I gasp. Surely, it isn’t that much money…
She continues, “You may also want to hire security. Ironwood is an excellent company, and their number is included as well. Ask for Jaxon, and tell him I referred you. He’s an old friend.”
“All right, I will.” My mind is spinning. This is too much. I want to laugh, and I want to cry.
Ms. Rubio stands, signaling that she’s done. The meeting is over. I’m now free to go and…I don’t know. I peer inside one of the thin envelopes and see a bank statement with so many numbers on it, my vision goes blurry. Surely I didn’t read that right. That’s…it’s over a million dollars. And it’s mine?
My cousins didn’t get this much money from our great aunt.
“Why me?”
Ms. Rubio’s smile is kind. “She told me once that the two of you had a kinship. A special conversation, long ago.”
“I remember it.” I touch the star sapphire on my finger. “It meant a lot to me.”
“It meant a lot to her, too.”
DAMIANO
Madison’s phone rings several times before she answers. “Hello?”
She sounds breathless. Did she hold her phone and stare at the number before answering? Or was it far from her, and she had to run to reach it? Maybe she was somewhere quiet, and had to race from the room in order to pick up the call.
I want to know. I want to know everything about her. Maybe I will be disappointed. That is the usual way these things go. I could live with that—it might make things easier.
But I’ll never know if I don’t pursue her.
I get up from my desk and pace my office. Moving helps me focus. “Madison. Bella. This is Damiano.”
“Hello, Sir. I mean—crap. Damiano.” Her voice is muffled, but I think I hear, “I’m an idiot.”
Grinning to myself, I say, “I’d love to have dinner with you. Are you free on Saturday?”
“I have to work.” She sounds genuinely disappointed.
“Friday?”
“That, I could do. I can meet you. Where and when?”
I’d rather pick her up, see where she lives, learn more about her. But I can force myself to be patient. “Chez Michel. I’ll make reservations for nine.”
“Great.” She sounds as if she’s smiling. “I’ll see you then.”
I end the call and close my eyes, picturing her beautiful face, the way it twisted in ecstasy while she rode my dick. Fucking her at the auction was most excellent. Getting to know her, I hope, will be just as good.
MADISON
The stack of envelopes from Ms. Rubio’s office sits on my dresser. Since getting home yesterday, I’ve been afraid to do anything with it. I’m afraid to touch it, to look at it. I need to go to the bank and make sure I can access everything, but with that amount of money, I should talk to someone before making any decisions, right? Someone who knows what they’re doing?
I sit up in bed and stare at the envelopes. I now have a house, and a safe deposit box. A bank account. More money than I ever expected to see in this lifetime. It should probably be invested or something.
Although a tiny, tiny portion will go to buying a dress for Friday night.
A date with Damiano. I conjure his face and his body in my mind. He was so powerful, attentive, commanding.
I can’t imagine him, though, without imagining Seth, too.
An hour later, it sounds like my roommates are both up and moving around in the living room, so I throw on some clothes and head out to break some hard news.
