Meeting His Match (A Match Me Novel) (Entangled Lovestruck) (9 page)

“Typical man. But I bet he’s more punctual than his brother.”

Easy to be punctual when he hadn’t pinpointed a time. God, that wasn’t fair. She hadn’t exactly given him an opportunity to settle the details. Thank goodness she’d called Regan, because she was in danger of spiraling into psychosis before the date itself rolled around. “I don’t know what to do.”

“I have a simple solution. Go shopping.”

“Regan! I can’t just drop everything and go shopping.”

“And what exactly is more important than your first date in six years?”

Addison glared at her computer. There were nearly a dozen emails demanding her attention, but she couldn’t say as much to Regan. The woman would undoubtedly point out that if they were vitally important, someone would have called instead of emailed. “Work.”

“Work can wait. Dates cannot.”

She killed a protest before it got past her lips. Wasn’t this exactly the excuse she’d been looking for when she called? It was pathetic that she apparently needed permission to go shopping, but nothing about this situation was her norm. “You know, maybe you’re right.”

“Sweetie, I always am.”

And wasn’t that the truth? Regan was known for her ability to read people. Besides, she wanted to buy a new dress, so she was going to buy a new dress. Something to really knock his socks off. “You shouldn’t let it go to your head.”

“Too late.” She laughed. “Buy something in white or green. You look amazing in them both.”

“Thank you.”

“What are friends for if not giving you an excuse to go shopping? I expect a call with full details tomorrow. Now have fun.” She hung up, leaving Addison feeling much better about the whole thing, with the added bonus that shopping would keep her mind off all the reasons going on a date with Caine was a terrible idea.

She just had to hang on to that confidence through the date. Easy as pie.

Too bad she didn’t believe it.

Chapter Thirteen

Caine slept later than intended, but if anything, the extra hour gave him more energy at the office. Gloucester was still on board, and no new problems had arisen in the last twelve hours. He’d even managed to make it home by five—the first time in as long as he could remember. But then, a lot of his life was different these days.

He bounded up the stairs and into his room, almost disappointed when he found it empty. Surely she hadn’t taken off? He almost laughed at the irrational thought. There was nothing wrong beyond her being uncomfortable because he was pushing her boundaries a little. There was nothing horrifically wrong. In fact, things were more right than they had ever been. He had a woman in his life who challenged him in a way he never thought possible, and this old house actually felt like a home for the first time since he was in grade school. Things were working out perfectly. He just had to enjoy his time with Addison and stop overthinking things.

He showered quickly, his mind already on the upcoming date. He already knew where he was taking Addison—a little hole-in-the-wall bar and grill he frequented. She’d seen the element of his life that came with having money, and she was less than impressed with it. Rightfully so. He’d been born to money. Yes, he’d done well for his family’s company, but he couldn’t claim he was doing anything other than toeing the line. A glamorous restaurant where everything cost a fortune wasn’t going to impress her. Her lack of care when it came to his finances was one of the growing list of things he liked about her.

So he’d show her what had become his hideaway over the years. It was the one place where he was always left alone and no one expected anything of him. In there he wasn’t Caine McNeill, CEO of McNeill Enterprises. He was just a man, enjoying a drink.

He couldn’t help wondering if she would understand the significance of him taking her there.

He dressed in his favorite pair of slacks, choosing a deep green shirt because he thought she’d like it. At least it wasn’t gray. He smiled at the thought. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately—smiling for no reason. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to get a reputation.

Once he’d thrown on some cologne, he went in search of Addison. He looked in the room she taken as hers, but found it empty. Next he moved down to the formal sitting room she had taken as her office, but that was empty as well. Before he had a chance to wonder if his paranoid thoughts weren’t, in fact, that paranoid, he caught the faint strains of music coming from somewhere deeper in the house. Caine followed the sound, passing through rooms he hadn’t seen in ages.

It struck him that the only place here where he spent any time was in his bedroom. He had a staff whose job it was to keep the rest clean, but he had no reason to wander elsewhere. The endlessly empty rooms always made him feel so lonely. This gigantic house was meant to be filled with laughter and the patter of little feet. Even though it was decorated tastefully enough for even the snobbiest dinner party guests, every piece of furniture was built to last.

If it could survive him and Brock growing up, both rowdy boys with more energy than sense, then it could survive anything. He stopped in the doorway to one of the many living rooms, smiling at the memory of them pretending the floor was lava and jumping from one couch to the next.

The smile died at the memory of their father’s reaction. It was one of the rare trips home during the day and he’d been furious to see them “disrespecting” their home. The man never had time for them until they hit junior high, and then all he cared about was ensuring that the McNeill family legacy was carried on.

Caine suspected it was the only reason he’d had children in the first place. It certainly wasn’t to love and care about them. He shook his head and moved on. His familial issues aside, this place had been empty too long. With only him living there, it was all too easy to believe in some of the ghost stories the locals told.

He found Addison in one of the many rooms that had been used for entertaining. Caine stopped just inside the door, drinking in the sight of her playing piano. Her fingers danced over keys, graceful despite the fact that she had her eyes closed. He couldn’t place the piece she played—something beautiful and haunting that teased him, recognition just out of reach.

He waited, content to let her finish. There hadn’t been many peaceful moments in the last week, and he was happy to enjoy this one without interruption. The music spiraled up and up, telling a story of love and loss. It tugged something in his chest, making him wonder why she chose this particular piece—whom she was thinking about when she played it. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. He was overthinking things again. It hadn’t been a problem he possessed before meeting this particular woman.

She finished with one last long sad note and opened her eyes. “Hey there.” She didn’t seem surprised to see him standing there, so she must have heard him coming. He found that he liked the fact that she’d kept playing even though she’d gained an audience.

“That was beautiful. Beethoven?”

She laughed. “‘Say Something’ by A Great Big World. It hasn’t been around long, but every time I hear it, it hits me in the chest. It’s so sad and bittersweet.”

The question rose again. Whom did she think about when she played that song? Was it her dead husband? Another man somewhere in her past? If she’d gone without for six years, that meant there had been someone else along the way. He couldn’t bring himself to ask. Caine had learned a long time ago not to ask questions he didn’t want the answers to. This one sure as fuck qualified. “I didn’t know you played.”

“It’s not something I do often. But nothing takes you away quite like music.”

“Do you get extra points for playing it yourself?”

“It depends on who you ask.” She closed the lid. “Do you play?”

“No.” He walked over and ran his hand over the polished surface. “My mother used to, but she hasn’t touched this thing in decades.” She’d stopped playing right around the time she started up with her nonprofits. “Instruments aren’t something I ever tried.”

“I’m sure you have more than your fair share of skills.” She stood, and he forgot how to breathe. The loose green dress should have looked like a tent with the way it hung off her frame, but instead the cutouts from her shoulders to wrists drew the eye, and the way it billowed around her thighs made him wonder what she was wearing underneath. The damn thing was more tempting than any little black dress he’d ever seen.

She raised a single eyebrow. “You’re staring.”

“You’ve been dressed to kill every time I’ve seen you, but this is above and beyond.” He shook his head. “You look amazing. Better than amazing. I’m actually looking for a word to describe it and coming up short.”

“For someone supposedly speechless, you sure are saying a lot.”

“You have that effect on me.” Now that he could finally tear his eyes away from the dress, he took in the rest of the image she presented. Her long red hair was coiled on top of her head, drawing his attention to her long neck, which led him down to the dress again. He put some serious consideration into skipping dinner and taking her up to his bed so he could find out exactly what lay beneath it.

Goddamn it, no. If he wanted Addison to take him seriously, he had to seduce her mind the same way he’d seduced her body.

That started with taking her out on a date.

While he’d been lost in thought, she’d been doing an examination of her own. “Green looks good on you.”

“Better than gray?”

She laughed. “Much better.”

“Are you going to accuse me of showing off my money if we take the Jaguar tonight?” It was still warm enough to put the top down, and he wanted her to experience the intoxicating beauty that was a Tennessee night. His motivation was transparent, even to himself, but he wasn’t about to change his plans.

“I make no promises.” Her heels clicked on the wood floor. They weren’t particularly tall, but the straps crisscrossing her ankles made her legs look even longer. Christ, he’d be lucky if he made it through dinner without hauling her into the nearest bathroom.

She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. It was such an innocent touch compared to how intimate they’d been that morning, but it made something clunk in his chest that wasn’t entirely comfortable. He wanted her in a way that had little to do with the need pulsing beneath his skin. The fact that she played piano fascinated him. Since his mother had played, it was something he’d contemplated pursuing when he was a kid. His old man had nixed that as soon as he’d asked. There was no time for him to pursue such silly distractions when he was being groomed to take over the company.

What other skills did Addison have?

The question was easier to follow than poking at the aching in his chest that seemed to crop up whenever he was around her, so he focused on that. Safer.

Yes, if he could just stay focused on safer things, there was nothing at all to worry about.

…

Addison might disapprove of the Jaguar on principle, but even she couldn’t deny the delights of feeling the wind on her face and the warmth of the fall evening on her skin. It was like driving through a different world down here—one from another, simpler time. There hadn’t been another car in sight in twenty minutes, and the night seemed larger than life. They might as well be on their own planet, taking the twisting road through the trees. She missed the tall buildings and constant sound of New York City, but this place was downright magical.

Kind of like Caine.

She shot a look sideways, warm all over again at the sight of him handling the sports car with ease. “Take it faster.”

He grinned and did as she asked, opening the engine up and sending them hurtling into the night. Addison closed her eyes and tilted her head back, freeing the giddy laugh bubbling up inside her. It was so difficult to hold on to her concerns about the future and him with the wind carrying the scent of some flower she couldn’t identify and the moon large in the sky. All she wanted to do was live in the moment and let go of all the things troubling her.

Worry had no place here.

All too soon, he slowed the car and guided them toward town. With every trip to Nashville, she loved it a little more. It was so different from back home, the flavor of the city like something out of a story. Rationally, she knew it had its negatives just like anywhere else, but it didn’t stop her from smiling every time she drove through.

Though she expected him to turn toward the restaurant where he’d taken his other dates, Caine headed toward a different part of town, one she’d never been to before. It was quieter here, somewhere she could easily picture men and women strolling beneath the trees lining the street.

He parked on the street, then walked around the car to open her door. The feeling of his hand on the small of her back sent a quiet thrill through her body. It was amazing how much he could affect her with one tiny touch. And the way he had looked at her in the music room? Desire flared just thinking about it. He looked like he wanted to bend her over the bench and take her right there.

She would have loved every second of it.

She never thought she’d be into sex that was so overwhelming and desperate, but after that night on the dining room table she started eyeing his furniture in a whole new way. Would he take her on the couch in the formal living room? Or how about the kitchen counter? Maybe his wonderful shower with no less than
three
showerheads? It made her hot all over just thinking about it.

She was thankful the night darkening the streets hid the blush she could feel staining her cheeks. This wasn’t like her at all. She’d certainly enjoyed making love before now, but it had never swept her away on this level. It seemed like every other waking moment was spent either remembering what Caine had done to her body or imagining what else he might do. He made her more hormonal and lusty than a teenager.

The restaurant was not like anything she expected. Instead of high-class and expensive style, this place was almost a dive bar. There was a scattering of beat-up tables around the room, and even more beat-up stools at the bar. The bartender himself looked like he would have been at home in an old Western, with his faded flannel shirt, a truly impressive beard, and a cowboy hat pulled down low on his head.

She glanced at Caine, wondering if this was joke. But he smiled at the bartender. “Hey JR, how are things?”

“Same as always. Haven’t seen your pretty face darkening our door in quite some time.”

Caine towed her toward the bar, peanut shells crunching under her heels. “Been busy. Lots of work, and people trying to make my life more complicated.”

“Who is this pretty young thing you have with you?”

He slipped an arm around her waist. “JR, I’d like you to meet Addison. She’s an honest-to-God matchmaker.”

The bartender suddenly seemed to take more interest in her. He tilted his cowboy hat back and eyed her with shockingly pale blue eyes. “A matchmaker, eh? Now that’s something you don’t see everyday.”

“Thank God for that.” Caine laughed. “Can we get two shots of whiskey, and two beers?”

“Sure thing.”

Addison waited until they took their seat at the end of the bar before she spoke. “I don’t drink beer.”

“Darlin’, you’ve been turning my life upside down ever since we met. Now it’s my turn to expand your horizons.” He winked and nudged her with his knee. “Come on, live a little.”

Wasn’t that was she’d been doing since the beginning? She’d gone and thrown away every single one of her rules for him. Changing up her beverage choices shouldn’t seem like that big a deal in comparison. But it did. She took a deep breath and tried to get a hold of her irritation, but the slow exhale did nothing. Her life had been spiraling out of control ever since she agreed to fly down here to take a look at Brock’s brother. Having to drink beer was just the icing on the cake.