4. Josh

CHAPTER 4

JOSH

Okay. Now I know I'm losing my goddamn mind. I set up the whole winning the matchmaker contest so Lyric would get a date with me, but hearing her talking about a date with some imaginary guy sent my fucking blood pressure through the roof. Even though I'm the guy.

I give my head a shake, wondering if I've finally lost my goddamn mind. Only a lovesick idiot would be jealous of himself.

This whole thing spirals from a wild daydream into a crazy reality in the blink of an eye. Setting things in motion for Lyric to "win" that matchmaking contest involves a whole ton of craftiness and a little help from powerful friends. It took a slight miracle and playing hardball to find out the slightest bit of information on the matchmaker. I had to call in several favors, make a few donations to charity, and promise to keep her true identity secret—all in writing—before the pain-in-the-ass matchmaker would agree to help me.

Not my proudest moment, but when it comes to Lyric, I'll pull out all the stops. She's got no idea that I'm the mastermind behind the curtain or that I arranged for the matchmaker to send her on a path straight to me.

What I didn't plan on, though, was her having less of a schedule than me, choosing tonight for our blind date. When I get the email from the matchmaker, my mind goes into overdrive. This date has to be something impressive yet intimate. The Broadway Steakhouse pops into my head—a spot with old-school charm and a private room that'll let us avoid any unwanted attention from the usual Silver Spoon Falls grapevine spies.

Ignoring the mile-high pile of work sitting on my desk, I concentrate on arranging every detail. The restaurant staff reassures me they're on it and will have candles, music, and the whole romantic works ready by eight. Giant is a little perturbed when I text him to cancel the protection detail for Lyric tonight.

Giant

Why did you have me arrange it if you didn't need it?

Me

I didn't realize I'd get everything set up for tonight. Thanks, by the way, for the info on the matchmaker. I owe you big time.

Giant

Don't worry. My bill has quadrupled since this morning. Your new relationship is paying for the second honeymoon in Hawaii I'm surprising my wife with.

Me

Glad I could be of help.

When the workday comes to an end, my nerves are buzzing. The thought of revealing all to Lyric has me wound tighter than a spring. My one shot at happiness depends on how tonight goes. No stress at all.

As I'm adjusting my tie in the steakhouse's restroom mirror for the millionth goddamn time, my hand trembles. I'm about to confess to fixing a matchmaking contest just to get a date with the girl of my dreams. It's absurd, yet when it comes to her, nothing seems too elaborate.

When I first arrive at our table, I can't stop fidgeting with the place settings or repeatedly checking the time. Sweat rolls down my back when I hear a gentle knock on the door to the private room. Time freezes as I instruct myself to play it cool. Holding my breath, I watch as the door opens, and the hostess leads Lyric into the room.

She's wearing this stunning red dress that hugs her curves flawlessly, the kind of dress that turns heads and captures hearts without much effort. My breath catches, and any coherent words I had prepared scatter at my feet as my cock turns rock hard.

Lyric's eyes widen in surprise when she sees me standing there, and for a space of a heartbeat, all we do is stare at each other.

"Josh?" she asks, confusion and shock mingling in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

I take a deep breath and plunge headlong into the moment. "Lyric, I'm your match—the man who can't live without you."

She blinks, a mix of disbelief and something bordering on anger dancing in her expression. Her arms cross as she glares at me through narrowed eyes. "So, you're telling me," she begins, the skepticism clear, "that you're my perfect match? You?"

I nod, holding her gaze, searching for the right words to make her understand, to convince her that this isn't some misguided office crush. I spend the entire goddamn day planning my whole spiel only to have the words desert me at the last minute. "Yes, me. And I know you probably think it's nuts… I mean hell, I know I've lost my goddamn mind. The first day you walked into my office, I fell hard. You stole my heart and turned my usually agile brain to mush." I'm rambling on like a madman, but it seems to be working. The stiff, unreceptive posture slowly drains from her gorgeous body an inch at a time.

Her expression softens just a fraction, the challenge in her eyes weakening, like she's gauging my sincerity. "Why the matchmaking contest?" She stares into my eyes. "You could've just asked me out."

I laugh at my own absurdity, shaking my head slightly, feeling the ridiculousness of my own plan. "I wanted to do something big. Something undeniable. You're important to me, Lyric. More than I can explain in some regular, boring way. You deserve the world and I want more than anything to give it to you."

Her eyes search mine intently, and I fully expect a polite "thanks, but no thanks, idiot," and for her to turn and walk out the door. Instead, she shocks the fuck out of me and uncrosses her arms before taking a hesitant step further into the room. I hold out the chair next to mine and she slides into it. Her delicate scent wraps around me, waking up every nerve ending in my body.

"You've done a good job of hiding how you feel," she admits, a new kind of warmth in her voice, one that makes me hopeful. "I mean, you've really been a class-A jerk."

"I plead insanity." I let her see the vulnerability in my eyes as I sit next to her. "I had no idea how to handle the crazy emotions bombarding me, so I acted like a jackass," I finish, the honesty of it all hanging between us.

She hesitates for another moment, and I can almost see the calculations playing out in her mind. At last, she nods, almost to herself. "Alright, Josh. But just so you know, you don't get a free pass on this matchmaking thing." There's a touch of teasing in her voice now. "But I'll give you a chance to convince me."

Grinning, I nod vigorously, feeling like I've just won the lottery. "Thank God," I say, relief and happiness battling for dominance inside me. I'm able to take a deep breath for the first time in weeks.

The waiter takes our orders and disappears. The glow of flickering candles casts a warm, intimate light over the private room as we stare into each other's eyes.

While waiting for our dinner, we get to know each other. I keep the conversation light, hoping to gain some ground and not lose any of the progress I've made with Lyric. At some point tonight, I need to admit I had her investigated and hired private security to watch her, but I'll wait for the right moment.

"Why did you decide to open a branch in Silver Spoon Falls?" She asks the million-dollar question. Once I explain this, she's either going to understand me more or she'll think I need help.

"It's a crazy story." It's the truth. "I had a business meeting here a while back and something happened to me when I visited the town." Now, I really sound like a sappy fool. "The town called to me in a way I'd never felt before. I knew this was meant to be home, so I called my two business partners and let them know I would either be opening a branch of Thornhill & Brunts here or I'd sell out to them and open my own company. Needless to say, Marcus and Thomas were shocked, but they didn't object to my plans to move here."

"Wow." Lyric blinks several times and takes a drink of her red wine, absorbing my explanation.

"It was out of character for me to act impulsively." I reach for my own glass, needing to wet my suddenly bone-dry throat. "But I went with my gut."

"And the whole matchmaking thing." She glances over at me with a wide smile on her face, and those gorgeous dimples make an appearance. "How did you come up with that?" Now, I have to sheepishly admit to the lengths I went to orchestrate tonight.

"I saw a good opportunity and ran with it." I reach over and run my finger around one of the dimples and notice goosebumps erupting along her forearm.

She holds her breath as I lean closer and lightly kiss the same spot. "I'm glad you did." She turns to the side slightly and my lips automatically move to cover hers.

My entire body lights up from the inside out as I slowly explore her sweet lips.

I'm quickly approaching the danger zone when the door behind us opens. I sit back in my seat and take several deep breaths to calm myself down.

The waiter sets our plates in front of us and quickly disappears.

We talk about everything and nothing, and the hours slip by unnoticed. She opens up more about her family and why she juggles two jobs, sharing stories that deepen my admiration for her tenacity. She talks about Melody, her younger sister, a bright and talented girl who Lyric has wholly committed to helping achieve her dreams. Each word she shares causes me to fall even more in love with her.

By the time we finish dinner, the room feels like a different universe from the one we started in, filled with possibilities and potential.

"This has been the best night of my life," I confess, a genuine smile splitting my face. "Thank you for putting up with my craziness."

"I had a great time, too," she replies, soft and genuine, the new warmth of her presence settling deep within me. She bites her juicy bottom lip and shrugs. "And your craziness seems to mirror my own."

As we step out of the Broadway Steakhouse, the night air hits us with a gentle chill, causing Lyric to tuck her arms around herself. The streets of Silver Spoon Falls are almost eerily quiet at this late hour, a stark contrast to the vibrant energy we'd just left inside. The world feels hushed like we're the only two people in town.

The evening's been mind-blowing, and I'm not quite ready for it to end. More importantly, I refuse to let her drive herself home in the dead of night. There's no way I'm letting her out of my sight just yet.

"I didn't realize how late it is," I say, trying to sound casual but firm. It's become the most natural thing in the world to take care of her. "Let me drive you home."

Lyric hesitates at first, that familiar independence flickering across her face.

"Please." I'm not above begging. "I need to know you make it home safely."

She chances a glance down deserted Main Street before nodding slowly. "Okay, thanks. I appreciate it."

"Great." I nearly fist-bump the air before leading her over to where I've parked my SUV.

I open the passenger door for her, a quick motion that seems to catch her by surprise. If she's noticed the nervous energy sparking off me, she doesn't show it. Instead, she accepts my hand as I help her into the passenger seat, her touch sending electric shocks through my system. Before I know it, I'm leaning in, my heart racing.

Her eyes meet mine, curiosity and something softer glinting in their depths. In this perfect pause, my lips move a heartbeat away from her until?—

"I'm not ready for the night to end," Lyric whispers, her words sharp and soft as a gentle promise. It stops me in my tracks, and for a moment, I'm absolutely floored. "I've heard from the Silver Spoon Falls grapevine that you have a magnificent home on the outskirts of town. Do you feel like giving me a tour?"

I pull back slightly, searching her face, not sure if I'm misreading what she's offering. "I'd love to show it to you." The words slip out, barely more than a breath. "If you're sure." Stop giving her the chance to walk away, the little voice in the back of my mind shouts.

She nods, a small, certain movement that sets a wild hammering loose in my chest. "I think your craziness has rubbed off on me. I've always played it safe in life and I'm ready to take a big chance."

"All right then," I say, my voice a bit unsteady, not quite believing how lucky I am.

My mind races as I take my place behind the wheel. I don't want anything to tarnish this perfect night, so I ask, "Do you need to let your sisters know you're going to be late?"

Lyric laughs, settling back into her seat, clearly appreciating the suggestion. "I definitely do. They'll have our cousin and his friends out searching with the sheriff if I don't check in."

"We definitely don't want that to happen." I laugh. With that, I navigate the SUV out into the night, the town slipping away behind us like an exhaled breath. I take the long route to my home, giving Lyric time to contact her sisters and to think about where the night is going. The last thing I want is for her to regret any part of our date.