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Well, it was stupid to pretend otherwise, regardless of how ridiculous it sounded. The facts spoke for themselves. He’d wanted to see Elise. He liked baiting her.
She stared at him as if he’d grown an extra nose. “No, ding-dong. Because you wanted to lord it over me that I didn’t match you with your soul mate.”
“Yeah.” He nodded by rote and mentally kicked himself. Ding-dong. It might be funny if it wasn’t so true. “That’s why I sped over here. To tell you Candy was perfect, but it didn’t work out.”
Perfect for the man he’d shown Elise, anyway. She’d failed to dig beneath the surface and find the perfect woman for the man behind the curtain. Not as good as you think you are, huh, Ms. Hocus-Pocus?
Elise cocked her head, contemplating him. “I know she’s perfect. I matched you with her. But you never really gave it a chance, did you?”
No point in pretending on that front. “What do you want me to say, Elise? I never made any bones about the fact that I’m not interested in a relationship.”
No, that wasn’t entirely true. He wasn’t interested in a relationship with anyone he’d ever met and part of him was disappointed Elise hadn’t pulled someone out of her hat who could change his mind.
But that would have been impossible because she didn’t exist.
Dax sighed, weary all of a sudden. “Look, the idea of true love is as bogus as the idea of feeding a bunch of data into a program and expecting something magical to come out.”
The porch light highlighted a strange shadow in her expression. “It’s not magic. The algorithm is incredibly complex.”
“I’m sure the software company told you that when they sold it to you but there’s no way a developer can be that precise with intangibles. Admit it, you’re—”
“I wrote the program,” she interrupted, so softly he had strain to hear her.
Then the words sank in and he forgot all about getting her to admit the matches were actually just random pairings. “You wrote the program? You have a psychology degree.”
The shadows deepened in her expression and he felt like crap for opening his mouth without censor. He’d hurt her feelings, not once but twice. At what point had she started to care what he thought of her?
“I do have a psychology degree. A master’s. My bachelor’s degree is in computer science.”
“A master’s?”
“That’s right.” Her jaw tightened. “I almost went on for the PhD in psychology but decided to take the plunge with EA International instead. I can always go back to school later.”
“But...you wrote the program?”
She might very well be the sharpest woman he’d ever met. And not just because she’d earned an advanced degree. Because she defied his expectations in ways he’d only begun to appreciate.
Her slight form held a wealth of secrets, things he’d never imagined might lie beneath the surface. Things he’d never dreamed would be so stimulating—intellectually and physically. After an incredibly frustrating night in the company of an inane woman who dressed dogs for fun, he wanted to uncover every fascinating bit of Elise Arundel.
“Is it really so hard to believe?” She crossed her arms, closing herself off from him. It was way past time for a heartfelt apology.
“It’s not that I don’t believe it, it’s just so incredibly sexy.” That was not even close to an apology and he needed to shut up, like yesterday. “I mean, I wasn’t kidding. Brains turn me on.”
Her eyebrows drew together. “Really? Because I have one in a jar on my kitchen counter. I’ve never found it particularly attractive but to each his own.”
In a spectacularly unappealing combo, he snorted and laughed at the same time. “Wait. You’re kidding, right?”
She rolled her eyes, but a suspicious tug at her lips told him she was having a hard time not laughing. “I do not now, nor have I ever, had a pickled brain in my possession.”
“It was worth the clarification.” A host of things unsaid passed between them, most of them indecipherable. He wanted to unscramble her in the worst way. “How bad is to admit that a conversation about pickled brains is the most scintillating one I’ve had this evening?”
With a sigh, Elise butted the door all the way open with the flat of her hand. “You better come in. I have a feeling I need to be sitting down for the full report.”
Inside—exactly where he wanted to be, but not to discuss Candy. Dax trailed the matchmaker through a classically decorated condo with rich, jewel-toned accents. “So this is where all the magic happens?”
