Page 62 of Perfect (mis)Match

“As it should be. I like what I’m hearing, Piper.”

I held my breath as she stared at the photo, the long seconds feeling like an eternity. I stole a glance at Vincent, and he gave me a quick, reassuring wink.

“Obviously, this isn’t the place to get into numbers and projections, but I’d be interested in another conversation,” Mercedes finally said as she handed my phone back to me. “Let’sget something on the calendar with your partner. Call my office next week, and we’ll get it worked out.”

“Oh my gosh, thank you so much, Mercedes!”

I stood there frozen in place, staring at her grinning like a fool until Vincent finally intervened.

“We’re going to get refills,” he held up his empty tumbler. “Mercedes, I’ll see you at the next board meeting.”

They chit-chatted about the library which gave me some time to catch my breath and try to calm down.

I’d done it! I’d actually piqued Mercedes’s interest enough to get a coveted meeting! Darcy was going todie. As much as I wanted to run outside to call her, I forced myself to pretend to be cool. When we finally walked away, I felt like my face was going to crack in half from smiling.

“Way to go,” Vincent leaned down and whispered in my ear. “You knocked it out of the park.”

“Thanks to your setup.” I beamed up at him. “We make a damn good team.”

“We do indeed.”

At that moment, the band kicked off the dancing portion of the night. I knew for a fact that Vincent Forde didn’t dance, but tonight, while we were basking in my victory, I had a feeling I could makethathappen as well.

18

PIPER

“Don’teverstop doing that,” I closed my eyes and sighed.

“You like?” Vincent asked as he rubbed his knuckles along my arch.

“Did you see those torture devices Chloe had us wear all day? I’m not sure my feet will ever recover.”

He chuckled. “And you still managed to spend half the night on the dance floor.”

“I’ve never met a cheesy line dance I didn’t like!”

We were both fresh from the shower after an epic wedding day, settling into bed but not ready to sleep. We recapped everything, from the victorious Mercedes introduction to the way Paul and Chloe had seemed over-the-moon happy throughout the whole thing. We both hoped they’d find their way back to a more even keel now that the drama of the wedding day was behind them.

Vincent poured more massage oil into his hands and started focusing on my calf. He was sitting up at the end of the bed with my feet nestled in his lap.

“Ohh,” I sighed. “That is…divine.”

“Summit’s massage oil is fantastic, huh? It’s coconut oil-based, so it has a variety of uses. Let your mind wander.”

I opened one eye to peer at him. “Is that a fact? It feels fabulous, but I wouldn’t give the oil all the credit.”

He bowed his head. “Why thank you, madam. Hopefully, my tip will reflect your appreciation.”

I bit back a smile. “Do you only take cash tips?” I asked him coyly, leaning into the role play. I nestled my other foot against his crotch. “Or could we work something out?”

“I’m definitely open to other forms of payment.” Vincent’s strong hands moved farther up my calf in rhythmic strokes. “What did you have in mind?”

“A little quid pro quo, maybe?” I purred as his hands reached my thigh.

“I like the way that sounds,” he agreed.

“But first you have to prove your worth,” I scolded lightly, “before I lay a finger on you. You’re off to a decent start, but I need to know if you have any…special skillsin your repertoire.”

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