The Matchup

by Alice Ward

  “Well, I can’t let you do this alone, Sloane. And you seem set on doing it.”

  She lifted her chin and stood to face me head on. “I will do it, Zane. With or without you, I’ll make sure the man gets what he deserves, and those kids and my old friend are safe from him. So, does that mean you’ll help me?”

  I gritted my teeth until they squeaked in protest. Hell, of course I was going to help her. I just wanted to make sure we did it my way. Something told me she’d fight me on that. I wasn’t some daring spy, and neither was she. But I couldn’t let her take control of this thing. It was just too dangerous.

  Closing the distance between us, I ran my hands up and down her arms as I looked into those baby blues. “Sloane, I care more for you than I’ve ever cared for anyone in my entire life. I want something real with you. Something solid. I don’t want to see anyone else, and I don’t want you to either. I want us to commit to each other. I want you to be my girlfriend.”

  She just stared at me, her mouth sagging open. I was on edge as I waited for her to say what she thought.

  The waiting was going to kill me.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Sloane

  He wanted me to be his girlfriend. I was stunned. We’d only known each other two days after all. I had every right to be stunned.

  If I wasn’t on a case, I knew I would’ve already jumped in the man’s arms, kissed him, and told him yes, a thousand times yes.

  But I was on a case, and I’d just told the man a shit-ton of lies. The lies were piling up so damn high, I was beginning to worry about them crashing down and obliviating me. But they were necessary for me to get my real job done.

  So, I just stood there, my mouth gaping and my body shaking as he waited for my answer.

  “Do you mean you want us to be exclusive while we’re here? Or do you mean for longer than that?”

  “Longer than that. Hopefully, much longer. We can travel together. I don’t have anywhere I have to go, but I like to go. We can go wherever your photojournalism takes us.” His eyes danced as he waited to see what I was going to say to that.

  He was too good to be true. And I was anything but true.

  Suddenly, it hit me that he didn’t seem to have a job. “Zane, how do you travel all the time? Don’t you have to work?”

  He shook his head. “No. I come from money.”

  “How much money?”

  “A lot of it. More than most people have. I’m an heir to a candy fortune.” He looked down at his feet as if the admission embarrassed him. “Does that bother you?”

  “That you’re rich?”

  It kind of did, but I didn’t want to appear bigoted toward wealthy men. It was just that I wasn’t used to having lots of money or expensive things. I was raised in Queens by middle-class parents. What did I know about being with a rich dude?

  His expression grew worried. “Yeah.”

  “I’m actually not sure. I’ll need a little time to process it all. So, do you live in a mansion, drive cool cars, and stuff like that?”

  “My family has an estate. We have lots of cars, some cool, some luxurious. And there’s a private jet and a helicopter. We have a yacht too. A home in Greece, and one in London. There’s probably a few things I’m leaving out. The truth is, I don’t like to be around my parents. They expect me to act a certain way, and I don’t like to be told how to act. So, I travel more often than not.”

  God, he sounded like a spoiled rich brat.

  But he didn’t act like one. At least with me, he didn’t. Maybe I brought out things in him he liked. Things that were good for him. Maybe having a strong woman around, rather than a little ditzy tramp, was good for him.

  If only I wasn’t on a case and having to lie like a rabid dog, but I was. And Zane was looking at me with a nervous gaze that made my heart ache. Could I really leave the island when it was all said and done and not miss the man who made me feel better than I ever had?

  Would I kick myself for letting him go? Or would he dump me when he found out the truth?

  Zane was an alpha male. Those guys hated being used and lied to. In my profession, I’d seen that happen a few times. It never turned out the way the female agents hoped it would.

  Chances were high that I’d end up just like them, talking about the man who rocked their world and made their job so much easier. But then the time came for honesty, and that was when the other shoe would drop, leaving them single and sad.

  I guessed I could tell Zane we’d never work out, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to commit to him too. I wanted to be his girl. I wanted that more than I wanted anything.

  Screw his wealth, screw my job, screw it all. I cared about Zane more with each passing moment. And I wasn’t going to be a fool. He made things happen inside of me that no one ever had. So, I gave him a nod. One small nod, and he had me wrapped up in his strong arms. “I’d love to be your girlfriend, Zane.”

  “You had me scared for a minute there, Sloane. Shit.”

  A knock on the door had me looking up at him. “I’m not expecting anyone. Who do you think that is?”

  Letting me out of his arms, he went to get the door. “It’s lunch. I ordered it before I left my place.”

  I just shook my head as I watched him let the waitstaff in with our rolling cart of food. It was really nice letting someone take care of me for once.

  Would it be so bad to pretend for a while? That we were a real couple with only real couple things to deal with?

  Food.

  Fun.

  Sex.

  My body sizzled with just the thought of it. Zane had already shown me how dominating he could be. I generally didn’t like that when dealing with a man on a personal level. But in the bedroom, oh yeah, I enjoyed it very much.

  Tie me up, pin me down, blindfold me, and show me who’s boss.

  I was looking forward to getting to that. But first, there was work to see to. And lunch to eat.

  Zane picked up a watermelon that had been sliced in half and filled with all kinds of things. Cold shrimp and crab, melon balls, cubes of various cheeses. It looked yummy and refreshing. A couple of tropical drinks were stashed inside the hollowed out cavity as well.

  “Wow.”

  “I know, right. I’ve seen couples order this but never had a girl I wanted to share one with. Now, I do.” He chuckled. “I have a girl. Man, my parents are going to freak.”

  My gut clenched. What the hell would his parents think about me? A poor girl. Well, I wasn’t poor. By their standards, I probably was. I bet they’d think I was a gold digger. To my credit, I knew I liked Zane a hell of a lot before he told me he was rich.

  I pushed the thought out of my head. I didn’t need to worry about meeting his parents. He’d dump me when he found out the truth anyway. I was sure he would.

  But for now, I was having fun with the handsome, thoughtful man. No reason to think about anything else.

  We went onto the deck and set up the table, then he took the seat across from me and popped a piece of melon into his mouth. “Juicy.” He crooked a finger at me, and I leaned closer, expecting him to feed me a bite. When he kissed me instead, I tasted the delicious fruit on his lips.

  Wanting more, I opened my mouth. He readily accepted the invitation, his tongue moving through my lips, wrapping around mine.

  I groaned when he pulled away, his eyes searching my face as he pushed my hair behind my ear. He fed me a bite, then another. That one was followed by a kiss before he fed me again.

  “I might forget how to feed myself if you keep this up.”

  He popped a cube of cheese in his mouth, grinning like a fool. It made him look like the little boy he once was… adorable and mischievous. He made me feel young too. I wasn’t ancient by any means at twenty-four, but my career choice had left little room for play over the past couple years. I’d forgotten how much fun it was to just say nothing and enjoy someone’s company.

  No. That wasn’t true. It wasn’t that I’d forgotten.
It was that I’d never experienced this ease before with another person.

  Each time he kissed me, I thought he’d push the intimacy farther. I hoped he’d push the intimacy farther. But he pulled away, leaving me breathless and wanting. “We have all day,” he murmured against my lips when I practically begged him to make love to me.

  He was right. And the all-day foreplay buildup was delicious.

  When we’d finished eating, we curled up on the lounge chair and napped for a couple hours. I awoke refreshed and ready to face the rest of the day.

  Zane took out his cell and showed me the screen. “Look, we can use this app to record Charles when he talks. It records for fifteen minutes. If you put this app on your cell too, I can record the first fifteen minutes then you can take over. I’ll make some excuse to get away from you guys for a moment to reset mine. We can go back and forth like that, and hopefully, we won’t miss anything.”

  I grinned. “I’ve got an even better idea.” I went to the bedroom to retrieve the much more sophisticated recording device I’d brought with me. “I have this. Beth sent it to me before I came here.” Another lie I’d have to eat when the job was over.

  He looked at me curiously. “Okay, I’ll wear it.” He reached out for it, but I held it close to my chest. I’d have to watch the man. He was already trying to take charge.

  “It fits snugly under one’s boob, so unless you plan to grow a pair in the next few minutes, I’ll be wearing it.”

  Moving inside, he took my hand and led me to sit in the air-conditioned living room, pulling me down on his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck. “This is really dangerous. I want you to take every single thing we do with that man seriously. No messing around.”

  This was getting annoying, but I bit back my irritation. “Remember who you’re talking to. I take everything I do seriously.”

  He blew out a breath and leaned his head back against the cushion, staring at the ceiling as if it might give him wisdom. “I know that. I’m just so worried for you.”

  “Don’t, Zane. You have to play the role of my boyfriend, not my protector. We have to convince them that we’re in love and are harmless. You showing such stress around them will raise their suspicions.”

  He rolled his head to look at me. “Promise me one thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “If anything physical happens, promise that you’ll get behind me and let me handle it. I don’t want you to get hurt.” He pressed his lips to mine. “I need you to be safe.”

  My insides went gooey, but I ignored the way he was making me feel. I needed to let him think he was the alpha of our little pack or this would never work. “I promise. Although, just to ease your concerns, I have undergone quite a bit of training. I told you about Afghanistan. I’ve taken self-defense classes and took a class on firing a gun.” I winked. “I was the best in the class.”

  “Oh, how adorable. My girl was the best shooter in her class.” He laughed and kissed me again, and I thought I might have teased him into easing up. Not the case. He grew serious again an instant later. “I can shoot too. In fact, I have a concealed handgun license.”

  I raised my head to look at him. “Do you carry?”

  He snorted. “No. Not normally. I wanted to know how to handle a gun if needed. And I wasn’t bad. Good enough that I can take care of you.”

  I gritted my teeth when he patted me on the head. I wasn’t some damn dog. I pushed away and sprang to my feet, irritated beyond measure. “Look, I can take care of myself, and I’m not giving you my gun. Get over it.”

  I couldn’t, even if I wanted to, but I couldn’t tell him that.

  As a matter of fact, I still needed to contact Agent Matthews with the new developments. Or maybe I’d wait until it was over, I wasn’t sure. I was of an “ask forgiveness later” mindset. After all, I was only supposed to be watching. Not only was I planning on going in deeper, I was dragging a civilian in with me.

  “Get over it?” Zane was on his feet too, towering over me, which just pissed me off. I could do this. Why did the men in my life think I couldn’t? Sexist asshole penis owners. “Like it or not, I’m not about to let anything happen to you. I’m running this show. Get used to it.”

  Oh, hell no.

  “Zane, I don’t need you to do this job. Yes, it’ll be easier with your help, but I don’t need you.”

  He turned and walked away from me. “Do it yourself then.” To my astonishment, he kept going until I heard the door open and close.

  I stood there, stone-still, like an idiot. Fine. I would do it on my own. Screw him and everyone else.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Zane

  With each step I took, I wondered what the hell I’d just done.

  I walked out on the woman I just asked to be my girlfriend.

  Who does that?

  But then again, who thinks they can fuck around with someone who works for the mafia?

  I went into my bungalow and fell face first onto my bed. I had no idea what to do. Would Sloane really move forward without me? Would she put herself in danger by going to dinner with Charles and Grace alone? And what would she tell them about me not being with her?

  Mostly, why did I give a flying fuck?

  Lying there, I tried to think like I normally did. Pre-Sloane Zane did not worry about other people. He did not invest himself in dangerous missions that would do nothing to profit him. He did not take shit from anyone.

  Sloane was the strongest-willed person I’d ever known. She didn’t seem self-destructive, but trying to get a man to confess to being in the mafia was just about as destructive as one could get.

  I rolled over and looked up at the ceiling, forcing my hand through my hair and groaning. I was groaning because I knew what I was about to do. I was going to go right back over there and tell that crazy woman that I was sorry for walking out like that. I’d do it because there was something about the lunatic that made me want to help her, to protect her, to cherish her crazy ass.

  Never in a million years did I think I’d fall for a woman like Sloane. But I had. I’d fallen without even trying. Within a damn couple of days!

  Funny how shit like that worked. One minute I was partying with three chicks, and the next, I was putting my life at risk by fucking with the mafia.

  Exactly when did I lose my marbles?

  I had no clue, but I had to admit any semblance of the normal Zane had disappeared. I thought about calling Dad to get his advice. I went so far as to pick up my cell. Then I put it down.

  I couldn’t tell a soul about what Sloane wanted to do. Anyone I told that to would tell me to hightail it out of there. And I was pretty sure I should be doing just that. Putting as much distance between me and the coocoo blonde as possible.

  But I wasn’t me anymore. I was a man who had someone who meant something to him. Sloane meant more to me than I could’ve ever imagined.

  “Fuck.”

  I pushed myself to my feet and headed to my door. I opened it, and… there she was.

  We stared at each other for a long moment before she caved first. “Zane, I’m sorry.”

  Something tight in my chest released and I pulled her through the door and into my arms. “Me too.”

  Everything was going to be okay. It had to be. Surely fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to connect me with the perfect woman only to rip her from me just as quickly.

  Sloane’s lips were quivering as if she might be on the verge of tears, so I kissed them to stop that from happening. Moving with her, never letting our mouths part, I led her to the bedroom. Lifting her into my arms, I gently laid her on the bed. Finally, I let my lips leave hers.

  Sliding onto the bed beside her, I leaned on my hand and looked down at her as I traced my finger along her neck and shoulders. “So, we made it through our first argument as an official couple.”

  Her smile was sweet as she pushed her hand through my hair. “We made it. And I don’t want to argue, but I do want to talk abou
t this. Maybe your bed is the best place to come to an agreement.”

  Shit. She wasn’t going to let this go. She wasn’t going to walk away from helping her friend. It seemed I had me a girl with a big heart. I wouldn’t want her to be any other way.

  “To be honest, I want to help your friend too. It’s the part about you being in danger that’s throwing up all sorts of red flags.”

  Her fingers crept over my arm, tracing the lines of my tattoo. “You’ll be there to keep me safe.”

  She had me percolating, pulsing, with that sweet little gaze she was giving me. With no willpower left, I took those luscious lips again. She made a soft little mewling sound, and it was over. Passion welled up inside me, causing my cock to swell against the side of her thigh.

  I would be there to keep her safe. I’d always be there if she’d let me.

  The emotion that was slowly taking me over wasn’t one I’d had before. It wasn’t just from the kiss, it was from something much deeper than just the physical attraction we had for each other. It was mental too.

  I eased the kiss and looked at her as she opened her eyes. “I will be there to keep you safe, Sloane.”

  She smiled and ran her hand over my cheek. “Does that mean we’re done talking?”

  I nodded as I pushed her hair back. The still damp strands moved through my fingers. The scent of hyacinths filled my nostrils as I moved her hair. I took a deep breath and sighed. “I’ve never felt the way I feel with you. It’s something I never want to lose.”

  My flesh prickled as her hand moved under my shirt. “I know what you’re talking about. I feel the same way.”

  There was still something I felt she was hiding or lying about. I needed her to know she could trust me. “Sloane, are you really a photojournalist?”

  Her eyes went wide. “Yes, Zane. God, I know I was hiding the fact I was here to get information about Charles, but I haven’t lied about everything.”

  I studied her. As much as I wanted to believe her, there was something about the way her eyes looked as she said the words. They were too big. But she wasn’t trying too hard to make me believe her, wasn’t forcing the issue. It had me thinking she might be adept at telling lies.