Page 20 of Last Shot at Love

My partner should be happy with that, right? Didn’t most guys just want to get their rocks off, anyway? I was saving him the trouble of wooing me or trying to impress me with extended foreplay.

Besides, I was more interested in speaking with my contractually matched regarding what arrangements I’d need to make for his arrival in Boston with me. One of my stipulations in the agreement was that I would not relocate, so my matched would need to move in with me—or at least move to my city, and we could purchase a home we both liked.

P-Harmony had taken care of the rest of our arrangements and dealt with the contracts between both parties. It was something I very much appreciated since it would’ve been annoying to show up at the resort only to have both our time wasted.

I knew what I wanted and expected from my partner, as well as what concessions I was willing to make to ensure the partnership worked out.

What I wanted was a man to stand to travel with me for business meetings and attend all the elbow-rubbing parties at my side. I could side-step awkward conversations and unwanted male attention by flashing a wedding ring—a ring I was more than willing to purchase myself.

Having a husband at my side, I could redirect conversations with the businessmen who seemed more interested in their ability to get me in bed than in my ability to close a deal that would make both of us a crap ton of money.

I was willing to provide for my partner’s needs and wants. Hades knew I had more than enough money for that. Aside from public engagements, my mate would be free to do whatever he wished with his time.

There were a couple of other things that were important to me as well. I wanted a man who was intelligent enough to carry on conversations and not embarrass me at parties, meetings, and around colleagues.

My mate also needed to be faithful. I didn’t want to deal with the annoyance of a scandal, nor did I wish to be distracted in the office by my employees whispering behind my back over who my husband was sleeping with.

A sharp twinge shot through my chest, and I massaged it with my hand. Fine, I wasn’t being 100 percent honest with myself.

I’d never been a romantic, and it didn’t seem likely that would change in the future. However, a small part of me longed to have someone who was mine. Not as a pet or a toy. I didn’t want purchased affection.

Deep down, I wanted someone to look at me like I was the only woman who mattered. It was probably an unrealistic dream at this point in my life.

But surely there was someone out there who wanted to pursue scholarly interests or philanthropic work, and also had enough control to keep his penis in his pants until our scheduled sex. I knew I wasn’t the most cuddly person, so that was likely the most I could hope to have in a partner.

Miraculously, the agency had found a mate willing to agree to my terms less than a week after I’d agreed to be matched. We’d signed agreements, and they’d made the reservations for us here at the paranormal-friendly resort. Then they gave us the date we needed to arrive.

Today.

My stomach quivered. I was about to meet my match, my mate, my husband.

But this was just one more business arrangement, so there was absolutely nothing to be nervous about… right?

Sitting in the cushioned chair on the patio, I took another sip of my liquid courage. Aponté, the skilled mixologist in the resort’s expansive bar, told me it was called a Passion Shifter, and I knew at first sip it was my new favorite drink.

I tapped my phone screen to check the time. The sun was low on the horizon, and the chatty concierge had told me my mate would arrive shortly before sunset.

Lowering my sunglasses, I studied the sky and decided I had less than two hours before he arrived. That gave me just enough time to go over the growth plan for Timothy’s company, which we planned to implement after the acquisition was final.

I brought the swing to a stop and reluctantly stepped out of the sunshine and into the darkened room. Sitting my drink and sunglasses on the desk, I rifled through my briefcase.

The first folder I pulled out held the documents I wanted to go over with my soon-to-be-mate. Setting them to the side, I grabbed the second folder.

I flopped onto the California king bed and began going through the acquisition paperwork, looking for anything our team of attorneys may have missed. I’d been reading for about twenty minutes when my eyes grew heavy.

Blowing a fallen strand of light-brown hair from my face, I pinched the bridge of my nose. Traveling must have taken more out of me than I’d thought…

Something cool brushed against my cheek, and my eyes flew open. My pupils shifted, allowing me to see better in the dimly lit room.

A man sat on the edge of the bed, watching me without saying a word.

His pale blonde hair brushed against his shoulders, falling around his face and dripping water on the bed.

I barely kept from hissing in surprise, a reaction I blamed on still being partially asleep. No one had ever snuck up on me, even in my sleep. So how had he gotten so close without my instincts waking me?

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” The man’s voice was soothing, and my body responded instantly, my taut muscles relaxing and my breathing evening out.

What the heck? For all I knew, this man was a serial killer, yet all my instincts had calmed at the sound of his voice. At least if he was here to murder me, I’d be chill about it.

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