“Do it.” I swallow hard.
Sylas clutches my hip, fingers digging deep, but the moment is short-lived because someone pounds on the door.
“Sy, it’s about to start. Hurry the fuck up.”
Our eyes collide and breaths tangle, heat and electricity wrapping around us. We don’t part even as the voice outside reminds him that he can’t be late.
“Whatever happens out there, you don’t stop bidding on me,” he all but pleads, effectively reminding me why I’m here.
I bid, he pays me, and then we part ways.
Stepping away from him, I give a mock salute. “Don’t worry. ’Tis the season to be bidding.”
The girls and their parents have gone wild.
I just witnessed the captain of the basketball team, Lucas Calloway, get auctioned off for seven thousand eight hundred dollars. And his teammate before him went for six grand.
When Sylas first gave me the money, I thought ten thousand was a ridiculous sum. I thought to myself,who would bid that much money on a guy?He isn’t even a pro. But it’s my fault for underestimating the power of money, influence, and good looks.
Now I’m worried ten grand won’t be enough.
“All right, ladies and gentlemen, up next we have Sylas Lenoir Alves,” the auctioneer announces after Lucas steps off the stage. Sylas takes his place, a flirtatious grin on display, dimples indented deep on each cheek. My body buzzes and heart thunders as I remember how he touched me, how he looked at me, how his voice deepened.
His eyes immediately find mine and lock in. My stomach dips, heart thrashing like it’s begging to be let out. I don’t know why, since we don’t know each other well enough for me to be into him. An orgasm or two shouldn’t change anything—I’ve done casual before, but I feel…infatuated, and I don’t know how to make that stop. We’ve not known each other long. Just a few days I couldn’t stand him and now—this can’t be happening.
I smile a little at him and his own only widens; his eyes are still on me, but we both snap out of it when the auctioneer starts the bid at one thousand.
All over the room, paddles are raised high. I’m so stunned by the number of people who want to spend a day with him that I forget to raise my paddle.
Right, I’m bidding.I quickly raise mine and continue to do so as the auctioneer shouts increasingly higher numbers.
I get a little nervous once we approach eight thousand. A hot blonde and me are the only ones left. If I’m not mistaken, she was with Sylas at dinner a few days ago. It doesn’t seem like she’s going to give up, but I see the waver on her face when theauctioneer calls, “Eight thousand five hundred,” like she’s not sure if she should keep going.
A look of trepidation crosses Sylas’s face, like he’s worried the hot blonde is going to win.
I wonder if he knew she’d bid on him and that she’d be persistent about it. He begged me not to stop bidding though, and I promised I wouldn’t.
There’s a thousand dollars in my bank account along with what he sent. That’d make eleven thousand. I’m either about to make the best or worst decision of the night.
Fuck it.
“Eleven thousand!” I shout.
I’m not sure if I’m allowed to do that, but it’s too late to retract my offer.
The auctioneer’s eyebrows skyrocket and his lips split into a wide grin. “Whoa, we’re past ten thousand for the first time tonight!” He chuckles and so do the people around me. “Eleven thousand! Can we make that eleven thousand one hundred?” He looks at the blonde.
Sylas’s eyes widen with worry for a second before they relax when she shakes her head.
“Going once…” He pauses to give her or anyone else a chance. “Going twice…” Another pause. “Well, okay then. Sold to the lovely lady in green!”
The auctioneer goes on to remind me and everyone else in the room what Sylas has planned for us, but I’ve already checked out. I know the date isn’t going to happen, so there’s no point in listening. Still, I smile like I’m the luckiest girl in the world, hold his stare that says I’m the only one he has eyes for, and take a good look at him before we never see each other again.
9
SYLAS
Friday, December 13
