Page 13 of My Mismatched Valentine

“I’m afraid we’re fully booked, aside from the Presidential Suite. Lots of guests celebrating the Valentine’s Day holiday.”

“Don’t remind me,” I grumble. The sand in the hourglass is quickly running out. Tomorrow is my last real shot at finding Dustin a match—awife. I’m good at what I do, but even I don’t think I can convince a woman to marry a guy the same day she meets him. I can see Marjorie Collins and her new fucking headline if I did:Matchmaker Maggie Parsons Treating Love Like a Gimmicky Reality Show.Someone’s Completely Out of Touch with Love.

“We can make one room work,” Dustin says, sliding his credit card to the clerk.

“This would be a really great time to use yourassets,” I mutter to him. Trying my damnedest not to get carried away with the fantasy playing out in my head. I’m suddenly regretting that I packed my new toy. In my defense, I expected to have some alone time once we settled in for the night. A chance to findsome release. The three-hour drive with Dustin was torture. My body aches for his. My panties are so soaked I might as well not even wear any. Damn the man and his strong sexual presence. It’s consuming my every waking thought and many of my asleep ones, too.

“I don’t flaunt myassets, Maggie. You know that. Besides, the Presidential Suite has plenty of space.”

“For all three of us?” I can’t imagine Glamma being thrilled about this snag. Surely she’ll talk some sense into her grandson. “Why don’t we just try another hotel?”

Dustin taps his watch. “Don’t want to miss my hot date.”

“Fine. But you’re sleeping on the floor.”

“I prefer the bathtub.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“It’s a nice soaker tub,” the clerk chimes in.

“Don’t encourage him.”

I march to the elevator, waiting for Dustin to catch up with a set of room keys. Weareshort on time thanks to some snow-covered roads. Dustin’s four-wheel drive truck got us through unscathed, but it did slow us down. At least we’ll be in and out of the room quickly, headed down the block for his dinner date, Janelle.

“Embarrassed to be seen with me?” he teases as the elevator opens.

“Just nervous about meeting Glamma.” The honest admission slips out of its own accord. Meeting his grandma shouldn’t unnerve me like it does. I shouldn’t care if the woman likes me or not—only the woman I find for Dustin. “What’s she like? You haven’t talked about her much. Other than that you’re close.”

“She’s wonderful.” To my relief, Dustin leans against the wall, giving me the space I desperately need. “She’s always encouraged me to pursue what makes me happy. Money doesn’tmean much to her, which is why she’s the perfect person to decide…” Dustin swallows, “my fate.”

Is he nervous too?

I reach for his hand and squeeze. “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. We’ll find her, Dustin.” The warmth of our connected hands travels up my arm and straight down to my core. One moment I’m standing a safe distance away, the next I’m wrapped around Dustin like I’m climbing a tree.

Our lips crash together, tongues swirling in passionate earnest. A faint whisper tells me this is wrong. That this needs to stop. But that whisper can go fly a fucking kite right now.

When the elevator dings, my shirt’s half pulled out of my skirt. Wetness drips down the inside of my thighs, no longer contained by my drenched panties. There’s red lipstick smeared on Dustin’s collar and a noticeable bulge in his jeans.Oops.

I hop out of the elevator the second the door opens, relieved to find an attendant ready to greet us. Thankfully Dustin handles the small talk, because I don’t hear a single thing the attendant says as he leads us to one of only two rooms on the top floor. My brain is scrambled, my nipples ache, and I’m pretty sure I’ve just made the biggest mistake of my career. I need to stay away from Dustin if I have any chance of resisting him.

I make a beeline for the bathroom, shutting the door and resting my forehead against it.

“Maggie,” Dustin says from the other side.

“You need to change your shirt.”

“I’m not going on that fucking date. Not after what just happened. Youhaveto know why.”

I want to scream, both in frustration and relief. How the hell can I find him a wife if every single date ends up cancelled? But the jealousy simmering throughout my whole body promises to be boiling very soon if Idosucceed. “You need to go.”

“No, I don’t.”

“I don’t want Glamma to hate me right off the bat.” I take a deep breath to calm my erratically beating heart. “Please, Dustin?” I plead, near tears. This is such a fucking mess. “I really want her to like me. Sleeping with her grandson when I’m supposed to be finding him a soulmate is a really shitty first impression, don’t you think?”

“Fine,” Dustin relents, sounding quite pissed about it. At least that bit makes me smile. Because the second he’s gone, I’m either going to break down and cry or get out my toy to calm me the fuck down. Maybe both.

“Yeah?”

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