in her tracks with several feet still between them.
His hazel-green eyes twinkled with wolfish delight as he openly, blatantly and completely without shame ogled her! There was no other word for it.
Noelle stood stunned. No man had ever looked at her like that before. At least not that she had seen. She had to fight the compulsion to cover herself with her hands as he mentally stripped her of every article of clothing.
Then, as if that scathing examination were not insulting enough, he looked her directly in the eyes, and he smiled. Not just any smile. No, this smile held sinister promise.
Watching the ravenous expression fade from his eyes when they fell to her left hand, Noelle was very grateful for the diamond wedding ring she wore as a prop. She’d originally bought it to lend credibility to her role as a matchmaker. Most people understandably wanted to believe that their matchmaker was herself a happily married woman. Maybe one day but not anytime soon.
Determined to ignore his lascivious behavior, she pasted on her best smile and continued moving forward with her hand extended in greeting. “Welcome to Love Unlimited, Mr. Brandt. Noelle Brown.”
He frowned. “You’re Noelle Brown?”
Didn’t I just say that? She ground her teeth together, determined to keep the false smile firmly in place. “Yes, I am. It’s so nice to meet you,” she lied.
Gesturing behind her, she said, “Please come into my office. Would you like a cup of coffee or tea?”
“Neither,” he grumbled.
She turned and walked back into her office. “A bottle of water, perhaps?”
“That will be fine. Thank you.”
Noelle crossed behind the desk, opened the small fridge built into her credenza and pulled out two bottles of water. Reaching across the desk, she placed one in front of the guest chair.
As Noelle took her seat, she tried very hard to wipe the memory of that smile from her mind, determined to make the best of this golden opportunity. But as she watched the porn movie playing in his mind reflected in his eyes, it proved impossible.
She’d only known him five minutes, and she could already see the signs of why this man, who was said to have the magical touch of King Midas in his business dealings, was such a blazing failure at romantic relationships.
She’d just met the man and already didn’t like him. She could only imagine what other women must think. You don’t have to like him. Just tolerate him, Noelle reminded herself. He was the key to Love Unlimited’s future success. Finding Derrick Brandt a mate would put her small matchmaking agency on the map. Permanently.
For years, Noelle had read the stories in all the local papers regarding Derrick Brandt’s professional successes and personal flops. Usually businessmen did not garner the kind of media coverage Derrick received. With his rags-to-riches background and camera-perfect face, he was a fascinating figure to the citizens of Philadelphia. Especially when it became obvious that, despite his financial acumen, he had the social grace of a camel. As far as the local tabloids were concerned, Derrick Brandt was the best kind of celebrity figure: prone to public emotional outbursts.
He argued with his girlfriends in busy restaurants. He assaulted cameramen who got too close. He had a well-known reputation for being rude and surly, the by-product of which was that for the right price, people in the service industry were eager to betray him. He was considered a playboy, although not a very successful one.
In other words, Derrick Brandt was a paparazzi dream come true. The local media had even gone so far as to give him the odious label of The Most Ineligible Bachelor in the City.
And now the man—and all the media attention that went along with him—was sitting in Noelle’s office seeking her help in finding his perfect mate. When he’d called her last week to schedule the appointment, Noelle had immediately seen the opportunity for what it was. The chance of a lifetime.
Finding the right woman for Derrick Brandt would garner media attention for her firm that could not be bought. It would be said that if Love Unlimited could find a match for the most ineligible bachelor in Philadelphia, they could find a match for anyone! Noelle could already see the headlines, and the droves of new clients that would follow.
First, in order to do that, she would have to put her personal dislike for the lecherous man aside and apply herself to doing what she did best. Matching couples based on common interest, physical attraction and the most likely long-term compatibility. Or, in Derrick Brandt’s case…finding Ms. Right for Mr. Wrong.
Chapter 2
The light tapping on the door alerted Derrick to the identity of his visitor even before the door opened. A gray head of hair peeked around the edge, and Derrick could not resist the smile that came to his lips whenever she walked into the room. Camille Massey, his business partner, his benefactor, his friend…his savior.
The elderly woman started to enter the room until she realized Derrick was on the phone. She started to back out, but he raised a hand to halt her.
“I have another meeting to get to. Can we wrap this up?” He spoke into the intercom while motioning Camille to come in.
He listened to some final comments, but his attention was riveted on Camille as she made her way across the room. She was moving more slowly than usual today. He frowned, knowing what that meant: her rheumatism was acting up again. Derrick was tempted to drop the phone and go help her. But Camille was a proud woman who would not welcome his assistance. The meeting was called to an end. Derrick said his good-byes and hung up the phone.
He sat back in his plush leather chair, waiting while she settled into the guest chair at the side of his desk, a large, comfortable wingback chair he kept there just for her, knowing the small if stylish guest chairs that decorated the rest of the office suite were uncomfortable to her brittle bones.
“Why aren’t you using one of the walking canes I bought you?” he asked gruffly, watching as she straightened the pleats of her skirt around her.
“Because I don’t need them,” she muttered and, once satisfied with her appearance, settled back in the chair. “Well?”
Derrick knew exactly what she was waiting for, but he wasn’t about to make it easy. “Well?”
Her soft brown eyes narrowed menacingly. “Don’t play with me, boy.”
Derrick burst into laughter. “Why not? You play with everyone else. We’re all just puppets on your strings, myself included.”
“Am I going to have to call over there myself?”
“You wouldn’t.”
She smirked. “Has twenty-five years with me taught you nothing?”
Derrick sat up in the chair. “Okay, you would. But don’t.”
“Then answer me.”
He sighed in defeat. “It went fine.”
“Fine? That’s all? Did they find a lady friend for you?”
“Camille, it’s not a supermarket.
