Meeting His Match

Chapter 6-2

Natalie wanted to gloat. She did a great job with Jennifer and Mr. High and Mighty Sterling knew it. But her desire to brag waned as he stood and moved to the chair adjacent to her. A new desire washed over her. Malcolm stirred her senses in a way that had her leaning toward him, even though she knew it was a mistake.

But the man sent mixed signals. Half the time, he acted like he was so much better than her. The other half the time, she couldn’t tell if he liked her or if she amused him.

“As I was saying, you surprised me tonight. I’ve been watching you, and I owe you an apology.”

Whoa. She hadn’t seen that coming. She smiled and waited, all while staring into his deep blue eyes.

“I’m sorry I underestimated you.”

“I’m impressed.” She inched away from him and took a sip of her drink. “Most guys say they owe an apology and they believe that will suffice. Kudos for actually saying the words.”

“Does that mean I don’t have to explain anything else?”

“Oh, no. I definitely want you to explain in great detail not only in what ways you underestimated me, but also in what ways you’ve discovered how utterly awesome I am.” She tossed him her flirtiest smile.

He twirled his glass twice before speaking. “I saw a couple of your videos. I thought you were simply a…”

“A what?”

“There’s no way for me to put this in a politically correct way.”

Nat snorted. “Do I strike you as a politically correct person?”

“A flake.”

Nat laughed. No, it was more of a guffaw.

“Not quite the reaction I expected.” He continued to watch her with careful eyes.

Nat inhaled deeply. She dabbed at her eyes with her middle fingers. “I expected something much harsher than flake.”

He angled his head again and Nat felt a warm flush flood her body. He always made her feel like he was studying her. “Such as?”

“Such as what?”

“What exactly were expecting me to call you?”

She lifted a shoulder. “s**t. Floozy. Something along those lines.”

He stiffened. “Now I think you owe me an apology.”

“Really?”

“Just because I believed your dating methods won’t find genuine love, doesn’t mean I think it’s wrong for you to enjoy your life.”

“Always so stiff and proper. Why can’t you just say what you mean? That you don’t hold it against me that I have s*x whenever I want with whomever I want.”

He leaned closer again. “There’s more to enjoying life than just sex.”

She patted his cheek and restrained herself from stroking his bearded jaw. “Oh, I know, but s*x is the best part, don’t you think?”

“I can’t disagree.” His voice was deep and quiet.

Was he flirting with her? Nat shook her head a little and leaned away from him. He answered with a smirk. He was toying with her. She downed the rest of her drink and moved to gather her things.

“What’s your hurry?”

“As much as you think I like games, Mr. Sterling, I don’t like to be played.”

His eyebrows lowered. “I’m not doing that. I’m talking to you, trying to get to know you.”

Nat’s heart thumped in her chest. He looked sincere.

“Don’t go.”

She huffed out a slight breath. “Fine. But you owe me another drink.”

He smiled and waved the waitress over to order another round. When she left, he said, “I’ve never been here. Do you come here often?”

“I’ve been here a few times. It’s a nice atmosphere. Not too loud. You know, you can actually talk to people.”

“I’m not much of a bar person myself.”

“Why?”

He lifted a shoulder. “Too much façade for my liking.”

Hmm…another interesting statement by Malcolm. “I don’t mind it. I think people put on a façade no matter where they are. We all have a public face. In some ways, it’s easier at a bar because you know everyone is putting up a front. Out there,” she pointed toward the door of the bar, “you never know who’s being genuine and who isn’t.”

“I’m well aware. It’s part of the reason I hate pretense.”

Something flickered in his eyes as he spoke and the idea of deep thoughts with Malcolm pulled Nat in deeper. “So who played you, Malcolm?”

An eyebrow arched in response. He took a sip of his whisky. She about gave up on him answering when he said, “My ex-wife.”

She hadn’t expected that. Although she hadn’t investigated Malcolm Sterling’s personal life, she’d almost assumed he was happily married. At the mention of his ex, though, he looked downright miserable. “So you poke fun at me for not finding true love for myself, and you haven’t been able to do it either?”

He shook his head slowly. “I don’t poke at you because you haven’t found it but because you don’t even believe it exists. I don’t understand how you expect to help your clients when you don’t buy into what they’re looking for.”

She let that thought roam through her head for a few minutes. She knew how she wanted to answer. She helped people all the time as a librarian, helped them research subjects she didn’t know anything about. But if she revealed that, she’d be letting Malcolm in to her personal life, and that wouldn’t do.

So she chose her words carefully. “It’s not that I don’t believe love exists. I personally haven’t found the evidence or proof.”

He licked his lips before he spoke and she told herself the movement wasn’t enticing. He was back to studying her.

“I’m like the albatross. They preen and point and dance around the other albatrosses to find their perfect mate.”

Malcolm laughed. Actually laughed. Nat was beginning to think it was something he didn’t do.

“Where the hell did you learn that?”

She smiled and lifted her glass. “I like to read and learn things.” She drained her glass. “But when the albatross makes his choice, it’s for life.”

The alcohol buzz flitted through her system, and she knew she needed to stop before she made an epic fool of herself. “Unfortunately, human beings don’t play by those rules.”

Malcolm was staring at her again.

“What?” she asked, trying not to be unnerved.

“I’m piecing things together. You won’t tell me what your day job is, but you reveal your hobby and that you like to read. You make jokes when conversation gets too personal in order to keep your distance. Who hurt you?”

She crossed her arms. He was like a detective, but so was she. “Much like you, and most of the population, I have an ex.”

“What was his name?”

The question startled her because it was so irrelevant. And Malcolm didn’t do irrelevant. “Why?”

“Because although I’ve asked you repeatedly to call me Mac, you always use my whole first name, or worse, Mr. Sterling. I was beginning to think maybe your ex’s name is Mac.”

“Breathe a sigh of relief. You do not share a name with my ex.”

“Then why?”

She stood, tucked her purse under her arm, and leaned close. “Because I like to keep my distance and I haven’t yet decided how much of you is pretense.”

He pushed out of his chair, forcing her back or she’d get a face full of his chest. Straightening his jacket, he said, “None of it is pretense. What you see is truly who I am.”

“That’s what everyone says. Sometimes it’s so ingrained in who we are that we aren’t even aware we’re doing it.”

“One more question before you go.”

She waited, eyes locked on his.

“Do you believe people are ever their true selves?”

Again she smiled. “Most people are real when they’re n***d. Having s*x—even if it’s just s*x, no strings, no relationship—forces you to be vulnerable. In those moments it’s hard to maintain the façade. Some can do it, but not most.”

Natalie didn’t wait for him to respond. She knew she didn’t want to hear his response. The conversation was getting too real. She had almost reached the door, thinking she’d escaped, when a hand landed on her lower back.

“Let me walk you out.”

“I’m fine.”

“Of that, I have little doubt.”

Outside in the fresh air, they paused again. For the life of her, Natalie couldn’t figure out what the hell was going on between them.

“Can I give you a ride?”

“I’ll call a cab, thanks.”

“My car is right there.”

“Fine. On one condition.”

He slid his hands into his pants pockets and rocked back on his heels.

“No more deep conversation. I took this job because I thought it would be fun.”

“I thought we were having fun.”

An unmistakable spark lit his eyes that Nat could see, even in the dark night.

He was right. She’d had an excellent evening. When was the last time she spent a night with a guy talking about anything real? And he wasn’t even trying to get her into bed.

He pointed toward his car and they began to walk.

“Are you not having a good time?”

“I think I was wrong about you too, Malcolm. You do have a sense of humor. It’s the teasing kind and I didn’t see that coming.”

He held the car door open for her—always the gentleman—and Nat had the unsettled feeling Malcolm had much more going on that she wouldn’t see heading her way.

She just couldn’t decide if the feeling in the pit of her stomach was anticipation or dread.