Page 11 of Matchmaking the Rival

He laughed, then said, "Several people tell me that multiple times a day."

"You sound almost proud of it." Ihadto tease him.

"I am," he said. "It's good seeing you, Meredith. Where are you sitting?"

"There." I pointed at my table. "No one's arrived, though, so that's why I'm milling around.” As I glanced near the door, I mentioned, “I just noticed a few people here who I know from a coffee conference."

"Trying to escape talking with me already?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” But actually, I was. Why was he making me feel nervous?

He looked at me knowingly. “I'll see you later, Meredith." Cade’s eyes dropped from my face for a fraction of a second, and I felt a flash of heat coiling through my body. Was it my imagination, or did his appreciative gaze fall right to my hips? No, that couldn't be. I'd never been his type. But as he turned around and walked away, I had to admit to myself that he was stillmytype.

Putting on my work smile—the one pleasant enough to attract people but not wide enough to scare them away—I started making the rounds, approaching the two people I knew from the coffee conference. I looked over my shoulder a couple times because I had the uncanny feeling that I was being watched.

A loud bell sounded as a woman stepped up onto the platform that overlooked the room. "Everyone, if you could head to your seats, that would be wonderful. Our host is going to say a few words before dinner."

There was a shuffle in the room as everyone went to their table. I reached mine quickly, and to my astonishment, Cade was there.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I sit here."

"No, you don't." I glanced down at the name on the card, seeing it no longer said Alex Delaware but Cade Whitley. The third chair and name-tag had been removed.

I bit the inside of my cheek, looking back up at him. "Your name was not there before."

"I know," he said, then whispered, "I switched the cards."

I swallowed hard, feeling suddenly very warm. I was too stunned to reply, but I quickly gathered my faculties.

"Cade," I said in a low voice. "The seats are assigned."

He gave me a cheeky grin, pulling my chair out and gesturing for me to sit down. "You know I don't like to play by the rules, Meredith. We have a lot to catch up on."

"We do? I disagree."Oh my God. Is it getting hot in here or what?

"I knew you would. That's why I needed this seat—to persuade you. And now I have all evening to do that."

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