How long had she been feeling that way? Jett St. John frowned in consideration. Months? Years? Or, more likely, since birth, thanks to how awful her life had been before she was adopted. Oh, sure. She now had more friends and family than she could count. Was adored by them and adored them in return, particularly her adoptive parents, Daisy and Justice St. John. But in the ten years since they’d created that family, years in which she’d gone from a cocky, abrasive sixteen-year-old to a cocky, abrasive twenty-six-year-old, she realized she was missing one vital element in her own life.

Love.

But all that might soon change.

Jett pulled out a round glass disc and set it on the table. Checking to make sure her office door was closed and locked, she touched a small button on the disc. Instantly a hologram of a man appeared, standing on the disc like something out of an old Star Wars movie. “PM-5468,” the computer chip announced, reeling off the identification code the man had been assigned by the Pretorius Program.

The Pretorius Program was the crown jewel of the software branch of Sinjin, Justice St. John’s robotics firm. At sixteen, Jett had started working on the program alongside its developer, Pretorius St. John, her father’s uncle. Of course, the program had nothing to do with robotics and everything to do with creating perfect matches for business, pleasure or matrimony. Ironic, to say the least, considering Jett’s current plan.

“Tell me about yourself,” she requested.

The recording the man had made kicked in, giving her an opportunity to study—and appreciate—the way he moved and spoke. “I gather I’m not allowed to tell you my name,” he said, his mouth curving into an appealing half-smile. “Let’s see… I’m an engineer in the electronics field and love my job. I have to admit I’m a bit of a workaholic, but I play almost as hard as I work. I enjoy sports, hiking, and prefer reading over TV or movies.”

He was gorgeous, Jett conceded, his movements clearly those of an athletic man, yet she could see the intelligence reflected in his aquamarine eyes and carved into the stunning planes of his face. But she also caught a hint of wariness there and couldn’t help wondering about it. Since she’d made a similar recording for the Pretorius matchmaking program, she knew what questions he’d have been required to answer and asked one from the list.

“What are your goals in life?” she asked.

PM’s hologram flickered and when he reappeared, he lounged against a large desk made from a dark, glassy material that resembled her own desk. “I guess my goal is to be the best.” A determined intensity echoed through his words and body language. “To beat out my competitors and be the top in my field.”

Okay, that reminded her of her father, and not in a good way. “And your dreams?” Jett prompted.

The wariness reappeared, as though the question touched a part of him he normally kept hidden. “I suppose it would be to find you…my perfect match.” His honesty was devastating, his smile filled with a self-mocking amusement. But it was his quiet stoicism that slipped into her heart and took root. A weariness that told her he expected the rug to be ripped from beneath his feet at any moment, a feeling she was all too familiar with. “Assuming you even exist.”

“Oh, I exist,” Jett murmured. “I just didn’t know you did.”

She hadn’t expected him to touch something inside of her, a longing she’d kept carefully locked away. But listening to those brief comments had filled her with a yearning that became a physical ache. She wanted this man. Wanted to meet him. Talk to him. Dig down and find out what he hid behind his stoicism and wariness.

A soft, rapid knock sounded at Jett’s door and she quickly turned off the disc and tucked it away before unlocking her office door. Her best friend and coworker, Bailey, scurried inside, waving a paper in her hand. “Got it! The flight reservation just came through.”

“No one suspects PW-5467 is me?” Jett demanded. “You’re positive we managed to slip my accessing the Pretorius Program past Dad and Uncle P?”

Jett had been hesitant to use the Pretorius Program. Knowing her father, he’d no doubt laced the software code with booby traps for anybody who tried to hack the system. Even her careful search for the perfect soul mate could have set off alarms, warning the system—and her father—that she’d accessed the program. Even though she considered herself an outstanding hacker, there was always the chance they’d discover what she was up to. No way was she going to allow that to happen.

“Positive.” Bailey swung the door closed, closeting them in the office. “You’re booked to head out on Friday for a glorious week on Sinjin’s private Caribbean island to meet the man of your dreams.”

Jett gave what she hoped was a casual shrug to Bailey’s romantic statement. “Time will tell.”

Bailey hesitated then shrugged as well. “Do you want to hack in again and find out who he is?”

“I already know who he is.”

Bailey’s eyes widened in shock and for some reason she turned a bit pale. “You do?”

Jett smiled. “Sure. He’s brilliant. Hard-working.” She hesitated, feeling a hint of warmth sweep across her cheekbones. “Among other things.”

“Wait a minute. You played his disc, didn’t you?” Bailey accused. “And there’s something else. Something that’s making you blush. Is it something you actually know, or something else you’ve guessed?”

“Guessed.” Jett thought about her father’s basic decency, then confessed, “He’ll be nice.”

“Nice?” Bailey wrinkled her stub nose. “That’s so mundane. What about good-looking? Or rich? Or even someone in the business?”

“Nice,” Jett repeated, though she already knew he was good-looking and in the software business. “A man who’ll stick with me during the rough times. A man who might want a family someday. A man capable of love.” She gave it a little more thought. “And if he rocks in bed, I can live with that.”

* * *

An hour later Bailey swung by Justice St. John’s office. Not seeing anyone around, she poked her head in and gave him the thumb’s up.

“She doesn’t suspect?” Justice asked.

“Nope. She thinks she pulled off the hack without you guys catching on. She leaves Friday.”

Justice closed his eyes, hoping like hell he’d done the right thing. “Thanks for your help, Bailey.”

“Anything for you or Jett. You know that. I just want her to be happy.”

“Let’s hope Treyhearn feels the same way once he meets my daughter.” Otherwise, Justice wouldn’t just take his main business rival out…but utterly destroy him.

Chapter Two

John Robert “Trey” Treyhearn read through the material his PA handed him.

“This is all the information they’ve provided for…” He checked the packet again. “For PW-5467?”

“There’s a recording. I believe it has an interactive feature,” Les replied. “They’ve also arranged for the two of you to meet and become acquainted in the seclusion of some private Caribbean island that Sinjin owns. You’ll stay on the island for one week and if it works out between you, the relationship continues from there. Otherwise…” He shrugged, making it clear that the two would part ways, no harm, no foul.

Trey nodded, not really surprised. He’d understood that was part of the process. “Have you been able to track down the identity of PW-5467?”

Les shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I was hesitant to try and hack Sinjin’s system too far in case they caught me.”

“Let it go. I’d rather not send up any flags on that front.” Trey frowned over the dearth of information provided by Sinjin. He fingered the glass disc. Maybe the recording would tell him more. If he hoped to create a program capable of directly competing with the Pretorius Program, he needed far more information than what he currently had in his possession. “Tell them we won’t require flight assistance. Arrange for my jet, instead.”

“You sure you want to go through with this? There are other ways to take down Sinjin.”

“I prefer this method. I want to go head-to-head with Sinjin on all possible fronts and prove my company is superior in every way.”

“Then I’ll send a confirmation to the Pretorius people,” his PA said before exiting.

Trey leaned back in his chair. Was that why Justice St. John had requested a meeting with him? Had St. John somehow found out Trey had been attempting to find a match through the Pretorius Program? If so, too bad. Once he analyzed how the program worked, he would develop his own version. If he succeeded in creating a superior program to Sinjin’s, he’d be able to out-compete Sinjin in every arena and finally make his company, Dynamic, the number one robotics company in the world. It would give him everything he’d ever wanted.

Trey sat and reviewed the information he’d received on his match a final time. The file contained PW’s vital statistics. Five foot four, dark hair and eyes, 110 pounds. Software engineer. He put the disc on his desk and pressed the button, initiating the hologram of a woman. “PW-5467,” the computer chip stated just before her image appeared.

Okay, wow. She was intriguing, to say the least. Delicate, yet he could see her feistiness in both stance and attitude. Her hair was short and dark as a moonless night with eyes to match. She dressed in black jeans and a T-shirt, her thumbs hooked in her waistband while she stood in front of a desk very similar to his own. She gazed out at him, leading with her chin.

Fascinating.

“Who are you?” he murmured.

“My name is—” A smile gave her an impish appearance. “Oh, I’m not allowed to say that.”

“Fair enough.” His eyes narrowed in thought. “What do you do?”

The hologram blinked and then the woman reappeared. “Hey, you can read that in the material. I thought you wanted to get to know me.” She crossed her arms across her chest, openly challenging him. “The real me.”

He stood, circled his desk, utterly captivated. “Okay, tell me about yourself.”

The hologram gave another jump. “I’m not quite sure how to answer that.” She hesitated, lounging against the desk, her eyes drifting shut for a moment while she gathered herself. “As uncomfortable as this makes me, I’ll be really honest with you.” A deep, feminine wariness flitted through her gaze. “I’m lonely, okay? I haven’t met a man who’s come close to being right for me. I’m not even sure he exists. But here’s who I am. I’m intelligent and a bit sarcastic.”

“I’d never have guessed,” Trey replied.

She lifted her shoulder in a quick shrug, though he knew it wasn’t in response to his irony since the program couldn’t interact to that extent. “I guess sarcasm is my shield, something I learned to use as a kid to protect myself.” She hastened onward as though she’d betrayed too much. Something about her past, he realized. Something that had had a profound effect on her. “I love nature in all its forms, its colors and shapes and its chaotic way of being. I don’t know, maybe it’s because the rest of my life is so structured and linear.” Now her wariness eased into vulnerability and her voice dropped to a husky whisper. “I want the dream, you know? I want what my parents found. Is that so wrong?”

The question hit hard, the longing behind it slashing through his defenses and tugging at a heart he denied possessing. No, it wasn’t wrong. He understood her desire, it just wouldn’t happen with him. How could it when he didn’t believe perfect love actually existed? Despite the Pretorius Program’s claims, there was no such thing as perfection. Not when it came to true love or soul mates or whatever else this woman hoped to find. And yet… He gazed at the hologram, the woman’s lovely features etched with longing.

What if she ended up being his perfect match?

Trey laughed. Yeah, right. Not a chance in hell. No doubt he’d have a terrific week with a gorgeous woman with a brain capable of doing more than calculating the latest discount at Bloomingdale’s. At least she would if the Pretorius Program worked as promised. Even if she didn’t, what the hell? Maybe he’d get lucky and spend the entire week in bed with her.

And if she happened to possess any of the other attributes he considered a must-have in the woman he eventually married?

Not possible.

He’d realized long ago that he wasn’t a man destined to know love. He didn’t even believe in the emotion. Nor would he find someone who met most, let alone all, of his criteria—a woman who possessed unwavering loyalty. Who understood the concept of honor. Who was brilliant. Was capable of working alongside of him. Respected his work ethic. And yet, who also wanted a family.

No, the woman of his dreams didn’t exist, and wishing she did wouldn’t change that fact.

He gave an impatient shrug. Hell, best to be practical.

If she rocked in bed, he could live with that.

* * *

Les glanced around to make absolutely certain he wouldn’t be seen or overheard. Flipping open his cell phone, he dialed the private number he’d been given. It was answered on the first ring.

“Does he suspect?”

“No, Mr. St. John. Nor is he aware of the identity of the match. He flies out Friday.”

“I appreciate your help, Les.”

“Mr. St. John… He still intends to take you down. He still blames you for—”

“I know what he blames me for. But…she’s my daughter, Les.”

“Trey’s a good man in every regard except when it comes to you. I’m sure he’d never use her to hurt you.”

“If he does—” Justice fought to keep his voice even, though his gut twisted at the mere thought. “I will stop him.”

“He needs closure. It’s the only way. This is the only way,” Les said. And prayed he was right.

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Perfect Passion

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Perfect Passion
Day Leclaire

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

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