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“Why? I can’t pay for it. Are you crazy?”
I wait till everyone’s attention is back on themselves before gently clasping her arm and ushering her out into the lobby of the school.
“Don’t worry about it. I wasn’t expecting you to actually pay for it. I placed the bid in your name because I couldn’t bet on my own yacht.”
“Why even offer it then?”
“Because you demanded I do it. I did what you said. I just put my own twist on it, so to speak. The school will still get the money and I’ll get a weekend on my yacht… with you.” I add on that bit quickly. I hadn’t planned on it; it was most definitely a spur of the moment decision I just made before walking across the building and placing the bet. Feeling her body against mine, feeling the burn of jealousy in my chest when she was flirty with deck shoes or Mr. Fudge Fucking Sundae whatever the hell his name is, I knew I had to do something.
“With me?” she almost shouts.
“Yeah, that’s my part of the deal. I guess I forgot to mention it before when you were in my office making your demands. Labor Day weekend you’ll already have the time off work and I need some help with Daisy since my nanny up and quit on me. Did I mention that Roxy quit? Yeah, got sick of me running late apparently.”
“So that’s it? I don’t get a say in this? I’m now just your built-in babysitter when you need it and you get to make decisions for me? Tough shit, Mr. Vaughn.” Her head shifts to one side a little as she settles back on her foot. “You can’t just tell me what to do.”
My smile fades as I step toward her, her squared shoulders wilting a bit as I tower over her. “Isn’t that exactly what you did to me when you marched into my office?”
“That—it’s different. It’s to benefit your daughter and the school. This is—” Her words trail off.
“This is what, Daphne?” I know I’m goading her. I can see the little vein on her temple growing more prominent.
“Bullshit. It’s bullshit!”
I click my tongue at her. “Now, what kind of language is that in a school? That mouth of yours really might get you in trouble someday.”
“I don’t have time for this, Mr. Vaughn. I’m not going on your little trip. End of story. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to help clean up.” She moves to step around me, but I step in the same direction, cutting her off.
“Are you really telling me you don’t want an all-expenses-paid vacation in the Bahamas on a private luxury yacht where you only have to help out with my daughter now and then when my parents need a break or I’m busy? What else could you possibly be doing that weekend that is better than that? Painting by numbers in your fuzzy socks? Come on, you know I pay very well.”
Her mouth snaps shut as she realizes what I’m offering her. She’s thinking about it, considering it. Her eyes drift away, then quickly dart back to me. “Absolutely not. I don’t even know you or your family. How uncomfortable would that be for me? Did you consider that? Besides, it’s completely inappropriate and I’m sure if the school found out, they wouldn’t approve.”
“Do you always follow the rules?”
“Yes, and you should as well.” Her full teacher facade is back in place, and it makes me chuckle. It makes me wonder what it would take to get her to relax, to let her hair down a little bit if she were outside these walls. She looks boldly at me again. “I’m not going. I’m serious. And by the way, I like painting in my fuzzy socks.”
“Noted, Miss Flowers. Now, if you’ll excuse me, my driver is waiting on me with my daughter. My two-hour duty here is more than up. I had fun tonight.”
“Pleasure was all mine.” She gives me a forced smile, her attitude still shining through, and it makes me laugh as I walk toward the doors of the building.
“Oh, I highly doubt that, Daphne. Pretty sure I had all the pleasure tonight.”
Chapter 7
Daphne
I stand in the lobby, my head completely spinning by the highs and lows this man has put me through tonight.
How does he go from being so dismissive toward me like I’m merely an inconvenience in his life to looking at me the way he did when I was on his lap? I giggle to myself remembering his “issue” when I was trying to put my shoe back on. As embarrassed as I was in the moment, it’s nothing compared to standing there with a raging hard-on in public.
“Good, he deserves it,” I decide, spinning on my heel to head back into the auction and start cleaning up for the night.
By the time I make it back home, I’m exhausted. I’ve been going nonstop since six a.m. today and my body is feeling it. I trudge to my bathroom, dropping my bag on my couch. Several months back, Xana bought me some lavender aromatherapy bath stuff. I root through my cabinets, finding it and pouring a generous amount into the tub after turning on the water.
Rosé in hand, I dip my toes into the water to test out the temperature before slowly sliding all the way beneath the bubbles. The lavender actually starts doing its job of instantly putting me at ease. I try to take in some deep breaths, allowing the tension from the day to leave my body, but the second I close my eyes, my mind keeps drifting back to him.
I recall the way he demanded I was going on his family vacation after placing a bid in my name. The rude and arrogant way he looked me up and down at the airport before pretending he’d never seen me before. The way he acted when he was two hours late to our first meeting. But then, I think about the way he looked at me that night at my apartment, the way his eyes undressed me when he thought I wasn’t looking earlier tonight… and the way he held me.
A shiver runs through my body remembering the way his fingertips lightly trailed against my skin. The way his lips were so close to me that I could feel his warm breath against my cheek. My hand slips beneath the water, sliding down my body until I reach my inner thigh. I trail my own fingertips over my skin, imagining it’s Weston. Wondering what could have happened if we had been some place more private. Would he have leaned in and kissed me? Or what would he have done if I leaned in to kiss him?
