The muscle in his jaw eased slightly, though the edge of determination remained in his tone.“This wasn’t about winning,” he continued, his voice dropping to a low, deliberate murmur.“It was about reclaiming what was stolen.Knowing when to act—to bring something home where it belongs.That’s what matters.”
Natalie blinked, questions stacking one over the other, but before she could speak, he leaned closer.“Ready to go?”
The casual question was such a sharp contrast to the energy of the moment that it almost made her laugh.She nodded, still trying to process everything she’d just heard as he stood and extended a hand.She slipped her fingers into his, his grip firm but warm, and let him draw her to her feet.
His knowing smile sent a shiver down her spine, igniting that undercurrent between them that had been simmering all evening.Around them, the crowd had begun to disperse, their voices a muted hum against the pounding of her own heartbeat.
“Right,” she whispered, though her voice trembled despite her best effort to steady it.
As they moved toward the exit, his hand returned to her lower back, guiding her with unhurried authority.The heat of his touch burned through the thin fabric of her dress, a quiet brand she couldn’t ignore.She told herself this was just an auction, just another evening out—but every instinct whispered otherwise.
She glanced up at him, her pulse quickening.He met her gaze, and for a heartbeat, the world around them seemed to blur.There was a spark in his eyes—something unspoken, but undeniable.
Friendship, she reminded herself.This was about building a friendship.
“I just need to take care of business.It will only be a moment.”
He started to turn away and Natalie couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of something far more dangerous—and far more irresistible.
He hesitated, a sharp flicker in his eyes, before turning away.A member of the business team was already waiting to escort him into a private room.No need for Rylan to stand in line to pay for his purchases, she thought with a wry chuckle.
Natalie stepped aside to clear the path for others leaving the auction room and pulled out her phone.Clients could be demanding at all hours, and she prided herself on being responsive.She was midway through answering a message about a delayed furniture shipment when movement caught the edge of her vision.
She looked up—and froze.
A tall, broad-shouldered blonde in thick sunglasses was bearing down on her, her presence as sharp and cutting as the stilettos she stalked in.Natalie instinctively shifted back, but she had cornered herself against the wall, no clear escape route.
“Why the hell are you here?”the woman snapped, her voice low but laced with venom.“You have no right to be here!”
“Um…” Natalie faltered, caught between confusion and a rising wariness.There was something naggingly familiar about her, but she couldn’t place the person’s identity.The woman’s golden hair was perfectly sleek, but almosttooperfect—polished in a way that made Natalie wonder if it was real.Maybe a wig?
“Doesn’t matter,” the blonde hissed, slicing the air with a dramatic wave of her hand.Long, crimson-polished nails caught the light like fresh blood.“You’re a nobody.You’re nothing.”
Natalie blinked, the hostility hitting her like a slap.“I’m sorry, what—?”
The woman’s hand shot up, long nails glinting under the lights as they poised to strike.For a breathless moment, Natalie’s mind scrambled for an escape, but the press of bodies closed in around her.There was no room to move, no path to dodge the blow.
She shut her eyes and braced for the sting.
It never came.
A firm grip caught the woman’s wrist mid-swing.Natalie’s eyes flew open to see Max standing between them, his expression composed but edged with quiet steel.
“That’s enough,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the noise like a blade through silk.
The blonde’s furious gaze snapped to him, but he didn’t release her.“Let go of me!”she screeched, her free hand pushing at his chest.
Max didn’t even blink.“I don’t think so.”He shifted his stance just enough to shield Natalie while keeping his hold, his presence radiating unshakable authority.“You’re causing a scene.”
“Do you even know who I am?”she demanded, trying to wrench free.
“No,” Max said flatly, “and I don’t care.”
Natalie stumbled slightly, her pulse hammering.“Max…” Her voice was shaky, tangled somewhere between gratitude and disbelief.
He glanced at her briefly, the steel in his gaze softening.“You okay?”
She nodded, though her heart was still pounding hard enough to make her lightheaded.
