“A quarter of a million dollars.”
Very well, judging by the crowd’s gasp and the stunned look of surprise on the girl’s face. Strategically, it was either brilliant or the stupidest decision I’d ever made. But it was a go big or go home moment. Bellamy had deep pockets, and I didn’t want to waste time dicking around with outbidding each other. Making a statement, in a big way, was the most efficient route to avoiding all the back and forth. It also achieved two goals—it garnered me a date with the gorgeous girl on stage and ensured I ended up on Bellamy’s radar. If I’d read his interest right, my prey might very well end up coming to me.
I practically felt the death glare he was sending my way, and I couldn’t resist swiveling my head and flashing him a smug grin as the auctioneer counted down.
“Two hundred fifty thousand, going once. Two hundred fifty thousand, going twice. Sold!”
Bellamy’s eyes narrowed, promising retribution from me for stealing away his prize. My smile widened because I was pleased as fuck about my upcoming date—and because I knew it would piss Bellamy off even more. Reluctantly, I tore my gaze away from his and headed towards the stage, but all of my reluctance was swept away the moment I was looking at her again.
Wide, dark eyes were practically glowing with stunned pleasure as she stared down at me. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and one hand was pressed against her chest just under her neck. When I neared the stage, I moved to the steps on the left side and held my hand out to her. Her face lit up with humor, and her gaze moved from my hand, to the steps, and back up again. Then she was walking towards me, hips swaying with each step. When she placed her hand in mine, it felt like an electricalcurrent ran between us. The shock made her stumble slightly, and I moved swiftly to help her safely down the steps.
“Oh!” she gasped, her plush lips forming an intriguing O shape, making me think about how they’d look wrapped around my cock. “Never in a million years would I have guessed my father had friends like you.”
I swept my thumb across her cheek, reveling in the feel of her smooth skin under my finger. “Your father?”
“Yeah,” she sighed, tilting her head into my touch like a cat seeking affection from its owner. “My mother told me not to worry about some stranger winning a date with me because my father would make sure it was someone he approved of.”
It looked like my winning bid had been brilliant after all due to an unexpected bonus—putting another potential player on my radar. The gorgeous girl’s father knew Bellamy well enough to trust him with his daughter.Interesting.
2
CARISSA
My head was still reeling in shock from the outcome of my stroll across the stage for the bachelorette auction, but there was one thing of which I was certain—the man standing in front of me had no need to drop a quarter of a million dollars to get a date. He probably didn’t even have to buy a girl a drink before getting her to agree to go home with him. Not with his rugged good looks.
He didn’t quite fit the tall, dark and handsome cliché, even though he certainly met all the requirements. He had to be a few inches over six foot with the way he towered over me while I was wearing four inch heels. His hair was short and very dark. So were his closely cropped beard and mustache. His eyes were the deep brown of a dark-chocolate bar, one of my biggest weaknesses. He was wildly attractive, but I wouldn’t describe him as handsome because he was somehow more than that.
Even dressed in an impeccably tailored Brooks Brother tuxedo, he had a dangerous air about him. The black material only accentuated his muscular build. He was tanned, but I highly doubted it was from spending too many hours on a golf course like my dad did. His hand was warm in mine, but there werecallouses on his fingertips which sent shivers down my spine as they stroked against my palm.
He was everything mothers warned their daughters about—the kind of man who could easily crush your heart. Yet he’d just won a date with me at an event my own mother had basically forced me to attend. It only served to reinforce the feeling that I’d fallen down the rabbit hole since I returned home.
He tugged on my hand, and I followed him towards the table where the event organizers were handling all the details for the winning bidders. Or, at least, that’s where I thought he’d been leading me until he side-stepped into the curtains lining the stage and pulled me with him. We were hidden from the rest of the crowd, and it felt as if the entire world had narrowed to just the two of us.
“What’s your name, beautiful?”
“Carissa,” I gulped as he drew me closer.
“Carissa”—he repeated softly, the deep rumble of his voice making me shiver again—“what?”
“Hastings.” My answer sounded more like a question since I was confused. “But you knew that, right? Because of my father. He arranged for you to place the winning bid tonight.”
“I don’t know your father.”
I jerked back slightly, surprised by his answer. “You don’t?” I gasped, instinctively trying to look over my shoulder to locate my parents. It was no use, not with the curtain blocking my view. “Crap! They’re going to be so pissed off.”
His fingers tightened on my hand, and the narrowing of his eyes and twitch in his jaw made it clear he wasn’t happy with my reaction. I rushed to explain further. “My parents tend to be over-protective. Ridiculously so.” His grip loosened, and my nerves settled slightly. “This is my first real outing since I returned home from boarding school.”
“How long have you been back?”
“A few weeks,” I admitted softly, hoping it didn’t make me sound like a complete loser—the girl who had barely left her parents’ compound in almost a month.
“I assumed that a young, beautiful girl like you would have an active social calendar. Shopping trips with friends. Hitting the clubs. Going out on dates.”
I blushed, completely unused to receiving compliments. It left me disarmed, and I blurted out exactly what I was thinking. “My closest friends live on another continent, I’m not old enough to drink, and the date you won will be my first.” My admission left me feeling vulnerable, especially since… “I don’t even know your name.”
“Vaughn Westbrook.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” I replied out of habit.
