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My cock throbs, awakening for a woman he shouldn’t want.
That knowledge doesn’t stop the urgency flooding my veins. With every pin that hits the countertop, my muscles tighten, imagining her on her knees, those gorgeous eyes staring up at me with a breathtaking combination of innocence and devilish challenge.
Fucking hell.
“I’m going for a walk.”
14
GABE
I yank my bow tie free, unbutton the top button of my shirt, and take a deep breath as I head for the back door. Swiping my hand over the row of switches, all the lights along the back of the house flick on, casting a warm honey glow across the yard.
Cool air embraces me as I stalk across the porch and down the path toward the beach. Salty air fills my lungs, and I take another gulp. The moon lights the rest of my journey as I stumble onto the sand, eyes trained on the waves.
This is why I bought this place.
So I could breathe again.
And that’s what I do. Stand in shifting sands, face to the wind, breathing deep.
“Gonna stay out here all night?” Alex’s voice cuts through the darkness with the precision of a knife.
He knows me too well.
That’s the problem with best friends. They know all your shit and call you on it.
“What are we doing here?”
Alex grunts. “Figuring out what to do next.”
“The head of PR has messaged me six times already. It was just a bachelorette auction.” How did everything go sideways?
“It would have been. If you hadn’t been betting on Katherine Montgomery.” There’s a small pause. “And I hadn’t been bidding against you.”
I sigh. “And if we hadn’t wagered two million dollars.”
He gives an affirmative grunt.
“PR’s pissed. Saying the whole thing is archaic. Bidding on women like they’re cattle.” Apparently, a reporter has already reached out, asking tough questions that my head of PR had no answers for. She hates that. Demands to always be in the know.
“I didn’t see her as cattle,” Alex says firmly. Then his voice softens. “I saw her as a prize.”
So did I. A glittering emerald I couldn’t say no to. She’d tipped her chin, asking, giving permission, begging me to bid on her. At least, I think she did. Had she actually been looking at Alex?
No doubt he saw the uncertainty in her eyes as well. He’s never been the same since his sister died. Women in peril are his kryptonite.
“Come on,” he says with a sigh. “Let’s get inside where it’s warmer, and we can figure everything out tomorrow.”
I turn back toward the house, and we walk up the beach.
“You’re really gonna sleep on the floor?” I ask because I’m not sure if my back is going to agree to that.
“Where else are we going to sleep?”
I shrug. “I figured you might have an airbed in your bag of tricks.” He’s nothing if not prepared, and I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if we got up to the house and he had an airbed blown up in one of the other bedrooms.
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
