and avoided Kara like the plague. Until today. Damn, he still had it bad. She was hotter than hot. He thought she’d shown some interest in return, then she’d bolted.

No harm in catching up over drinks, surely?

Yeah, right. She probably remembered the way he’d treated her all those years ago. No wonder she wouldn’t have a drink with him.

And why the hell had she been in a dating agency? A woman like her wouldn’t be single for long. What he wouldn’t give to spend some time alone with her now.

Thrusting away his wayward thoughts, he rang the bell on the front counter.

‘Be with you in a minute,’ a voice shouted from the back office.

Matt glanced around, the ever-observant lawyer in him coming to the fore. The office was perfectly coordinated in black and chrome with the occasional splash of red to brighten it. No tacky hearts plastering the walls of this dating agency, just trendy stencilled prints by some artist he hadn’t heard of. Not that he was an expert on dating agencies. This was the first he had been to and he hoped to God it would be the last.

‘Sorry to keep you waiting.’

He turned, thinking the woman’s voice sounded strangely familiar.

‘Sally? Damn, this day just gets stranger and stranger. First Kara and now you.’

The older woman hugged him. ‘Great to see you, Matt. You’re as handsome as ever.’

She picked at imaginary loose threads on his suit jacket, bringing back treasured memories of his first ball, when Sally had stood proudly on his parent’s doorstep and waved him off as if he were her child. In fact, she’d been more of a parent to him than his own father.

‘You’re looking great too, Sally.’ He smiled, watching her already ruddy cheeks blush.

‘Get away with you!’ She slapped his arm playfully. ‘So what brings you to Matchmaker? I wouldn’t think you’d need much help in that department.’

‘You run this agency?’

Relief washed over him. If Sally ran the agency, Kara had been visiting her surrogate mum rather than organising a date.

She nodded. ‘Sure do. Opened it a few years ago, once Kara moved out and started her own business. I’d always had a smidgeon of an idea that I’d like to bring joy to lonely people, so after watching too much Oprah and reading too many romance novels, I decided to take the plunge.’

‘That’s great.’ He thought about asking Sally about Kara’s business but knew it was too obvious. Besides, he had plenty of time to do that. ‘I need your help.’

‘Come in, take a seat and tell old Sal all about it.’

He followed her into a small but equally appealing office. The tones were similar to the outer office, but lighter, giving the room an appearance of more space.

‘So, handsome? Spill the beans.’

He leaned back in the comfortable chair and crossed his legs at the ankles.

‘I need a change of image. My father thinks that my reputation is detrimental to the company.’

‘Yeah, I see your antics plastered over the newspapers on a regular basis. You’re quite the ladies’ man.’

He shook his head. ‘Don’t believe everything you read. My life isn’t half as exciting as the journalists make out. Anyway, Dad says I won’t get a look-in at a partnership till my behaviour improves.’

He ran his hand through his hair, a habit he’d tried to conquer but failed, except in the courtroom.

‘You know Dad. Byrne and Associates is his baby. I haven’t a hope in Hades of making partner until I show “a more responsible attitude in my personal life”, end of quote.’

Sally sighed. ‘I was your dad’s neighbour for a long time. He’s very proud of you. Aren’t you putting undue pressure on yourself here? He loves you, regardless of whether you make partner or not.’

Love? His father didn’t know the meaning of the word. He straightened the knife-edge crease on his trousers. ‘I need to prove to everyone at the firm that I’m a damn good lawyer who isn’t just hanging onto Daddy’s coat-tails. I want that partnership, the sooner the better.’

His blood pressure soared whenever he thought about the endless innuendos at the firm about his rising status in the company. He was a first-rate lawyer without the help of his father. Not that his dad had offered any.

‘So, how can I help?’

This was the tricky part. Matt was embarrassed at having to admit that he’d already dated most of the women in his circle and beyond, and had found them lacking.

‘Like I said, I need a change of image. I need to meet a woman, quickly, who is attuned to my way of thinking. I had a business arrangement in mind, where she would appear as my steady girlfriend for corporate events and the like. In return, she could name her price.’