Free MATCHMAKER (A Billionaire Bad Boy Romance) by Bella Grant

Jenna asked.
    “Good to go. Let’s head out.”
    “Is Cherise coming?”
    “She said she wasn’t feeling up to it. She’s going to take a few hours to relax. She’ll meet up with us later.”
    Jenna looked disappointed. Good, at least she wasn’t suspicious. He caught her casting something of a dirty look to Ambrosia, but he chose to ignore it. He lifted the ninety-pound dog into the back seat of the Jeep and slid behind the wheel.
    A short trip later, they were at Ben’s private beach. It wasn’t deserted—there were several people who Ben allowed to use the four-mile stretch of coast—but the people there were spread out, and it wasn’t crowded at all. Jenna spread her blanket on the sand and pulled off her colorful sarong, revealing a pink-and-purple flowered bikini, a little more conservative than Cherise’s in the cut.
    Jenna wasn’t as fit as Cherise, especially since she’d been living in the guest apartment with access to his gym on the thirty-second floor. She still looked damn fine, Sterling thought, as she shyly asked him to rub sunscreen on her back. He wished he could touch her more. He suspected it would strengthen their relationship. But alas, it was not to be.
    He lay on his towel and pulled out a novel to read. He half paid attention to the book and half watched as Jenna played in the surf. After a while, she came back to him.
    “I want you to know what a good time I’m having with you.”
    The cynic in Sterling wondered if she meant him or meant his money. He tamped that down deep and said, “I’ve been having a great time with you, too.” He didn’t want to scare her away, but he wanted her to know where he was headed. “Look, Jenna. I really like you. And Ben really likes you, which means the world to me. He’s like the father I never had, and he’s not doing so well. His biggest dream has been to see me find a woman and get married. I think that woman is you.”
    He let it hang there a moment and watched her face as what he’d said registered. “Are you proposing to me?” She couldn’t keep the excitement from her voice. Bingo.
    “No,” he said. Her face fell. Good. “Not exactly. I mean, it’s really fast. I don’t have a ring and I don’t have anything planned out. I guess I just wanted to test the waters. It’s certainly where I see myself in five years, but with Ben’s health… I just don’t know. I guess I just wanted to throw it out there and see if you ran screaming.”
    “I would never run screaming from you.”
    Or my money , Sterling thought, but didn’t say it.
    He put on a smile carefully curated to look genuine. “I just really like you, like spending time with you. I’m really excited to see where this goes.” He wanted to reach for her hand, but knew it would make her uncomfortable.
    “There was a time when I never thought I’d get married again. Never thought I’d love again. But then I met you. I’ve fallen for you hard, Sterling.”
    Sterling hated lying, but sometimes it was a necessity. He could never tell this woman about his relationship—or lack thereof—with love. “I’ve fallen for you, too. I’m so happy this is working out.” Sterling had never and would never fall for anyone. Why, as he thought that to himself, did an image of Cherise pop into his head? He shoved it away.
    “Thank you so much for bringing me to this beautiful place. I love it here.”
    “I love it here, too.” This wasn’t a lie. He could love places, could love things, could love animals with every fiber of his being. “Ben’s going to be so happy for us.”
    “Cherise, too!”
    Hearing her name on Jenna’s lips was like fingernails on a chalkboard. His guilty conscience wondered if she was throwing it out there to trap him. A glance at her face suggested she was just being sweet.
    “I can really tell she cares for you and wants the best for you. Most people can’t find a personal assistant as good as she is. Keep her close.”
    Sterling wanted to