Read Online Perfectly Matched by Heather Webber - Free Book Online

and I are considering British Columbia .”
    “Lovely this time of year.”
    “Indeed.”
    We stared at each other for a long moment, and then he said, “I’ll have Suz cancel my appointments for the rest of the week.”
    “Already done.”
    His lips pressed into a thin hard line. “Then I suppose there’s nothing left for me to do but go and pack.” He snapped his fingers. “Oh, wait. There is one more thing.”
    I didn’t like the mischievous sparkle in his eyes.
    “What’s that?” I asked, already dreading the answer. No one won a battle with my father without casualties.
    “Why, evict Sean from my penthouse, of course.”
    My jaw dropped. Was he serious? “What? Why?”
    “You said Sam is vacating his home. It stands to reason that he’ll stay with Sean. And, Lucy Juliet Valentine, you’ve completely lost your mind if you think I’m going to let some arsonist burn down my five million dollar house. Sean has to go. Today. I’ll call Raphael—he’ll help Sean pack.”
    I pursed my lips.
    He cocked his head, narrowed puffy eyes, and smiled oh-so-slyly.
    And suddenly, I didn’t feel so bad about Ebbie anymore.
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    After leaving my gloating father to pack up anything Suz had missed, I left Ebbie in my office and went upstairs to see if Sean had returned yet.
    If possible, the third floor, which housed the SD Investigations offices, was hotter than hell itself.
    Not that I knew for certain.
    But I had a very good imagination.
    Andrew, SDI’s office assistant, sat behind his desk, holding a battery-operated water bottle fan with one hand, and a copy of a steamy romance novel with the other.
    I wasn’t sure if the fan was necessary because of the heat from the broken air-conditioner or from the book.
    Andrew wore a short-sleeved polo shirt and a pair of khaki dress shorts. His legs stuck out from beneath an antique table that served as his desk. He’d started working here months ago, shortly after a former receptionist had placed a hex on future replacements. Thankfully, he’d only been subjected to one hospital visit as a result before I’d fixed the matter.
    All had been fine since then. Except for the fact that Andrew, who was in his early twenties, still wasn’t very good at his job. Sam overlooked that because what Andrew didn’t know was made up for by his enthusiasm.
    A thick lock of hair dangled on his forehead as he looked up at me with wide eyes. “Hey, Lucy.”
    “Interesting reading you have there,” I said. Sun streamed in the front windows, highlighting the burnt orange walls, making them look like the glow cast from a campfire.
    Or maybe I just had fire on my mind.
    “Aren’t you usually a Dennis Lehane, Robert Parker kind of guy?” I added, noticing the boxes of files stacked near the door. They’d been busy packing up here, too.
    “Research,” he said.
    “Into what?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I wished I could reel them back in. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
    His already flush cheeks brightened to a fierce red. “I have a new girlfriend. I don’t want to screw it up.” He coughed. “I’m not the most…experienced guy. Don’t let that get around, okay?”
    I smiled. “Your secret’s safe with me. But are you really looking for tips from a romance novel?”
    “Where better?” he asked.
    He had a bit of a point. “Just remember—that book is fiction. Every relationship is different. And a lot of hard work.”
    “Yeah, yeah,” he said dismissively. His eyes were gleaming like he’d already gleaned many juicy pointers.
    “Is your new girlfriend anyone I know?”
    “I’m not sure. I met her at the Porcupine. She works there.”
    “Who? No!” I held up my hand. “Let me guess.” My mind spun through the options, finally landing on one girl in particular I could see him with. “Annabelle.”
    He shook his head. “Nope. She’s nice and all, but your dad said I should really ask out Grace. Since your dad scares me, I