Jade (Perfect Match Book 4)

by Rachelle Ayala

  Where are you? Are you back from the Buddhist retreat? I already arrived at Ile d’Amour. You’re not mad at me, are you?

  The man thankfully walked off, letting Jade breathe easier. He had an unsettling effect on her, as if his presence demanded her full and complete attention.

  Jade caught her breath and tried to calm her palpitating heart. The heat didn’t seem to bother the natives and the other tourists, but it sapped her concentration and made her light-headed.

  She texted Dani again.

  If you don’t answer me, I’ll be mad at you. Don’t force me to text your big, bossy cousin, Larry.

  Dani had recently discovered she had a cousin when her aunt admitted to their family that she had a son she didn’t raise. As soon as Larry found out about Dani, he was all over her, wanting to get to know her and including her in family dinners and picnics.

  He also butted into Dani’s personal life and was forever setting her up with firefighters because he was convinced Dani’s fiancé was a shady character.

  A cheer went up among the travelers when the luggage carousel started moving. Jade was aware of the Asian man stalking around the carousel ready to get a jump on the suitcases, but her attention was diverted by Dani’s return text message.

  Keep Larry away from me. I don’t need a big brother. And no, I’m not mad at you.

  Jade texted back. Where are you? Did you get picked as my Perfect Match?

  You’re not supposed to know who your Perfect Match is, Dani texted back. It’s supposed to be a surprise.

  I don’t like surprises, Jade texted. What will they do to you if you tell me anyway?

  “Miss,” the Asian man said. “I picked up your luggage.”

  “How do you know which ones belong to me?” Jade asked. Her eyes met his, and she gulped. He might not be six-feet-four, but he was hunky and hot. Square jaw, heartbreaker eyes, high cheekbones and lips that would have been pouty if they weren’t smiling at her.

  “No one else here would be called Jade.” He lifted the tail end of his long eyebrow. “Where are you staying?”

  “I’m not telling you. How do I know you’re not some weird stalker?” Jade ignored the text message chime on her cell phone.

  At that moment, a chauffeur approached, carrying two signs. “Ah, I see you two have met. I’m Georges, the concierge from Perfect Match. Welcome to Ile d’Amour, the island of love. Miss Reed, Mr. Lin, let me drive you to The Secret Heart Villa where you’ll be spending the week together in luxury and privacy.”

  ****

  “No way,” the pretty Asian woman protested to the concierge. “There must be some mistake. I’m supposed to meet my girlfriend here.”

  “Excuse me? Are you saying Aiden Lin is a woman?” Georges held up the signs. One read “Jade Reed” and the other read “Aiden Lin.”

  Aiden crossed his arms and stood back, the better to watch the emotions marching over Jade’s delightfully expressive face. When she’d first spotted him, she was interested, and she’d checked him out from head to toe. He’d kept his face in the paperback to let her linger over his physique, but when he’d made eye contact, she’d quickly turned away.

  Was she batting for the other team? Insisting her perfect match was a woman?

  If so, he’d misread her completely. Sure, she had that snooty disdain when he’d first approached her. She was part-white and most likely had never dated an Asian man before. Her type was all too common as far as he was concerned. Busily social climbing the American way.

  Too bad for her, the computer selected him as her Perfect Match.

  She was still trying to wriggle her way out of the contract with Georges.

  “You don’t understand,” she said. “There is no way that man would have chosen my profile. He seems way too nice to deal with the likes of me.”

  Another stereotype. The nice Asian guy.

  What was she going to do next? Cite his mathematical prowess?

  Aiden bunched up his biceps and waited to see what Miss Jade Reed would come up with.

  “I’m sorry, Miss,” Georges said. “But the contract you signed says you must spend the week with your Perfect Match. Would you like to reimburse us for the airfare and return home?”

  Aiden glanced sideways at Miss Jade Reed and couldn’t help smirking. She seemed way over the top flustered at having to spend the week with him, a Navy SEAL many women would happily go deep diving with.

  “Why don’t you ask him?” Jade stabbed her finger in Aiden’s direction. “I bet he doesn’t want to spend the week with me either.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” Aiden drawled in a lazy way to further annoy her.

  Jade ripped her shoulder bag open and yanked out a sheet of paper. “There is no way you read this and decided I’m your perfect match.”

  She shoved the paper in his face, and he read her description. It was full of bitterness, attitude, and snark. He liked it.

  “You hate cats, so what?” He twisted his lips, amused. “Don’t worry, Miss Pain in the Donkey’s Tail. I’m way too much of a man for you, and I’ll have you tamed by the end of the week. Tell me, who is it you want to take revenge on by being a great success?”

  Chapter Three

  Jade got into the limo and scooted as far down the bench as she could. How dare this man presume she either needed or wanted him to tame her? Okay, on the scale of one to ten, with ten being mega hot, this man was a nine and a half, his arrogant attitude costing him half a point.

  After handing his and Jade’s luggage to Georges, the large man clambered into the limo. “Mind if I sit next to you?”

  “I can’t believe you selected my profile, unless all you wanted was a free vacation,” Jade said, keeping her gaze locked out the darkened window.

  “You have no idea what I want, and I’m betting you can’t read minds.” Aiden left one open seat between them on the bench. He extended his hand to shake. “Aiden Lin, Navy SEAL. Age 26.”

  Jade stared at the large hand with the square, sturdy fingers. Everything about this guy was muscles. It figured. He was a member of an elite fighting force.

  “I don’t particularly care what you want or not, but since we’re stuck together, let’s discuss some ground rules.”

  Aiden scooted closer, his hand still extended as the limo rolled from the airport. “We don’t need any rules other than what the Perfect Match terms and conditions say. I passed their background check, and I assume you have, too. The purpose of this vacation is promotional for them, to validate their proprietary algorithm for matchmaking.”

  “Which obviously didn’t work,” Jade said. “Show me your profile.”

  “I didn’t write it,” Aiden said. “So, it’s irrelevant.”

  “You didn’t write your profile?” Jade’s voice rose an octave. “Who did?”

  “My mother.” Aiden’s lips twisted into the mother of all smirks. “I’m guessing your line about not being the woman to take home to your mother triggered the computer to make the match.”

  “Wait, you mean you didn’t select my profile?” Jade felt the wind being knocked out of her sails.

  “Nope, if anything, my mother did,” Aiden said. “And the computer made the final decision.”

  “Why would your mother match you to someone like me?” Jade’s nose scrunched. “Is she Chinese?”

  “As Chinese as a tiger mom.” Aiden’s hand was still outstretched. “Let me ask why you signed up for Perfect Match.”

  Jade moved the drool to the back of her mouth and swallowed. She didn’t want to touch Aiden, or even be nice to him, but he asked a fair question—and she hated disappointing mothers, especially Chinese ones.

  “My best girlfriend won a coupon, and she was supposed to be my Perfect Match. I thought I’d get a week of tropical sun, fun, and shopping.”

  “We can still do that. Minus the shopping,” Aiden said. “Since you’re stuck with me, you might as well introduce yourself.”

  He still hadn’t removed his hand fr
om its outstretched position, so Jade raised her hand and clasped his. “Jade Reed, writer. Age, 25.”

  “You’re a writer?” Aiden closed his hand around hers and held it. “What do you write?”

  His grip was warm and strong, like she expected.

  “Mainly romance,” Jade said, not wanting to out herself on the darker side of her writing.

  Aiden dropped her hand and gave her a knowing wink. “A romance writer on the island of love. How cliché.”

  “I’m not interested in real-life romance, period.” Jade tightened her jaw. It figured. As soon as she mentioned romance, he made derogatory comments, as if she were one of those females slavering to eat out of his macho Navy SEAL hands.

  “No, just the imaginary kind.” Aiden put both hands behind his head and leaned back, stretching his muscular legs out. “This is going to be a fun week in paradise. I, too, have a lot of imagination.”

  “Doing what?” Fear edged into her voice.

  “Whatever it takes to get you the revenge you need.”

  “What’s in it for you?”

  “Other than the obvious?” Aiden wiggled his eyebrows. “I can fix difficult, entitled, and spoiled.”

  Jade swiveled her shoulder away from Aiden, turning her demeanor to ice cold. “I don’t need fixing. The contract only says I have to spend time with you, not that I have to be nice and pleasant.”

  “Good. Then I don’t have to be sensitive or even civilized,” Aiden agreed as the limo rolled up to a beachfront resort.

  ****

  Aiden snuck glances at Jade as Georges led them on a tour of the Secret Heart Villa. He’d never, ever seen such luxury or decadence, but Jade seemed not to bat an eyelash.

  She barked imperious orders to the staff, asking for warm towels, iced mineral water, and seemed dissatisfied with the fruit and chocolate treats arranged in a heart shape on the coffee table.

  Aiden ran his hand over the teak-paneled walls and sidled up to the large bay window overlooking the ocean. A covered lanai festooned with tropical plants led to a deck with an infinity pool and a steaming hot tub.

  “You two aren’t expected to share a room or a bed,” Georges said, showing the way to the bedroom. “However, there is nothing in the contract that says you can’t.”

  He opened the double doors into a spacious chamber surrounded by a wrap-around porch with views toward the mountains.

  The ensuite bath area included a shower with two large rain showerheads and a heart-shaped jetted tub.

  Jade ran her hand across the surfaces, as if examining for dirt. One by one, she picked up the shampoos, lotions, and conditioners, reading the labels.

  “These are not vegan and certified cruelty-free,” she sniffed.

  “We can get those replaced for you, Miss,” Georges said, wringing his hands. “As I mentioned, there is another bedroom, should you two decide not to sleep together.”

  “I get this one.” Jade plopped her shoulder bag onto the king-sized bed. “You may show Aiden the other room.”

  “I think we should draw straws,” Aiden said. “You might like the view better in the other room.”

  He’d glanced in the walk-in closet and spotted a tiny cot while Jade inspected the bidets in the bathroom. It would serve her right to be put in the closet. She might actually learn something—like being humble and gracious.

  “This is my room.” Jade took off her shoes and sat down on the bed. She made a shooing motion toward Aiden. “Now, go. I need to freshen up after the long flight and do a little writing.”

  “Very well,” Georges said, clearly not relishing a fight with the entitled female. “I’ll bring your luggage. Instructions for dinner are in the welcome package in the kitchen. You’ll meet with your host, Dawson Yates, for a preliminary interview. After that, the two of you are free to decide how to spend your time together. Vouchers will cover every activity you desire. Welcome to Ile d’Amour. Miss Reed, I shall bring back the vegan shampoos and leave you to your Perfect Match.”

  “I’ll need two straws,” Aiden said to Georges. “One long and one short.”

  After Georges departed, Jade glared at Aiden with her brows furrowed. “I can’t believe you’re fighting me for the master suite.”

  “Why not?” Aiden lifted one eyebrow and fixed his gaze into her stony, onyx-colored eyes. “I’m just as difficult and obnoxious as you. As a member of the military, I’m entitled to your gratitude for my service, and I can’t possibly fit on that flimsy cot I saw in the walk-in closet.”

  ****

  “No!” Jade gasped at the short straw flapping between her fingers. “Wait, who says the short straw gets the walk-in closet?”

  Aiden’s smug grin hovered overhead like the Cheshire cat’s. “We agreed before we drew. Are you telling me you’re not only difficult, entitled, and spoiled, but a dishonest cheat?”

  “I don’t cheat,” Jade grumbled. “Unlike other people.”

  Aiden cupped his ear and leaned toward her. “What’s that I hear? Someone cheated on you? Do tell.”

  “It’s none of your business.” Jade grabbed her shoulder bag and roller bag and stomped toward the ensuite bathroom.

  The walk-in closet was at the other end of the bathroom, and the entrance to the bathroom from the master bedroom side had been cordoned off by a set of accordion-folding bamboo doors with a lock.

  Aiden slipped through and followed her across the marble floor. “You don’t have to be so rude. I won fair and square.”

  “I didn’t sign up for a one-week stay in paradise to sleep in a closet.” She shook her fist at him. “You’re a rude boor.”

  “You could change your mind and sleep with me on the king-sized bed,” Aiden said with a completely straight face.

  “No, thank you.” Jade rolled her eyes. “I’d rather shut myself in this cramped closet. Since I got the short straw, I get to shower first.”

  “Suits me just fine,” Aiden said. “I’m going to take a nap on that beautiful, soft, comfy king-sized bed.”

  Chapter Four

  Jade’s anger burned so hot not even the double rainfall showerheads could cool her down. How dare Aiden Lin hijack her vacation in paradise? There was no way a diligent and caring Chinese mother would have ever chosen her profile.

  As for the computer match?

  Impossible.

  Dani had doctored her own profile to state that he, a man named Daniel, loved women who were challenging. Moreover, he was described to be understanding and affirming, and a psychologist specializing in narcissistic disorders. Dani, as Daniel, had even added that he had a weak spot for difficult, entitled, and spoiled women, since the fictional Daniel was a man with three demanding sisters. He was looking for his own princess to pamper, not a soulmate or the love of his life.

  Oh, and he hated cats.

  After lathering herself completely with the vegan shampoo and body wash, Jade rinsed herself off and stepped out of the shower, leaving large puddles on the marble floor.

  It would serve Aiden right to slip and bruise his ungentlemanly behind. She didn’t care.

  She needed to build a case with the Perfect Match host that their computers had made a mistake. For that, she needed Dani, or Daniel Davison, to call and complain.

  Still buck naked, Jade splattered water back into her walk-in closet and flopped onto the cot. Its rusty springs squeaked, and the mattress was so thin she could feel the twisted knots holding the springs to the frame.

  Not bothering to check the time, Jade placed a call to her bestie.

  “So, tell me,” Dani said. “Did you meet your Perfect Match?”

  “Yes, but there’s been a drastic mistake,” Jade said. “You remember our profiles and how compatible they were?”

  “Of course,” Dani said. “We tailor-made them to match.”

  “Right, so tonight, I’m having a little orientation session with the Perfect Match host, but before I do, I need you to call and complain that your profile, which is perfect for min
e, didn’t get selected.”

  “Wait, backtrack a minute,” Dani said. “I’m taking you didn’t like the guy they picked for you?”

  Jade squirmed as her wet skin steamed. “He’s a complete ass. Rude, boorish, and mean.”

  “What does he look like?” Dani asked. “Scale of one to ten.”

  “Nine.” Jade gulped. She’d deducted another half a point for making her draw straws. “He’s a Navy SEAL and he thinks he’s God’s gift to women.”

  “Ah, an arrogant hunk. Just the kind to take on a difficult, entitled, and spoiled woman,” Dani said, chuckling.

  “I don’t find that funny,” Jade said. “He’s definitely not my perfect match.”

  “Seriously? You have a Navy SEAL dropped in your lap and you’d rather do manicures with me?” Dani asked. “Think of this as a chance for you to experience the romantic looks pulsing across the room, the throbbing fires of desire, the heated pounding of your engorged heart, the spine-tingling passion of desperate love. Every purple piece of prose you’ve ever written, and now, you get firsthand knowledge.”

  “Wait, you’re not upset you, or Daniel Davison, weren’t chosen?” Jade twisted her wet hair into a towel.

  “As much as I love you,” Dani said. “I don’t think I, or Daniel Davison, could spend twenty-four-seven with you for an entire week. I think you should enjoy this guy, what’s his name?”

  “Aiden.”

  “Sounds sexy. Aiden and Jade. Jade and Aiden. Yum, yum, yum. You say he’s a Navy SEAL?”

  “That’s what he claims to be.”

  “Then what’s the problem? You can pump him for information for your next Josh Ridley series.”

  “He thinks I’m only a romance writer,” Jade said. “So no, I can’t ask him to look over my draft and fact check them.”

  Only a few people knew Jade also wrote men’s action and adventure thrillers under a male pen name, Josh Ridley.

  Josh’s fans tended to be over the top macho men, and she could never let them know their idol was female.