Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

“You mean for Charles to just hear you eat?” Willow’s eyes narrow slightly and her lips twitch.

“You knew?” I gasp.

“Daze, I’m not that stupid or romantically challenged. Every time Dave is here, his phone is on the table and Charles has his pressed against his ear.” My friend leaves her spot on the couch and joins me by the table. “It’s actually romantic, though a bit psycho, if you ask me.”

“I think he knows I know.”

“Of course he does. Who in their sane mind talks to their bodyguard for one full hour about how hard it is to sleep these days? Charles must have given Dave a nice raise. That bodyguard is playing the best Cupid one could ask for.” Willow has just said the words when the doorbell rings. “And here comes our Cupid extraordinaire now.”

“Hi, Dave.” Willow opens the door, waving at the bodyguard before settling on the chair across from me at the table. “What do we have for Daisy today?”

Dave’s smile only widens as he takes a seat beside me. “In addition to breakfast, some books.” He hoists a shopping bag from my favorite local bookstore.

“Great minds think alike.” Willow grins. “Daisy brought out her pregnancy books to show you.”

Smooth, girl. Now I don’t even need an introduction.

“Just a few books I’m reading these days.” As I go around, reading to Dave (in reality to Charles) some of my favorite highlighted passages from my favorite books, Dave’s phone vibrates and I go silent.

Is it Charles?

But he has always been a quiet participant of our meetings.

“Have you read Emily Oster’s books, Daisy?” Dave doesn’t even hide his broad grin or the text from Charles as he places his phone on the table.

How does Charles know about pregnancy books? Is he reading them as well?

Before my heart can explode with emotion and I turn into a blubbering idiot, I reply, “Of course. Right now, I’m reading Expecting Better.”

Dave doesn’t reply and stares at his phone, like me and Willow.

“That’s a good choice.” He repeats Charles’ words like a parrot. The best parrot in a black suit.

My emotions take a new flight, hope surging inside me after being absent for so long.

“Have you by any chance heard of Adam Camp?” I ask in a quivering voice, but when Dave and Willow stare at me in confusion, I explain. “He writes pregnancy books for dads.”

This time when Dave’s phone chimes, he grabs it fast.

“I’m reading We’re Pregnant,” he replies in shock as if he can’t hear his own words.

But could anyone blame him?

Charles Hawthorne is reading a pregnancy handbook for first-time dads.

My mind is still swirling with thoughts.

Charles, the man who can have Michelin-star chefs cook for him every day, going into the kitchen and cooking—that I can imagine.

Charles, the man who thinks there’s no bigger currency than time, sitting in a car, listening to me go on and on about the pain in my back and feet—that I can maybe get on board with.

But Charles, someone who has forever been scared of the idea of being a dad, reading pregnancy dad books—that’s everything I need to break the dam of my emotions.

Maybe Dave sees the emotion on my face, because he slowly shakes his head and says instead, “Before I leave, I have to give you something.”

I nod as he slides a small lavender-colored bedtime storybook onto the table. My hands tremble as I flip over the hardcover and my heart once again ricochets at the sight of Charles’ handwriting.

Our tiny blip.