Dirty Deal (Perfectly Matched 2)

She wet her lips and straightened, pasting a shaky smile on her face. “So what now?” Serena gazed from her friend to the photographer, but the trill of Grace’s cell phone broke the silence. Her friend glanced at the screen and then sighed.

“It’s the wedding planner. Apparently there’s a hiccup at the venue and Trick’s tied up at the station. Can you guys finish up here without me? I need to meet her there ASAP.” Grace didn’t quite meet her eyes when she asked the question, and Serena’s bullshit-ometer ratcheted up another notch.

First trapping her with the charity date and now this? Coincidence was one thing, but why did it always have to involve leaving her alone with Bryan Metcalf?

Or, in this case Bryan Metcalf and an indignant Frenchman.

“Look, I’m really sorry. This is the last time. I swear.” Grace held up her hands in an innocent gesture, but her keys were already dangling between thumb and forefinger. “You guys are going to be great.” She started for the door.

“Grace, I—” Serena started.

“I knew you’d understand. You’re the best.” Grace hefted open the iron doors, then called back, “I believe in you,” before closing them behind her.

“What happened to teamwork?” Serena muttered. She strolled back to where Bryan stood, hands in his pockets, and then turned her attention toward François. “So, wild idea. What’s our budget on this? What if we pretend Cupid is shooting us with arrows so we’ll just sort of duck and make screaming faces and then you can Photoshop in a maniacal-looking cherub once we’ve got the shots?”

The only response was the echoing sound of François’s tapping foot and Bryan’s stifled chuckle behind her.

“I think not,” the photographer spat.

“You’re such a party pooper, Franky.” She stepped back and lost her footing, and suddenly she was hurtling toward the floor, one heel in the air and both of her arms flapping wildly to break her fall.

Out of nowhere, a warm, muscular pair of arms wrapped around her, catching her before she hit the ground. It took a few seconds to get her bearings back, but when she did, she noticed three things.

One, she was breathing way too fast for her liking. Two, Bryan was staring at her with that same scary-sexy smolder. And three, the photographer was snapping pictures so fast the camera might explode.

“At last. Ees perfect.” He was practically humming with satisfaction now. “I thought I would be trapped here all day.” He started packing up his things, and Bryan set Serena to rights again.

“Wait, we paid you for two hours,” she said, happy for the distraction, as the other man clicked his black equipment case closed. Maybe she could blame her flaming cheeks on annoyance.

“You cannot count how long art will take to come. Luckily, it has arrived early today.” His tiny mustache twitched and he stood straight again.

She wasn’t about to keep arguing because winning that battle would mean more time up close and personal with Bryan, and she’d had enough of that for the day. “My refund for the other hour we paid you for better arrive early, too,” she muttered, just to keep up the pretense. Deep down, though, she was relieved.

Half of her was, at any rate. The other half? Was aching for more Bryan.

“When you see the prints, you will give me a bonus. That I promise you.” He lugged his barrels of props onto a little metal cart. “Please have the pleasant one contact me if it is required. If not, you have your shots sometime next week.” He disappeared into a back room, a metal grate clicking behind him.

The pleasant one? She searched for some anger at that snide jab but came up empty. The little turd was right. He was no ray of sunshine either, but she’d been in a crappy mood for days.

“So…does that mean I’m off the hook now?” Bryan asked, focusing his intense gaze on her.

“Yeah, sure. For today, at least. There will be an outdoor shoot in a couple weeks, once we see how these turn out and Grace picks a location.”

Serena just had to hope it wasn’t at the beach.

She and Bryan stared at each other wordlessly. She wanted to say more, but she wasn’t sure what, and she struggled to forget the last time she’d felt this awkward around him. At least this time she had all her clothes on. She’d take the wins where she could find them.

“I’ll, uh, I guess I’ll follow you out?” What was it about this guy? Normally, she would have strutted through the doors and never looked back. Men didn’t make her nervous.

He strode toward the door, pausing to hold it open for her to pass through. She was just about to thank him when she spotted her.

Piper, standing next to a black truck in the parking lot holding what looked suspiciously like an apple pie.

Serena froze in her tracks, staring as the other woman’s face morphed from drippy affection to simmering rage. Piper crossed the lot and stopped in front of them, pie outstretched.

Yep, definitely apple. Probably still hot, if the strong smell of cinnamon in the air was any indication.

“Piper,” Bryan said with a curt nod.

He was enviably calm. If Serena were in his position, she already would have been searching the area for a makeshift weapon. But not Bryan. He was cool as a compress, spearing a hand through his hair as the other woman cleared her throat, gaze darting between him and Serena.

“Hey there! I was just driving by and noticed your truck.”

Serena looked pointedly at the pie in the other woman’s hands, and Piper scowled at her before turning her attention back to Bryan.

“I mean, before. I noticed your truck before. So I was going home to bake some pies anyway, and remembered that apple was your favorite, so I thought I’d bring you one.” She handed the pie to Bryan, and he took it silently.

“Actually, he’s passed his apple phase. He likes cherry now,” Serena piped up. “I made one. It’s waiting at home. Where we’re going now.” Rather than looking put out, Piper seemed oddly elated, so Serena added, “He does love to eat my cherry pie.”

“That’s so strange, isn’t it Bryan? Since you’re allergic to cherries.” Her gaze was pinned on him now, a knowing smile stretching her lips. “Strange that you wouldn’t know that about him, what with how close the two of you are.”

Serena gulped, churning every gear in her brain to salvage the mess she’d caused, but Bryan cut in.

“That’s very thoughtful, but that allergy actually went away. I’m allergic to strawberries now. Go figure.” He thanked her again for the pie and took Serena’s hand in his free one, sending a sizzle of awareness through her. At least she wouldn’t have to fake that if Piper was looking.

He led them toward his truck and they were halfway there when Serena leaned in and whispered, “Actually, can I get a ride for real? I think Grace forgot we came here together.”

“Sure.” His answer was tight-lipped and, rather than walk around to the other si

de, she beelined to the closer, driver’s side of the vehicle. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Avoiding being the victim of a public stabbing. She’s right behind us. Let me get in.”

He opened the door, and Serena rocketed herself off of the little step and into the monster-sized truck. After she was buckled in, she instinctively made a move to look behind them, but Bryan climbed in beside her and caught her hand.

“Don’t engage her,” he hissed as he set the pie between them. “Eyes forward.”

“You sound like a crazy person,” she said, but in truth her concern about Piper fizzled away under the heat of his touch. Curious, the way the warmth of his hand snaked up her arm and radiated through her entire body.

Jesus, it was going to be a long, torturous ride.

…

Bryan pulled his hand back like he’d been snakebit.

He had to stop touching her. All it did was undermine his self-discipline. He’d decided, long before he went to that photo shoot, whatever had sparked between him and Serena was better left at the beach that night. Hell, he’d had half a mind to not even call on her for the agreed-upon dates because she was too much of a temptation. He’d made the Colonel a promise before he died. Military for life, just like his father and his father before him. And that meant staying single until he’d done his twenty and could actually be there for a woman as a true partner. He wouldn’t settle for anything less.

Maybe Serena had said she didn’t want a long-term commitment, but so had Piper, early on. She’d known full well he was going into the army, and he’d been honest the whole time. It hadn’t helped. On the other hand, seeing her today had driven the point home that, if he didn’t have some kind of buffer between them, things would escalate, especially now that she was suspicious. It wasn’t even that she was a terrible person. She just couldn’t get past the fact that he didn’t want to be with her. He didn’t honestly think she’d hurt anyone, but without Serena or someone there to keep things at least somewhat regulated, she would push and push until he finally had to either file a restraining order or truly and honestly hurt her feelings, and as much as she irritated him, he didn’t want to do that. They had family connections, and it could only cause a rift if things got ugly.