Page 9 of Match Point

“We have to cover three miles going down.” Miller was a dick. She’d heard that on multiple occasions and it made her question why she wanted to meet him. Except that there was a void in her life, and she needed to fill it with family, warts and all.

Chapter Six

Leo drank from his bottle and kept pace with Sorcha’s slower progress. The liquid was a welcome coolness on his dry throat. He watched her, concerned over her earlier dizziness. She was out of shape, and he’d have to rethink his strategy. .

“Do I have a choice?” she asked, more resigned than snarky. Her top was wet and pert nipples showed through the cotton. Fuck. He didn’t need this shit right now. He was between girlfriends and he had to wrangle her day in and day out? She was his client and a pain in the ass, not a great combination.

“Sure you do. You could stay up here. Or I can pack you down the hill.” His mind raced with challenges he himself had endured while doing PT in the Army. Endurance was key, and it was apparent by the way she lagged behind that she needed to up her game.

“Pack me down the hill? Like on the back of a jackass?” She said with a tongue-in-cheek grin, moving down the trail at a slow jog.

Ferns grew in abundance along the edges of the path, and in the distance he could hear rushing water. The rain had stopped, and the birds were chirping, the sound of frogs loud in the dense forest. He inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet fragrance of the Douglas fir trees. This was the landscape of his childhood; one his mother and father had loved but would never see again. “A jackass is a much misrepresented animal. It’s a hybrid with incredible strength and stamina, yet it’s not as pretty as its equine cousin, so it never gets the appreciation it deserves.”

A smile curved her lips. “Are you trying to tell me you’re underappreciated?”

“That would be relevant if I was a jackass. Contrary to popular belief, I am not.” Or was he? He’d been irritable for the past few months, his usual patience gone. It was reflected in his interactions with Sorcha. She was difficult by her own admission and her snarky comments were hard to read.

Her chin was relaxed, lips pursed with each breath. She had a nice mouth, wide with full lips. “By popular, you mean me?”

She hopped over an exposed root, one he almost missed. Stop staring at her and watch the trail.

“To quote your earlier phrase, why are you acting the maggot and comparing me to a highly misunderstood beast of burden? I’ve been nothing but nice, and this is the thanks I get?”

“You’ve been nothing but nice to me? Really? Dragging me out in the middle of nowhere is what you call nice? I’d hate to see when you’re mean.”

“I’m not supposed to be your friend. We have to work together for a common goal, and I’m committed to holding up my end of the deal.” Friendship revolved around trust and respect. She didn’t respect him, and he was having a hard time respecting her when she acted like a spoiled child. He increased his pace, the car just a few steps away. He couldn’t get to it fast enough, although being trapped in the vehicle with her wouldn’t be any easier.

“Wow, that was cold.” She climbed into the passenger seat of the SUV.

He shut his own door and turned on the engine. He snapped his seatbelt in place and backed the vehicle up. “I’m not trying to be rude but truthful.”

“You know, a bit of subtlety goes a long way in making a strained situation more palatable.” She yawned and stretched her arms in front of her, her wet skin glistening, dewy in the light. Her shoulders were sprinkled with freckles. “Ever heard the expression ‘you get more flies with honey?’”

He accelerated onto the thoroughfare and headed to Howler’s house. Thankfully, it was only a few miles away. He’d considered making her run to the trail, but he hadn’t wanted to push it. “You can get just as many flies with manure.”

She released a mock gasp and brought her hand to her chest in a dramatic fashion. “Wow, did you just make a joke?”

Leo shrugged and tapped his thumb on the steering wheel, unable to hold back a grin at her teasing. “I’ve been known to on occasion.”

“Well, if that’s why you’re throwing me shit, it’s not working.” Sorcha crossed her leg over her knee and leaned forward, stretching the muscles. She hadn’t properly cooled down after the run, yet another thing he’d insist on.

Silence fell between. After a few moments with only the sound of the windshield wipers and traffic, it started to grate on his nerves. He should have been happy she was quiet. Well, he might have been if it were a companionable silence, but awkwardness rested between them. .

Leo had a feeling it was his fault. Dealing with her would challenge his patience. He’d laid out the ground rules, and she’d have to follow his lead if they ever hoped to make any progress. He turned onto another street with contemporary homes on expansive lots. Howler had taken his suggestion and bought a large house with multi levels to house visiting athletes. It was cost-effective and offered good will to potential clients. Howler liked to be effective. It gave him purpose after his chaotic childhood.

“I’m trying to help you but ultimately, this is all on you and nobody else.” He’d been thrown out into the world without a safety net. It had been difficult to be alone at such a young age, but he’d found a family at Grams. And a brother in Howler. He couldn’t let the guy down. And the prideful part of him wanted to see her succeed.

Leo pulled the SUV into the garage at Howler’s house and cut the engine. Sorcha hadn’t said a word since they’d come off the mountain. He should have been happy with the silence, but it didn’t sit well. Perhaps it was the tension or the fact that he was used to being the silent one.

“I have to be responsible for my own success.” She offered a resigned nod and gathered her purse off the floor “I don’t need you telling me that.”

Shutting the garage door, he exited the driver’s side, retrieving six suitcases from the back, each one heavier than the last. He almost felt sorry for her. Almost. He had to be tough for both their sakes.

Sorcha climbed out, mud clinging to her once-white shoes and the hem of her pants.

The wet, cold rain had drenched his shirt and soaked through his shoes. He chanced a glance at her. Moisture clung to her pert nose; her face sheened with the effort from her workout. She wore no makeup and even in her current flushed state, she was striking. His only saving grace was she had put on her jacket and he could no longer see her breasts.

Her face was still flushed. And were those tears in her eyes? Her gaze shifted away from him, she grabbed two of the suitcases and walked toward the two doors on the far side of the garage.

---