9781631050275TheirPerfectMatchMarshNC Page 11

  “So talk,” she said, eyeing him warily.

  “Okay. The first thing I have to tell you is that I was never really a committed client at Lovelines. That is, I wasn’t actually looking for a relationship when I joined up.”

  Her brows lifted, and her mouth parted in surprise. She didn’t speak, though, and busied herself with her coffee cup.

  “Don’t misunderstand me. I don’t mean I was just looking for some action or anything like that. I am single, and the part about the Merchant Marines and my father passing away was all true. It’s just that…well…the fact is, I was asked to check out your company by someone close to me. My brother—my half-brother, that is—is a former client of yours. His name is Alaric Scott.”

  “Alaric? Yes, of course. I remember him.” Her eyes bugged out. “He’s your—your brother?”

  “Half-brother. Younger. It was his father I told you about…the wealthy man my mother left my father for, dragging me along.”

  “But why did your brother want my company investigated? Did he want to buy us out or start a rival company? I don’t get it.”

  “It’s more than that. One of your employees has been even sneakier than I’ve been, Molly. There have been some…shall we say…violations of law using cyber techniques. Alaric didn’t want to go to the police until we’d checked it out privately. He didn’t want anyone to know he’d signed up for a dating service. He was even more embarrassed that he’d apparently been duped by one.”

  “He was embarrassed about signing up for Lovelines?” Her eyes flashed. “That’s exactly the kind of nonsense I’d hoped to avoid when I started my company!” Slowly the rest of what he’d said seemed to sink in. “What—what do you mean violations of the law?”

  “I mean someone made electronic funds transfers from Alaric’s account to some offshore account he can’t trace. He got most of it reimbursed, but that isn’t the point. Someone’s used his identity to trade stocks, order things…a gold bracelet, stuff like that. Now it’s happened on the card I used as well. Alaric was convinced it was you. I’m just as convinced that it can’t be.”

  “Thanks for that vote of confidence,” she said bitterly. “But this is insane! I refuse to believe my employees had anything to do with this. They’re my friends!”

  “You might be right, or you might not be. It’s possible someone might have hacked into your system from outside.”

  “No! I refuse to believe that!” She banged down her coffee cup and glared at him in outrage. “Todd made sure that our system is totally safe from outside access! He told me so himself!”

  “That’s the point, Molly,” he said sadly. “Don’t you see? It had to be someone from within.” He paused, knowing his next words would wound her even more deeply. “Molly, I did some checking. Do you know Brenda’s friend Decker has a prison record? Petty theft, stolen checks. He’s been giving Brenda some expensive gifts lately, don’t you think? And Todd’s been in trouble with a few credit bureaus, though he’s mysteriously been able to clear up his credit in the past year or so. You and Brenda came up clean, I’m happy to say. That’s why I don’t think you’re personally involved. I think you’ve been scammed, too.”

  “You’ve checked out my records? And my employees? Even Decker?” She rolled her eyes, and he could tell that she was trying mightily to rein in her temper. He didn’t blame her one bit. “But of course you’d be thorough. You’re that kind of man.”

  “Look, Molly, I didn’t only do what I did because of Alaric. This thing between us…it’s real. I wanted to check you out because those nights we were apart, I was only thinking of you. I want to clear your name—more than anything.”

  She wouldn’t look at him. She pushed the coffee away as though she’d discovered it contained poison. “Save it.”

  “All right, I understand. But let’s work together and find out who’s getting into your files. If the person’s that clever, he—or she—could be setting you up. I for one don’t intend to see you take the fall for someone else. Anyone. Whether it’s someone you trust or not.”

  There was no getting around that logic. He knew she’d say yes. But he couldn’t take any pleasure in it. And it was his fault everything had turned out so badly.

  Her next words were coated in ice. “I’ll tolerate your company until we find this creep. But what we shared here is over. And I don’t want you to mention it again. Understand?”

  Chapter Eight

  Molly couldn’t recall ever being so angry…or so utterly humiliated, either. Devastation tore through her like a wrecking ball smashing into her heart.

  “I have to tell you, Mr. Bishop, I don’t really understand why you expect me to cooperate with you. I could simply tell you to stay away from me and my business. You joined Lovelines fraudulently and you’ve misrepresented yourself to me in more ways than I care to dwell on. I could probably even get some kind of court order to make you stay away if I had to.”

  “Maybe you could,” he said, looking maddeningly nonchalant—and undeniably sexy—in his tight T-shirt and tousled hair, still damp and fragrant from the shower. “And you don’t have to cooperate, though I think it would be in your best interest. As I think I mentioned earlier, there could soon be some less friendly investigators coming around. Alaric never said he wouldn’t go to the authorities, only that he wanted to see what we were dealing with first. For all we know, there are other clients who are less patient and have less money to blow on a private inquiry before they go to the cops.”

  “Okay. Okay.” Molly squeezed the bridge of her nose, desperate to keep a headache from forming. “We’ll keep it going a little longer. Only because I want my friends exonerated. You had better remember that, Mr. Bishop.”

  “I will,” he agreed, looking properly chastised. Was he acting? Molly wished she could tell.

  “Maybe we should come up with a cover story while you look into things,” she suggested reluctantly. “There really isn’t much reason for a client to be hanging around the office. Maybe I could tell Brenda and Todd that I’m hiring you as a security consultant or something.”

  “No. That would make them suspicious.”

  She crossed her arms. “So what? As long as we can get this issue settled. Why not shake them up a bit? It might make the guilty party come forward.”

  He shook his head. “Trust me. It’s not a good idea to show your hand too early. Gives people a chance to cover their tracks. Whoever has been tapping into your computer is already pretty good at that.” He paused, tilting his head at her. She knew what he was about to say. “Why don’t we go with the scenario they already expect? In other words, we’re crazy about each other? Think about it. It’s perfect. They won’t question my being there from time to time, and they’ll accept that I’m no longer a client. Someone might feel comfortable enough with me to blurt something out.”

  “I still don’t feel right about this,” she admitted. “I’m setting up my friends. What will they think of me if they find out?”

  “Trust me. I’ll be discreet. I’ve been doing this a long time.”

  “Exactly how long?”

  “I trained in ship security when I was at sea.”

  “A professional spy.” She struck her forehead. The man had snowed her from beginning to end. And she’d just sat there and swallowed his lies, or at least his lies of omission, one after the other. How could she have been so foolish? “I should have known. You certainly failed to put that on your Lovelines application.”

  “Somehow I didn’t think it would net me many dates.”

  “I’m sure you were right about that. And you enjoyed playing a role with me, didn’t you?”

  She’d meant it as an accusation, but he took it a different way. He got up to collect her empty plate and mug and leaned over her shoulder so that his lips hovered close to her ear.

  “I can’t deny that.” His voice was husky. The scent of sandalwood bath gel rocketed through her senses. If their time together hadn’t been cut so short by
his confession, she would have stayed there all day with him, and maybe more.

  She drew in a deep, trembling breath.

  “I have to tell you something. Todd’s engagement party is on some dinner cruise this Friday night—”

  “Oh? That sounds a bit pricey, doesn’t it?”

  “I guess so,” she admitted. “Anyway, we’re all invited—Brenda, Decker and me. Before all this happened, I was going to ask you to come with me.” Her eyes burned with tears when she looked directly at Zane. “He says it will be quite a night. There’s dancing, and food, and a trip along the harbor.”

  “Looks like Fate just smiled on us,” he told her as he carried the dishes to the sink. “Todd’s arranged our perfect setup to check all my suspects out at once. I accept your invitation.”

  Molly wanted to cry. She’d been looking forward to having Zane as her date. Now that was going to happen after all—for entirely the wrong reason. He’d be spying on the other guests the entire time.

  “We’ll pretend to go together,” she said. “But it’s a cover story, and don’t forget it.”

  “All right.” She thought she saw his shoulders slump as he stood at the counter, preparing to put the plates and cups in the dishwasher. “I accept that.”

  Unable to stand being in his apartment another moment, Molly got up and walked out, making sure to retrieve the unopened lingerie box first. As she stormed out to her car, grateful she’d insisted on driving herself over, she wasn’t sure whether to return or burn the delicate garments inside.

  As she’d passed Zane on her way out the front door, he’d turned to look at her, and the box in her hands, and she thought she saw a grimace of genuine regret on his face. She had no doubt that he did feel bad at some level, since the connection between them, despite being forged under false pretenses, did indeed feel real. She wasn’t sure if that made things better or worse.

  * * * *

  “Oh, Molly! You look great!” Brenda announced the moment Molly stepped onto the wharf where the dinner cruise was scheduled to launch. The end of the week had been almost unbearably stressful, especially with Zane dropping in a few times under the pretense of wanting to see her. What he’d really been up to behind her closed office door was an inspection of Lovelines’ software system, though she had been adamant about not allowing him access to any private client information.

  After taking a few notes, he’d assured her he’d consult with a few experts and get back to her with any findings about holes in the system or digital fingerprints left by the thieves. Meanwhile, she had to put up with Brenda and Todd’s continual ribbing about her great romance. Both of them genuinely seemed to wish her well, which only made her feel guiltier. In one sense only did she look forward to this ridiculous engagement party—maybe by the time it was over, Zane would find the answers he sought and would leave them, and her, alone. She didn’t even want to think about what might happen if the plan for tonight failed—she’d just have to trust that everything would go as planned. Any more of this masquerading would be torture.

  Of course, that was assuming Zane even showed up. He’d offered to pick her up at her place, of course, but she’d refused. Riding with him and pretending it was a real date still didn’t feel right after the way he’d deceived her. What they were about to put on together was an act, and nothing more, designed to ferret out whoever was stealing her clients’ identities.

  She had to keep reminding herself of that.

  Brenda was still eyeing Molly’s red spaghetti-strap tube dress and matching wrap with obvious approval. She winked at the black thigh-highs, which were actually quite conservative compared to the ones she’d bought at Antoinette’s. “This guy’s got you tied in knots, doesn’t he? Way to go.”

  “You don’t think the outfit’s too much?”

  “No way. He’ll go nuts. Here, I’ll prove it.” She lifted her hand in the air and waved at the group of passengers clustering around the buffet table. “Decker! Come over here! We need a man’s perspective.”

  “Don’t, please.” Molly felt the heat rush to her cheeks.

  “Oh, don’t worry. He has amazing taste. In fact, look what he got me, just for tonight.” Proudly, Brenda held out her wrist so that Molly could see the shimmer of a beautiful gold strand.

  “Wow,” Molly said as Brenda turned the bracelet to catch the moonlight. “That looks very expensive,” she said. “I hope Decker’s not ruining his credit to impress you.”

  “Oh, money’s not a problem for him,” Brenda said airily, just as Decker himself wandered over, gulping complimentary champagne. Molly noted that he wore new clothes himself—a light gray designer suit, by the look, with real cufflinks in the sleeves. “Honey, tell us the truth. Does Molly look hotter than a summer sun at high noon, or what?”

  One side of Decker’s mouth tilted in a grin. “I don’t want to say anything that’ll get me in trouble.”

  Brenda elbowed him in the side. “Don’t sweat it. I give you permission.”

  “In that case…yeah, Zane will go crazy. No doubt about it.”

  “Thanks,” Molly said miserably. Why had she agreed to this charade in the first place? Playing the role of a devoted couple was going to be hell for both of them—him because he secretly considered her and her friends as suspects in his mounting fraud case, and her because…well, just because. The whole situation was awkward and humiliating. Her mind raced as she tried to come up with a plausible excuse to abandon the party before the boat pushed off from the wharf…and before Zane arrived.

  Before she could open her mouth to make an attempt, Brenda tapped her arm. “There he is.”

  She pointed to a tall figure standing by himself, off to one side of the ticket booth where attendants were checking in the guests Todd and Sabrina had listed. His back was to them as he gave his name and was duly signed in as a passenger. As if he sensed the two women’s attention, he straightened and turned.

  Molly released her breath in a rush. Zane looked magnificent in a tailored indigo suit, black shirt, and pale mustard tie. His hair was brushed back from his forehead with gel, and his skin gleamed from a fresh shave and scrubbing.

  To judge from the way his eyes locked with hers and his mouth dropped open, he liked the way she looked as much as Decker and Brenda had. In three quick strides, he had closed the distance between them.

  Molly gasped as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her full on the mouth. She almost allowed herself to be swept up in it until she realized Decker and Brenda were watching with scarcely disguised amusement.

  “Welcome to our perfect night,” he said against her lips.

  “You’re really playing it up for them, aren’t you?” she whispered.

  “Of course. I thought we agreed this was the best cover for the two of us. Still, I can’t say I’m not enjoying it. No one said we weren’t allowed to have fun on this mission.”

  “Come on,” she said, stepping back from his embrace. “Let’s mingle. We’ll be pushing off soon.”

  “Let’s get some more champagne,” Decker suggested. “That stuff’s great.”

  They moved across the deck, and Molly saw Zane glance at the gold bracelet on Brenda’s wrist and then back up at her. She pressed her lips together and shook her head. While they walked to the buffet table, Zane engaged Decker in conversation.

  “So, you and Brenda seem to be getting pretty serious.”

  “Yeah. You and Molly too?”

  “Working on it.” Zane winked at Molly in a way that made her wince, though she was careful not to react in any other way.

  “That’s great, man,” Decker said. “Molly needs someone in her life. Brenda’s always saying so.” He lowered his voice, apparently thinking neither Brenda not Molly could hear him. “You know how women are.”

  Brenda returned with a plate of hors d’oeuvres, which she held out toward Decker. “Oh? How are we?”

  “You’re great, honey, just great.” Decker examined the plate and chose a stuffed mu
shroom cap. “Mmm! Sabrina outdid herself this time. The food’s delicious.”

  “Quite a spread,” Zane agreed. He glanced at Molly. “Must have cost them a few shiny pennies.”

  As the cruise moved out into the harbor, the four of them moved to a large round table where a few other couples—all white, and all clearly well-to-do, to judge by their dress and mannerisms—were already seated. Brief introductions confirmed them as friends of Sabrina, who soon swept past with Todd in tow to thank them all for coming. The two of them looked happy and comfortable together, Molly noted, quite a contrast to the weary melancholy that had enveloped her.

  “How long have you been delivering office supplies?” Zane asked Decker, who was eating with too much gusto to partake in the other conversations going on around them.

  “A couple years. Fell into it sort of by accident, since I’m good at setting up computers, but I sure don’t plan to do it forever. You know, there’s real money in transporting things nowadays. People don’t trust the post office any more, and we’re living in a global society that orders everything online and expects quick, efficient service. Once I figure out how to do it better than the big ones out there, I see myself owning my own delivery company someday. Big bucks in it, you know.”

  “That will take a lot of capital,” Zane observed.

  Decker swallowed a shrimp and grinned. “It’s not so tough. You can start out with a little, invest wisely, and eventually you’ll have plenty to spend on anything you want.”

  “Investing in a new business isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” said Todd as he drifted past with champagne refills for everyone at the table. “Molly and I can attest to that.”

  “Oh?” Zane raised an eyebrow.

  Molly looked mortified. “Nothing’s easy. I’m sure that’s all Todd meant.”

  “I’ve always said you know me better than anyone alive, Mol.” Todd grinned and raised his bottle in a mock toast. “I think I know her almost as well, and I can tell you that I never doubted she’d make a great success of anything she attempted.”