Free HeatedMatch by Lynne Silver Page A

the
soggy, worn paper.
    The narrow office chair welcomed her as she sank back into it
with shaky legs and a roiling stomach. She replaced the frame gently back on
the desk with unsteady hands. Her first attempt failed, and she shook as she
flipped the frame right side up again. This was her father. She deserved to
know why he was connected with a formerly secret military branch of the
government. If only her purse hadn’t been taken from her, she could call Mom
and grill her about a Commander Shepard.
    Well that was bullshit. She’d worshipped her father, and had
become a journalist to follow in his footsteps. If he’d had a secret, she
wanted to know. Now.
    “Why do you have a picture of my father?”
    “Because he was my best friend. He was one of us.” Shep sat
back in his chair and pursed his lips with a meaningful stare.
    “I don’t… I don’t understand. How could he be part of this?
He lived in Virginia with us.”
    Shep ignored her confused mutterings. “You have a brother. A
half brother,” he corrected.
    She couldn’t take it in. It was too much to process.
    “Do you want to meet him?” he asked almost kindly.
    Her head bobbed up and down, and she felt tears brimming but
was unable to speak.
    “Here.” Shep had risen and circled his desk to press a
tissue into her hand. Then he squatted down to look her in the eye. “I’ll
introduce you to your brother and answer every question about your father on
one condition.”
    She swallowed her tears to meet his gaze.
    “Stay on campus for a few weeks. Get in Adam’s personal
space.”
    Her teeth nibbled on her lower lip as she tried to sort
through the ramifications of Commander Shepard’s not-so-generous offer. It was
a huge risk. Her compulsion to be with Adam had been strong. It would take
everything she had to fight it for two weeks. Would she even want to? What
happened if she accepted the match but Adam remained obstinate?
    A broken heart, that’s what. It was a lot to consider. But
he was offering her the truth about her father and a real-life brother. There
was no decision to be made. She nodded. “I’ll stay, but I want my own room. No
locking me in with anyone. And I’m not making any promises about being with
Adam. We may have slept together and we may be a match, but it doesn’t mean I’m
setting up house with him anytime soon.” Now that she wasn’t naked, breathing
the same air as Adam, her need and craving for him dissipated to a degree. Her
other priorities came rushing back.
    Shep smiled and helped her to her feet. “Fine. No promises
necessary. If you stay on campus, you won’t be able to stay away from each
other. Now let’s go find your brother.”
    “I’m not finished yet.” She straightened her shoulders under
his scrutiny. “If I stay for two weeks,” she held up a hand to quell Shep’s
protest, “then I want an interview with you. A real one, not the evasive
baloney you’ve been feeding the press.”
    Shep smiled. “Deal, but I warn you, Ms. Stanton. After two
weeks on campus, you won’t want to write about me. You’ll be one of us and just
as protective of our secrets.”
    “I’ll believe it when I see it. Now, you mentioned something
about my brother?”
    Shep grabbed his handset off his desk, pressed a few keys
and murmured something she didn’t catch. A minute later the door opened and the
tall, muscular soldier who’d greeted her at the gate yesterday popped
in.
    “You wanted me, Shep?”
    “Gavin. This is Ms. Stanton. I believe you met yesterday.”
    Gavin lost his grin and took a step back. “Don’t do this,
Shep. Don’t put me between her and Adam.”
    Shep looked exasperated. “Don’t be a pansy. I’m not setting
you up. I’m only asking you to escort Ms. Stanton to Chase’s room to meet him.”
    Relief passed over Gavin’s face. “Okay.” Then he turned back
to Shep with narrowed eyes. “Why isn’t Adam escorting her?”
    Loren watched the byplay with interest. Clearly, Shep