Page 78 of The Texan's Secrets

She wanted to confess. She wanted to throw herself in his arms and tell him everything.

She swallowed.

“Whatever it is...” His voice trailed off.

Trepidation heightened her senses, but she forced it down, squared her shoulders and braced herself. “You know I’m a hacker.”

“The whole world knows you’re a hacker.” His gaze narrowed. “Are you saying you’ve had black hat moments? Did you hack into a bank or something?”

“No. I didn’t hack into a bank.” Her crime was something far more personal.

“Break into national security?”

“No.”

“Are you going to make me keep guessing?”

“I broke into k!smet,” she blurted out.

He took a step backward, looking aghast. “You actuallydidit?Youwere the saboteur?”

She instantly realized her mistake. “No. Not the HitMeUp sabotage. I had nothing to do with that.”

His gaze had hardened then, like she’d suddenly become an untrustworthy stranger. “What did you do?”

“It was the Surprise Me! contest. I hacked the algorithm.” She swallowed hard, her stomach roiling, regretting that she’d even brought it up. “I forced a match between you and me.”

He stood frozen for a long moment while sweat broke out on her brow.

He finally blinked.

“You...” He seemed to be wrapping his head around it. “Matched us?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Why?”

She closed her eyes, then opened them again, wishing she had a better reason. “Paris wanted to go on a free date and to the k!smet party at the TCC.”

Nick gave his head a little shake. “What?”

“I wanted Paris to be happy, so I hacked in, then I saw you. I almost matched you with Paris.”

A ghost of a smile formed on his face. “But you kept me for yourself.”

“I did.” She hadn’t been proud of it at the time. “But Chase seems really great.”

Nick nodded, his smile growing wider. “Chase seems really great for Paris.”

“I’m sorry,” Emilia said. It hadn’t been her finest moment.

“I’m not.” He gently framed her face with his hands. “I’d have been sorry if you’d matched me with Paris.”

The knot untangled in Emilia’s stomach. “You don’t like Paris?”

“I like Paris just fine. But I like you better. I like you differently.” His gaze was warm and intimate.

“So, you’re not mad that I cheated?”

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