Paired With His Fate

CHAPTER 5

Adriana's fingers curled around his and she speared him with her gaze. Good thing he was sitting down, or the vibe between them might have weakened his knees. As it was, he might better disguise his body's reaction to her by escaping behind his desk.

"Here's the proposition," she said. "I want to open a cheerleading camp for underprivileged kids. And I'd like you to be a part of it."

It was so far from what he'd expected her to say, it took him a moment to process. "That sounds like a great cause."

Obviously she'd come to him because who better to fund such an enterprise than a man with dollars to spare? He let their hands slip apart, though he missed the contact instantly.

"I don't know anything about running a charity. But I have to do something more with my life than wait for the next call from Shawn. You have experience with charities. Will you help me? I don't know where to start."

She didn't want money. She wanted him. That was as powerful as the passion in her voice. Besides, who could turn down a beautiful woman's plea for help, especially for a good cause? He'd been looking for a project, so the timing was good. "Well, I don't know anything about cheerleading. Or camps. But I have contacts we can leverage. I'm sure we can figure it out together."

Her radiant smile hit him square in the gut. Who was he kidding? His motives weren't entirely altruistic—this was an opportunity to start over with Adriana, like he'd wished for. Perhaps find out more about who she'd become. Anyone who cared about her brother like Adriana did clearly wasn't as selfish as she'd once been.

"Thanks," she said earnestly. "I wish there was more I could offer you in return. I can't pay you."

"The first rule of charity is to convince people they're doing it because they should help those who can't help themselves. There's no expectation of repayment."

"Well, I can't do nothing. Let me cook you dinner." She shut her eyes for a beat. "Never mind. You probably have a personal chef. It's hard to think of you as being rich."

Sweeter words had never been uttered in his presence.

"Then don't. I'm still the same guy as I was before I sold my company. I'd love to have dinner," he replied honestly. He did have a personal chef but there was no way he'd mention that now. "Anytime."

"It wouldn't be weird? I don't want to be in the way if you get another match."

He shook his head. "I'm not seeing anyone else. You?"

"No. Elise told me you were my only match." She tilted her head, as if puzzled. "I never got a chance to ask. Why a matchmaker? You can't possibly have a hard time meeting women. They must step all over each other to get to the front of that line."

Marcus shrugged sheepishly. "Sure, women have been known to do crazy stuff to get my attention, but they rarely succeed."

"Why not? Seems like that might be pretty flattering."

It was in a way, but his goal wasn't to find a woman who could stroke his ego. "I guess what I want is old fashioned—marriage, kids, the whole nine yards. I haven't met a woman yet who cares about me, the real me underneath the money. Or who cares about what she has to offer in a relationship. Mostly, they just care what I can give them."

She blinked. "I was like that once. It's not all it's cracked up to be. Good thing I'm here for the man, not the money."

Yes, she was, which made all the difference. He hadn't expected to want to try with Adriana yet again. "I'm glad you came by. How about that lunch? Perhaps we can figure out why EA International matched us of all people."

Shaking her head, she stood as if about to bolt for the door. "Friends, for now."

Disappointed, he stood as well. "Are you sure?"

"You don't believe I've changed," she announced quietly. "Until that happens, I'm not a good match for you."

***

The fundraiser exceeded Adriana's wildest expectations.

Donors poured into the hotel ballroom, all wearing black tie and evening gowns. They were here for her charity—Cheer Up, specializing in cheer camps for girls who couldn't afford to take lessons through traditional programs. And before the night was through, she hoped to have enough capital to start taking applicants.

"Marcus Braun, you are a magician." She flung her arms around him in an exuberant hug, which he returned, albeit with a tolerant eye roll. "I can't believe you managed to get three Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders here."

Marcus smiled and it was the slightly indulgent, slightly amused one he used only on her. She'd grown to crave it, no matter how much she shouldn't.

"It's a fundraiser for a cheerleading camp," he reminded her. "Figured that having real cheerleaders made the most sense."

Yes, but she hadn't come up with the idea—he had. As a surprise, no less.

Thank goodness he'd agreed to be her charity advisor. She'd learned more about forming a 501c, creating press kits and talking to donors in the last month than she'd ever dreamed possible. She didn't even know what she didn't know. But Marcus did.

He was amazing. And his intensity, the way he looked at her sometimes, scared her. He wanted a serious relationship with someone at the same place in life as he was. Which was why she continued to say no every time he tried to schedule lunch or even that dinner she'd promised to cook him.

She never should have offered. But how could she have known she'd develop all these complicated feelings for him?

"I'm glad you decided to wear the dress." His gaze slid down the length of her body and the shiver it unleashed had nothing to do with the chilly ballroom. "It was made for you."

Her cheeks heated. She shouldn't have worn it and had informed him that she wasn't going to. But the silver gossamer sheath was gorgeous and felt like heaven against her skin.

And the note said it was non-returnable. So what was she supposed to do but wear what was likely a thousand-dollar gown?

"You shouldn't have sent it. I already owe you so much."

"Don't worry," he murmured in her ear as his hand came to rest in the small of her back, as he'd done so often on their first date and in the weeks since. "I'll collect."

She nearly jumped out of her skin at his touch. The dress was backless and she suddenly realized that hadn't been accidental. "You're not supposed to be flirting with me."

But he did it all the time, regardless.

"That was your rule, not mine."

"Yeah, because we're workingtogether," she informed him pertly. "The charity is the most important thing in my life right now."

She'd spent the last six years in a dark place and had hoped a romance would prove bright, beautiful things still existed in the world. Instead, she'd discovered making a difference in the lives of others had pulled her out of that corkscrew of ugly she'd been determined to elude.

And she didn't want a man interfering with what she'd found. Not even Marcus.