Riot’s suit had the fewest features; a simple black tuxedo, black slacks and black coat in a slim, modern cut. The difference was how he wore it. His bowtie was undone, one side hanging fashionably lower on one side, and his collar was undone far enough I could see the rise of his chest muscles beneath.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
The slight hint of nerves in his voice was endearing. I didn’t even have the words. I couldn’t tell if I liked the suit or the leather better, but I was taken aback at how well he wore both. The man dripped sexuality, wild and untamed.
Riot grunted. “I look stupid,” he said, tugging at his jacket.
“I love it,” I said. “I adore it.”
I looked between the three of them, and could scarcely believe my luck at having all three of them at my disposal. I could live a hundred lifetimes and never end up with one person this gorgeous, much less three.
“You all look incredible,” I said. “You’re going to drive the bids crazy high.”
A pang of jealousy struck me, but I tried my best to push it down. I didn’t want to tarnish the moment.
“Fucking hope so,” Riot said, his hands slipping inside his pockets. “I told the organizer I wanted my share of the auction to go specifically to the English department scholarship fund.”
“The English department?” I asked.
“For your scholarship,” he said. “I want to guarantee you’re here for all four years.”
My heart swelled. It was such a sweet gesture from him. I didn’t know if I would ever be able to convey to him how much it meant, that he would willingly put himself through something he so clearly did not want to take part in, all to help me.
“Come here,” he said.
The three of us huddled around each other.
“We’re going to figure out who is doing this,” Riot said, his voice lowered. “I promise. The guys caught me up on what happened, and I’m in all the way.”
“My commitment to you is as strong as it ever has been,” Luka said.
“You’ve got me,” Jaeson said. “You’ve got all of us. We’re here.”
“I know,” I said. “I believe you. Now, go on. You’ve got an auction to blow up.”
We stood together, all four of us, for a moment longer. I loved the smell of them, the shape of them, every last little detail. I desperately wanted to indulge in selfishness and ask them to whisk me away from all of this, to take me far away where the only people I would ever have to deal with would be them.
A few minutes later, I was down amongst the crowd, watching the stage with a glass of sparkling cider in my hand.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” came Tiffany’s voice. “Please get to your places. All bidders for the charity auction, please come forward. Everyone else, make way or you’ll never get to feast your eyes on what we’ve got for you backstage.”
Tiffany had put together a wonderful event, and it was a great preview of how things would be for the gala. Still, I felt that pang of jealousy start to creep up on me.
“Hey, you,” Cynthia said, sliding up next to me.
“Cynthia, hi,” I said. “Want a cider or something?”
“I’m all set,” she said, turning to face the stage, both of us watching things getting started.
“Are you bidding on anyone tonight?” I asked.
“It’s not really my style,” she said. “If I wanted to dance with one of the guys, I’d just go up and ask them. I wouldn’t wait for an excuse like a charity auction.”
It did sound very much like Cynthia’s way of operating.
“Jaeson, though,” Cynthia said, staring at the stage curtain. “He’s so hot I can barely stand it sometimes.”
“Yeah, that guy looks pretty good in a suit,” I said, playing it cool.
