Page 1 of Simply Perfection
Prologue
Niall Roberge lay in bed. Breath shallow and heart still racing, the edges of sleep clinging to him like mist. The dream lingered—sharp, illuminating, undeniable. Peace and excitement coursed through him in equal measure, a strange and beautiful tension that pulsed beneath his skin. He had seen them at last. The men destined to share his heart.
One was golden and ethereal, lithe as a dancer, hair the color of ripe wheat beneath summer sun, and eyes as blue and boundless as the sky. The other was solid, grounded—his presence a steady rhythm in the storm of Niall’s spirit. His eyes held the depth of forest shadows, dark green and ancient, the kind of eyes that listened as well as they saw. In the space of a single dream, Niall’s longing had taken shape, and the vision burned in his memory with the intensity of truth.
All his life, his grandfather had spoken of this. A full-blooded Mohegan elder and keeper of tradition, he had watched Niall grow with the calm assurance of someone who had seen manylives unfold.“In time, the path will reveal itself,”he would say, tapping Niall’s chest with two fingers.“Three hearts. One fire. It will come, little wolf.”
As a child, Niall had believed with his whole being. He had sat beneath stars, whispering prayers to Manto, the great spirit of his people. He had begged not for riches, nor fame, but for something rarer: connection. Harmony. Love in its truest form—shared, balanced, and fated.
But time, as it does, had tested that faith. The world beyond childhood was loud and chaotic, and though Niall searched—on shadowed dance floors, in vibrant galleries, across crowded sidewalks—he found only fleeting sparks, not the soul-deep ignition he longed for. He had begun to doubt. Had his grandfather been wrong? Had Manto turned a blind eye?
Now he knew.
The dream was no illusion. It was a promise. A message carried on spirit wind, wrapped in symbols and sensation. First, that his prayer had not gone unanswered. Manto had heard the small boy’s voice and carried it forward into the man’s future. And second—perhaps most important of all—the waiting was over.
A chapter had closed. The quiet, yearning years were behind him. Before him, something new stirred: a trail through unknown terrain, lit by intuition and ancestral fire. His soulmates were near.
He smiled to the ceiling, eyes bright in the dark.
Let the adventure begin.
Matt Lincoln sat at the small table inside the bistro, waiting for his date to show up. He looked at his watch with a frown. Jaime was twenty minutes late. As Matt took a sip of his water, he thought, not for the first time in the four months they’d been dating, Jaime was frequently late. There’d been a time or two when Jaime hadn’t even shown up at all, only to call hours later with profuse apologies and promises for it to never happen again. Each time Jaime swore his work had kept him late and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it, but deep inside Matt knew those were lies. Jaime worked as a buyer for one of the major department stores in Brookline. It’s not like there were fashion crises that happened at all hours of the night.
Maybe Matt was being unfair. After four short months, more of it spent texting than actual time spent together, Matt couldn’t have a real understanding of the demands Jaime’s job made on him. Hell, maybe a devilish boss forced Jaime to run out for steak and coffee at the drop of a hat.
Matt looked at his watch again. Twenty-five minutes late. He’d told his patients countless times to value themselves andtheir needs in a relationship. Maybe he should listen to his own advice…
This is the last time.
His cell phone buzzed on the table and Matt unlocked the screen to find a text message.
Jamie: soz baby. Can’t make it 2NITE somet has cum up.
Matt scoffed and whispered, “Yeah, I’ll bet.”
Jamie: I'll text u L8R. mebe I cn cum by ur place 2NITE.
Matt’s fingers flew over the touchscreen.
Matt: We need 2 tlk. Call me
He dropped the phone onto the table in disgust at the same moment the waiter stepped up to the table.
“Is there a problem, sir?”
The young blond, who’d introduced himself as Tim when Matt first arrived, had a crease in his brow and the pair of sweet brown eyes tightened.
“No, sorry. I just got stood up for dinnerandhit up for a booty call in one fell swoop.”
Tim’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. “You got stood up?” Matt nodded.
“I can’t believe … well that is … I mean … look at you! I’d give my left nu— arm to date a guy like you.”
Matt’s laughter went no further than between them, but the tension in his body floated away into the open space of the restaurant. “Thank you. I’m flattered but think I’m a bit old for you.” The waiter’s face turned a charming shade of pink.
“Oh, come on, you can’t be that much older than me. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a little seasoning, in my opinion. Not that I’m trying to hit on you or anything, I’m just saying.”
“I can’t decide if that’s a compliment or an insult.”
