05 Desperate Match Read Online Free PDF

arms, I’m still stronger than any man who gets off beating a woman.”
    “Jack’s pretty strong,” she said. “He’s a plumber and has to lift stuff all day.”
    “Has he trained in the military?”
    She shook her head.
    “I’m stronger. And if I’m not, my brother is.”
    “You have a brother?”
    “Yeah. He’s two years older.”
    “Is he matched?”
    “Yep. Nice girl. Loren. Their wedding is in a two weeks. We’ll get you a dress. I’m assuming there’s no fancy dress shoved into that backpack of yours.”
    She found her first smile of the day. “Nope. But I won’t need a dress. I can’t stay.”
    His face hardened. “Really? What are your options? The way I see it, you can either go back to your rat–bastard husband and die an early death, or you can keep running, always looking over your shoulder. And where you gonna work? You said you didn’t go to college, right? Have you worked since high school? How strong is your resume?”
    “You’re being cruel,” she said, wrapping her arms around her waist.
    “I’m being honest. My mom was a runner. Ran from my dad with a toddler and a newborn. I know what it was like to grow up poor, with a mother scared her husband would find her. Wouldn’t recommend it.”
    “Your dad beat your mom?” she asked, suddenly scared she’d landed in a place that condoned the vile behavior.
    “No. She ran for other reasons. Too long a story for today, but if you stay, I’ll tell it to you.”
    She remained silent, trying to think. Rowan was right, she’d been willing to stay and use him as her shield without telling him the truth. Now that he knew her story, why wasn’t she willing to let him protect her?
    “Tell you what. Stay for a little while. Just to get on your feet and until you figure out how to get your husband permanently out of your life.”
    She thought some more then shrugged. If she’d had other options, she would’ve used them. “Okay, but I’m going to pay you back. I promise. I’ll make this up to you somehow.”
    He patted her hand and rose. “All right. We’ll put it on the account book. Now let’s go tell my boss and get you settled in.” He hefted her backpack over his left shoulder easily and she followed him out the door, trying to reconcile the crazy change in her life in the last hour.
    Yesterday morning, she’d been filled with hope and desperation to leave Jack. She hadn’t given much thought to anything other than escape, including what her Program match might be like. Today, life with Jack was blessedly behind her, and she’d stumbled into this new unknown world. Rowan reached the door to the room and opened it. She called after his back, “I’m not going to sleep with you.”
    He turned back, and she noted a woman in a white lab coat standing outside the room. Her cheeks heated at her outburst, and she braced for Rowan’s anger. He surprised her yet again by laughing. “I know. I’m not gonna sleep with you either. Not until we both want it.” He turned his back and kept walking, expecting her to follow. She did.

Chapter Three
    S he’s not staying.” Shep braced his palms on the surface of his desk, leaning over to emphasize his point. “We’re not a damn halfway house.”
    Rowan fought to remain calm and stared his boss in the eye. “She’s my match, Commander. She stays with me.”
    “Is she? How the hell do you know? We know you didn’t have intercourse.”
    He stood. “That’s my match you’re talking about. Watch your mouth.” His tone remained deceptively calm, but his body language told Shep to watch out.
    “Rowan, sit down.” The command came from his father, also party to the hastily gathered meeting on what to do about Jill.
    “We don’t have extra housing or funding to help runaway wives,” Shep shouted. He sat back down, which Rowan took as a sign that the discussion wasn’t dead in the water.
    “But you would if she were my match,” he said, arguing the point. A knock at the door