The Matchmaker’s Match Read online

  The Matchmaker’s Match

  A Man’s Best Friend Romance

  Nicole Flockton

  The Matchmaker’s Match

  Copyright © 2019 Nicole Flockton

  EPUB Edition

  The Tule Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  First Publication by Tule Publishing 2019

  Cover design by Deranged Doctor

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-950510-54-2

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  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Epigraph

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgements

  Please Leave a Review

  The Man’s Best Friend series

  Excerpt from Blind Date Bet

  About the Author

  Never give up on your dreams.

  Chapter One

  Friday night and this crowded hotel bar in San Diego was hopping. After living in a small, Guatemalan town for a year, where the loudest noise she’d experienced were the screams of howler monkeys, Meredith Turner paused to adjust to the volume.

  This is exactly what I need.

  The need to immerse herself in a group of people who didn’t know her or expect her to be the life of the party filled her. She was in town only for the night before her flight back to San Antonio in the morning. Back to a different life than the one she’d thought she’d return to.

  Tonight, though, she was going to have one or two drinks. Give herself a nice buzz before returning to her room and sleeping on a bed where the mattress was thicker than three inches and wasn’t surrounded by a mosquito net.

  There was one free stool at the bar. Perfect. Drinking there was far better than standing by herself in a corner. After she settled herself in the chair, she lifted her hand to catch the bartender’s eye.

  “What can I get you?” he asked as he placed a napkin in front of her.

  “A cosmopolitan, please.”

  The bartender winked and smiled big. “One cosmo, coming right up.”

  He turned and began to grab the bottles to make her drink.

  “You a fan of Sex and the City?”

  Meredith turned to the man on the stool next to her. His eyes crinkled in the corner and his lips were stretched into a wide, welcoming smile. An unexpected spark of attraction flared low in her belly. For half a heartbeat, she was tempted to ignore him and the feeling, but after being dumped two days before she’d flown back to Texas, it was nice to receive a little attention.

  Swiveling around, her knees brushed against his. The initial flare in her stomach grew a bit brighter.

  Well now, this is unexpected.

  “Why do you ask?” she said, smiling.

  “Your drink. Didn’t Carrie and all her girlfriends drink cosmos?”

  Meredith leaned forward, intrigued that this good-looking stranger was engaging with her and that he knew all about a once-popular cable show she adored. “Are you telling me that you watched the show?”

  The barman slid the drink in front of her, and before she could grab her wallet, the stranger seated next to her placed his card on the counter. “Allow me to get this for you.”

  “Thanks, that’s very kind of you. I’m Meredith, by the way.” She held out her hand. He grasped it and immediately a fissure of electricity arced up her arm, intensifying the already large spark of attraction.

  What the hell was happening here? She hadn’t experienced anything like this whenever Mark touched her. She had to be imagining it.

  The buzzing in her ears muffled whatever he was saying. Was it his name? She thought she’d made out an L and a K in it. “Luke? Good to meet you too.”

  He didn’t say anything and she let out a little breath. Her flirting game was a little off, what with her long-term relationship with Mark and then living overseas for almost a year.

  But come tomorrow, a new chapter of her life would begin. Why not close the old one off with a bit of fun?

  Meredith took a fortifying sip of her drink and looked up at Luke from beneath her lashes. “So what brings you to San Diego?”

  He shifted his stool a little closer to hers, again bringing their legs in contact. “I’m about to embark on a new job. I’m looking forward to new experiences.”

  “Cool, what’s the job?”

  “I’m about to join a new security firm. What about you? What are you doing here?”

  “Just here for the night.” And if he asked where home was, she had no plans to tell him.

  She might have been out of the dating game for a while, but she wasn’t stupid. There were some things one didn’t share with a person they’d just met.

  Meredith trailed a finger around the rim of her glass, noticing the way Luke’s gaze tracked the movement. “You know, you never did tell me if you were a big Sex and the City fan.”

  He lifted his gaze from her finger. In the muted light of the bar, his eyes looked silver. His tongue darted out and swiped across his lower lip. Her stomach clenched.

  Okay, the way she was reacting to every single action was ridiculous. Yeah, it had been nearly a year since she’d slept with a guy, but surely she wasn’t so desperate that any attention from a guy would send her over the edge. Was she?

  “My sister made me watch it with her.”

  “What?” His sister?

  He laughed and, once again, his eyes crinkled in the corners. Damn, he really was good-looking. “You asked me about watching Carrie and her friends. My sister made me watch the show with her.”

  “Oh, right. That makes sense then.”

  Luke closed the gap between them, crooking his finger. Her heart fluttered in her chest, but she couldn’t stop herself from leaning forward.

  “Do you think I can still keep my man card even though I watched a chick show?” he asked seductively, his lips brushing against her ear.

  In the middle of a loud, noisy hotel bar, the laughter and loud music faded to the background as their gazes locked together. “Yes. Yes you can.” She said and threw caution to the wind. She’d never done anything in her life like what she was about to do.

  One-night stands had never appealed to her. But this man was tempting her to take the plunge. The fact that someone found her attractive was good for her ego after the way Mark confessed to cheating when he ended their relationship, for the second time. She should’ve stayed broken up with him and ignored
the email she’d received the day she’d arrived in Guatemala. But she wanted what Isabella and Ethan had, so she’d caved and had taken him back. What a mistake that had been. She hadn’t breathed a word of it to Iz, though. Her best friend would’ve taken her to task for not thinking straight. Just like she wouldn’t say anything about what she was about to do.

  She closed the gap and pressed her lips against his. For the first time in her life, Meredith was going to take what she wanted, and tonight she wanted this man.

  *

  A fissure of need coursed through Lincoln Forrest the second Meredith touched her lips to his. He bit back a moan at the gentle caress. He angled his head to allow a deeper connection. Her mouth opened up against his and he slipped his tongue in. This wasn’t what he’d been expecting when he walked into the bar, but he wasn’t going to complain about it.

  His liked his ability to live his life his way.

  Single.

  Carefree.

  He liked to be able to make decisions without having to answer to or ask anyone else.

  Meredith pulled away and he lamented the loss of her lips.

  “I’m sorry. That’s not something I normally do.” She made a move to grab her handbag. “I sho—”

  He cut off her words with his mouth. He needed another taste. Whether it was from shock or surprise, she opened her mouth beneath his and her fingers clutched at his shirt.

  None of this made sense to him either. For Christ’s sake, she thought his name was Luke, not Linc. He should break the kiss and correct the mistake.

  But what if Meredith made good on her threat and walked away?

  The need for air forced them to pull apart at the same time. Linc’s chest moved up and down rapidly, trying to get some much needed oxygen into his lungs.

  He rested his forehead against Meredith’s. “I didn’t expect this to happen when I walked in.”

  “Neither did I.”

  What should he do? Should he ask her up to his room? Hell, it had only been less than half an hour since she sat down next to him. So what if they’d shared a couple of kisses? He really wasn’t that type of guy.

  Some patrons laughed and bumped into his chair, knocking him closer to Meredith. He wrapped his arms around her to stop them from losing their balance.

  Dammit, she fits in my arms as if she were made for me.

  Meredith pushed against his chest and he released his hold on her. “I should probably get back to my room.”

  Was that a hint of reluctance he heard in her voice? Was there an unspoken request? Or was he reading too much into it? “Or I could go to mine and you could stay here,” he offered.

  A wide smile broke across her face, her green eyes sparkling, a tendril of her brown hair brushing against her cheek. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?” He watched as she took a deep breath, his gaze drawn to the rise and fall of her breasts. “Luke, would you like to go somewhere quieter? Talk and get to know each other a little better. Maybe get something to eat.”

  “Yes. I’d really like that.” His response was instantaneous. The thought of prolonging the time he spent with her wasn’t an unwelcome one.

  First thing he would do was correct her assumption about his name. Luke and Linc were similar, but he wasn’t sure he could handle her calling him the wrong name the whole night.

  Linc slid off his stool and held a hand out toward her. She placed her smaller one in his, and his dick twitched against his zipper.

  When was the last time he’d responded so quickly to a woman?

  Never.

  Sure, he’d been attracted to women enough to go up and ask them for a drink or dinner date. But he’d never experienced the flare and intensity of desire he was currently feeling with Meredith. Everything in him screamed to haul her against him and devour her mouth again. He willed his body to settle down and steered her through the crowd.

  As they exited the bar, he paused, scanning the area to make sure no dangers lurked. Even though he’d left the army, he couldn’t ignore his training. His instinct to protect was as natural to him as breathing.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “Just making sure everything is okay. Why don’t we go sit in those lounge chairs?” He pointed to the group of furniture located in the foyer. Away from the main hustle and bustle of the check-in area and the bar. A place where quiet conversation could be had without the worry of having to yell over loud music.

  A group of people headed in their direction and Linc pulled Meredith tight against him so she wouldn’t get jostled as they walked into the bar. Her fingers clutched his shirt, and he counted to ten in an attempt to will his dick into not standing to attention. God, he hadn’t had spontaneous erections for a while now.

  This close, he could smell Meredith’s scent. It reminded him of plumeria flowers, like the tree that had grown in his grandmother’s yard. It suited her. Sweet, yet with hint of spice.

  “I don’t want to sit here, Luke.” The words were spoken so quietly he wasn’t sure he heard them correctly.

  If she wanted to walk away from him now, he’d let her, regardless of the fact it was the last thing he wanted to happen.

  “Sure, that’s okay. Let me walk you back to your hotel room.”

  To his surprise, Meredith closed the distance between them and pressed her lips against his briefly. “I want to go to your room.”

  Now that he heard clearly, yet he still wanted—no, needed—confirmation that he understood what she was asking. “You know if we go to my room, talking or eating isn’t what we’re going to be doing.”

  Another of her smiles lit her face. “Oh, I know. Both are overrated. I’m looking for fun tonight, Luke. Nothing more. Are you okay with that? I’m leaving tomorrow and I probably won’t be back in San Diego again.”

  He was more than happy to venture down the path of a one-night hookup. And maybe correct names didn’t matter so much. “I’m totally on board with what you want.”

  Meredith brushed a hand down his chest and he bit back a groan. “Good. How about we take this upstairs?”

  She didn’t need to ask him twice. Linking his fingers with hers, he directed them to the elevator. Unfortunately, there were two couples waiting so he couldn’t kiss her senseless.

  But the second he shut the door to his room, he hauled her close. He heard the thump of her purse hitting the ground as Meredith wrapped her arms around his neck.

  When he’d gone into the bar, he hadn’t expected his night to head in this direction. Had Meredith thought about this? Had she gone into the bar to meet a stranger for a night of pleasure?

  Does it matter? One night is all she wants and all you want too.

  It didn’t matter how it came about. He was about to spend the night with a beautiful woman and he wasn’t going to regret it.

  *

  Meredith’s mind whirled while Luke’s lips worked magic down her neck. She’d never thrown herself at a man before, but there was something about Luke that called to her baser woman.

  One night.

  For one night, she could be this wanton, sexy woman. Come tomorrow, she’d go back to San Antonio and this night would be a memory she’d bring out when needed. The memory of the time she acted on impulse and slept with a guy she’d known for less than two hours.

  Her fingers scrambled at the buttons of his shirt, pushing them through the small holes, while he reached for the zipper of her dress and tugged it down. The fabric slithered to the ground.

  She broke away from him as she pulled off his shirt. “This is insane. I swear I’m not like this.”

  Luke chuckled and the sound spiraled down her spine. “I’m not either. I don’t think we should question this. I think we should just go with it. Sometimes the unexpected happens. There’s no explanations needed. This is that type of situation.” He framed her face with his hands, his gray eyes intense and serious. “But if you want to stop, I’m totally okay with it. I don’t want you to do what you’re not comfortable doi
ng.”

  Meredith appreciated Luke’s sincerity and integrity. But like he said, some things just happened.

  She reached behind her back and unhooked her bra, leaning forward to allow the lace and satin garment to fall to the ground. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  Luke groaned again and pulled her tight, his mouth finding hers with unerring accuracy. She opened her mouth wider and their tongues danced while his hands relieved her of her panties and she managed to get his jeans and boxers pushed down his legs in one motion.

  Her body hummed as Luke played it like a virtuoso. He sucked on one breast while massaging the other. Meredith let her head fall back—if he kept that up, she was going to collapse on the ground. Instead, he scooped her up in his arms, depositing her on the bed. She scooched back so her head rested on the pillows.

  She’d never been so turned on in her life, and she and Mark had had a decent sex life. She couldn’t wait until Luke filled her.

  Luke joined her on the bed, kissing his way up from her ankle, licking her behind the knee before making his way to the juncture between her thighs. Her body tensed, waiting to see what he would do next. Meredith didn’t have to wait long. His tongue stroked her silky folds, and she closed her eyes, giving herself over to the mastery of his tongue and fingers.

  Heat built low in her belly, spreading out until her fingertips tingled and vibrated. One more stroke of his tongue…he pushed her over the edge into a heart-pounding orgasm. In the red haze of her passion, she was vaguely aware of Luke dealing with a condom before he kissed his way up her belly to her mouth and settled himself between her thighs.

  She waited for the moment when he slid inside of her, but it didn’t come. Why was he holding back? Meredith opened her eyes and found him watching her intensely.

  “I want to look into your eyes when I enter you,” he whispered.

  A shiver wracked her body at his quiet words. They were sweet and genuine and no one had ever said them to her before. Keeping her gaze firmly locked on Luke’s, she lifted her hips, bringing her in contact with his hard length.