she placed the new frothy drink on the counter.
Matt nodded. “Thanks.”
The second he turned back toward Rachel, the punch of lust to his gut was no less potent than it had been the first time he’d seen her all those years ago. She’d always been a striking woman, always silently demanded attention with just a flick of her wavy blond hair, a glance in his direction. Hell, all he had to do was conjure up a thought and she captivated him.
And nothing had been as gut-wrenching as watching her marry his best friend...a man who hadn’t deserved someone as special as Rachel.
Rachel was, well, everything. But she wasn’t for him.
Matt wasn’t sure what was worse, staying in Dallas dodging paparazzi over this damn Most Eligible Bachelor in Texas title or being in this small town face-to-face with the one woman he could never have—the only woman he’d ever truly wanted.
A group of college-aged kids came through with their laptops and headed to the back of the coffee shop. Their laughter and banter instantly thrust him back to that party where he had first met Rachel. He’d flirted a little and was about to ask her out when Billy slid between them and whispered, “Mine,” toward Matt before whisking her away.
If only Matt had known how things would go down between Billy and Rachel...
“One extra-shot pumpkin-spice latte with a side of pumpkin and pumpkin whip on top.” Matt placed the drink in front of Rachel and made a show of bowing as he extended his arm. “Or something like that.”
Rachel’s laughter was exactly the balm he needed in his life. “Thank you, but that wasn’t necessary.”
“Was the bow too much?”
He took a seat next to her and couldn’t take his eyes off the way her pretty mouth covered the pointed dollop of whip or the way she licked her lips and groaned as her lids lowered. Damn vixen had no idea what she could do to a man. He wondered how many others she’d put under her spell.
“So, tell me all about this newly appointed title.” She set her drink on the table and tore the paper off her straw. “Are we going to get bombarded by squealing fans or camera flashes?”
“I sure as hell hope not.” Matt grabbed his mug and settled back into the corner of the sofa. “And I’d rather not discuss all of that. Let’s talk about you. What are you doing here in Royal? Other than staying with the Slades.”
Rachel held on to her cup and crossed her legs. The dress she wore might be long, but the thin fabric hugged her shapely thighs and shifted each time she moved. And from the way she kept squirming, she wasn’t as calm as her smile led him to believe.
“I’m working on finishing my marketing degree online and figuring out where to go from here.”
Matt didn’t like that there was a subtle lilt leading him to believe she wasn’t happy. The thought of her not moving on to a life she deserved didn’t sit well with him. Not one bit.
“How much longer do you have?” he asked.
Rachel slid her fingertip over the condensation on her glass. “One more semester and I’m done. The end can’t come soon enough.”
And being a single mother no doubt added to her stress. Surely she wasn’t strapped for cash. Her in-laws alone should’ve covered anything she needed that Billy’s finances couldn’t.
She’d been working on her degree when they’d met, but once she and Billy married, Billy had talked her out of finishing. Matt was damn proud she was doing this for herself.
He had so many questions, yet none of them he should ask just yet. Even though she smiled and laughed, he’d seen the hurt in her eyes, the accusation in her question when they’d been outside. Rachel deserved her answers well before he was allowed to have his.
Matt wasn’t going to leave Royal without making sure Rachel and her daughter were stable and had what they needed, at least until she got on her feet.
Well, hell. Is that why they were here? Because she didn’t have a place to stay? What about the home she and Billy had?
“How long are you hiding from your fan club?” she asked, pulling him back to the real reason he was in town.
Matt clenched his jaw. He wasn’t about to get into all the issues he had going on. The disagreements with his partner, the negotiations he had still up in the air, the fact he wanted to sell his 51 percent and start his own company. There really was no way to just sum up in a blanket statement all he had going on.
He would much rather keep their unexpected reunion on the lighter side. And now that they were both in Royal, Matt sure as hell planned to see her again. Fate had pushed them together for a reason and he couldn’t ignore that.
“I’m going to be here awhile. My grandfather’s old estate is on the edge of town. It’s sat empty for several years. Figure I should think about having it renovated and perhaps selling. For now, I’m staying at The Bellamy.”
The five-star establishment had been recently renovated into a luxurious hotel. Matt had requested the penthouse and had paid extra to have it ready on the same day he’d had his assistant call for the reservation. Money might have gotten him pretty much everything he wanted in life, but there was still a void. Something was missing and he had no clue what it was.
Rachel slid those plump lips around her straw again and Matt found himself shifting in his seat once more. He’d been in her presence for all of ten minutes and it was as if no time had passed at all. He still craved her, still found her one of the most stunning women he’d ever known. Still wondered what would’ve happened between them if Billy hadn’t been at that party.
Actually, there wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t wonder. If he were being honest, most of the women he’d hooked up with were just fillers for the one he truly wanted.
Matt set his mug on the table, then leaned closer to her. “Listen, Rachel...”
“No.” She held up her hand and shook her head. “Let’s not revisit the past. Not quite yet.”
He stared at her for another minute, wanting to deal with the proverbial elephant in the room, and yet needing to dodge it at the same time.
Finally, he nodded. “Since we’re both in town for a while, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”
Rachel laughed. “I’m not the carefree woman I used to be, Matt. I’m a single mother with responsibilities.”
“Bring your daughter.”
Where had that come from? He’d never asked a woman and her child on a date. Had he ever even dated a woman with a kid?
He hadn’t. But none of that mattered, because no other woman was Rachel. Besides, he wanted to see Billy’s daughter. His best friend might not have been the world’s greatest husband, but he was a good friend and his child would be the last connection to him.
Rachel’s smile widened as she reached out and gripped his hand. “It’s a date.”
Matt glanced down at their joined hands and wondered why he’d just jumped
