# Chapter 27: The Fake Accountant, the Drunken Dinner, and the Dog Named Robert
Hey there, lovely readers! Welcome back to another chapter review of *Searching For Someday* free digital audiobook. If you thought Slade and Kate’s battle of wills couldn’t get any messier, Chapter 27 proves it can—and it does so with steak, silk, sarcasm, too much wine, and a reveal at the front door that changes absolutely everything.
This chapter opens with Kate frozen in pure panic. Bob, one of Slade’s bosses, has just asked her a direct question about investments, and Kate doesn’t know a mutual fund from a checking account. She usually leaves the math and money stuff to Arilyn and her “geekness.” Slade tries to rescue her, smoothly saying they can talk about an appointment later, but Bob presses. Everyone at the table stares. Kate clears her throat, decides “the hell with it,” and starts bluffing like her life depends on it.
She claims she’s been pushing clients toward the stock market lately, saying there are plenty of risk factors that equal growth. Bob frowns, unimpressed, and says he just got slammed on some cash cows. He wants to know what she’s suggesting. Kate twists her napkin, reaches for calm, and then blurts out the most unexpected answer possible: matchmaking agencies.
Melody leans in, asking if she means the woman on Bravo with the reality TV show matching millionaires. Kate nods and runs with it. She says newer agencies are storming the market and will be the next big thing after social media. Travis grumbles about losing money on Facebook. Kate presses on: love is the biggest commodity people are searching for. People don’t have time to date or figure things out, and matchmaking agencies offer a personalized, affordable approach—way beyond eHarmony and internet sites. Bob is fascinated. He tells Slade he’s got a smart woman, and by Monday morning he’s going to look into it right after making an appointment. Kate beams.
Meanwhile, Slade is internally strangling her.
He keeps a tight grip on his calm, but under the storm that is Kate Seymour, his control is shaking ferociously. He ducks his head and focuses on his meal, trying to recollect his sanity. When he originally called Kate, he knew he was taking a big chance. He needed a date, and she owed him. Because of their business relationship, he thought she’d go along with the charade without a hitch. Oh, she went along all right. She went along so well that by Monday he is going to be in a shit storm of trouble.
Kate completely charms everyone at the table. Her razor wit and sarcasm, polished with humor, win over his bosses. The women who first stared at her with suspicion are soon laughing and open. She encourages them to ignore calories and drink with her, and by the end, Slade is sitting with slightly intoxicated women. He worries Bob and Travis might think she pushed too far, but they seem amused and delighted by their wives’ too-loud conversation and revelry.
Course after course of meat arrives in an endless march of vegetarian hell—pork, lamb, steak, and chicken, all sliced lean, piping hot, and so fresh Slade would swear the farm was in the backyard. Each customer gets a place card, and when it’s turned, the waiter swoops in to refill plates and drinks. Slade can’t believe Kate’s appetite. She roars through plates and flips her card until it becomes a running joke at the table.
His charade has completely backfired. Instead of fighting him, Kate throws herself into the role of accountant. She cites her fake famous father who ruled the courthouses and even promises Melody she’ll get her out of a speeding ticket. What the hell? How is he going to explain this week when Bob can’t find her office, and Melody has no idea what court judge to go to? His temper stretches through each course while Kate relaxes, eats, drinks, wrecks his life, and lies her way with enjoyment.
Yet he wants her. Badly.
From the moment she stepped out of the car and glided toward him with her usual frosty demeanor, Slade was smacked between the eyes like a punch from a bad slapstick comedy. She ruins him. The legs usually hidden behind her pantsuit are killer—sleek muscle and length, with high, sexy sandals whose straps crisscross up her ankle. The simple dress is subtle, which makes it the most seductive garment to a man’s gaze. The blinding blue draping silk moves with every step, highlighting the full curve of her breasts, the swing of her hips, the silhouette of her ass. Her shimmery blond hair hangs pin straight with long curves of bangs that play peekaboo with her sultry eyes. She is fire and ice, hot and cold, onyx and pearl.
Slade has been targeted for seduction by much more beautiful women—professional models, pampered socialites, surgically enhanced actresses. His occupation, looks, and wealth cast a wide net. But never has he felt completely coldcocked the way he did the first time he saw Kate. It’s more than looks. The moment he caught sight of her, a rocketing sexual energy flowed between them, refusing to be calmed. It’s as if the universe is forcing them together. Her taste haunts him: hot and sweet and melt-in-your-mouth spun sugar. Her feisty attitude challenges him, her humor entrances him, and he needs to dig deep until he solves the puzzle before him. Behind the shell is a shattering disappointment waiting to be discovered. He knows it, accepts it, and still needs to pursue the path until satisfied. It’s the only way to claim back his power—by reminding himself there is no such thing as perfection or a soul mate. For God’s sake, she smoked pot. And she had the nerve to deny it, wrinkling her nose like he was dirt under her feet and she was the Queen of Sheba.
He loves every minute of her brashness.
Kate jerks his body inside out, but it’s woven within her core. She has no idea of the sensual punch she gives out. In fact, she avoids him at all costs, not wanting to even play the game. That intrigues him more than anyone he’s ever met. For the first time, he is the pursuer, and old instincts spark to life beneath layers of civility: own, possess, mate, dominate.
Obviously, he craves the chase. So be it. Time to test her resolve not to get involved with him and see if he can change the verdict. Unless the mysterious Robert becomes a problem.
Irritation bristles his nerves. He needs details. His gut tells him they aren’t living together, though she is quick to throw Robert’s name out when threatened. The idea of her sleeping with someone else makes him want to howl at the moon and run around in circles. Quite primeval.
Slade lays out the rest of his plan for the evening. She may have started the game, but he is about to finish it. Her heavy drinking throughout the evening only confirms the trap she has set for herself. And if Robert is up waiting for her, perhaps they’ll have a chat.
Slade speaks up: “Darling, we’d better get going. It’s late and I’m sure you’re exhausted.” Kate catches his intent immediately and tosses him a cheeky grin. She says she’s actually having a wonderful time, must have caught her second wind, and asks if the ladies want another round. The women lift their glasses. Slightly drunken laughter spills from the table. Slade winks at his boss and plays the man card: as happy as he is that she’s having a wonderful time, he’s looking forward to getting her home. Now.
Her eyes widen slightly at his not-so-hidden meaning. Travis and Bob chuckle, shoot him knowing glances, and say they’ll join him—Slade has the right idea. He doesn’t wait for Kate to gain the upper hand. With deft, economical motions, he helps her into her fur coat and leads her out the door within the safety of his business crew. Good-byes are quick. They pick up his car from the garage. Kate remains silent beside him, and he takes advantage of her docile manner to get her safely buckled in and headed out of the city.
Finally, she speaks. “I didn’t appreciate the way you ended the evening,” she says, her voice holding the prim tone of a purebred snob. “Your comment was quite crude.”
He shakes his head. Funny, he didn’t appreciate her showing up high, getting his bosses’ wives drunk, and spinning an endless stream of lies at the table. Her head jerks around. Those baby blues fill with hot anger and something else—something he swears he’ll push toward the edge just to see what finally escapes. She insists she wasn’t high. She says that’s what he gets for being a bully. Besides, she did everything he wanted. She played his respectable accountant, the doting lover, and got them to relax. Too bad for him if he thought she’d be boring to boot.
Slade fires back that he asked her to pretend for a few hours, not live the role so his boss will wonder where her Park Avenue office is and Melody won’t show up for court because her nonexistent father is dropping the charges. Kate sniffs and says she was only doing what he ordered. No more, no less. Their agreement is now terminated, with his clauses fulfilled, and she doesn’t want to hear any further threats about lawsuits.
He glances at her. She seems in control, but her fingers twist in her lap like a gnarled tree branch. He agrees. Technically, she held up her part of the bargain. Then he asks, “So, how long have you and Robert been together?”
She stiffens. “A few years.”
“Does he live with you?”
“I’m your matchmaker and you have no need to know about my personal life.”
“Just curious. You seem worried about him being alone a lot. Does he keep you on a short leash?”
“No, I keep him on one.”
“Maybe that’s your problem. I wouldn’t make that mistake.”
She splutters and turns a shocked gaze toward him. She calls him outrageous. She says she wouldn’t let any man control her actions, especially him. Then she pauses: wait a minute. He never said in their session that he wanted a woman he could lead around. Has he changed his requirements? If so, she needs to make adjustments in his matches.
Ah, crap. He is officially nuts about her. The stubborn way she clings to business while her body shows all the signs of fighting physical attraction makes her even more desirable. She hunches into that fur jacket as if she could hide her hardened nipples. Instead, her rapid pulse and the way she squeezes her thighs together tell him all he needs to know.
“Let’s just say I’d change the rules for you,” he tells her. “You wouldn’t appreciate a man to walk all over. He’d need to be strong enough to stand up to you.”
He waits for her mouthy comeback, but her obvious surprise tells him his words intrigue her. Would she be greedy and demanding and vocal in bed? Or would she melt into his arms and be sweetly submissive to every dark, dirty command he wants to give her?
She stammers that they don’t have to worry about that. He’ll reschedule his date with Hannah and give it a valid chance. No disguised business dinners. Then she asks why they’re going on the bridge.
“I’m taking you home.”
“No! My car is parked at your house and I need it.”
He merges onto the Tappan Zee Bridge and speeds through the dark on a mission. He tells her she’s been drinking. He doesn’t know what type of man she pegged him for, but he doesn’t let a woman drive herself this late when she’s tipsy. He’ll arrange to get her car to her first thing tomorrow.
Her mouth opens, then shuts. “This is out of your way. You don’t know where I live.”
“Of course I do. Close to Kinnections in Verily.”
She bristles with indignation. “Stop nosing around in my life, counselor. You shouldn’t know these things.”
He drops his voice. “I disagree. And I intend to know a hell of a lot more by the end of the evening.”
She shudders, wraps her arms around her chest, and turns toward the window. Slade fights a smile.
They drive to her house in sulky silence. He’d done his research and has no problem navigating the twisty streets of Verily until he comes to the edge of town close to the water. The small bungalow seems to fit her. Even in the darkness, her home owns a slight quirkiness and strength he associates with her—crooked roof, cheerful yellow paint, postage-stamp yard with a big weeping willow dominating the front.
He doesn’t spot another car in the driveway as he eases to the curb, but the porch and living room lights are on. “Here we go. Safe and sound.”
She shoots out of the car like a bullet, spilling onto the sidewalk in a tangle of limbs. “Thanks for the ride, talk tomorrow.” She hurries up the front walk without a glance back.
Slade grins. He shuts the door, locks the car, and strides leisurely up the brick pathway.
She jerks her head around. “What are you doing?”
“Seeing you to the door. Can I use the bathroom, please?”
She narrows her gaze. He wonders what those ocean-blue eyes would look like during orgasm. “There’s a gas station around the corner.”
He lifts a brow. “You’re telling me I’m not allowed to come into your house to use the bathroom after driving you home? I’m also thirsty.”
“They sell bottled water.”
“Kate.” Her name shoots from his lips like a caress, though he intends it to sound like a warning. “Don’t make me beg.”
Her fingers clutch around the key, and a vicious curse sails past his ears. “Fine. Bathroom, water, and then you need to leave. I’m exhausted.”
“Thank you.”
She pushes the door open, and he walks inside.
Slade prepares to meet an irritated man with a bad temper and a thousand questions. His adrenaline spikes, ready for a confrontation. Ready for some solid answers about the woman who is beginning to wreak havoc with his sanity. But no one greets them. At least, no one human.
He catches sight of a blur of fur barreling forward and a joyous bark. Kate drops to her knees, lifts out her hands, and catches the creature within her embrace. She nuzzles his ears, coos in doggy sounds, and finally lays her forehead against the dog’s as if they share a secret, silent mental code.
Robert. Son of a bitch.
The initial anger quickly gives way to relief. There is no one else waiting on the sidelines for her. The final obstacle melts away and leaves him with one conclusion that will not be denied: Slade intends to claim her.
He studies the canine-human embrace and notices Robert’s back legs are lifeless. His launch toward his owner is completed on his belly, and his rear sags to the ground. Half pit bull, half some weird mix. Brown, spotted, with a broken ear, homely face, and an assortment of wicked scars, including a bald patch of fur right on his chest. The exposed skin still looks raw, though he bets it has healed as well as possible. Cage fight? Car? Dog battle? The possibilities are endless.
Slade always had an inclination toward dogs but never had the time to pursue the interest. This one has to be a hell of a lot of work, especially for a single business owner. He pegged Kate for a classic, low-maintenance Lab to go running with, not a dog so obviously needy.
A strange emotion tightens his chest as he watches the raw love on her face. She is always so guarded around him. He aches to be the man she looks at like that. Now where the hell did that thought come from?
“I’m sorry, baby,” she whispers into the dog’s ear. “Are you going to be able to pee? Or am I too late? Mommy did a bad thing and stayed way too long. I should’ve had Shelly check in on you.” With gentle, expert motions, she runs her hands down his flank, belly, and probes his bladder. “We have a shot, so let’s try. Wanna go out?”
Robert barks once.
“Okay, here we go.” She takes out a contraption that looks like a cart and quickly attaches the straps to his body. Robert waits with dignity, staring up at Slade with the assessing gaze Slade had expected her live-in boyfriend to exude.
And that is where Chapter 27 leaves us—with Slade standing in Kate’s home, the mystery of Robert solved, and a whole new kind of tension opening between them.
**Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating**
I absolutely adored this chapter. It is funny, tense, and surprisingly tender. Kate’s investment bluff turning into a full-blown matchmaking pitch was peak chaos, and Slade suffering through every second while also being helplessly attracted to her was delicious. The dinner scene balanced comedy with his growing obsession, and then the twist—Robert is not a boyfriend but a disabled, deeply loved dog—hit me right in the heart. It reframes Kate completely. She isn’t just sharp and guarded; she is caring, responsible, and vulnerable in ways Slade never expected. The chapter also deepens Slade’s pursuit, making him less of a smug businessman and more of a man emotionally snagged against his will. The ending is quiet, intimate, and powerful.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
**Next Chapter Prediction**
Next, I expect Slade to step fully into Kate’s private world. He’ll probably help her with Robert, maybe learn more about the dog’s condition and Kate’s past. That small act of care will crack Kate’s defenses, leading to a charged conversation, lingering glances, and possibly a near-kiss or an actual kiss. Kate will try to push him away by bringing up Hannah and their matchmaker-client boundary, but Slade has already decided he wants her. I also predict he’ll cancel or postpone the Hannah date, and Kate will be furious—yet secretly thrilled. The next chapter may bring emotional vulnerability, a surge of romantic tension, and the first real turning point in their enemies-to-lovers dynamic.
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