The Matchup

by Alice Ward

  As I looked around, I saw men eyeing her. A few looked envious of me. More than a few looked cockily at her, waiting for me to leave her alone for a brief moment so they could steal her away.

  Not a chance, boys. She’s all mine.

  When the song ended, neither of us seemed to want to let the other go, and no way in hell would I be the one to let go first. She sighed and pulled away. “I’d love a glass of wine now.”

  Not letting her hand go, I led her back to the table. “I’ll find us a good bottle.” Pulling her chair out, she took her seat. We both seemed to be in a bit of a daze. “Now, don’t you go running off on me.”

  That sly smile was back. “Not a chance. And try not to run off with any of the random women who’re hovering around the bar, waiting to take you away from me.”

  I made my way to the bar and watched various men’s eyes go toward my girl.

  Listen to me. My girl.

  But that was how I was already thinking. Any man would find me standing in his way if he made a move on Sloane. As ridiculous as it might seem, I knew she was special. Even though we’d only talked a little to one another, I knew there was something about her. Something I wanted to explore much further.

  And I thought she might like to explore things further with me too.

  CHAPTER SIX

  Sloane

  With a fresh Mai Tai in one hand and a dark red wine in the other, Zane came back to me, just as my rabbit and his date were getting up and walking away from the little bar.

  I needed to follow them, using Zane as my cover. It was time to do a little fancy footwork myself as he approached me with a sexy smile on his handsome face. “For my lady.” He placed the drink in my hand, and I stood, making that smile turn upside down. “Leaving?”

  Placing my hand in the crook of his arm, I shook my head. “How about we enjoy these outside? I need to stretch my legs a bit more after the long flight.”

  “Let’s go.” He began to lead me the wrong direction.

  Stopping him, I found something that looked interesting in the other direction. “Isn’t that tree oddly shaped? Let’s go this way.”

  He shrugged. “Any way you want, baby.”

  It was evident I could lead him around for a while. Eventually, though, if I wanted to keep using him, I’d have to give in to him. Not that it would upset me one bit. But the idea of hurting the man when I ditched him was a little upsetting.

  A salty breeze took my senses to new heights. The way the waves gently washed ashore made the scene picturesque, and it was hard to keep in mind that I was not on vacation in the island paradise. I cut my eyes to make sure Smith was still in front of us.

  “That speedboat ride from the airport was something else, huh?” I sipped my wine, waiting for his take on the thrilling ride that brought everyone to the island.

  “I thought it was fun.” He let my hand go to move his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “Maybe we should take a ride tomorrow.”

  I liked the fact he was trying to set up a date for the next day. But I knew I had to play hard to get, at least a bit. “Tomorrow? I don’t know.”

  His chuckle was deep, smooth, and confident. “Okay. Here’s the part where you and I get to know one another. That way you won’t feel like you’re hanging out with a stranger all the time. I’ll let you go first. What is this job you’ve been working so hard on?”

  I already had my cover drilled into my brain.

  “I’m a freelance photojournalist. I’ve been working in Afghanistan for the last six months.” It was my usual cover that came complete with a website to make it believable. “My equipment was shipped home to Queens, and I got on a flight to paradise so I could forget about the hell I had to live in for half a year.”

  He had stopped walking and looked at me, mouth nearly agape. “Shit. That’s dangerous as hell. Wow.”

  I got us started walking again, keeping Smith in my sights. “Yes, it was pretty intense at times, and I’d rather not talk much about that if you don’t mind. I saw more than I cared to. I’d like to think nothing more about it all and just relax.”

  He stopped again and turned me in his arms. “I won’t bring it up at all. I get it. You’re remarkable. I bet you hear that all the time though.”

  He was wrong. All I seemed to hear lately was how much harder I needed to work, that good wasn’t enough. The pressure to survive being a rookie in the FBI was incredible. “Nah, you’re the first.” I playfully hit him in the chest, my fist landing on the rock-hard surface.

  Oh, those muscles.

  He was such a fine specimen, it kept making me wish we’d met under normal circumstances, and I didn’t have to fill him full of shit about myself.

  “So, you live in Queens, but you must travel a lot with your job.” He seemed excited about that as he let me go and took my hand.

  “I do travel very often. I’m hardly ever home.” That part was true. I hardly ever got to my parents’ home in Queens. But my real apartment was in DC, a thing Zane couldn’t know.

  “I travel often too.” He smiled at me as he gave me a sideways glance. “Maybe you and I could become travel buddies.”

  “One never knows.” But I knew we could never be anything more than what we could fit into the days I was on the island.

  A loud giggle caught my attention, and I looked ahead to see Smith and his girlfriend playing in the surf. Zane caught me staring. “Do you know them?”

  I feigned ignorance. “Know who?”

  He shook his head and kept walking. “Never mind.”

  We walked farther down, and I spotted a sweet double swing. “Want to sit and enjoy the view.” My white-haired target was just within sight.

  “Sure.”

  As I settled into the cushions, I allowed myself a moment to take the environment in. It truly was beautiful. As was the man who had nestled me into the crook of his arm.

  “What do you do when you aren’t living in paradise?”

  His nose wrinkled. “I’m part of a candy company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.”

  He wasn’t like any man I’d ever met. Ask a man a question about his job and be prepared to spend at least half an hour as he told you how the world wouldn’t be turning if it weren’t for his job. Or it might be how he was the hardest worker in his company, but no one saw that. Whichever way it went, it usually went on and on until I wanted to pull my gun out and shoot something.

  I was sincerely curious now. “Do you like Scranton? Is your family from there?”

  “Yeah.” That was it. One damn word.

  “Yeah, you live there? Yeah, you like it? Yeah, your family lives there?” I was perplexed.

  He lifted a shoulder and continued to stare out at the sea. “Yeah to all three. How about you? Do you like where you live? I mean, I know you’re hardly there. Is that because you hate it there or because you have a passion for taking pictures?”

  “I’m hardly ever home because my work takes me away.” I wasn’t a naturally great photographer, and I’d had to work my ass off to get good enough for the cover to work. Being artistic was kind of hard to fake. Taking pics wasn’t a passion at all. But I had to act as if it was. “But I love my work. I’d take pictures even if no one paid me to do it. But I leave my equipment home when I take time off, on purpose. If I have my camera around, then I’ll go into that mode and never just relax. You know what I mean?”

  “I got ya.” He took my empty glass from my hand, and set it beside his on the sand. “Looks like we’re in the perfect spot to watch the sunset.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Smith and his girl sitting on the sand. Most likely waiting to see the sunset too. “That sounds nice.”

  Zane pulled me closer and our fingers wove together. “It’s really spectacular here. We’re so close to the equator, everything is bigger and better.”

  That surge of electricity was back, and it made me smile and duck my head so he wouldn’t see how much he affected me.

  My f
irst impression of Zane was one of a womanizing jerk. He wasn’t being that with me. He was a charming man with a romantic side that I didn’t see coming.

  It was going to be hard to keep things in perspective where he was concerned.

  “You’re not like I thought you’d be, Zane Boyd.”

  “Yeah, I bet. Sorry about that first impression. I must have looked like a dick.” He chuckled again, making my heart flip as I looked at him.

  I turned my head to look out at the sun that was melting into the Indian Ocean. “I can see why people used to think the world was flat. It sure looks like it from here, doesn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it does. And have you ever seen the colors the sun and water make? God, it’s gorgeous.”

  I wish I could’ve taken my eyes off him to see that, but I just couldn’t. He was the perfect man. Hot, sensual, and it seemed he had a bit of a sensitive side to him as well.

  Damn, if I could be real with him, it’d be like hitting the jackpot.

  But I couldn’t, so I turned my head and watched the sun paint the sky with a dazzling array of pinks and oranges. “Goodbye, sun,” I murmured as the last arc of the red globe disappeared.

  Giving the rabbit one quick sideways glance, I found he was making out with his girl and had her flat on her back on the sand. With a scan of the area, I found a number of couples kissing as if the sunset had started fires in them all.

  When my eyes came around to Zane, I found him looking at me, those sea green eyes exploring my face. “Hungry?”

  I was starving.

  For his attention. His touch. His…

  I could get lost in those eyes. Zane’s arms could hold me forever. My lips ached to feel his pressed against them. Against my breasts, my…

  I looked back to the ocean and closed my eyes as the breeze combined with the sounds of the night insects and animals, lulling me into a mystical trance. Or was it Zane’s proximity? Both?

  It was hard to tell.

  He was just a cover, I told myself.

  “I’m not hungry.”

  In one gentle motion, I was on his lap, and his hands were on my shoulders, kneading the tight muscles there. “You have to eat. You don’t want to waste away here, do you?”

  The way he was massaging my shoulders was mind-altering. Like the best kind of drug. I was losing all hope of keeping my head straight with the man. He knew how to hit all the right buttons with me.

  My shoulders were the gateway to my inner goddess. If he dared to kiss my neck, she’d be released and… who knew what would happen then. Maybe he’d be on his back on the sand, and I’d be devouring him for dinner.

  I looked up and found him looking down at me. “You’re right. Where should we eat?”

  He didn’t answer. He seemed frozen beneath me. All hard muscle and… oh.

  I shifted, and he groaned as his cock hardened further under my ass. “Who are you?” he whispered.

  My lips parted. Only one kiss. That was all I needed to get my head straight. He couldn’t be that good at everything, could he?

  His lips came closer, and I licked mine in anticipation. Behind the roaring of blood in my ears, there was a giggle. No, many giggles. “Zane, is that you?”

  He groaned as I turned to see the three beauties from earlier. I gave Zane a flat look. “Your harem is waiting, master.”

  The spell had been broken.

  Thankfully.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Zane

  Talk about bad timing.

  The girls’ giggles were like fingernails down the chalkboard of my brain as they came closer. Sloane tried to wiggle off my lap, but I held her to me. No way in hell was I letting her slip away.

  The redhead, Satin, if I remembered correctly, had a huge smile plastered on her face. “Do we have a new girl joining the party?”

  Sloane elbowed me in the gut, causing me to let go just enough for her to push away. She waved a hand in my direction. “No. He’s all yours, girls.”

  Still gasping for breath, I leapt from the swing and caught Sloane by the shoulders. “No, I’m not all theirs.” I turned my attention to the girls. “This is my new friend, Sloane. She and I are going to dinner. Alone.”

  With a jerk, Sloane shook my hands off and turned to face me with a scowl on her pretty face. Even that was cute. “Don’t let me ruin your fun. Please, feel free to go with your friends. I can find my own way home.”

  Right on cue, I found the three women flocking around me. Bethany rubbed her tits against my arm as she wound her body around mine. “Come on, Zane. She doesn’t want to play with you, but we do.”

  With a huff, Sloane turned and walked away. I hurried to peel the girls off me. “Ladies, I have other plans for tonight, and you three are kind of getting in the way. Sorry to ruin your plans, but I have to go.”

  Dismay filled their expressions as I hurried after Sloane. Catching up to her, I draped my arm over her shoulders. “Way to leave me to the wolves.”

  She snorted and shrugged away from my arm. Her pace quickened, and I found it utterly adorable.

  Keeping up with her, I wasn’t about to let her get away. “You seem jealous.”

  Sand flew through the air with her sudden stop, and my words earned me a glare. Even with eyes blazing, she was still sexy as hell. “Jealous? I don’t even know you. How could I be jealous?”

  “I don’t know, but that’s what it looks like to me.” Her hair was blowing in her face, so I reached out to push it back, tucking it behind her ear. “You’re cute when you’re jealous, by the way.”

  “Ughh!” She stomped her little foot. “I’m not jealous!”

  “Just because you shout it, doesn’t make it true.” I slid my arm around her waist and pulled her to me so fast she didn’t have time to react. Her body, flush with mine, melted in my arms. Her lips parted as she looked up at me. “I think we should get this first kiss out of the way.”

  Though her body language was telling me to go for it, her words were quite different. “If you dare kiss me right now, I’ll bite your tongue off. Now, let me go before I knee you in the nads.”

  I let her go because if her knee was worse than her elbow, I’d be down for the count. “Can we clean slate again and go have dinner?”

  She took in a deep breath but didn’t respond.

  “Come on. We were ambushed back there. How was I to blame for that happening?”

  Her shoulders relaxed, and she turned back to the sea. Her eyes widened for a moment as she looked up and down the beach. Then she stiffened further and stepped into my arms so suddenly it caught me by surprise. “You’re right. I overreacted.”

  What was up with her?

  She pressed her head to my chest as Colonel Sanders and his date passed by us. “Let’s get dinner brought to the bungalow,” the old dude said, patting the woman’s ass.

  When they were gone, Sloane stepped away and pushed her hair back from her face. “I have to go. I’m feeling tired. I’m going to my room.”

  What the fuck was going on?

  I grabbed her arm. “Are you okay?”

  Her smile was bright. Too bright. “Yes, of course. Thank you for a lovely evening.” She looked over my shoulder. “Good night.”

  “What about dinner?”

  She swallowed, her eyes meeting mine again. “I’ll just have something delivered.”

  Sloane wasn’t getting rid of me that quickly. “Dinner for two?”

  A smile played on her lips. “You don’t give up, do you?”

  I cupped her cheek with my hand. “Not when it matters.”

  “Okay. Just dinner.”

  I held out my pinky. She fake glared at me and wrapped her pinky around mine before heading off in the same direction as the colonel.

  Catching up quickly, I took her hand, and she let me, only giving me an you’re incorrigible sidelong look.

  She had my wheels spinning, trying to figure her out. There was something she wasn’t telling me. It was pretty damn obvious she
was keeping an eye on the couple we were walking behind.

  Was she a photojournalist or a private detective?

  I was beginning to think she was the latter.

  But I knew better than to try to get anything out of her. If she was spying on them, she couldn’t tell me anyway. So, I’d keep quiet and keep an eye on them too.

  Sloane reached out and took my hand just as the woman in front of her looked over her shoulder at us. She acted as if she hadn’t noticed as she turned her head and smiled at me. “What kind of food should we order, baby?”

  Baby?

  I’d play along. The more I thought about it, the more I was certain that she was a PI. Sloane Anderson, if that was indeed her real name, was on a case. My entire body was tingling with excitement.

  I’d never had anything interest me so much in my entire life. I’d watch her watch them. I just wished she felt like she could let me in on her secret and let me help her with it.

  I was itching to help her with it.

  “Sushi, baby. You’ll love it. And some white wine, I think. Something light. It’s on the warm side tonight, you won’t want to get too full.” I let go of her hand to run my arm around her waist, nuzzling her neck. “We don’t want to let food get in our way, now do we?”

  Her face went tense for the briefest of moments, then she softened. “No, we don’t want that.”

  My suspicions were further confirmed as the couple headed into the bungalow right on the other side of hers. Sloane just so happened to get a room close enough to see them when they weren’t out and about.

  Was she trying to get some pictures of them together? Was one of them a cheater and she needed evidence to take back to a suspicious spouse?

  Before the two got completely away from our view, I eyed their ring fingers. No rings or white lines where they’d been taken off. Maybe it wasn’t that.

  Maybe it was something even more sinister. One of them was an embezzler Sloane was sent to catch in the act of spending loads of money they shouldn’t have.

  But wait.

  She wasn’t taking any pictures of them at all. At least not yet.

  Maybe she’d wait to do that. Maybe she used the photographer lie so she could take pictures of her marks. I thought that was what they called the people they were investigating.