Read The Deal with Love (One on One) for Free Online

don’t have time for someone to follow me around with a camera in order to placate other people’s feelings or for my father to play matchmaker.”
    He settled back against his chair. “So he wants me to film you for a week? How does he know what I do for a living or think that I would have time to do this?”
    She sighed. “Because he’s my father, and he does his research. Apparently, your sister has bragged about her filmmaker-slash-teacher brother.”
    “So he thinks if he throws us together we’re going to fall in love? Does he know about…?”
    Her chin lifted. “No, he doesn’t know, as far as I know. He certainly hasn’t mentioned it. I told him that I went up to my room after I left the engagement party and that you were kind enough to escort me to the elevator.”
    “And he bought that?” He didn’t bother hiding his skepticism.
    She blinked. “Of course he did. I’m his little girl. I don’t talk to my father about my sex life, of course, but I also don’t make a habit of lying to him. He came up with this idea on his own, but I need to stop him before it goes any further.”
    “How do you propose to do that? From what I’ve seen of your father and what you’ve told me, he’s a very determined man.”
    “That’s why I came here today before he could sway you to his side. Surely you don’t want to do this. Am I wrong?”
    His lips tightened. “No, you’re not wrong, but there has to be a reason he thinks I would say yes.”
    “My father thinks everyone has their price. I happen to agree with him.”
    He frowned. “So you’re here to bribe me? Do you think I’m that easy, that corrupt?”
    Elise reached out as though to comfort him, but thought better of it halfway there. He followed her hand as it returned to her lap, remembering how good that soft hand had felt caressing his skin. “No, I don’t think you’re corrupt at all,” she said. “I do think that you work in a public school with kids who need all the resources they can get, and I can give that to them. My father will probably offer to donate a large sum of money to the school. That’s a worthy donation, and I have no problem matching it. I’ll even double it and set up internships for a few of your students. The Stampede has a long history of community involvement, and we have our own cameramen and film crew working for us, so we would love to foster the next generation of media professionals.”
    “Why doesn’t your father get one of them to film you?” he asked.
    She rolled her eyes. “Because he’s matchmaking, and they don’t fit the bill. You do.”
    Christian studied her. She was deadly serious. “Should I be offended that you want nothing to do with me?”
    She did touch him then on the arm. Just long enough to send a wave of lust blazing through him. “Please don’t take it personally. This is a busy time in my life, and I have to concentrate on my career. I don’t have time for anything else. I don’t have time for a matchmaking father. I don’t have time to film this documentary. I need this idea to die a quick and sudden death. Do we have a deal?”
    Christian pondered her proposition for second. There was something about her reserved air, that hint of fragility she tried to hide with a fierceness that called to him. He liked her in spite of himself. But she’d rejected him—a whopping three times, including refusing his two phone calls and this get-away-from-me deal. Growing up with a father who’d walked away from him and his twin sister, he had a definite chip on his shoulder when it came to rejection. A well-justified chip in his opinion. He didn’t trust easily, and he never, ever went where he wasn’t wanted. She’d made it clear she didn’t have time for him, so that was that. It had been one hot night, and now it was over. So he couldn’t let his hormones overrule his good sense. There was only one answer to her question.
    “We have a deal. I’ll turn your father down.”
    Her