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Ruth’s eyes stayed on her papers as she walked slowly down the hallway. “Yeah, I… I looked at the data and discovered that the three most common criteria for perceived successful matches were astrological signs, physical traits, and shared interests. So, I’ve been curating match profiles for my clients with these three choices and three different candidates that match each of them. That’s not to say that those criteria make for lasting or statistically significant matches long-term, but those are the criteria clientsthinkthey want.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Ruth, that’s brilliant.”

“Oh, well,” Ruth looked up finally, and her misty blue eyes locked onto mine. “It was just… data.”

“You’re using your strengths,” I pointed out, following her down the hall to where I knew her tiny office was, tucked in the back.

She limped stiffly and shrugged one shoulder. “I suppose I am. I’m really glad to see it's working.”

I hooked my arm around her waist, letting her put some of her weight against me as she made her way slowly past glass-paneled meeting rooms and offices. “Determination and perseverance are definitely a turn-on.”

“Because I’m your type?” Ruth taunted with a side glance.

Cheeky. “Yes, you are,” I said with a half-smile.

She sighed, stiffening. “Sure.”

I opened the door for her, but as soon as she was inside, I trapped her against the wall. She sucked in a surprised breath as I bent to whisper a kiss along her jaw. I flattened my hand against the small of her back, pressing her to my body. “Is there a reason you’re keeping me at arms-length?”

She melted into me, angling her head to give me better access. With some difficulty, she admitted, “I think there is a reason, but I don’t know what it is.”

I smiled as I moved my lips from her jaw to her mouth. “That was a very scientific answer.”

She groaned, fisting my already wrinkled shirt in her hands. “There’s nothing scientific about what you’re doing to me.”

“There is,” I disagreed seriously. “It’s called hormones.”

She laughed softly. With a shy glance from my lips to my eyes, she pushed up onto her tiptoes and kissed me softly. I pulled her closer, wrapping both my arms around her soft body and feeling the same sense of satisfaction I got from an early morning cup of coffee. I wanted to consume every delicious drop of Ruth she was willing to feed me.

When she pulled away, I skimmed the curve of her neck withmy knuckles. “What’s with the block party?”

She groaned, and leaning away from me, she let her head fall back against the cream-colored wall. “It’s a summer company party, but we invited the whole building to ‘collaborate’ and make it a bigger event. We rented the park across the street.”

“And is this something you might have asked your husband to attend?” I asked softly.

Ruth refused to meet my gaze. “Maybe.”

“You are sostubborn, Coldwell. It’s okay to ask for favors, you know.” I cupped her face with both my hands until she met my stare. “And besides, I want to go. If you’re there, then I’m in.”

“Really?” She covered my hands with hers like she didn’t want me to move them. “You’re not just saying that because you—because I’m going with you tomorrow night?”

“No,” I assured her honestly. “I’m not. I want to go.” I kissed her forehead. “Stop worrying so much. Do you remember when I brought you home from the bar that first time?”

She grimaced. “You keep reminding me. How could I forget?”

I moved my hands to her bare arms, skimming them up and down soothingly. “You told me about a time someone shut the door on you and locked you out. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I’m not going to do that. I’m an open door, and you can walk right in and get comfy, Shortstop.”

Her lips trembled, and she pushed at her glasses, looking down. “Oh.”

“Oh,” I echoed with another smile before pulling her into abear hug that let her bury her face in my chest. “What happened to caring about my ego, hm?’

“You’re fantastic,” she grumbled into my chest.

I chuckled, releasing her. “Thank you. I feel so much better.”

Ruth stepped away, pulling her backpack off her shoulders to set it on her tidy desk. With an uncertain glance, she asked, “So, you’re going to this party thing, huh? It’s next weekend.”

“Definitely,” I said with a dip of my chin.