Free Desire Unmatched: 4 (Coded for Love) by Lynne Silver Page A

about Xander. Enough that I don’t think he had an easy
life. I think his folks could be a bit rough on him.”
    Emma remembered her one encounter with Michael Bristack and
nodded. She could see him being a strict dad.
    “Go easy on him,” Samara said again.
    She nodded as the door closed quietly behind Samara, and she
and Loren were left alone.
    “I think I’m down for another movie,” Loren said and got up
to replace the DVD.
    They were halfway through Harry Potter and the Prisoner
of Azkaban when the door opened a crack to reveal Adam.
    Emma’s heart flew to her throat. “Is he here?” She realized
she’d jumped off the couch.
    Adam shook his head. “Not yet, I wanted to come see my girl
and keep you both company if that’s all right.” He didn’t wait for Emma’s
permission and smiled down at Loren and maneuvered his way under her on the
floor so Loren was curled in his lap.
    Emma kept her eyes forward on the screen showing Brit movie
number two, with a surprising number of the same actors from Love Actually .
Americans must think the UK only had twelve actors in the whole of the Isles.
    The Americans in her room weren’t paying Harry and Sirius
Black much attention. They were too busy snuggling and whispering little things
in each other’s ears. Um, hallo? Get a room. And not hers.
    “I’m tired,” she announced suddenly. “I think I’ll sleep and
when I wake, Xander should be here.”
    Adam looked relieved, happy to get Loren to a bed, no doubt.
At least Loren had the good grace to look apologetic but didn’t slow her roll
as she ejected the DVD from the machine and followed Adam out the door.
    “I’m here if you need me,” she said from the doorway. “Just
call.”
    Emma nodded and made a show of going to her futon to pull it
out to a bed. Then she got in without bothering to change into pajamas or take
off her makeup. She wanted to look decent when she saw Xander again. A glance
at the clock told her it was nearly ten p.m. She rolled over to the little
table that served as her nightstand and grabbed her cell phone. She set the
alarm for two hours on the off chance she actually fell asleep.
    She didn’t expect to get any shuteye tonight with all the
anticipation at seeing her match again. Would he have changed in the weeks he
was gone? It hadn’t been that long, but she felt she was different than when
he’d been taken. For one, she was a full-time student now. She had friends
outside of the Program. She wasn’t totally alone in the world.
    She’d spoken to her father several times since she’d last
seen Xander. They’d never been particularly close, speaking every few months,
so it hadn’t been hard for her to disappear from his life without him noticing.
He’d noticed when letters from her university had arrived with outstanding
bills. He’d been about to mount a search when she’d reconnected with him.
    Speaking of fathers, Xander had his own father to deal with.
He’d been worried about his son’s disappearance and was likely holding his own
vigil tonight waiting for his son’s return. If she were a patient person, she’d
let Mr. Bristack have his reunion first. She wasn’t that patient. She planned
on being the first person Xander saw when he arrived back on campus.
    In her mind, she had it all worked out. First reactions were
telling. If Xander looked relieved and happy to see her, she’d stay and fight
for him. If he turned away or gave her the cold treatment, she’d give up. She
wouldn’t give him time to acclimate to home, because then he’d have time to go
back into denial and rejection mode.
    Forget genetic matching, forget the DNA-deep connection, the
Program would have to find a new match for their surly soldier. It wouldn’t be
her. She had a life outside this place to discover, and though it would hurt to
cut Xander permanently out of her life, she’d do it if necessary.
    Her tumultuous thoughts kept her dozing in and out of
wakefulness until finally her