Page 20 of Lovers' Dance

“Therein lies the reason I’m going with you. I feel somewhat responsible for fuelling your current swirling behaviour.”

Matt paused in his movements to arch an eyebrow at Nathan. “Swirling?”

Nathan nodded. “I looked it up. The Americans call it swirling. Interracial mingling of the sexes. It’s a rather juvenile description, but you know what the Yanks are like.”

Matt waved it away as he grabbed his jacket and shrugged it on. “There’s no need for you to accompany me. In fact, I insist you don’t.”

Nathan let out a short bark of laughter. “I’m coming. Deal with it.”

Matt tried to stare down his friend. People usually ran away with their tails quivering between their legs when he used that stare. Nathan simply snorted and folded his arms.

“Is there nothing I can say or do to convince you otherwise?” Matt asked, resigned to his friend sticking his nose into his personal life.

“Nothing at all, Matt.”

“Fine,” he grated out. Briefcase in hand, he strode towards the door. “But if you do anything to ruin this, I will personally find a way to bankrupt you and your family.”

Nathan laughed as they both exited the room. “Honestly, I’m looking forward to this. I’ve not previously had any form of casual interaction with a bl—”

Matt cleared his throat loudly to stave off Nathan’s words, then said goodbye to his secretary as they walked down the hallway to the waiting elevators. Nathan tried to make small talk on the way down, but Matt ignored his attempts.

He was nervous. Embarrassingly nervous at seeing her again. How would she react? Had she forgotten about him? He pushed the thought aside. It was highly unlikely she had forgotten him. He’d rescued her in that alley. He was her knight. A little smile ghosted over his mouth as he remembered her letter, tucked away in his desk at home. Underneath his nervousness, a glimmer of excitement took root.

“What if she has a boyfriend?” Nathan suddenly asked. “I hadn’t thought to include a relationship check on the background search.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter, you’ll find a way around that.”

“Why are you coming again?” Matt asked tartly, not liking the possibility of another man holding her attention. He shook his head absent-mindedly. No, chances were she was single.

“Because I feel responsible,” Nathan reminded him. “I’ve been your wingman since the age of sixteen. It’s amusing watching you get women, quite similar to taking candy from a baby or a hostile takeover of a new company. On that note, have you spoken to your father about his newest target?”

Matt tapped his briefcase. “I’ll be going over the figures this weekend. Look, you don’t need to come with me.”

Nathan grinned, fixing his tie unnecessarily. “I’m going to assume your obvious reluctance for me to accompany you stems from your understandably inferiority complex where it concerns a man of my stature. She’ll take one look at me and swoon.”

Matt surveyed his friend. Not one strand of golden blonde hair out of place, blue eyes twinkling with mischief, straight nose tilted up as if he was constantly looking down upon some lesser being. Nathan was the same build as Matt, both obsessively athletic and maintaining their impressive physique, though they were closer to forty than thirty. Nathan’s dark grey business suit was frighteningly similar to Matt’s own. Expected, as both sported the Saville Row label. They could be brothers if it wasn’t for Matt’s raven black hair and icy grey eyes. Back before Nathan had settled down with Bella, they enjoyed playing the proverbial field. Women were one of the many vices they shared. It had earned them a reputation as formidable womanizers who left a trail of broken hearts in their wake. Then Nathan had met Bella and she had put an end to his friend’s debauchery. A smile curled up Matt’s mouth, remembering the night Bella had barged into a fancy soiree Matt had thrown and dragged an inebriated Nathan out, threatening physical harm to Matt’s person if he ever tried to lead her man astray. Nathan’s wild behaviour became tamed after that, and Matt was certain Bella had done worse than threaten Nathan once she’d gotten his drunk arse into her car.

“You were always delusional, Nathan. It is becoming more apparent the older you get,” Matt drawled.

Nathan rubbed his chin at that comment, a reflective look on his face. “Have you thought about what you’re doing? I mean, really thought about it?”

Matt avoided his friend’s frank appraisal as the elevator doors slid open. They strode out, unaware of the striking image they posed as they walked through the tastefully done lobby. The security opened the doors and they walked into the bright afternoon sunshine. Matt’s car was waiting. Rachel would have called down to let reception know he was on his way out.

“Here are your keys, sir.” The attendant who always brought his vehicle around from the private underground car park smiled politely at Matt as he opened the driver’s door of the Rolls-Royce. Matt gave him a distracted nod and slid behind the wheel of his latest luxury purchase. He tossed his briefcase onto the backseat and waited for Nathan to get in. There was a second when the urge to drive off without his friend seemed overwhelming, but it passed, and Nathan got in, then they were off. Traffic was murder, stop-start, stop-start, and Matt was losing his patience. He wanted to see her dance, not on a computer, but in front his eyes.

“Damn it,” he swore, hand hitting the horn. The driver in front responded with an extra-long blare from her car.

“Um, Matt.” Nathan finally lifted his head. He’d been immersed on his phone the past ten minutes.

“What?” Matt bit out bad-temperedly, tugging at his tie.

“The snap dance…why call it that? Couldn’t they have arrived at a better name?” Nathan mused, then saw Matt’s face and hurried over his words. “It’s in front of the palace. Not in the park. I checked the website.”

Matt groaned, then stretched his neck. God, he was tired. “The palace is close to Hyde Park. I’ll have to find somewhere else to park. Bloody hell, it’s a nightmare finding parking anywhere close to the palace.”

There was an unexpected opening up front and Matt put his foot down, cutting off two cars in the process, eager to make the next lights. If lady luck was on his side, he would make it. He would see her dance, then he would charm his way into her bed. Matt’s mind was made up, had been ever since that file had been in his possession. Madison would be his.

We were almost finished with our dance, a few more lifts and—

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