Page 33 of Mismatched Mates

Father sent me as his delegate to one of the many charity events Sentinel sponsored. The event was a stand against homelessness, and they were auctioning off ‘dates’ with a selection of poor souls. Large donations always came with a complimentary table, which we usually left unmanned, butforcing me to make another public appearance was meant to deter any further acts of rebellion.

We grabbed drinks from the open bar and stood next to an hi-top table topped with a long black linen tablecloth. “You know,” I said, taking another sip as the event organizers prepped the stage. “You didn’t have to come.”

Konrad rolled his eyes. “And leave you here alone?”

“I promised to be on mybestbehavior.”

His eyes held a mischievous glint. “That’s what scares me.” He added, in a more serious tone, “I don’t think he was right to send you out here as some kind of punishment.”

“Aw, come on. It’s not like I’m not used to it.”

His gaze was fixed on the opposite wall. “Doesn’t mean it’s fair.”

“No,” I conceded. “But sharing my punishment will make him pissed.”

“About time it’s my turn.” A wry grin lightened his frown. “I like her, you know.”

“Jane?”

“She’s good for you. Might keep you on the straight and narrow.”

Any argument died on my lips as I caught a glimpse of a brown bob and an all-too-familiar frown at the other side of the room. She was dressed in a gray pantsuit that was both primly formal and hugged every curve in a way that was positively indecent.

Jane stood near the stage, phone pressed to her ear, brow furrowed in concentration. Even from across the room, I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Isn't that your fake girlfriend?" Konrad asked, following my gaze.

I nodded, unable to look away. "I didn't know she was involved with this event."

Jane's dark eyes darted around the room, assessing every detail. Her fingers drummed an anxious rhythm against her thigh as she spoke into the phone. But the thing I noticed most of all was the anxious way she chewed her lip as she tapped frantically on her phone.

“Stay here.” I waved him back as I strode across the room to where Jane stood in the doorway to the back rooms, strain sitting in every line of her face. I wanted to smooth it away with my thumb and coax her into one of those reluctant smiles she didn’t give to many people but me.

“Hi stranger,” I called out, and she whirled, eyes widening at the sight of me.

“What areyoudoing here?”

I gestured at the suit jacket my father had forced me to wear—the closest I’d allow anyone to force me to formality. “Penance.”

“Your father sent you?”

I nodded, making sure the tightness in my chest didn’t leak through to my expression. "Is everything okay? You look like you could use a hand."

Her smile faltered, and I saw the struggle in her eyes - the desire to maintain control warring with the need for assistance. "It's... a bit of a mess," she admitted, her voice low. “The caterers are late, stuck behind road construction. So I moved things around, figuring we’d have drinks and the auction first—before dinner, but our biggest name just dropped out. Without him, we might not reach our fundraising goal."

For a second, her eyes closed, and I had the unfamiliar urge to pick up her burdens and carry them so she didn’t have to. “I gave an estimate to the charity of how much I thought this eventwould raise, but as it is, I don’t even think it’ll cover their costs of hiring me.”

“None of that is your fault.”

“I’m the person organizing it! It’s my job to plan for these eventualities. I can’t even be sure the audience will even stay for dinner if they don’t get a chance to win a date with a guy actually worth winning for.”

“I’ll do it,” I volunteered, surprising myself. She blinked at me.

“What?”

“I’ll let you auction me off to the highest bidder. People know me in these parts. And,”—I leaned in, adjusting the collar of my jacket—“I’m even dressed up for the occasion.”

Those deep brown eyes softened a little, and even though getting up on stage to be heckled at by horny soccer moms wasn’t my idea of a great time, I found myself almost looking forward to it so long as it would make her happy. “Are you sure?” she asked.

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