Matched to Her Rival

“So tell me, Dr. Arundel.” His gaze swept her with some of that heat in a pointed way she couldn’t pretend to miss. “What’s your hypothesis about me? Break me down the way you did that couple.”

The honks and chattering people filled the sudden silence as she searched his face for some clue to what he was after. Besides the obvious. Clearly he was still thinking about kissing her.

And she was pretty sure she wouldn’t utter one single peep in protest.

Great. If she couldn’t trust him and she couldn’t trust herself to remember why they wouldn’t work, why was she still sitting here in the presence of a master at seduction?

“Honestly?” He nodded but she still chose her words carefully. “You don’t like to be alone, and women fill that gap. You want her to challenge you, to make it worth your while to stick around, which never happens, so you break it off before she gets too attached. It’s a kindness, because you don’t really want to hurt her. It’s not her fault she’s not the one.”

His expression didn’t change but something unsettled flowed through the depths of his eyes.

“What makes you think I’m looking for the one?” he said lightly. But she wasn’t fooled. His frame vibrated with tension.

She’d hit a nerve. So she pressed it, hard.

“You never would have agreed to be matched if you weren’t. And you certainly wouldn’t keep coming back, especially after it didn’t work out with Candy.”

He shifted and their knees nested together suggestively. Slowly, he reached out and traced the line of her jaw, tucking an errant lock of hair behind her ear, watching her the entire time.

“I came for the match and stayed for the matchmaker.”

“Dax, about that—”

“Relax.”

His fingers slid through her hair, threading it until he’d reached the back of her neck. She was supposed to relax when he touched her like that?

“You’re off the hook,” he murmured. “I’m officially calling off our wager. Don’t be disappointed.”

He’d read her mind. Again.

Relief coursed through her body, flooding her so swiftly, she almost cried. She didn’t have to confess that she’d skewed the results. He’d never have to know she’d abandoned her ethics.

But without the wager in place, she had no shield against the onslaught of Dax. No excuse to hold him at arm’s length. Much, much worse, she had no excuse to continue their association.

“You don’t think I can match you?”

“I think you can sell ice to Eskimos. But the fact of the matter is I don’t want to meet any more women.”

“But you have to,” she blurted out. If he didn’t, how would he ever meet the love of his life? She might have abandoned her ethics, but not the belief that everyone deserved to be deliriously happy.

Calmly, Dax shook his head. “I don’t have to. I’ve already met the one I want. You.”

A thousand nonverbal sentiments pinged between them, immobilizing her.

She wasn’t right for him. He wasn’t right for her. They didn’t make sense together and she couldn’t let herself think otherwise. Not even for a moment.

The best way to stop wishing for things that couldn’t be was to match him with someone else, wager or no wager. Then he could be happy.

* * *

Elise froze and forcibly removed his hand from her silky hair.

Now that was a shame. He liked the feel of her.

“Me?” she squeaked.

“Come on. Where did you think I was headed?” Apparently, telling a woman you wanted to see her wasn’t enough of a clue that you were into her. “It would be a travesty to continue this matchmaking deal when it’s not going to happen.”

“What’s not going to happen? Finding you a match?” Indignation laced her question.

But then he’d known she wouldn’t go down without a fight. He’d have been disappointed otherwise. It had taken him most of Sunday to figure out how to maneuver past all her roadblocks. He still wasn’t sure if he’d hit on the right plan. Chances were, she’d drop a few more unanticipated blockades.

That’s what made it great.

“The concept was flawed from the beginning. And we both know it. Why not call a spade a spade and move on? We’ve got something between us.” He held up a finger to stem the flow of protests from her mouth. “We do. You can’t deny it. Let’s see what happens if we focus on that instead of this ridiculous wager.”