Jonah Randall drained his beer and slid off his stool, preparing to leave the Valentine’s Day event he’d been dragged to. He’d had enough of polite conversation with the women here tonight. After his recent health scare, he was no longer interested in casual hook-ups or one-night stands. He wanted to find someone special, someone who liked his geeky side and not just his massive bank account.

And then he saw her. With her pretty smile, slim build and dark brown eyes, he and his libido took notice. Unlike the other women he’d chatted with that night, she wasn’t overly made up and had that girl-next-door look.

She seemed to be searching for a friend. He took that as an opportunity to meet her.

He pushed his way through the crowd till he stood in front of her. “I’m Jonah. May I buy you a drink?” He gave her his most charming smile.

“The drinks are free tonight, and I’m waiting for someone.” She looked around the busy room.

“We can wait at the bar for your friend,” he said, guiding her by the elbow to the bar stools. “What can I get you?”

“A dry white wine would be great, thank you,” she said.

He ordered the drinks and kept looking at her to ensure he hadn’t made a mistake. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen and he was totally drawn to her. She was not wearing much makeup, nor had she chosen a revealing dress like many of the other women at the event, but she appeared comfortable in her more casual outfit of tailored black pants and an emerald green halter-neck top. Wearing flat shoes, she was tall enough to reach his shoulders, which he liked.

“I should thank you for talking to me. These events are not really for me,” she confessed in a low voice.

“Me either. In fact, I only came here because of my brother,” he said.

“I’m Kaylah,” she said, extending her hand to him.

“Jonah, as you know,” he said. “Tell me about yourself.”

“It’s complicated,” she said. A crinkle creased her forehead, but her lips twitched with a smile. “Why don’t you tell me what you do.”

“I develop and create apps,” he said, happy to share.

She clapped her hands with delight. “I love apps. Do I know any that you’ve created?”

He mentioned a couple that was extremely popular with the twenty-something crowd and another which had gone viral around the world with teens. “I also created, OrganiseU.” It was the app that he was most proud of but had been the precipice of the downfall in his health. The irony that an app about creating balance in your life had resulted in him being rushed to the hospital was not lost on him.

Her eyes widened with surprise. “Wow, that’s amazing, I can’t believe you created OrganiseU. It’s my favourite app.” She pulled her mobile phone from her purse, turning it on and showing him that she truly did use it. “It’s so clever that you can separate your to-do list for home and work. I use it all the time,” she said with excitement and genuine admiration in her voice. Popping her mobile back into her purse, she lifted her glass. “Cheers to the next app you create,” she said before sipping her wine.

They chatted about the apps, how he’d come to create them and the complexities he took with security.

“What are you working on now?” she asked.

“I’m actually taking a break from work,” he confessed. “I’ve pushed myself too hard over the past few years, so I’m trying to slow down and am doing some charity work.” That was true, but he didn’t want to confess that he’d been rushed to emergency with a suspected heart attack after living on a diet that included mostly caffeine, sugar and very little sleep.

“What charity?” she asked before finishing her drink.

“Can I get you another?” He pointed to her glass.

She lifted her hand, palm facing him. “I wouldn’t mind a lime and soda. It’s very warm in here.”

He ordered the drink before turning to face her. “I’m not sure yet, but I’ve been speaking with a friend about fixing old computers and donating them to underprivileged children.”

“That’s not only a fab idea, it’s also environmentally brilliant.” Her smile widened and she appeared genuinely interested in him.

He felt a connection he’d never experienced before. They’d been chatting for around fifteen minutes, and there was something about Kaylah that made him want to tell her everything, and then tell her how beautiful she was, and how he wanted her to leave with him so he could take her out for dinner instead of sitting at a bar surrounded by a bunch of wannabes.

Not that he was going to do that. She’d probably think he was some lunatic. Instead, he asked her more questions, interested to know about her. “Tell me what you do?”

“I don’t have a job title as such, but I create lifestyle hacks, record them and upload to social media,” she explained.

“You’re a hacker?” he asked with a mischievous smile.

She punched his arm. “You could say that,” she added. “I find things and put them together in a way that they were not supposed to be.”

He felt his forehead crinkle. “I don’t get it.”

She lifted her mobile phone and after a few taps, she showed him a photograph of her looking fantastic in a 1920s flapper outfit. “This getup cost me twenty-five dollars,” she said with pride, and a delicate flush made her cheeks rosy.

“Do you source items from thrift shops?” His gaze took in the outfit she’d created; it looked professionally created.

“No, that’s the beauty of my work. Anyone can copy me as the items are easy to find and affordable.” She pointed to the screen, “I found two pretty skirts.” She mentioned the name of one of Australia’s chain stores that specialised in cheap, family-friendly items. “That dress is actually me wearing two skirts. I bought some costume jewellery, fashioned the headpiece from ribbon and feathers, and there you go.”

“I’m impressed,” he said, taking another look at her in an outfit that could only be described as show-stopping.

“That’s what I do. I find items and create hacks.” She paused. “Today I cut up a pair of old leggings and made them into a sports top.”

“Seriously?” He rubbed his chin, trying to imagine how she’d done that.

“Yep.” She swiped across her screen, displaying her in a sports top that highlighted her lean body.

He’d never believed in love at first sight or any of that mush he’d heard about. A couple of his mates had ditched their bachelor ways once they’d met the woman of their dreams, as they’d sincerely announced. And until this moment, he couldn’t believe them and truly thought they were exaggerating.

But if there was a Bible handy, he would’ve been happy to place his hand on it and tell everyone in the crowded pub that he’d met the woman he wanted to marry and had every intention of never letting go. She was his other half, his soul mate or whatever word romantics wanted to use. But in the short time they’d been chatting, he knew this was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

Not only gorgeous, she was smart and interesting. He was almost thirty years old and had met enough women over the years to know she was the one. He’d never had a connection, ever, like he was having with Kaylah.

He wanted to leave and spend time with her, talk with her, ask her more about her work, find out what her favourite song was and if she liked sci-fi movies like him.

This was it. This was what the doctors had been talking about when they’d told him to slow down so he could live another fifty years. It was all so he could find the woman he wanted to be with, have children with, and grow old with.

And here she was. He’d found her in the most unlikely place of all, at a Valentine’s Day singles’ meet-and-greet that his brother Felix had organised.

He really needed to find Felix and thank him. Without him, he’d never have found Kaylah.

His heart lifted, still unable to believe his luck. He glanced at his watch, “Can I take you out for dinner?”

She shook her head. “I’m supposed to be meeting my—”

“Your friend will understand,” he said with some gentle insistence. He wanted to be alone with Kaylah, to spend time getting to know her more. He slid away from the bar and held his hand out to her.

She shook her head. “I can’t just leave.”

“Send your friend a text that you’re going out with someone else. They’ll understand,” he said, trying to remove any barriers between them.

A hand clapped his shoulder and he turned to see his older brother standing behind him. He gave him a warm but manly hug. “You’ve done a good job tonight,” he said. Felix was good at everything and had organised the night’s event in between working as an event coordinator and charming women out of their panties. Fit, healthy and oozing charisma, everyone always gravitated to Felix. If he didn’t love his brother so much, he’d be jealous of him.

“Thanks, man,” he clapped his brother’s back. “And I see you’ve met Kaylah.”

Felix moved away from his brother towards her. A spike of jealousy hit him in the solar plexus and he said a short prayer that she wouldn’t fall for his brother’s rugged handsomeness and smooth words.

He loved his brother, but he didn’t want him anywhere near Kaylah till he could cement things between them.

He wanted to pull Felix aside and tell him he could have any woman in this room, just not Kaylah.

Couldn’t he just have some alone-time with her? How could he get to know her better with his big brother standing there?

Felix put his arm around Kaylah, and Jonah felt his throat constrict. He wanted to scream and tell Felix to leave her and find someone else to flirt with.

Immobilised, he watched as his brother brushed his mouth against hers.

Swallowing an expletive, his fists balled and for the first time in thirty years, he wanted to punch his brother.

Jonah’s eyes widened as Felix gathered Kaylah in his arms. “Hey babe, you’re looking good tonight,” he kissed her neck. “Thanks for keeping Kaylah company while I was dealing with an issue with the music.”

“Felix, if you’d introduced me to your family sooner, I might’ve realised I’d been talking to your brother for the last twenty minutes,” she teased him.

“We’ve been together less than a month, just so you know, I don’t do serious straight away.” Felix gave her one of his dazzling smiles that made women blush.

It seemed to work on Kaylah who smiled back at him. “I’ll have to ask Jonah how often you introduce women to your family.”

Standing next to them, watching the banter, was akin to watching a train crash.

“Kaylah’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m taking her to meet Mum and Dad this Sunday night. I had hoped you’d be there, too, of course. ”

And just like that, Jonah was sure that he was going to have another heart attack as the image of the domestic bliss he’d just imagined with him and Kaylah crumbled away. His happily-ever-after would never happen and instead, he’d have to watch his brother be with the woman he wanted.

Could life be any worse? He’d lost his health, and now he’d lost Kaylah.

Felix had never taken any woman to meet his parents, so obviously she was the one for him.

He swore then spun on his heel and walked out of the pub and into the warm air in an effort to leave. He’d been rude and obnoxious, but it didn’t matter because his life had fallen apart and all he wanted to do was get away.