He raked a hand through his hair. “My professional reputation is going to take a beating. I’m not even reading the newspaper headlines this morning.”
He’d spent years cultivating the image of a cool enigma. He enjoyed keeping his business rivals off balance.
“I thought I was the family hothead,” Noah quipped, “but you know, I’m glad to give up that title, too.”
“Thanks a lot,” he said sarcastically.
Noah tilted his head. “Lauren looked upset.”
Upset was an understatement. He didn’t like being reminded of the expression on Lauren’s face. It had been a mixture of anxiety, hurt and surprise.
“But I can see why you were fighting over her.” Noah’s expression turned to one of exaggerated lasciviousness. “Throw me some of that hot sauce.”
His jaw hardened. “You’re married.”
“And you’re not.” Noah held up his hands, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “And hey, don’t come after me now. I’ve seen the damage you CFO types can do with your right hook.”
Matt grumbled. Noah’s joking had a way of being right on target, as well as containing just the appropriate edge for its intended target.
Aloud, he said, “She told me to kiss off.”
Noah grinned. “In your immortal words to me during my own hour of need, resistance is futile.”
Later, when Noah had left, Matt let himself dwell on what his brother had said. Was he in love with Lauren?
He sat back in his chair. He’d been reluctant to let his mind wander in that direction because it was a slippery slope to other, less comfortable revelations about himself.
He’d always thought—and still believed—he’d done the right thing when Parker had voiced doubts on the eve of the wedding. He’d never let himself question the purity of his motives.
But now he knew he wanted Lauren for himself, he’d opened the door to the question of how long he’d desired her.
Forever.
The response popped into his head.
He steepled his fingers. She’d taught him communication was the key to a good relationship, but was she ready to know what he really wanted?
“We’re ruined.”
Or rather, she was, Lauren thought.
“Oh, please.” Candace rolled her eyes.
“Yes.”
It was Monday morning, and they were sitting in her office at Ideal Match. She’d called Candace to an emergency meeting—business, personal and plain girlfriend-to-girlfriend.
“Au contraire,” Candace replied. “This is the best thing that could have happened to Ideal Match. You had two eligible and socially prominent guys coming to blows over you. As far as the single women of Greater Boston are concerned, you’re golden. They’ll be beating a path to your door.”
“At the moment, the only people beating a path to my door are reporters, and they’re calling for a comment on Saturday’s incident.”
She couldn’t bring herself to call it something more specific, though incident barely sufficed. Fight? Clash? Brawl?
She winced.
“Well, perhaps it was the second best thing that could have happened to Ideal Match,” Candace allowed. “You know, after getting Matthew Whittaker hitched, preferably to yourself.”
Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. “Haven’t you heard anything I’ve said?”
She’d given Candace a rundown on the events leading up to the—her mind hiccupped again—
incident. She’d relayed Parker’s accusation, Matt’s response, and then, later, Matt’s refusal to say he’d done anything wrong.
“All right, what Matt did was fiendish,” Candace conceded, “but would you want to be married to Parker right now? After hearing you describe his appearance on Saturday night—and I wish I’d been there to see it myself—I think you should be glad you dodged that bullet.”
She shook her head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re going so soft on Matt.”
“Any guy who’s clued in enough to buy expensive jewelry qualifies for the highest rating in my book.”
She’d forgotten about the necklace and earrings during her confrontation with Matt. There was no way she could keep them, however. “They’re going back.”
Candace looked at her in confusion for a second. “What? The diamonds?”
“Yes.”
Candace stared at her in disbelief. “You’re kidding.”
“No.”
“Well, that speaks volumes.”
“What?” She couldn’t help asking, even though she knew she wouldn’t like the answer.
“You pawned Parker’s engagement ring—which was a fitting price for him to pay for what he put you through, by the way—but you’re sending the diamonds back to Matt. Now who’s letting Matt off easy?”
“In the first place,” she said, “Parker didn’t ask for the ring back. I didn’t even know where he was.”
“Globe-trotting for pleasure and business apparently,” Candace responded. “And anyway, I didn’t hear anything about Matt asking for the jewelry back. Or did I miss something?”
“In the second place,” she went on, not acknowledging Candace’s point, “I ended the relationship, and I don’t want to feel indebted to Matt in any way.”
“Well, the fact he went to the trouble of selecting diamonds for you says something, doesn’t it?”
“He learned something from being a client?”
Candace shook her head. “For one thing, he put himself on the line in order to make your fashion show a success.”
“It was a brilliant marketing plan for getting him in front of appropriate women,” she countered.
“He made you a priority,” Candace replied. “He even agreed to meet you at home just so—”
“—yes, at my apartment, where he proceeded to—” She shut her mouth. Her receptionist wasn’t supposed to know about what had transpired that evening.
Candace grinned wickedly. “Use the seductive arts you were supposed to be schooling him in?”
“No comment.” She’d been saying it a lot this morning—to reporters, clients, associates and assorted gossips.
Candace got up to leave. “So if the guy shows up with an abject apology, you’ll have him back, right?”
“Since the chances of Matt doing that are nil, it’s a moot point.”