An Extraordinary Match (The Match Series Book 3) by Barbara Dunlop Page B

He gripped the bars with both hands, sickened at the thought that he’d been so easily duped. “Is that how you con people? You breeze into town, case the place, find a likely mark?”
    “They’ve got it all wrong. I didn’t do anything of the kind.” By contrast, her tone was soft. She blinked her clear green eyes, her innocent expression slamming him in the solar plexus.
    He fought against a reflexive burst of sympathy, reminding himself she was a criminal. “Yes, you did.”
    “No, I didn’t. I don’t care what they’re saying. I don’t care who misunderstood—”
    “ Misunderstood ? Are you kidding me? You hacked their computer system.”
    “I admitted to that.”
    “You broke into their customer database.”
    “That I didn’t do.”
    “They have the evidence. They saw where you went, what you did. You stole their clients’ credit card numbers. I can’t even imagine what it’ll do to their reputation, their business.”
    She moved closer, her expression hardening. Thank goodness for that. He could deal with her temper a lot more easily than her false wounded virtuousness.
    “Think about it, Logan.” Her tone remained steady. “Why would I do that? I could get maybe ten or twenty thousand for that kind of information. Why would I take the risk? And, by the way, if I’d tried, I would have succeeded. It’s a professional insult for you to believe I’d get caught.”
    It took him a minute to frame a response. “ That’s your defense? That you’re too good to get caught?”
    She was clearly angry now. “I am too good to get caught. But my defense is that I didn’t do it.”
    “You just happen to know how much the information is worth on the black market? You’ve obviously done this before.”
    Her shoulders suddenly slumped. “I haven’t done this before. I didn’t do it now. But I’m sorry, Logan. I’m sorry this is happening. I really liked you.”
    “Yeah, well, you made me like you, too. I can only assume you’ve had practice.”
    She shook her head.
    “Tell me, Jade. Was it my fault? Did I say or do something that put my family at risk?”
    “It was nobody’s fault. I did not steal any credit card numbers.”
    “I don’t believe you.”
    “I’m sorry you don’t. But that doesn’t change the facts.”
    He took a step back. “That’s it, then? You’re sticking with denial. You’re not going to help at all.”
    “I can’t help. Because I have no idea what happened.”
    “Damn, you’re good.”
    She wrapped her hands around the bars, looking forlorn and beautiful in the dank surroundings. “Logan, please.”
    He steeled his emotions. “Are you going to try to play me some more?”
    “I’m not playing you. I want to find out the truth. I want to find out what happened just as much as you do.”
    “I doubt that.”
    “Yesterday.” She compressed her lips, a cloud coming into her eyes. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I had fun yesterday.”
    “That’s sad, Jade.”
    Her brow furrowed in obvious confusion.
    “It’s sad that you had fun leading me on.” He found himself moving closer, his own voice dropping. “I should have tried to get you in bed. At least then I’d have something to show for my folly.”
    “You don’t mean that.”
    “I do. I wanted you bad last night. I was being a gentleman about it, so I didn’t press. But had I known—”
    “ Stop .”
    He forced a cold smile. “Why?”
    “You’re not like that. I know you’re not like that.”
    “You don’t know anything about me.”
    “And you don’t know anything about me.”
    “Can’t argue with that.”
    “I’m not what they’re saying, Logan. I’m the woman you met yesterday. That was me. It still is me.”
    “Their proof is ironclad.”
    “It’s not. It can’t be. It’s not possible. Somebody, somewhere made a mistake.”
    “People did make mistakes,” he answered softly, pushing back from the bars. “First, it was me. And then it was you.”
    She didn’t respond,