Excerpt and Giveaway: The Matchmaker’s Replacement by Rachel Van Dyken

Series: Wingmen Inc. #2
Published by Skyscape on August 9, 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Format: Kindle
Source: Purchased
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Wingman rule number two: never reveal how much you want them.
Lex hates Gabi. Gabi hates Lex. But, hey, at least the hate is mutual, right? All Lex has to do is survive the next few weeks training Gabi in all the ways of Wingmen Inc. and then he can be done with her. But now that they have to work together, the sexual tension and fighting is off the charts. He isnât sure if he wants to strangle her or throw her against the nearest sturdy table and have his way with her.
But Gabi has a secret, something sheâs keeping from not just her best friend but her nemesis too. Lines are blurred as Lex becomes less the villain sheâs always painted him to beâĤand starts turning into something more. Gabi has always hated the way sheâs been just a little bit attracted to himâno computer-science major should have that nice of a body or look that good in glassesâbut âLex Luthorâ is an evil womanizer. Heâs dangerous. Gabi should stay far, far away.
Then again, sheâs always wanted a little danger.
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âSo,â a familiar voice said above the music. âNew job?â
Damn it! âI didnât even say your name three times!â I whined, turning around to face Lex. He was wearing a tight vintage black T-shirt with low-slung jeans on his hips and the ever-present sex-oozing smile.
âThree times?â He smiled wider. âYou said my name three times out loud? Is it your new curse word? You know, like âOh, Lex! Good Lex! Mighty Lex . . .ââ His eyebrows drew together. âSomehow all of those sound like very familiar noises women make in my presence.â
âDie, Lex,â I said in an annoyed tone. âHow about that one?â
âThatâs new.â He snapped his fingers. âBut itâs growing on me. Maybe itâs the way you say it, like you want me to die in your arms all Romeo and Juliet style . . .â
âWow, ten at night and youâre already wasted.â I slapped him on the shoulder. âTake a cab.â I tried to move past him, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back, pressing us together. Whether it was on purpose or not I wasnât sure, but he was warm.
And he felt . . . safe, familiar. My body was playing tricks on me; it was because I was vulnerable.
Like that night when . . .
I locked down my memories, especially that one, and threw away the key. âLex, what do you want?â
âYou,â he said in a serious tone. âNow get up on stage and take off your clothes. I paid for a show.â
I rolled my eyes. âWaitress, Lex. Youâll have to call one of the many numbers on your phone to get a free lap dance.â
âWhat if I pay?â His breath tickled my ear as my eyes burned with unshed tears. Normally, I wouldnât let what he did affect me. Normally, I brushed him off, but my armor had already been stripped. Call it exhaustion or maybe just the last remnants of pride I had toppling to the floor.
But I couldnât hold them in any longer.
One tear fell.
Then another.
I tried to wipe them, tried to jerk free from Lexâs strong arms, but he turned me so abruptly that all I managed to do was soak the front of his shirt with my tears and smear it with mascara.
âGabs?â His voice rasped as he hugged me tighter. âCome on, weâre going.â
âNo.â Panic surged through me as I tried to pull away. âYou donât understand!â Iâd given the last of my paychecks to my mom so she could pay the bills at the house, leaving me completely broke for this weekâs rent check. I was hoping to make enough money in tips for the rent.
Lexâs eyes crinkled at the sides as he took one look at me and the rest of the seedy bar. I knew what he saw: girls dancing on poles, guys getting drunk and shouting at the girls while they threw dollar bills onto the stage, and a scared, stupid girl clinging to him like her lifeline.
Finally, he released me. âGabs, Iâm sorry, I was joking. We alwaysââ He licked his lips and glanced down at the filthy floor, cursing. âWhereâs the money going?â
âMoney?â
âNew girl!â Dean, my boss, never called me by name, the idiot. âYou working or flirting? If he wants time with you, heâs gotta pay.â
âStill a waitress?â Lexâs eyebrows shot up.
I held up my fingers to indicate I needed a few more seconds, but Dean was apparently in a mood and stomped over to us.
âProblem?â he asked, crossing his arms over his skinny chest. The guy was small; Lex could probably break his face blindfolded.
âYeah,â Lex said, surprising me. âYour waitress just refused to dance with me because you guys are out of private rooms . . . so.â
Deanâs eyes narrowed. âYou her boyfriend?â
âDo I look like a man who wants to commit to crazy?â Lex fired back. âBut I do have this . . .â He reached into his back pocket and pulled out what looked like at least six hundred dollars in cash. âHow long will that get me with your waitress?â
Deanâs eyebrows kissed his hairline as he sputtered out, âAt least three hours.â
âIâll add in another six hundred if I can have table service and a private room, no interruptions.â
âDone.â Dean snapped his fingers above his head as one of his security guards came barreling over. âPlease take them to the Diamond Room, no interruptions. Stand outside the door. One waitress goes in and out to provide drinks.â
The security guard nodded.
And five minutes later I was stuck in a personal nightmare. A bottle of champagne rested on ice; two glasses were left on the table. Music pumped through the speaker system. A small stage was set up in the middle of the room, with two poles and some sort of swing that dropped down from the ceiling. I seriously didnât even want to know what it was for.
âThat will be all,â Lex said in a gruff tone. The waitressâI think her name was Hollyâbobbed her head, then looked at me out of the corners of her eyes as if scared to leave me alone with the giant.
âItâs fine.â I waved her off and forced a smile.
The door closed.
âStop pacing.â Lex grabbed a bottle of champagne. âAnd that ass better give you part of that money . . .â
âHuh?â I turned. Lex had his feet up on the table and was texting. TEXTING!
He glanced up. âWhat? Something wrong?â
âUh . . .â I lifted my arms into the air. âYou sick bastard, you just paid for private dancing! From me!â
âNo I didnât,â he said calmly. âNobody knows what goes on in here. Take a nap for all I care, drink some champagneâor you can shock the hell out of me and cry again, but fair warning, I only had one hug in me tonight and you stole it, so . . . Iâll be reverting to the back pat.â
âWho are you?â
âLex Luthor, philanthropist by day and rescuer of hot waitresses by night.â He smirked and held up the bottle. âChampagne?â
âUnbelievable.â I choked out a laugh. âYou just paid over one grand to sit in a crappy club and drink champagne with someone you hate.â
âItâs my good deed for the decade. Just donât tell Ian. Heâll think Iâm sick or something, and the last thing I need is Mother Hen helicoptering around my inner sanctum. Heâll get pissed all over again if he finds out that Iâm hacking.â
My skin felt sticky and sweaty, and my feet ached. With slow movements, I made my way over to the couch and sat, not even wanting to know how many germs were on the leather.
âSo,â Lex said above the music. âChampagne? Or want me to order you something else?â
âChampagneâs good.â I swallowed and looked down at my hands. âIâm sorry I cried.â
âAs you should be. Big girls donât cry . . . they kick ass. Donât freak me out like that again, itâs not good for my heart.â
âFinally admitting you have one?â
Lex spread his arms wide. âClearly, otherwise youâd still be waiting tables.â
âOr dancing,â I muttered.
âHah.â Lex laughed, actually laughed as if it was funny. âNo offense, Gabs, but youâre not like those girls on stage. You canât . . . you just canât.â
âI canât?â Why the hell was I getting offended? âWhat do you mean I canât?â
Lex laughed harder. âGabs, look, thereâs nothing wrong with being innocent. Lots of guys dig a girl who has fields that have never been touched, watered, planted, plowedââ
I held up my hand. âI get it.â
âBut those types of girls, the good girls, the ones whoâve never been . . .â He smirked. âConquered? They donât typically know how to use their bodies in a way that mimics sex on stage. Get it?â
âNo.â I crossed my arms. âI donât get it! Dancing is dancing! A two-year-old can do it!â
âBad example, bad mental picture all around, Gabs, again solidifying my point. Good girls donât dance, not like that.â When I didnât say anything, he added, âEmbrace your goodness, donât get pissed. Itâs a compliment.â
âThe hell it is!â
âDamn, I love it when you swear,â Lex murmured, taking a long draw of champagne. âSee, at least you do that right.â
âI canât last in here for three hours,â I muttered, jumping to my feet and starting my pacing all over again.
âWant to play games on my cell phone?â
âLike a child!â I blurted. âThatâs it! Youâre treating me like Iâm . . . a toddler! Like I should be thankful you just saved me from hell. Be honest: if you had a sticker and a sucker, would you give them to me if I shut my mouth the entire time?â
Lex gave me a guilty look.
âIâm a woman!â
âWell, if you were a dude, weâd be having a different conversation and you probably would have punched the guys grabbing your ass earlier . . .â
Without thinking, I grabbed my glass of champagne, chugged it, poured another, chugged that one, then with shaky hands grabbed the little remote, turned up the music, and jumped on stage.
I expected Lex to say something inappropriate or at least roll his eyes. Instead, he looked . . . panicked.
âGabs!â he yelled above the music. âLook, Iâm sorry! Just get down!!â
âOh, Iâll get down!â I grabbed the pole with one hand and leaned back. âJust wait.â
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