Love Enough For Two (Love Inspired) Read Free Page A

heavy as he’d anticipated and he’d made good time.
    When he’d walked through the front door, the hostess had told him to sit wherever he wanted. Matt had chosen a table that afforded him a good view of the lobby. That way when his appointment arrived, he’d be able to spot her.
    Of course, it would help if he knew what she looked like. According to his dad, Stella was an attractive woman; blond and petite. Unfortunately his father didn’t recall ever meeting Elizabeth. The only thing he knew about Stella’s daughter was that she’d graduated from an Ivy League school, was about his age and owned a small antique store in downtown Santa Barbara called The Hope Chest.
    Matt had to smile. Running an antique store was the perfect job for an heiress who wanted to play at being a working woman. He dumped another packet of sugar into his iced tea and decided Elizabeth would probably end up being as flaky as her mother.
    “Excuse me?”
    A soft feminine voice jerked Matt from his reverie.
    “No more iced tea,” he said automatically, covering the top of his glass with his hand. “I’m fine.”
    He kept his gaze focused on the legal brief sitting on the table before him. The waitress had already told him her life story. She’d given him way more information than he wanted to know and Matt wasn’t eager to hear any more details.
    Silence greeted his words and he briefly wondered if he’d been too curt. Unfortunately, the cute little brunette had made it perfectly clear she was interested in more than taking his order and he didn’t want to encourage her. Besides, her constant hovering had begun to grate on his nerves.
    “Look, I’m—” He glanced up and the words died in his throat.
    The woman standing next to the table was blond, not brunette. She was several inches taller than the waitress and her razor-cut hair brushed her shoulders. Though few women could pull off the trendy disheveled look, the style suited the brown-eyed blonde. The hair framed a face that was a near-perfect oval. Her bone structure was delicately carved but with a hint of underlying strength. The tawny depths of her eyes reflected a keen intelligence and her jaw showed an independence of spirit.
    Matt had a vague sense he’d seen her somewhere before.
    “Mr. Dixon?” The woman held out her hand. Her voice was husky, low and undeniably alluring. “I’m Elizabeth Carlyle.”
    Matt pushed back his chair and stood, realizing only now that she was the woman from the storage room. The one he’d casually dismissed as just another clerk, a college student helping out for the summer. It had been an honest mistake, but a stupid one.
    If he’d bothered to take a second look, he’d have seen she was closer to his own age than he’d first thought. And she was blond, just like her mother.
    He smiled appreciatively, deciding this meeting might not be so bad, after all. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Carlyle. But, please, call me Matt.”
    His gaze captured hers. He took her hand and held it, mesmerized by the beauty of her eyes. He was mere inches away from her, and he could see tiny flecks of gold and green mixed in with the mocha-latte brown. Her pupils were surrounded by a tiny ring of gold.
    You have beautiful eyes.
    Matt wasn’t sure if he’d uttered the words or merely thought them. He only knew he’d never been more sincere. The sounds in the room faded to a distant murmur. They were in a public place but it was as if they were alone, connected by an intangible web of electricity.
    Her lips parted and he could see the pulse fluttering in her neck. He had a sudden urge to pull her into his arms, lower his mouth and kiss…
    “I thought you might like to see a list of today’s specials.” The waitress materialized out of nowhere, reaching around Elizabeth and slapping the sheet of paper on the table.
    Matt gritted his teeth and shot the girl a piercing glance. One that told her he knew exactly what she was up to and didn’t like