But I’m proven wrong once again as he nearly trips a server on his way to our table. His hands fumble as he tries tocatch the tray that’s tumbling to the ground, but he’s far too damn drunk to be of any help as the server glares at him.
“She got us fucked up,” I groan, rubbing my eye with the heel of my hand. My movements are sluggish and sloppy with the alcohol coursing through me.
Maddox takes the seat next to me, nearly falling to the floor rather than easing onto the chair. “I…I think she gave me…alcohol poisoning…” His head slouches forward until his forehead scrapes across the tablecloth, and he’s out like the lightweight he is.
Rosalie joins us, her head and beautiful eyes just as clear as when we arrived, as she eases into a chair and crosses her pretty legs like the vixen she is. “How are you feeling, boys?”
“Sick…” Kairo nearly gags. He’s never handled his alcohol well.
I point a jerky finger at her. “You did this on purpose—”
“Shhh,” she lifts a finger to her cherry lips, a smirk tugging up the corners of her mouth. “He’s sleeping.” She points to Maddox, who’s drooling all over our table at this point. “Besides, the auction is about to start, and then we can leave.”
Auction?
Sure enough, a man stands on the stage, some cards in his hand as he starts the bids. His voice rings out at the gala as socialites and celebrities compete for the prizes they want. Each bid that wins goes towards a cause that’s noble in its own way—women’s and children’s shelters, feeding the homeless, and cancer research.
It isn’t until a particular charity is mentioned that Rosalie finally lifts her number.
“This next prize is a vacation home in Aspen. All proceeds will go to the New Beginnings Foundation—an organization that helps teens who are struggling with mental health resources and addiction. The bidding will start at two million—”
“Thirty million,” Rosalie calls as she lifts her numberhigh. The gala quiets as heads swivel towards our table.
The auctioneer stammers. “Uh-uh, thirty million to the lady in red!” His assistants rush to record the new pricing as they wait for someone to up her bid. When no one else raises it, the auctioneer slams his gavel on the stand. “Sold! To Rosalie Beckett.”
Even in my state, I’m left staring at her in awe. Everything she’s ever faced, and she still chooses to be kind. That money will change the lives of others, but I don’t miss the distant look in her eyes.
Does she see herself in their places?
A teenager who needed someone or something so desperately that getting help seemed impossible?
What was that like for her?
I can’t even begin to imagine what she must be feeling right now—happy for the aid she can now offer, but upset that a hand was never extended to her. It’s bittersweet and heartbreaking, all wrapped up in one nicely intricate package. She now owns a vacation home in Aspen, but I know she doesn’t care about the material objects. She only cares about helping kids who went through the same thing she did.
She’s extraordinary in every way, and I can’t believe I didn’t see that until now. My disapproval of being drunk on the job is dashed as pride swells in my chest.
Even when I have to drag Maddox to the limo, I don’t grumble. I prop him against the door as Kairo gives me a warning look. He’s pleading with his eyes for me to tell Rosalie something, and I know I have to.
As she settles in beside me, I make small talk. “That was very kind of you.”
She tenses for a moment before shrugging as if her act of selflessness was no big deal. “I wish someone had been there for me. It feels good to know I’m helping someone out of the same situation I was faced with.”
Her hand rests on the seat between us, and I take her thin fingers in mine, examining our size difference before Iintertwine them and lift them to my lips. The kiss I place on her knuckle is tender and sweet, but the conviction in my eyes is fiery and full of something profound. “You’re amazing, Rosalie.”
Her lips part, the little gasp that escapes her making for my deepest desires. She stares at me with wide, intelligent eyes before her expression softens a fraction. “Thank you…”
I take a deep breath, my eyes flickering to Maddox. “There’s…something else I need to tell you.”
She tilts her head, those enchanting eyes staring into my fucking soul as if she can lay me bare. Hell, she may if we keep this up.
I clear my throat, the alcohol beginning to wear off. “There’s a reason I asked you to lock your doors.”
“I figured,” she smiles.
“Right. Well, Maddox has…tendencies—”
“Is this about him standing on my balcony?”
