Page 28 of Match Point

He adjusted his jaw, a tick forming. “Yes, we do text daily and talk on the phone.”

She was getting under his skin. Good. He needed a reality check. Whether it was intentional or not, he was fooling himself. “If you’ve been out with her on a few dates and talk daily, then she thinks you’re her boyfriend whether you think so or not.”

Tense silence followed her statement and she waited for him to admit the truth.

With a heavy sigh, he met her direct stare. “You’re right. What happened today can’t happen again. It’s unfair to her.”

His confession was like a slap in the face after the kiss they’d shared. And if it hadn’t started to hail, who knew how much more would have happened on the damp forest floor? “Yes, because she’s the only injured party here.” She picked up the plate, grabbed the mayonnaise, and meeting his narrowed gaze, squirted it on the burger. Slamming down the bottle, she flashed a cold smile. “Maggot.”

Sorcha turned her back on him. Okay, she was pissed. She crossed the deck and plopped down on the chair next to Tucker’s. He’d been at the ranch when they’d come off the mountain. His dark curls were ruffled by the wind, his angular face leaner and aged beyond his years from his physical ordeal.

“What kind of an idiot goes out on two dates—talks to a woman non-stop—and doesn’t know he’s in a relationship?” She was the one he’d been kissing, his hand working the muscles of her leg until… Stop. She was the injured party, yet he was only worried about Kat’s feelings.

“Excuse me?” Tucker asked with an inquisitive smile, a plate resting on his knee. He’d lost a lot of weight. She huffed out a breath and closed the burger bun. The gall of the man, kissing her while he was seeing someone else. Of course, she knew he was seeing someone and yet it hadn’t stopped her from kissing him. Twice. Her temper deflated. What was it about Leo that sent her into a tailspin? Hot one second, and cold the next, he brought out the best and worst in her. “Nothing. I’m just frustrated.”

“At Leo?” Head tilted, his golden brown gaze met hers. His voice had been affected in the bombing, the once smooth sound now hoarse. Regardless, he still possessed a light Indian accent. Dark sooty lashes framed his stunning eyes.

“Why would you say that?” She picked at the cheese. Still hot, it stung her finger. She put it in her mouth, licking the grease off her fingertip. Delicious, but the bite didn’t come without guilt. She’d worked up an appetite on the ride, for food and for other things. Things she couldn’t have. She hated to deprive herself of anything. It was a weakness, one she tried to suppress, but it was hard. Spoiled. She was spoiled by her own admission.

“Then it is about Leo. You were shooting daggers at him when you put mayonnaise on your burger. You hate mayonnaise.”

“We have a contentious relationship, to say the least. You know how much I dislike being told what to do.” She took a large bite of the hamburger, the food heaven on her tongue. Mayonnaise aside, she’d eat the entire thing as a fuck you to Leo. Plus, she was hungry. The new workouts kicked her metabolism into gear.

His laughter blanketed her raw nerves. “Yes, I do, and yet I took the job anyway,” he said.

A reluctant grin crossed her lips. Shaking her head, she swallowed. “I’m glad you’re here. It’s been lonely since dad died and my life went to shit.”

The amusement drained from his face and he nodded. Over the years, they’d been close. He was part of her family, one of the few people who knew her before and after the fame.

“I miss him, and he wasn’t my dad. I’ll never forget how he visited me every day for a month when I was in the hospital. He was a good man,” Tucker said. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

She leaned into his strength. Kids raced around the fire pit, their childish giggles soothing. Grams and Clark, a short, bald man with a goatee, wrangled their charges, the love for the kids and each other a welcome sight. “So, what do you think of our workout retreat?” she asked, her eyes moving to where Leo still stood behind the grill before she averted her gaze. They still had to work together, and she was determined to be a professional, even if it killed her.

“I have to say, I’m impressed. Nature and being surrounded by good people makes it feel less like work.”

“I like it here, and I’ll never admit it to Leo but I’m starting to prefer working outside rather than in.” It challenged her endurance and kicked her out of her comfort zone. The entire reason for coming to the States.

Well, there was one more key reason. Miller. It was imperative that she stick to the designated path. Lusting after Leo was a dead-end trail. She had two goals. To meet Miller and be back at the top. Once she’d accomplished both, she’d reevaluate. For now, she had to stay on task, no matter how much it sucked.

Chapter Twenty-One

“How’s it going?” Leo crossed his arms and stood next to Tucker’s chair Clark and the kids had done an excellent job converting the basketball court into a tennis court. The two youngest were out of school and running after the balls Sorcha hit in quick succession.

“You’re still hitting short. Stop dropping your shoulder.” Tucker called out.

Sorcha glanced over at him, saw Leo, and her jaw tightened. She turned her attention back to the task at hand. “Watch out boys, fast one coming in,” she said.

“It’s going, although…” Tucker paused, hand moving to his chin. He cocked his head and leaned back in his seat. “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”

Leo frowned, watching Sorcha hit the ball over the net. The boys hassled each other, fighting to determine who could grab the ball. Their childish laughter made him smile. Something about the ranch had a way of healing a person’s soul. For the boys living here, it was a safe haven from a harsh world.

“I’ve been working with her on cardio. She has no stamina and we haven’t even started on weight training,” Leo said.

Her hair in a ponytail, Sorcha wore a white tank top with the Princess logo stretched tight against her breasts. A pleated skirt showed off those sexy legs. Legs he’d explored and wanted to explore again. Guilt hit once more. He was supposed to be into Kat, not obsessing over Sorcha. Her face was flushed from her workout, adding to her allure. She smacked the ball, grunting with the effort. The hollow sound of the ball hitting the racket rang out.

“We’ve been working on this shot for a half an hour and she kept missing the mark,” Tucker said. “But since you’ve been here, she’s cleared it a good six times.”

Leo was equally pleased and disturbed by the news. Their relationship was destined to be fraught with drama. She brought it whether she meant to or not. He thrived on stability. She wanted to shake the world. Opposites. Opposites that attracted rather than repelled. And that was the gist of their problem, and the reason they’d never work out. “It’s not because of me, it’s in spite of me. She’s not too happy with me right now.” How much to disclose? Tucker was her coach, but he was also her friend.

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