Page 68 of The Billionaire Love Match

Colt’s eyes were damp and he looked tortured. Angry and sad and...guilty. But it wasn’t his fault.

Casey turned back to Colt. “I don’t care what people think because they aren’t seeing the real me. They’re seeing the story that producers are spinning. It’s convincing and dramatic and probably pretty darn fun to watch. Except that it’s my life. I don’t normally kiss people that passionately. Especially not in public. Until Colt. There’s just something about him. He’s the only one I care about. He knows the truth and he knows me. So, yes—I am a virgin. Whether you respect it or not, believe it or not. I’m not ashamed of it, though frankly I didn’t feel like talking about it in front of a live audience. You can believe my ex, who’s in jail, or you can believe me. Again—I don’t care.”

The studio audience erupted into applause and Chris Haversham took a few moments trying to compose himself, looking to the producers for cues. The man really was a terrible host. Someone should get him a teleprompter for Christmas.

Casey looked at Colt, who kept opening and closing his mouth, as though he wanted to say something, but Chris ended Casey’s interview and brought up Tessa. Casey suspected the producers cut it short and she was glad.

She grinned at Colt from her seat, not even listening to what Tessa was saying.

S-O-O-N, he tapped out on his knee. Casey could only nod. The message she wanted to send would be too long for Morse: Not soon enough.

****

“WHERE IS IT, WHEREis it, where is it,” Colt said, working through the paperwork on the desk in the production manager’s office.

“Where’s what?” Colt turned to see one of the interns, a shy looking guy with glasses in the doorway. “I’m Mark. Can I help you find something?”

“Maybe,” Colt said. “I’m looking for the number of that matchmaking service that did all of our interviews before the show. Know where I can find that?”

“I don’t know where the contract is, but the name of the company is Forever Matched,” Mark said.

“I could kiss you,” Colt said. “But, um, how about a recommendation instead. You’re an intern, right?”

“Yep. For now.”

“Well, follow up with me in a few weeks when this has died down. Let me know what you’re hoping to do and I’ll see how I can help.”

Mark lit up. “Thanks,” he said. “Wow.”

Colt was already dialing the number, which he’d found with a quick search. “Forever Matched, this is Ann.”

“Ann, hi. I was hoping you could help me. This is Colt Wood.”

“Wow, Colt—hi! What can I help you with?”

“I know that before the show started, we all did the personality quizzes that you guys put out. But no one ever gave me the results.”

“I’m so sorry! I think your mother has them. I mean, her contact email was the one we used.”

“Really? Okay. Well, could you email me the results? Or do you know what they were?”

“Hm—let me look. Normally I couldn’t just give these out, but since they’re your results, I’m sure it’s fine. Give me a sec.”

Colt waited, trying not to feel hopeful. They could come back and say that he and Casey weren’t compatible and probably shouldn’t date. Or that Tessa or even someone he couldn’t stand like Becca was the right girl for him. He didn’t care, not really. If the results were abysmal, he was still head over heels. But he had to know. Ever since she mentioned the matchmaker surveys she’d taken, his curiosity had been eating at him.

Everything told him that Casey was the woman for him. Their dinner alone had been the best date he’d ever been on, only making him more sure of his feelings. He still felt sick thinking about Lucas assaulting her, and how she hadn’t brought any of that into the date. But at least Mike had been there and now Lucas was in jail. He only wished that he had been there to protect Casey.

Though she seemed to do well fighting her own battles. He smiled, thinking again of her time in the hot seat when Chris Haversham brought up her sex life, something so personal, that should never have been broadcast on television. He had been dying to stand up and tell her that she wasn’t the only one waiting, but Chris had pushed on through to Tessa’s interview. Hopefully he’d have plenty of time to tell her. Soon.

“Found it in the system. I’m pulling the results up now,” Ann said. “Wow.”

“What’s wow? Good wow? Bad wow?”

“Wow as in, I’ve never seen such a high number in compatibility. Our tests usually place the highest people at like an 85. You scored a 92.”

“With?”

“Oh, sorry,” Ann said. “You scored a 92 with Casey. We couldn’t have put you together better.”

“So that’s, like, really good?”

“It’s chase her down and don’t let her go good. Does that help, Colt? Do you need anything else?”

Colt smiled. “I’ve got everything I need.”

Except her ring size and a rock to go with it.

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