The Matchmaker's Replacement by Rachel Van Dyken
“Yeah . . .” I whispered sheepishly.
“I have an idea.” Lex handed me my leggings. “Make war every day . . .”
“So we can make love every night?”
“And sign a peace treaty in the morning?” Something about Lex’s smile was different. Like he was allowing me to see past the guarded Lex I’d always witnessed, like he’d let me in.
It was the perfect time to ask him what he meant about Christmas four years ago, but I wasn’t sure my heart could handle it if he laughed it off or said he brought it up in the heat of the moment.
Four years ago, I had fallen in love with Lex and given him my heart.
And I was beginning to think it was his turn to do the same.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
Lex
New clients.” I approached the bench near the student union building where Ian and I always did our morning business, only this Monday morning, Ian was not alone.
Gabi was holding her coffee in the air, her usual smile replaced with a distracted frown as she texted someone on her phone. Did I also need to hack her phone records and find out what idiot was making her sad?
I raised my eyebrows at her, but the minute we locked eyes her smile was back, and the text was forgotten as she dropped her phone in her purse.
“Ian.” I tapped my phone against his. “Just sent you the info regarding Caylin.”
Ian glanced down at his phone, a smile spreading across his features. “Looks pretty easy: been in love with her best friend’s brother since she was six and followed him to school. Pretty, smart, and an athlete. I do well with those.”
“We know.” I shook my head. “She’s also on the volleyball team, so I figured we can have Blake help out a bit.”
“Yup.” Ian shoved his phone into his pocket. “And the male client for the week?”
I pulled up his application on my phone and tapped the corner against Gabi’s phone. We had a file-sharing app that made business so easy it was ridiculous.
Her eyes widened.
In shock?
Horror?
A little bit of both?
“Something wrong, Gabs?” I smirked, trying to remember that I wasn’t her boyfriend, I wasn’t her anything, and that if Ian found out about us he’d drown me in the fountain. “Losing your nerve?”
“No, it’s just . . .” Gabi held out her phone to Ian. “Did you know about this?”
“No chance in hell.” Ian stood and faced me. “How did he make it through the screening process?”
“Easy, the program picked him and his stats looked good. How else do you think applicants make it through? I don’t see a problem.”
Ian rolled his eyes. “The problem is that he knows Gab—”
“No problem!” Gabi interrupted and stood. “I’ll make contact and designate the meeting place. Don’t worry, guys, I’ve got this.”
She walked off without another word. I wanted nothing more than to push Ian into the dirt and chase after her, but it would look suspicious, and Gabs and I had already made our own rules for our relationship last night before we left the room to watch the rest of the movie with Ian.
“Everything is fair play, but no bringing up our private moments in public.” Gabi nodded as if I needed reminding again. “Okay, your turn.”
“I can’t believe we’re making rules like we’re five.”
“Most five-year-olds’ rules revolve around no hitting and snack time,” Gabs pointed out.
“I could use a snack.”
“You’ve had three today.” She placed her hand against my chest. “Now, what’s your rule?”
I swallowed down the shock at what I was about to say, then scratched my head in wonderment as I sat on the bed and stared at her. “Exclusivity.”
You’d think I just told Gabi I preferred men.
“Exclusivity?” she repeated. “Between us?”
I bristled. “Why is that so weird?”
“You’re Lex.”
“I know my name. Helps that you shouted it a few minutes ago while I pleasured you, but thanks for the reminder.” I shifted, suddenly uncomfortable, and looked away. Was I that bad? Really?
“Fine,” she agreed quickly. “What happens between us is private, and we’re exclusive.”
I nodded.
“Should we put a time limit on . . . this?”
“No,” I said quickly. “But when it needs to end, it ends. No asking why, no fighting about it, no arguing. We just let the other person go, and everything goes back to normal.”
“When do you think that will be?” Gabs sat next to me, and the bed dipped under the pressure of both of us sitting on the edge of the mattress.
Never. Because I’d never get enough of her. I couldn’t imagine that day ever happening, but I couldn’t tell her that, and I sure as hell couldn’t make things official between us without first talking to Ian. Since I valued my life . . .
“Seems easy enough,” she finally said. “We fight in public and—”
I burst out laughing.
“What?” She shoved me in the arm.
“This!” I pointed at her hand. “You just shoved me, Gabs. When do we not fight? Even in bed? I kiss you senseless and you even try to outdo me with that! We will always fight.”
She slumped against me. “That’s true.”
“Hey, don’t look so defeated.” I tilted her chin toward me. “I’d rather fight than be bored out of my mind going to the same restaurant for date night and knowing what to expect every day. Hell, tomorrow you could wake up and decide to run me over with your car or set my goldfish on fire. The world is full of possibilities.”
“You don’t have a goldfish,” she grumbled.
“If I did, either it would die from starvation or you’d kill it—or better yet, steal it and hold it hostage and demand I be nice to you before giving it back. But knowing you, you’d get attached and keep it anyway.”
Gabi burst out laughing. “You know me too well.”
“You have no idea,” I whispered under my breath.
“What?”
“Nothing.” I stood and offered my hand. “Let’s go before Ian calls the police on us—”
“Again,” Gabs finished.
“How do they know each other?” I massaged the back of my neck in annoyance.
“Easy.” Ian shoved his Ray-Bans on his face and shrugged. “They dated for two years.”
I prided myself on being a relatively calm individual, able to process the facts before acting, but two hours later, while I was in Advanced Physics, I was still attempting to process what the hell I was going to do about Gabi taking on an ex-boyfriend as a client. I nearly lost my mind as all the possibilities lined up to one giant catastrophe.
What if she still liked him?
What type of douche let her go in the first place?
Did he somehow know she worked for us?
Was this a ploy to get her back?
“Hey, Lex.” Ruby, a girl I’d banged once upon a time, rubbed her lips together, then thrust out her chest. Her white T-shirt strained against her full Cs. “Wanna study?”
Code for Wanna see me naked?
I opened my mouth and then frowned as the whole idea of going back to her dorm room played out in my mind. She’d moan, I’d take off her clothes, she’d say something cheesy while her long nails dragged along my back. We’d kiss, I’d add in a little foreplay for her benefit, and then what? Sex? Boring-as-hell sex where she’d try to keep me in bed and then make a futile attempt to get my number—then pout.
“No,” I said gruffly. “Sorry.”
The shocked look on her f
I had said sorry, right? Besides, I was exclusive with Gabi. Holy shit, I had a girlfriend. Is this what that was like? Saying no to girls I didn’t want to sleep with in the first place? It wasn’t so bad, and not how I imagined it. Then again, in my daydreams it had always been Cameron Diaz propositioning me and me cursing the girlfriend who was waiting at home in mom jeans and frizzy hair.
“But . . .” Ruby reached for my arm. I stepped away.
Hell, I never skipped class, being a nerd and all, but I was going to be skipping now, especially since I couldn’t seem to focus on anything except Gabi.
Shit.
I scrambled out of the room and texted Gabi.
Lex Luthor: Skip with me.
Gabs: Some of us need to pass classes without sleeping with the professor.
Lex Luthor: One time.
Gabs: I hope she gave you an A.
Lex Luthor: A-, apparently she didn’t . . . okay never mind, not having this convo. Come over after class.
Gabs: And what? Bake cookies?
Lex Luthor: Yes. That’s exactly what we’re going to do, and when we’re finished baking cookies, we’ll make pot brownies and see how many we can feed Ian before he catches on.
Gabs: REALLY?
A marijuana leaf wearing a goofy smile blinked at me on the screen.
Lex Luthor: It worries me that they actually have a pot emoji, but what’s more concerning is that you found it within two seconds.
Gabs: Oops, gotta go, class starting.
Lex Luthor: Live a little! Break the rules.
Gabs: I did. Last night and again this morning.
I smirked and typed back my response.
Lex Luthor: Tell me you didn’t love the extra-long shower time.
Gabs: I wasn’t the one moaning . . .
Lex Luthor: If you don’t stop texting me people are going to think I’m looking at dirty pictures on my phone.
Gabs: Why?
Lex Luthor: I’d take a picture, but then it would be like sending you porn during class, and since you don’t like to break rules . . . see you soon, Gabs!
Gabs: No fun.
What wouldn’t be fun was me sending her a picture of my suppressed arousal and having Ian find it on her phone.
Two hours. I had two hours to burn before she was going to be at my house, and my focus was scattered at best.
I pulled up the asshole’s information on my phone, and then all was right in my world as an evil plan hatched tiny little dinosaur eggs that would one day eat the rat bastard and spit out his bones.
I was going to hack his ass.
I cracked my neck and smirked the entire way home.
Chapter
Thirty-Three
Gabi
It was the longest class of my life, made worse by the fact that I kept glancing at the clock every few seconds only to discover the hand had moved a quarter of an inch.
When class finally did end, I bolted out of my seat so fast my legs nearly tangled beneath me.
By the time I reached the door, a heavy dose of logic had seeped into my otherwise frantic and overly emotional brain.
Lex. It was Lex. I nearly skinned both knees and caused a domino effect of students also rushing out the door.
Lex could wait. I could be a mature adult and walk to my car, then drive the few miles to his house without breaking every traffic law in the state.
I could.
But did I want to?
My text alert went off.
Asshole Lex: Yawn . . . are you walking backward toward the house? Really, Gabs?
I really needed to change his name on my phone . . . Or—I smiled wide—keep it, since it still made me laugh.
Gabi: You do realize who you’re talking to, right? Legs are a bit short.
Asshole Lex: Didn’t feel short wrapped around me last night . . .
I shuddered and slid my phone into my pocket. No way was I going to keep texting him and run into a tree, causing permanent damage to my nose and all four front teeth.
My car wasn’t parked far away from the building. I half ran, half skipped to it and prayed it would start.
It did. Thank God.
And so began the three-mile drive to the house. Three miles that should have taken me maybe seven minutes, tops, with traffic.
It took eight.
I pulled up to the house, opened my car door, realized the engine was still running, turned the key and pulled it, then grabbed my bags and got out. After I locked the door, I turned and ran down the sidewalk.
When I made it halfway, the front door opened. Lex stood there, shirtless, with sweats hanging low on his hips.
His smile was so blinding, so perfect, I had to keep myself from doing a little twirl in the air before launching myself into his arms.
“Miss me?” He caught me midair and pulled me hard against his warm chest.
“Yes.” I sighed against his neck. “A perfectly unhealthy amount, you ass.”
His dark chuckle caused shivers all the way down to my toes. “Good. Also, we’re out of flour, so . . .”
“Huh?” I pulled back, my feet dangling in the air still. “What do you mean we’re out of flour?”
“Oh, when I say we’re out of flour, what I meant is, I tossed away all the baking ingredients so that we’d have no choice but to go to my room and . . . study.”
I nodded. “You didn’t have to go to such extremes.”
“I didn’t want to take any chances that you’d actually rather make cookies.”
“Does it look like I’d rather make cookies?”
“Gabs . . .” He placed me on the ground and kissed the top of my head. “You’re practically starving to death every time you eat, so yeah, I thought it was a fifty-fifty chance.”
Guilt gnawed in the middle of my chest like a stupid parasite. I should tell him about my parents; heck, I should tell Ian too, but . . . Well, it wasn’t just pride. It was the fact that they were both loaded, and they’d feel guilty and maybe even a bit hurt that I hadn’t shared with them earlier.
“I’m probably starving because sleeping with you is like joining a sports team. I hardly ever get Gatorade, and you rarely give me time-outs.”
“I was under the impression that time-outs were frowned upon.”
“Whatever would give you that idea?”
“You pinched my ass when I told you I needed air and then said, ‘You’ll be fine. Man up and kiss me.’”
I shrugged. “Are you . . . complaining?”
“Is the team captain complaining? Hell no!” Lex scooped me into his arms and carried me up the stairs.
“Wait!” I laughed as he juggled me around his buff arms. “Does that make me cocaptain?”
“Sorry.” Lex winced. “The team already voted. You’re the towel girl.”
“It’s a two-person team,” I pointed out.
He ignored me. “Your sole purpose is to serve at the captain’s pleasure.”
“Oh really?”
“Yup, it’s in the rule book.”
“What rule book is this?”
“Lex’s Rules for Bedtime Sports, Section One, Part A.”
I nodded slowly as he set me on my feet in his room. “Did you clean?” It smelled like bleach and Lysol, which was weird, since his room was spotless on a regular basis. I hadn’t even seen so much as a sock on the floor. Odd behavior, even for Lex, to clean what didn’t need cleaning.
“I clean when
“And throwing out the flour got you all tied up in knots?” I frowned, glancing around the spotless room, and my eyes homed in on his computers.
Lex’s eyes widened. “No!”
“Lex!” I hissed out his name like a curse and stomped over to the main screen. “Have you been hacking him?”
Mark Dawson was printed across the top of the screen. Beneath that, his Social Security number, credit score, and last three addresses were listed. Slowly, I turned to Lex, expecting him to look guilty. Nothing but pride washed across his features.
“Oh good grief, Lex.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re a sick man.”
“You know, hacking is an addiction . . .” He nodded slowly, and his eyes crinkled as his full lips pressed together in a toe-curling smile. “Just like you.”
“Good one.” I pinched his arm. “You can’t just go around snooping into people’s private lives!”
“He had a penile enlargement,” Lex said in a low voice.
“No way!” I gasped.
Lex shook his head. “Yeah, I’m lying, but these are the types of things we need to know, Gabs! He’s your ex. I’m not sending you out into the field with God-knows-who! I mean, he could be a sociopath!”
“Out into the field,” I repeated. “I’m sorry, do we work for the CIA now?”
“I’m ignoring your sarcasm, which, by the way, is harder than it appears. Just let me do my research so I know you’ll be safe.”
“Safe, safe, safe.” I tapped my chin. “Wonder what Ian would think about my safety now, hmm?” I sauntered over to Lex and grabbed one of his hands. “Am I safe now? In your room?”
“Are you asking if being with me is dangerous?”
“Seems like a risk to me.”
He swallowed, his eyes darting between me and the floor. “A risk worth taking?”