Kristen frowned. “That sounds kind of sad. Why don’t they move on and do something productive instead of sitting in a bar all day moping ‘cause they’re not twenty-one anymore?”

  Matt laughed. “Hey, those guys are my bread and butter.”

  “You said guys. Your patrons are mostly men, I take it? What’s the split? 80/20?”

  “I’d say that’s about right,” he said, nodding. “We get a few women who are true sports fans, but the majority are just hoping to score with the professional athletes who hang out there.”

  Kristen raised an eyebrow. “Sounds like you have a high opinion of the opposite sex.”

  “Can you blame me?” he asked, matching her challenge. “I’ve seen enough women chasing dates to know that they want a man with good looks and money. I may have acquired both, but I’m still the same guy I was in high school. Most women don’t care to find out who that man is.”

  The note of sadness in his voice made her want to comfort him, though she couldn’t say why. She wasn’t the nurturing type. That was her mother’s role. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hit a nerve.”

  “Do you know what I remember most about you?” His eyes settled on her full lips before meeting her gaze again. “It’s not that you were the most beautiful girl I’d ever laid eyes on, though you were and still are…” He smiled. “It’s the fact that you talked to me. You listened. You laughed at my jokes and asked me about my day. No one else ever did that.” He shrugged as though it didn’t matter, but she could tell thinking about how lonely he’d been back then still hurt him. “I had a few friends, but they were all just like me, trying to get through the day without getting beat up.”

  “If you don’t mind my asking, what sparked this transformation? It’s incredible, to say the least.”

  “I got tired of everyone thinking they were better than me just because of how I looked. I didn’t change for them.” His jaw hardened with determination. “I did it for me because I knew the reflection I saw in the mirror wasn’t the real me.”

  Kristen tried to imagine what he must have gone through in high school. While she’d never been one to engage in bullying or name-calling, she had been friends with the “popular crowd” that shunned Matt and his friends. With the benefit of years and life experience, she was ashamed to have associated with people who made other people feel bad about themselves. But that was high school.

  “The reunion,” she said, thinking about the embossed invitation in her drawer. “Are you going?”

  “Maybe.”

  She smiled. “I would think you’d have been the first one to R.S.V.P. Given where you are now, don’t you want to rub their noses in it just a little?”

  Matt chuckled. “I can’t say the thought hasn’t crossed my mind, but honestly, I don’t care what anyone thinks anymore. I had to leave all of that behind me when I decided to reshape my life and figure out who I am, not who everyone thinks I should be.”

  Kristen couldn’t remember the last time she’d met a man as confident as the new Matt Hudson, and it was undeniably appealing. “Tell me about who you are now. I know you’re a partner in High Rollers. What else do I need to know about you?” She cringed when she realized she sounded like an interrogator. He didn’t owe her any explanations, not that she wouldn’t love to know everything about the man hiding beneath the designer suit. “I’m sorry, I’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to since high school, but only if you feel like sharing.”

  “What can I tell you?” he asked, spreading his hands. “I’m divorced—”

  “You are?” She didn’t know why her gut clenched. “What was your wife like?”

  “She was a model.”

  “I see.” There was no logical reason why that should make her feel inferior. Matt had come to ask her about a job, not a date. He wasn’t comparing her to his ex. “What happened?” She wanted to clamp her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to answer that. Forget I asked.”

  “I don’t mind.” He shrugged as though he was talking about poor weather ruining his tropical vacation instead of the end of his marriage. “We got married for all the wrong reasons.”

  She was dying to ask him to elaborate, but that would be in poor taste. “I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you.”

  “I’m not. It was a learning experience. Now I know what I’m looking for and what I’m not looking for in a partner.”

  “So you would get married again?”

  “Sure. Why not? I’m not going to let one bad experience shape my life.”

  She admired his tenacity. After her experience with her ex-fiancé, she’d subconsciously sworn off men. “Good for you.” Her cell phone buzzed, alerting her to a text from one of her clients. For the first time in a long time, she didn’t even consider dropping everything to respond right away. She could deal with her client later. She was having fun getting to know Matt Hudson all over again.

  “How about you?” he asked, lacing his hands over his flat stomach. “Married? Kids?”

  “No and no.”

  He flashed that heart-stopping grin, and she had to pinch her thighs together. “I guess I’m supposed to say that’s too bad, but I’d be lying.”

  Kristen smiled. She was used to men who played games and said everything except what they were thinking. “I was engaged once.” She didn’t want him to think no one had wanted her. “But it didn’t work out.”

  “I guess we’re both losers in love.” He smirked. “Welcome to the club.”

  “Thanks… I think.”

  “So, about this anniversary party. Can you help me out?”

  “I wish I could.” Kristen cursed her assistant. She’d never wanted to accept a job more. “But I can’t. My assistant just left for an extended vacation, and I’m swamped through February.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  He looked genuinely disappointed, and she wished she could rearrange her schedule to accommodate him. Short of cloning herself, there was no way it would happen. “Yeah, it is.”

  He got to his feet and buttoned his blazer before offering his hand. “I’m still glad I stopped by. It was great to see you again, Kristen.”

  “You too.” That was an understatement. She suspected she would fall asleep thinking about their meeting.

  “Are you going to the reunion?”

  “Um…” She wasn’t planning on it, but the idea of not seeing him again left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. “I’m not sure.”

  “I’ll make you a deal. If you go, I’ll go. If I can suffer through it, you can too.”

  He wasn’t asking her to go as his date. Why? Not that she was interested in dating him. Much. She didn’t want to appear too eager, even though she knew that was the only Friday she had free that month. “I might be able to swing it.”

  “Cool.” He reached into his pocket. He handed her a gold embossed business card. “My cell number is on there. You can text or email me if you think you’ll be able to make it.”

  She wanted to ask if he’d already asked a date and that was why he wasn’t inviting her to escort him. “I guess it could be fun.” Only if he saved every dance for her.

  “For you maybe,” he said, smiling. “For me, it’ll be a trip back to hell. But I’m willing to hold my feet to the fire just to see the look on their faces when I walk in looking so different from the skinny little kid they remember.”

  Kristen wanted to suggest he may get the full effect only if she walked in on his arm, but she wasn’t presumptuous enough to assume he was still interested in her. Her eyes roamed his body. What she wouldn’t give to find out what lay beneath that well-cut suit.

  “Take care, Kristen. I hope to see you at the reunion.”

  She could pretty much guarantee he would. She just had to find some time to shop for the sexiest dress and shoes she could find. The next time she saw Matt, he would be the one catching flies with his open mouth.

  Chapter Two

  Matt knew inviting Kristen to be his date to the reunion would have been the polite thing to do, but he’d spent four years with a painfully obvious crush on her. He intended to play his cards a little closer to the vest.

  He’d taken a limo to the reunion so he could indulge in a few drinks, not for the effect of pulling up with a uniformed driver. He wanted to believe he was too mature to be so petty, but the kid who begged to be home-schooled was still buried deep inside of him, demanding he exact revenge on everyone who’d ever wronged him. He laughed as an image from the movie Carrie popped into his head. He really needed to put those years behind him once and for all.

  As the car pulled to a stop at the curb, he resisted the urge to jump out. He waited patiently for Lawrence to open his door so he could make a distinguished exit. He often used Lawrence’s services when he was attending an important event, but he’d always had a beautiful woman on his arm. As nice as it would have been to have a companion, someone to remind him of how far he’d come, he wouldn’t risk being seen with another woman while he still believed the night could end with Kristen in his arms.

  The attraction between them was obviously mutual, but she seemed hesitant to get involved. She mentioned an ex-fiancé, and he wondered if he might have to do with the reason she was gun-shy. He could understand that. He’d needed time before he was ready to date again after his divorce, but he’d be damned if he’d let Kristen paint him with the same brush as the guy who’d broken her heart. He wasn’t proud of the way he’d treated all the women he took to bed, but he’d always treated Kristen with admiration and respect. He intended to remind her of that.

  “Have a good evening, sir,” Lawrence said, tipping his hat. “Just call or text when you’re ready.”

  Looking up at the hotel hosting the event, Matt grimaced. Why did he feel the need to prove himself to a bunch of people who’d made it their mission to make his life miserable? “I have a feeling it’ll be an early night.”

  “No problem,” he said, grinning. “I brought my iPad. Thought I’d park nearby in case you wanted to bail early.”

  Matt had known Lawrence a long time. When he’d called to book him for the night, he confided that he wasn’t looking forward to attending his high school reunion. “Thanks, man.” Matt slapped Lawrence on the back as he stepped up on the curb. “I appreciate that.”

  Matt entered the imposing old hotel, begrudgingly admitting the planning committee had chosen the perfect place to host the festivities. Although he’d grown up going to more benefits and galas than he could count, he still hated walking into a social gathering alone. It made him feel alone and vulnerable. He wore his designer suit and diamond jewelry as a shield, making the world believe he was comfortable enough to draw attention to himself instead of sinking into the background, but nights like this brought his life full circle.

  The woman sitting at the registration table looked up to greet him. Her eyes raked over him from head to toe, and he had a sense of how beautiful women must feel when sleazy men ogle them.

  “Hi,” he said, trying to hide his disdain. “Matt Hudson.” He glanced at the clipboard in her hand, trying to remember whether he’d asked his assistant to RSVP on his behalf. He hoped so. Otherwise the event would be even more embarrassing than he’d feared.

  Her shrill laughter ran out over the low din of voices. “I remember Matt Hudson, and you’re definitely not him!”

  “Would you like to see my driver’s license?” He patted the breast pocket of his Armani suit. He had a feeling he’d have to produce proof of his identity more than once.

  “I had the same reaction when I saw him,” Kristen said, walking up behind him and slipping her arm through Matt’s as though they belonged together. “But I can assure you, it’s him.”

  Matt’s gaze traveled over Kristen, and he swallowed to coat his dry throat. Her tight black strapless dress looked as though it was made for her. No other woman could do it justice.

  “Glad you could make it,” he murmured, admiring the sapphire pendant nestled between her full breasts. “The evening wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without you.”

  The woman at the table, who Matt recognized as one of the girls from Kristen’s cheerleading squad, looked back and forth between them. “You guys are a couple? Since when?” She frowned at Kristen. “Last I heard you were engaged to—”

  Kristen’s hand curled around Matt’s bicep as she flashed a quick smile. “You know how it is, Molly. It takes some of us a while to realize we’re wasting our time with the wrong guy.”

  Matt could tell how much it cost Kristen to pretend her broken engagement meant nothing. He was anxious to extricate her from the awkward conversation. “It was nice to see you again, Molly.”

  As he steered Kristen away from the table, Molly said, “Wait, you forgot your name tags.”

  Matt would have preferred to go incognito, but that would be tough with the most popular girl in their graduating class on his arm. Of course everyone would want to catch up with Kristen.

  After they’d secured their nametags, Kristen muttered, “Well, that was awkward, wasn’t it?”

  “Does it bother you, having to explain about your ex?” He grabbed two champagne flutes from a passing waiter’s tray.

  “Probably more than it should.” She accepted the glass with a grateful smile as she scanned the crowded room. “I hate to admit failure, and that relationship was the definition of the word.”

  “I hope that doesn’t mean you think all men are the same,” he said, his hand sliding to the small of her back when a rowdy foursome got a little too close. Matt scowled at them. “Isn’t it a little too early to be that trashed?”

  Kristen laughed, looking uneasy. “I thought about knocking back a few before I came.”

  He noticed how nervous she seemed, though he couldn’t imagine why. It wasn’t as if she was trying to forget classmates who made her life miserable for four long years. “Are you okay? You seem a little uptight.”

  “Damn,” she whispered, turning her back to the band onstage. “I thought he would have the good sense to take my advice.”

  “Who?”

  “My ex is here.”

  Matt scanned the crowd, looking for someone whose attention might be fixed on Kristen. It didn’t take him long to find the man in question. He stood next to a girl Matt recognized from their senior class, sipping a beer. “Is that him with…” He couldn’t think of the girl’s name, but she was definitely part of Kristen’s group of friends.

  “Gale? Yeah, that’s him.”

  “What’s he doing here?”

  She sighed before sneaking a peek over her shoulder. Her eyes locked with her former fiancé’s before she turned around. “Gale’s the one who introduced us. I was selling my condo, and I needed a lawyer to handle the transaction. She suggested Robert. The rest, as they say, is history.”

  He wanted to ask her to elaborate, but she would tell him when and if she was ready. It always angered him when people he barely knew asked him why he wasn’t married, didn’t have kids, or what had happened to end his marriage. “If you want to bail…” He didn’t need her to ask twice. He was already regretting attending, especially since Kristen’s ex would be watching their every move.

  “No.” She closed her eyes as she took another sip of champagne. “I’m not going to let him think he chased me away.”

  “Did you know he would be here?”

  “He mentioned something about it when we got stuck in the elevator together.”

  “Excuse me?” Matt asked, gripping his glass.

  “We work in the same office building.” Kristen made a face that reminded him of the one and only time he’d tasted octopus. “Across the hall, in fact.”

  “Seriously? That must be awkward.” If Matt and Kristen became seriously involved, he would hate that set up.

  “You have no idea.” She tossed back the rest of her champagne.

  Matt reached for her empty glass and set it on a nearby table. “Ever think about moving?”

  “Only every time I see him.”

  “I take it you’re the one who ended the relationship?” Matt couldn’t imagine a man in his right mind breaking up with Kristen.

  “Yeah, when he gave me no other choice.”

  “What does that mean?” He was being pushy, but he couldn’t help himself. He needed to know if she had any residual feelings for the man who was clearly still in love with her. The ex had barely taken his eyes off Kristen.

  “I’d rather not get into that tonight,” she said, touching his arm. “Can we talk about something else?”

  The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable. “Sure. You pick the topic.”

  She reached for another glass of champagne, quietly thanking the waiter. “I don’t usually drink.” She looked into the glass of bubbly. “It’s too easy for one to lead to another and before you know it…” She shrugged. “You say or do something you shouldn’t and have to deal with the consequences.”

  Matt had seen alcohol lead to bad decisions too many times in his line of work, which was the reason he rarely over-indulged. He sensed Kristen wasn’t talking about mistakes she’d made. More than anything, he wanted to get to know the girl who’d seemed so out of reach in high school. He believed the reason he’d never forgotten Kristen after all these years was because she was one of the first women to teach him some people could look beneath the surface and get to know him for the man he was on the inside.

  “You look like you’re a million miles away,” Kristen said, her eyes softening from the champagne.

  “I was just thinking about how sweet you were to me in high school.” He looked at her and saw beneath the fancy dress and flawless makeup to the fresh-faced teenager whose image kept him awake at night. “You were my fantasy girl, you know.”