Page 58 of My Undead Heart

“Thank God!” Rae rolls her eyes and grabs the check to drop down her cash.

I’m not sure it’ll last, but Jared seems relieved by his declaration. Plus, he’s passing on a random hookup with a really attractive twenty-two-year-old. If that doesn’t say commitment, I don’t know what does.

“I’m happy for you.” I smile and pat his shoulder. He takes the opportunity to hop off his chair and wrap me in a crushing hug from behind.

“Thanks, Kitten. I want you to meet him. Oh! Maybe we can double date! Or triple! Rae, we’ll find you someone.”

“I’m good, thanks.” She shakes her head and I do the same, untangling myself from his grasp.

“I’m good, too. No double dates for me. Remember, I’m not into Matt. He’s just a bet.”

Jared seems disappointed in more than my answer but lets it go without saying anything. We pay the tab, head out of Last Pitch, and say good-byes before parting ways to catch our respective bus rides home. I wonder if Jared’s really that into his law guy, or if that was some ploy to get me to admit something more for Matt. Stupid attempt if it was. Matt’s just a guy I’m dating. Sure, there’s a lot more to him than I imagined and yesterday was so much fun I forgot it was all pretend. Matt’s as competitive as me, which helps me understand why he’d put that much effort into our date together. I won’t fool myself into believing it was something other than that. Feelings won’t come into play. Not for me and not for him. Three more to come. Easy as pie.

This week goes by almost as quickly as last and when I show up for my training sessions with Matt there’s nothing weird at all between us. It’s just as it was before and that’s good. I keep my back off the mats and he doesn’t ask to kiss me. I don’t even fear that he will. It’s all professional. As it should be.

I don’t feel one twinge of regret either. Nope. I don’t have the emotional capacity for a romantic relationship with Matt Haywood, or anyone else for that matter. That he respects my terms of the bet doesn’t make him any more attractive than he already is. It’s not his fault he has a good sense of humor and an incredible work ethic that yields a body fit for all things physical. Or that his beard is perfect; just long enough to frame his lips that are always smiling but not too long that food and crap get stuck in the whiskers. Okay, he’s growing on me, but that doesn’t change the fact we would never work. It only furthers my resolve that I don’t want to change this good thing we have going.

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