1
Camden Wolf
I wasa predator looking for prey, and I knew who I wanted the moment I paged through the small brochure in my hand and caught sight of his picture. He didn’t have a bright, beaming smile like the other men being auctioned, and there was defiance in his hazel gaze. Oh, he’d be a fighter. He called to my primal nature.
Mark
Twenty-nine years old.
Likes: boxing, locally owned restaurants, and boxers (the dogs and to wear).
Dislikes: discussing politics, the news, and seafood.
I licked my lips as my hand tightened around the numbered paddle I held. Yes, he was going to be mine by the end of the night.
“Camden.”
I raised my head at the sound of my name and smiled as Madam Winters walked across the glossy wooden floor of the ballroom as elegantly as a model on a runway. The crowd moved out of the way for her, almost instinctively, until she reached me and grabbed my hands, leaning in to press a kiss on each of my cheeks.
“How are you, sugar?”
Madam Winters was all class, and she was my mother’s closest friend and rummy partner. Every Thursday night they got together for a glass of wine and played the card game with a few other ladies, which was how I’d come to know about her and the Courtesan. She’d won me over with witty stories that had me laughing. At first I’d assumed she was telling tall tales about her early life as a street girl—something for shock value—until I’d realized everything she’d said was true, and it only made me respect her more.
“I’m fine, how are you?” I gave her a short hug, and she petted my face like my mother did. They were truly two women from the same mold.
“Fantastic. The night is young. I’m surrounded by handsome men and beautiful women. How much luckier can I get?” She chuckled and waved her hand around the ballroom at the gathering crowd of well-dressed people. Madam Winters was the star of the room, though, with a glittering golden gown that shimmered and sparkled under the lights. The material swept around her feet like a halo, and if I didn’t know how much of a devil she really was, I might have thought of her as an angel. “This is always one of my favorite nights of the year. Somehow the summer auction is a smidge more special than the others.”
“I can see why.” I tugged at my tie nervously. It wasn’t often I wore suits, but black-tie events meant I had no choice. Madam Winters had been adamant about me coming tonight, promising me I’d find the right man. I didn’t believe her, not until I sawhisname in the brochure I’d been given on the way in. “Do you know this guy?” I showed her the picture of Mark, and a wicked smile slid onto her dark red lips.
“Oh, he’d be perfect for you.”
“Do you think so?” I grinned. “You know what I like. I told you.”
She laughed and touched my shoulder, fingernails dancing down my arm. “Perfect, Camden.”
“I’m not sure how much I can afford,” I said honestly. By day I was a construction foreman, a regular working-class, blue-collar man who had just enough money to pay my bills and put food on my table. I wasn’t rolling in cash like some of these men and women looked like they were.
“You don’t need to afford anything here. Bid what you need to bid to get who you want, sugar, and you can have him for free.” She stroked farther down my arm, then dropped her hand. “Your mother has kept me sane on the worst days, and she never asks for anything in return. The least I can do is give something back to her son.”
I smiled, my belly warming. That was my mother. She’d always been the type who gave whatever she could. If someone needed the shoes off her feet, I wouldn’t put it past her to offer those as well. She’d always been that way, and I tried to practice her best qualities. “Thank you, Madam. How does this work?”
She turned slightly to look at the temporary stage that had been set up at one end of the room. Chairs were lined in front of it. The rest of the space in the ballroom had been left bare for the crowd to mingle with one another. Center stage was a small podium, and I assumed it was to showcase the person they were auctioning off for the night. Red velvet curtains hung to the sides and back of the stage, which no doubt led to where those being sold waited.
“The auction will start in about ten minutes. It’s quite simple, like bidding at any other auction. You have that paddle with your number on it.” She tapped the paddle in my hand. “The auctioneer will start the bidding, and you raise it when you wish to bid on the professional for the night.” She sent me a sly glance. “Mark will be absolutely perfect for you, though, sugar. He’s a realcharmer.”
“Why do I have a feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?” I laughed.
She winked her long blonde eyelashes at me. “I am a Southern lady, sir, we do not lie or keep secrets.”
“I don’t believe a word of that. Southern women are more likely to get away with murder because no one suspects them with all their politeness,” I teased.
She giggled—actually giggled. “You’ll have him for a night, Camden. Make the most of it.” With a final smile and a flutter of her fingers, she glided off to talk to a couple of men who were chatting in a corner. They all but fell over themselves to greet her, and I couldn’t do anything except laugh.
I went to the wine bar situated on the left of the room and bullshitted with the nice gentleman behind it. He had blond hair with pink tips, the typical staff uniform with a white shirt and deep red vest, and thick black-rimmed square glasses. All in all, he was not the kind of person I expected to work at the Courtesan, but he moved with expertise and knew his wines and champagnes well. I pretended to know what he talked about, but in the end, I had no clue.
Five minutes later, I had learned more than I ever needed to know about wine, though, and finally the overhead lights dimmed, signaling the start of the event. I said my goodbyes to the sommelier—he’d taught me that word and I wanted to remember it—and walked toward the stage with the rest of the bidders. We crowded close as the stage lights lit up, revealing Madam Winters with her arms wide in a welcoming gesture.
“Friends,” she began, and the crowd cheered. “Welcome to the Courtesan Summer Auction. Auctions occur once per season, spring,summer, autumn, and winter, to give you a little thrill. We have some handsome men and dazzling women for you tonight.”
