Page 29 of Perfect (mis)Match

“I didn’t take you for a man who’s afraid of a little downward dog,” I joked.

I realized too late what it sounded like. Vincent’s expression shifted as his gaze jumped from my eyes to my mouth.

He looked downright famished.

“I, uh…I should go,” he murmured.

He didn’t move.

“Thank you,” I said. I couldn’t stop staring at him even though it made me fluttery inside to stay locked on him. “For a surprisingly good time.”

“See you Monday?” Vincent asked.

This was the moment. I could change everything and invite him in, or I could keep the guardrails up. Before I could make up my mind, my phone vibrated in my hand with a new text. I glanced down and saw that Darcy was on her way home after a shitty date.

“My roommate will be home soon,” I said, taking a step away. “So, yeah, I guess I’ll see you Monday.”

I held my breath as Vincent paused to scan my face again, then turned to leave without another word.

Let’s just say I was happy I had twenty minutes before Darcy arrived and fresh batteries in my vibrator.

9

VINCENT

I’d woken up early craving fresh-squeezed orange juice and a croissant for some inexplicable reason.

Okay, it was in no way inexplicable.

I tried to put any thoughts of Piper out of my head as I rushed through my morning workout in my home gym, but by the time I finished, the thoughts were a drumbeat I couldn’t ignore.

She’d been perfect last night. And I felt like I needed another hit of that perfection.

I checked the time and saw that the Broad Street Farmers’ Market was due to open in thirty minutes. I needed to haul my ass across town.

I wasn’t a farmers’ market kind of guy normally—I had a chef who saw to my grocery shopping and meal prep—but once I arrived at the market, I discovered I’d been missing out on one of the simple joys of life. The stalls were overflowing with farm-fresh vegetables, bags of coffee beans, fancy juices, and goat milksoaps. Suddenly, Ineededto buy carrots with the greens still attached and brussels sprouts on the stalk.

What the hell was happening to me?

I blamed my evolution on Piper.

She was an enigma I didn’t think I’d ever be able to figure out. Every time she opened her mouth, she was just as likely to annoy the hell out of me as to charm me, yet by the end of the previous night, I’d had to fight with myself to keep from pulling her into my arms and kissing her until she was breathless. The way she looked up at me outside her apartment with those big brown eyes sure felt like an invitation—right up until her roommate texted and she backed away. But today was a new day, and there was no telling what might happen.

I sipped a perfect cup of coffee and strolled through the market trying to memorize the fresh scents all around me. I was always on the lookout for new fragrance combinations, so it was highly likely my little errand run could influence Summit’s direction. I paused in a booth full of fresh produce. We’d never tried a cucumber-based fragrance, but maybe it was about time? And could I credit Piper with introducing me to the idea, since she was the reason why I was here in the first place?

I looked around at the other shoppers and smiled automatically when I saw a familiar blonde mop on the other side of an artisanal bread stall.

I started to head her way but paused when I saw that she was talking to a guy in black-rimmed glasses and a beanie. It was pushing seventy degrees, so the hat was clearly a hipster affectation.

Which I hated.

Was Piper into him? I studied them to try to read what was going on between them. The guy was clearly trying to make something happen because he kept moving closer to Piper as he spoke. There was a familiarity between them, but Piper didn’t look happy to be talking to him.

Which mademehappy.

She couldn’t frown any harder at him, but the guy didn’t seem to be taking the hint. I considered interrupting, but there was a chance I was misreading the interaction. Maybe Piper was playing hard to get? The guy would probably be considered decent looking, if you liked that sort of stylized, overly self-aware look. I glanced down at what I’d thrown on. Did my black joggers and t-shirt make me look like I didn’t care?

It should, because I didn’t.

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