Almost Matched (Almost Bad Boys) by A.O. Peart Page B

MAGICAL SIXTY DAYS WITH YOU.
    Ohmigod! There is nothing better than a guy who’s not afraid to show his romantic site. I grin like an idiot, burying my nose in the flowers. Yes, they do smell fantastic. I remember the text and rush to my desk. I tap the screen of my phone and write back, “They r absolutely magnificent. Just like u r”  
    His text arrives almost immediately. “I miss you terribly. Looking forward to Friday”
    I type, “Me too xxoo”
    This Friday we’re getting together with Caroline and her latest guy, Patrick. A double date is something I’ve never done before, and—frankly speaking—I’m not really excited about it. It’s just weird, but it was Caroline’s idea, and I want to make her happy. I know she likes Patrick a lot, and so I need to show my support. I’ve met him twice, and he seems like a really cool, down-to-earth guy. He’s a manager at some construction company in Seattle. I joked once that Caroline needs to have him wear his tool belt and absolutely nothing else for her. She said this is exactly what she’s planning for one of their dates at her place.  
    Colin is totally cool with going on that double date with them tomorrow. We are planning to have dinner and drinks and maybe catch a movie afterwards. I smile at the thought of spending time with my BFF and Colin, but push it out of my mind for now to concentrate on work.  
    Right before I leave for lunch, Colin texts me again. He’s close to Bellevue and wants to have a quick lunch with me. This is so unexpected, and I keep smiling all the way to Good Eats Guys on Bellevue Way. I park my car and see him walking briskly toward me. He yanks my door open and pulls me into a hug. Without saying a word, he kisses me passionately, as if his life depends on it. Wow.  
    “God, Natalie. I missed you,” he whispers against my hair, and then I feel the tip of his tongue slide over the edge of my ear.  
    “So I see.” I laugh.
    His boyish grin melts my insides. He looks so young and careless; so hopelessly happy. Holy Mother of Sweet Jesus, I’m head-over-heels with this gorgeous man. I hug him fiercely and whisper, “I want you. Now.”
    I hear him inhale sharply, and my pulse quickens. “I always want you,” he murmurs, piercing me with his stare. “Are you hungry?”
    “Only for you.” What? That was my other mouth speaking.  
    “Good. But that will have to wait a bit. I have a meeting in an hour. Unless…” He wiggles his eyebrows and chuckles.
    “Unless what?” I laugh.  
    “Unless we snatch a hotel room for a bit. But there is no way I’m gonna let you go in less than an hour.”
    I sigh. “That sounds like a fun idea. But I have a conference call soon. I can’t blow it.”
    “Sucks, right?” he teases.  
    I elbow him in the ribs.  
    “Ouch. What was that for?” He grabs me and spins me around.  
    I squeal like a schoolgirl. “Put me down. Hey, I will take a rain check.”
    “Deal. Let’s grab a bite to eat. I’m starving.” Colin takes my hand, and we walk inside Good Eats Guys.  
    The place is packed, but the hostess tells us it should be no more than a ten minutes wait. A table becomes available sooner, and she takes us to the back of the restaurant. Colin holds my hand in his while we follow her. We sit in a booth, facing each other. The waitress appears almost immediately and takes our order—burgers with fries and diet Cokes.  
    I open my mouth to say something, but the look on Colin’s face stops me. His eyes are narrowed, and he glares somewhere over my left shoulder. I turn around to see a blond girl in a booth nearby, eating a salad by herself. She has the earphones in her ears and bobs her head probably to the music she’s listening to. There is an opened book in front of her, and she seems completely immersed in it.  
    “Who’s that?” I ask.  
    “Someone from my past,” he murmurs and averts his eyes from her. “Fuck,” he adds quietly.  
    “That bad, huh?”
    He