For a brief moment, I couldn’t think in the face of his audacity, not to mention that winning smile. Then I remembered what he was doing and my incredulity returned.
What in the hell did he think he was doing?
I couldn’t bloody afford nineteen thousand-something dollars. I hadn’t worked consistently in months thanks to our... adventures. I had work backed up to my eyeballs and a couple of extra mouths to feed for who knew how long as well. There was the extra gas and electricity to consider, and the... well... other stuff.
I drew a finger across my throat in clear warning, but the fucker simply ignored me, upping Brenda’s return bid by another $200. Brenda leaned forward to eye Nick up and down, clearly assessing his threat to her purchase. I wasn’t sure what she saw, but her next bid of another $100 was offered much more cautiously.
Nick matched it without hesitation and the woman glared at him.
Oh my fucking God. What is he doing?
If I hadn’t been hemmed in place in the narrow row of seating, I would’ve raced over and shoved Nick out the door, adding a kick up his backside for good measure. He’d clearly lost his mind.
A few seconds later it all became moot when Brenda withdrew from the bidding at $19,800 and the gavel came down. The auctioneer called sold and pointed the gavel at a smiling Nick who was clearly unaware of his precarious standing in the universe right then.
The unexpected growl came from deep in my throat, and the man I was standing next to shot me a startled look. I ignored him, too focused on my so-called boyfriend, or whatever he wanted to be called, who was beaming like he’d just won the lottery.
Get as much beaming in as you can, sunshine, because I’m about to bloody kill you.
Finally free to move, I made a beeline for my about-to-be-dearly-departed boyfriend, only to have my plan scuppered by him sweeping me into his arms and hushing my protests with a hard kiss that silenced the rest of the room in an instant.
“You’re welcome,” he whispered against my ear when he was done, and the room erupted into applause.
“Very sneaky of you, Madigan.” Brenda patted me on the shoulder as she passed. “Bringing a ringer with you. Really put the cat among the pigeons. Congratulations. You got a sweet buy there.”
My cheeks burned at the very idea and I muttered, “I didn’t—I mean I wouldn’t?—”
“Thank you,” Nick interrupted before explaining, “But Mads didn’t know I was going to bid. It was a surprise. I just wanted him to have it.”
The woman looked between us with a knowing smile. “Then I can’t say I mind losing.” She patted Nick’s arm. “Well done, young man.” Then to me, “He’s a keeper, this one.”
I almost choked. “He’s in a lot of trouble is what he is, Miss Harvey. Just how much, he has no idea. Things are about to get messy.”
She chuckled. “I could do with a bit of messy in my life at this age, so don’t knock it. Have a good day, boys.”
And with that, she left, and I bundled Nick unceremoniously out of the room and around the corner so I could tear a few strips off him. He laughed the whole way, which only served to piss me off further. And when I finally had his back against the nearest set of fire doors, he pulled me close and shut up my grousing with a long, toe-curling kiss.
By the time he was done, I wasn’t sure which city I was in, let alone why I’d dragged him all this way down the hall to beginwith. But then it came back to me and my exasperation returned. “What the hell did you think you?—”
“Like I told Brenda, I wanted you to have it.” He cradled my face and drew me up on my toes for another kiss. Then he brushed our noses together. “If contributing something toward it will make you feel better, then go ahead, but I can afford it, sweetheart, and I wanted to do it. After everything you’ve been through for me, you deserve this and so much more. Please don’t take that away from me.”
I muttered a few choice words and pulled several faces before settling on a pissy scowl. “Dammit, that’s just... the perfect fucking thing to say.” I groaned and punched him in the arm. “Arsehole.”
He laughed. “Are you always this grumpy when someone does something nice for you?”
I stood on his toes and he yelped. “This isn’t somethingnice. It’s a fucking mortgage.”
More laughter. “Is there a thank you in there somewhere?”
I considered his question, rocking my head from side to side. “Okaaaay. Thank you. I love it. But I’ll be depositing fifteen thousand into your account when we get back.”
“Twelve,” Nick corrected sternly. “It’s not exactly a gift if you pay the same amount that you intended to.” When he saw I was about to argue, he added, “Twelve, Mads, or I find that old woman and offer it to her at a discount.”
I narrowed my gaze. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He arched a brow, wearing that pig-headed look I’d come to know and fear so well. “Try me.”
Fuck.“Okay, okay. But I want my protest noted and a free pass on any reciprocal venture.”
