9781631050275TheirPerfectMatchMarshNC Read online

  THEIR PERFECT MATCH

  Alela Marsh

  Erotic Romance

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

  ABOUT THE E-BOOK YOU HAVE PURCHASED: Your non-refundable purchase of this e-book allows you to only ONE LEGAL copy for your own personal reading on your own personal computer or device. You do not have resell or distribution rights without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner of this book. This book cannot be copied in any format, sold, or otherwise transferred from your computer to another through upload to a file sharing peer to peer program, for free or for a fee, or as a prize in any contest. Such action is illegal and in violation of the U.S. Copyright Law. Distribution of this e-book, in whole or in part, online, offline, in print or in any way or any other method currently known or yet to be invented, is forbidden. If you do not want this book anymore, you must delete it from your computer.

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  A Secret Cravings Publishing Book

  Erotic Romance

  Their Perfect Match

  Copyright © 2013 Alela Marsh

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-63105-027-5

  First E-book Publication: December 2013

  Cover design by Dawné Dominique

  Edited by Kyle Lewis

  Proofread by Renee Waring

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2013 by Secret Cravings Publishing

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Secret Cravings Publishing

  www.secretcravingspublishing.com

  Dedication

  For Rona Valiere—glad we are taking this new journey together!

  The Cravings e-book Club

  The Cravings Paranormal e-book Club

  Have you heard about the newest idea in ebooks, the ebook club? Secret Cravings Publishing has started two ebook clubs and we invite you to become a member of either The Cravings e-book Club or the Cravings Paranormal e-book Club. Join now and get two books absolutely free!

  As a member, you will receive Trouble With a Cowboy* by Sandy Sullivan and Forget Me Not** by Jaden Sinclair FREE, just for joining!

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  *Trouble With a Cowboy, a western, erotic romance:

  Can some slashed tires and an ornery bull bring two hard-headed people together for some fun in the sun and a little more?

  **Forget Me Not, paranormal erotic romance:

  A war is brewing, a war that could destroy an entire vampire race if left unchecked, and Julian Marino has been requested to participate in it. He stops his search for a long time friend to go home and discovers there is more at stake than just his wants.

  As a member of the Cravings Club, you’ll receive 4 books in a variety of genres every month. We will try to match your books to your preferences, however, if you’re a major paranormal fan, I suggest you join the Cravings Paranormal Club. Everything is the same, 4 books every month for $9.99 except that 3 of your 4 books will be paranormal. The remaining book will be of a different genre.

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  We hope our Secret Cravings books will delight you each and every month.

  Best wishes,

  Beth Walker

  THEIR PERFECT MATCH

  Alela Marsh

  Copyright © 2013

  Chapter One

  Molly knew something was up the minute she got back from lunch. Brenda, her assistant, had come to the office that morning typically overdressed—or underdressed might be a more accurate way to put it—but that fresh layer of bubblegum-pink lipstick was new. So was the puckish smile it so conspicuously framed.

  “In your office, Mol. New client.” Winking, Brenda fanned her face with the still-unopened morning mail. “And you might want to hurry. This one might melt the paper off your walls.”

  “Great.” Molly couldn’t hold back a groan. Knowing Brenda’s sense of humor, she braced herself to walk in on Quasimodo in discount jewelry—or, at the very least, another cologne-drenched, middle-aged husband desperately pretending to be single.

  Someday Lovelines would be the established, highly exclusive dating service she’d originally envisioned. For now, to her continued frustration, her fledgling business was a magnet for married guys looking for some action on the side.

  The instant she stepped into her office, the white man seated in the plush chair opposite her desk rose to greet her.

  “Miss Grayson? I’m Zane Bishop.”

  Molly’s crisp, pre-fabricated smile instantly slid from her lips. For once, Brenda hadn’t been kidding around. Her tall, muscular new client bore about as much resemblance to a hunchback on the make as a polar ice cap bore to a tropical beach. And never mind the wallpaper—this particular man could have melted those same ice caps, had they been female.

  Mercilessly frank gray eyes swept over her as he extended his hand. “Your receptionist told me I could wait in here. I hope that’s all right.”

  It took Molly a moment to kick-start her voice. “Yes…yes, it’s fine.”

  Both his tanned face and the slightly tousled charcoal hair that framed it bore the same relaxed, lived-in look as his expensive leather jacket. The black denim that encased his long legs looked as if it had been slowly poured over prominent thigh muscles and lean but sturdy calves.

  “I always meet with new clients in here. It’s just that I had to run an errand, and….well, never mind all that.” Mortified at her own blathering, Molly forced herself to project a more professional attitude. From the way Zane Bishop tilted his head at her, his expression half-quizzical, half-concerned, though, she knew she’d been staring at him in a decidedly non-professional way.

  “Good. I was afraid I’d startled you.” Flashing her a self-conscious grin of his own, he made a vague gesture in the direction of their
seats. “So, uh…shall we?”

  “Oh, yes, by all means, please sit down.” Molly sank into her swivel chair, thankful for the support provided by the deep, plush cushion. Between her tingling embarrassment and the strange effect Zane’s presence had on her nervous system, her knees had started to tremble under her skirt. Never mind the humiliation her inept greeting had already caused her—his noticing that little quirk would prove a thousand times worse.

  She decided to start fresh. Maybe, by some miracle, he hadn’t registered her valiant attempts to make a complete fool of herself. “So you’re interested in signing on with Lovelines,” she began.

  “That’s right.” When he nodded, she noticed how tiny flecks of blue and silver enlivened the serious cast of his eyes. The man was lethal, she decided. Why on earth would he need a computer to find him a date?

  Suddenly, it occurred to her that he might have shown up here by mistake. Maybe he thought Lovelines was some kind of modeling agency, or one of those services that provided sexy entertainment for bachelorette parties. Maybe he was looking for employment, not a date.

  There was no denying he’d fill out a g-string to perfection.

  When she looked up at him again, she felt her mouth go dry. Had Brenda really rubbed off on her that much? Imagining her client half-naked—more than half, if she were totally honest about it—was completely unprofessional, not to mention silly. If he was under some misapprehension about the nature of her business, better to clear it up now than prolong their mutual embarrassment.

  Still…what if he’d come here with some crazy idea that he had to audition for her? Maybe he really was wearing little more than a jungle-print g-string under those tight jeans!

  That thought brought a fresh flood of crimson to her cheeks. Clearing her throat, she removed the forms and deliberately spread them face-up on the desk between them.

  “Maybe we should start by discussing exactly what a dating service can—and can’t—do for its clients. Have you ever worked wi…I mean, subscribed to one before?”

  “Nope, never. But I believe that everyone ought to try something new once in a while. Don’t you agree?”

  “Of course. It’s just that…well, sometimes people aren’t quite ready for everything we have to offer,” Molly improvised. She wanted to kick herself under the desk. Now she really did sound like someone running a shady escort service!

  “No, I think I’m ready.” That jaunty grin flickered, but his sea-gray eyes remained serious. “Maybe it would clear things up if I explained why I’ve come to you.”

  “Yes, it probably would,” she said, relieved.

  “Let me put it in the simplest possible terms.” Zane Bishop settled back in his chair. Even with his leather-jacketed shoulders shrugged against the upholstery, and his large hands draped over the soft chair arms, his sturdy build simmered with a quiet strength. “I’ve spent most of my life alone, and I don’t enjoy it as much as I used to. It’s time for me to make a change. A big change.”

  “Why?” In general, Molly distrusted men with such obvious confidence, finding that it often concealed simple arrogance. In this case, she felt more intrigued than annoyed.

  “A change in circumstances, actually. My life’s a lot more stable now than it’s been for the past ten years. I just returned from overseas.”

  “Ah. You were away on business?”

  The thin, wary smile returned. “I hope I don’t look like the pinstriped-suit, frequent-flyer type to you. No, Miss Grayson, I meant that literally. Twelve years ago, I had this burning desire to see the world—all of it. So I joined the Merchant Marines. Ended up making more of a career of it than I intended to.”

  So he was a drifter. That made sense. A man on the move, even one as striking as Zane Bishop, would hardly have time to form meaningful, lasting relationships. If he’d been away a long time, he might even have fallen out of touch with modern dating rituals. “But now you’re back in Providence to stay?”

  He nodded again. “My father lived here for most of his life, but he died of cancer six months ago. I came back to be with him at the end.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Molly found herself moved by the image of this strong-willed, strong-limbed man tending his dying father.

  “I thought about taking off after he died.” Zane rolled his shoulders as if to shrug off unwelcome memories and emotions. “But the real reason I’m planning to stay is that I like Providence. It’s big, impersonal, but not as depressing as some other cities I’ve spent time in. I have places to go, but I can still lose myself when I want to.”

  “I know what you mean.” Providence was impersonal all right. Impersonal and quite often lonely. Apparently he understood that as well as she did. “And now you’re looking for someone you can lose yourself with,” she guessed.

  “Recently, I decided to take a good, hard look at my own life. That’s when I discovered what was lacking. I have a whole new set of short-range plans, and a serious relationship factors heavily into those plans. Thanks to all those years at sea, I believe in getting from Point A to Point B as efficiently as possible. That’s where you come in, Miss Grayson.”

  Molly nodded. His was the same basic story she’d heard in this office again and again. Independent men, and an increasing number of self-sufficient women, deciding that a solitary life no longer satisfied them. Once in a while, she allowed herself to wonder if she’d ever feel such a gnawing pressure to make a radical life change, to become one half of a committed couple.

  But always—like now—she quickly dismissed the idea. Being alone was something she doubted she could change, even if she wanted to. Accepting perpetual singlehood as her destiny seemed by far the most sensible approach to life.

  Molly selected the appropriate form from the folder in front of her and slid it across the desk. “All right. Just fill out this application, and we’ll start a routine background check. Once that’s complete, we’ll proceed with the next step.”

  “Background check? How does that work?”

  “It’s not much different than what you’d go through if you were applying for a credit card. We screen for any criminal history, indications of violent behavior, outstanding child support payments, or anything that might make someone a less than ideal mate. I hope you don’t take offense.”

  “Of course not. You can hardly send your lady clients out with just any joker who wanders in off the street claiming to be lonely. They depend on you to keep more than their reputations safe.”

  “I’m glad you understand.”

  “I do. But I’d still like to learn more about the matchmaking process itself before I sign anything,” he said after scanning the form for a few moments.

  “Actually, you record a short video and fill out another questionnaire—more personal this time—and then we figure out which female clients would be suitable based on your answers. We upload the video to clients we think you’d be compatible with and they can access it from their home computers.”

  “You can do that just by reading my questionnaire?”

  “Not reading…not exactly, anyway. Here at Lovelines, I’m pleased to say we’ve developed some exclusive, highly efficient software just for that purpose. I can’t reveal all our trade secrets, but suffice it to say that our program does the job far better than any mere mortal could hope to. The computer will give us a list of names, and we’ll arrange your first few dates. If something clicks… well, at that point you’re on your own.”

  “Sounds impressive.”

  “I’m glad you think so. Now, the sign-up fee is one thousand dollars for the first twelve months of service. Renewal memberships are three hundred dollars for each additional six months.”

  He appeared to think it over, stroking the vague five o’clock shadow that dusted his face. “If your methods are as sure-fire as you say, surely I shouldn’t need to continue my membership.”

  “With most clients, that’s precisely the case. However, we offer the option in the event of u
nforeseen circumstances. And there’s one other thing. We need a fifty percent deposit before we can do the preliminary screening.”

  “Refundable, I assume?”

  “That depends on the circumstances. If you decide to terminate your contract with us early, you’d forfeit any remaining balance. If it’s our decision, we’ll issue a pro-rated refund.

  That would only happen if we found substantial misrepresentation on your part—like marital status—obviously—or criminal record. Termination could also result if one of the women we set you up with lodges a legitimate complaint.”

  “You mean if she didn’t like my tie? Remind me not to wear one.”

  She’d been about to slide the pen toward him. His words stopped her in mid-motion.

  “Lovelines isn’t like a lot of other dating services, Mr. Bishop. We pride ourselves on being both exclusive and dependable. It’s my policy to personally approve each and every client I put into the databank.” Finally, she raised her chin and met his casual, too-confident smile with a stiff one of her own. “Like I said before, not everyone feels comfortable with our way of doing things. If you prefer, I can direct you to another service with less stringent requirements.”

  “I didn’t say I felt uncomfortable.” Gently, he eased the pen from her hand and turned the contract toward him. She felt a little current spark as his pale fingers brushed against her darker ones, like lightning flashing against a gloomy cloud over the sea. “Like I said, you’re responsible for your clients’ safety. But don’t worry. I’m not some kind of lunatic stalker.”