Free Dirty Deal (A Perfectly Matched Novel) (Entangled Brazen) by Christine Bell Page A

before. So I was going home to bake some pies anyway, and remembered that apple was your favorite, so I thought I’d bring you one.” She handed the pie to Bryan, and he took it silently.
    “Actually, he’s passed his apple phase. He likes cherry now,” Serena piped up. “I made one. It’s waiting at home. Where we’re going now.” Rather than looking put out, Piper seemed oddly elated, so Serena added, “He does love to eat my cherry pie.”
    “That’s so strange, isn’t it Bryan? Since you’re allergic to cherries.” Her gaze was pinned on him now, a knowing smile stretching her lips. “Strange that you wouldn’t know that about him, what with how close the two of you are.”
    Serena gulped, churning every gear in her brain to salvage the mess she’d caused, but Bryan cut in.
    “That’s very thoughtful, but that allergy actually went away. I’m allergic to strawberries now. Go figure.” He thanked her again for the pie and took Serena’s hand in his free one, sending a sizzle of awareness through her. At least she wouldn’t have to fake that if Piper was looking.
    He led them toward his truck and they were halfway there when Serena leaned in and whispered, “Actually, can I get a ride for real? I think Grace forgot we came here together.”
    “Sure.” His answer was tight-lipped and, rather than walk around to the other side, she beelined to the closer, driver’s side of the vehicle. “What are you doing?” he asked.
    “Avoiding being the victim of a public stabbing. She’s right behind us. Let me get in.”
    He opened the door, and Serena rocketed herself off of the little step and into the monster-sized truck. After she was buckled in, she instinctively made a move to look behind them, but Bryan climbed in beside her and caught her hand.
    “Don’t engage her,” he hissed as he set the pie between them. “Eyes forward.”
    “You sound like a crazy person,” she said, but in truth her concern about Piper fizzled away under the heat of his touch. Curious, the way the warmth of his hand snaked up her arm and radiated through her entire body.
    Jesus, it was going to be a long, torturous ride.
    …
    Bryan pulled his hand back like he’d been snakebit.
    He had to stop touching her. All it did was undermine his self-discipline. He’d decided, long before he went to that photo shoot, whatever had sparked between him and Serena was better left at the beach that night. Hell, he’d had half a mind to not even call on her for the agreed-upon dates because she was too much of a temptation. He’d made the Colonel a promise before he died. Military for life, just like his father and his father before him. And that meant staying single until he’d done his twenty and could actually be there for a woman as a true partner. He wouldn’t settle for anything less.
    Maybe Serena had said she didn’t want a long-term commitment, but so had Piper, early on. She’d known full well he was going into the army, and he’d been honest the whole time. It hadn’t helped. On the other hand, seeing her today had driven the point home that, if he didn’t have some kind of buffer between them, things would escalate, especially now that she was suspicious. It wasn’t even that she was a terrible person. She just couldn’t get past the fact that he didn’t want to be with her. He didn’t honestly think she’d hurt anyone, but without Serena or someone there to keep things at least somewhat regulated, she would push and push until he finally had to either file a restraining order or truly and honestly hurt her feelings, and as much as she irritated him, he didn’t want to do that. They had family connections, and it could only cause a rift if things got ugly.
    Dealing with his attraction to Serena was definitely the lesser of two evils. She was the only weapon at his disposal right now, and he had to use it, no matter how much she wreaked havoc on his libido.
    No matter how often she haunted his dreams.
    No