Catch a Mate Read online

  “Done,” he said, happier than he’d ever been in his life. “We’ve got to have had the weirdest courtship in history.”

  “Think we’ll make it?” she asked, kissing him full on the mouth.

  “Absolutely. You can test me anytime you want.”

  Epilogue

  “CAN I BUY YOU a drink?”

  Marcus glanced at the woman propositioning him. She was beautiful, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen—but he knew she was bait. He glanced at his watch, the picture of boredom. “No, thanks,” he said, his tone heavy with dismissal.

  She ran her fingertip over his shirtsleeve. “Let me buy you a drink, pretty please with a cherry on top. I’d love to get to know you, and one drink won’t hurt.”

  “No. I’m sorry.”

  “Please.”

  “No.”

  She paused, chewed on her bottom lip. “I just moved to Oklahoma City. How’s the…weather?”

  Oh, damn. The one conversation topic he couldn’t resist. Every muscle in his body stiffened. “It’s hot. Real hot.” He sighed, glanced again at his watch. “All right. Fine. One drink. But we have to hurry. I don’t want my wi—mom to find out.”

  “We’ll hurry.” The woman told the bartender to bring them two Fuzzy Navels and turned back to him. “I noticed that you keep looking at your watch. Are you waiting for your wi—mom?”

  “Yep. I’m divorced and Mother’s been my only source of comfort lately.”

  “You’re divorced?” She leaned in closer to him, fragrant and warm. “Oh, you poor thing. I’d like to comfort you.”

  Unable to resist her a moment longer, he slid his arm around her waist. “That sounds like a good idea. How about we go back to my place?”

  Jillian grinned. “Will you do bad, bad things to me?”

  “It will be my greatest pleasure.”

  For the past year, he and Jillian had celebrated their monthly anniversary this way. He always looked forward to it. And it was the only time either of them acted as bait anymore; they’d both given it up and now simply ran CAM. The employees were ecstatic about their partnership because Jillian kept him in line. She’d even brought back spa day. The girls always asked Marcus to join them, citing his need for a Calypso Coral pedicure to match the lipstick he was often spotted wearing after one-on-one meetings with Jillian.

  Thanks to their combined efforts and the hard work of the CAM team, the business had reached a whole new level and their financial concerns were a thing of the past. Their sister-in-law, Georgia, now ran CAM’s counseling center for victims of infidelity, which Jillian had opened next door. Some of the clients were even hooking up. Marcus grinned at the thought, knowing firsthand that there was nothing like the common bond of betrayal to draw two people together. Georgia and Brent were happier than ever, and they’d become Marcus’s new poker buddies.

  Marcus had never gotten around to unpacking the boxes in his apartment. He’d moved into Jillian’s house right away. She, of course, had made him unpack everything immediately. The beige decor remained, but he’d helped her mess things up a bit by “christening” every room.

  Jillian’s dad was married now and Jillian had been his best man. Marcus had never seen a happier dad. Or a better-looking best man. Removing that tux had been sexy fun. (Words he’d never thought he would entertain.)

  Yep. Love was in the air. His mother-in-law was a new woman, happily dating and no longer trying to feed him poisoned cookies. Anne was happily married to her boy toy and came to visit often, claiming she was proud of the new, improved and willing-to-take-chances Jillian. His men were doing well, as were his female employees. Rule two was a thing of the past, so Matt and Amelia were dating, fighting, dating, fighting. They’d end up together, he thought, once they stopped combating it. Neither one of them had any idea just how good a loving relationship could be. But they’d find out, he had no doubt.

  Jake was the only person Marcus was worried about, because the stubborn man still refused to date. One day, though, Marcus knew Jake would find someone else. One day. Love was too powerful to deny.

  Jillian had started her Swine Whine Web site, listing the city’s most unwanted dates—repeat offenders who were never going to change—complete with a ranking system. Danielle, Selene and Becky had soon taken that over, however, posting pictures of cheating men and women with Most Unwanted stamped under their faces.

  For his birthday, Jillian had given Marcus a photo of himself with Most Wanted stamped across his smiling mug. He’d hung it in his office to show his clients that a happy ending was possible.

  “Next time,” Marcus said to his wife, his love, “I get to be the bait.” For now, it was time to take her home so he could get started on those bad, bad things.

  “I’m too easy to catch,” she said, pouting up at him. “You, at least, put up a two-minute fight.”

  Grinning wickedly, he paid for their drinks. “Baby, catching you is the best part.”

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-4703-1

  CATCH A MATE

  Copyright © 2007 by Gena Showalter

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario M3B 3K9, Canada.

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

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