a dash of heat.” She licked her lips and Matthew’s body went hard all over. What the hell was wrong with all these men on the Meet Cute app? Aubree was a man’s wet dream. She was curvy, fucking gorgeous, smart, and most importantly, she was real and approachable. It was rare in attractive women. Most beautiful women he knew were guarded. They were used to people preying on them for their looks, so they tended to lock down their hearts and act more reserved. Aubree was much more open.
“I really like this.” She drank another sip. “How did you end up a bartender?”
Matthew could hear her curiosity. “I love making drinks. I love helping people who might need a friend.”
He didn’t tell her that he was a part owner of this bar. He wanted her to see him for who he was: a man who like to serve drinks. If being a bartender wasn’t enough, then he knew what kind of person she was.
“So, you followed your passion. I like that,” Aubree said after another drink of her cocktail.
“Exactly.” From the corner of his eye, he saw a man waiting for him at the end of the bar. “Hang on.” He left her, hoping this time she’d be there when he returned, and saw to the other customer. He didn’t dare look back at her, but the heat across his skin made him think she was watching him as he poured and served. When he finally turned toward her, she was finishing the drink he’d made her.
“Thanks, Matthew. You made tonight much better.” She smiled at him and for a second, he forgot how to breathe.
“You’re leaving?” Matthew knew he sounded like a hopeful kid and not a grown man in his mid-thirties.
“Yeah, I’m calling it a night. I only live a block away, but I don’t want to be too inebriated to walk home.”
“Let me call you a taxi,” he offered instantly. It was a common thing to call for a cab when a customer had a little too much to drink.
“Thanks, but I’ll be all right.” She pulled on a knee-length elegant red cashmere coat. “I like walking in the snow. It’s kind of nice with all the quiet and the way it muffles sounds—even the traffic.” Her face reddened again. It was clear she wasn’t used to talking about how things made her feel, at least not to strangers.
“Me too.” he said quietly as their eyes met. “About the snow. It’s nice. Like walking in an empty church. There’s a solemn reverence.”
“Yes, exactly.” Aubree looked down at her feet and back up to him. “Well… I should get going. I’m sure I’ll see you later.”
“I hope so. Bring any more bad dates here and drinks are on the house.” He flashed her a smile and she grinned back.
“It’s a deal.”
When she walked away, Matthew felt as though she’d ripped off a small piece of him and was carrying it away in her hands.
Fuck, he was falling for this woman he barely knew. He glanced at his phone and suddenly had an idea. He opened the phone and searched the app store until he saw the Meet Cute app. He downloaded it and hit the “Create Account” button, then he searched until he found her profile.
He couldn’t stop smiling. This was going to be fun.
3
The French Kiss
Three days later…
It was a bit after eight PM when Aubree’s phone beeped. The little heart shape on her screen meant she had a Meet Cute notification. She opened the app.
“Vesper1 has sent you a hanky-panky challenge,” She read aloud.
Aubree snuggled deeper into her couch and pulled her cup of hot peppermint tea toward her. She tapped on the question mark icon next to the words hanky-panky to read more about what it was.
“A hanky-panky challenge is a steamy challenge issued by one user to another. The challenge can be completed in person or online with whoever the user receiving the challenge chooses. The user can ignore challenges or accept them.”
“Huh…” Aubree hit the button to read the challenge.
“Vesper1 challenges you to French kiss a stranger with an accent.”
It was kind of cute; she had to admit she liked the idea. Maybe because the first guy she thought of was Matthew, the hot Aussie bartender. Aubree stared at the screen for a long moment with her heart racing wildly as she considered if she should accept or not.
“Oh, what the hell.” She hit the green accept challenge button. Little kisses flew