He’s barely got the words out before Brady calls out, “One hundred.”
I shoot him a dirty look, noticing the way he’s gawking at Dax. It’s pathetic, even if I’m being slightly more pathetic.
“One thirty!”
“One forty!”
“Two fifty!”
I’m realizing this was a terrible idea, and as much as I’m trying to keep it together, I want to shout,“He’s not just a hot piece of meat, you fucking assholes.”That’s not the spirit of a goddamn auction, and some part of me knows that, but the rest is too pissed to think straight.
“Three hundred!” Brady pipes up.
I dig my nails into the arm of my chair.This guy wants a black eye.
A few other calls get it to three fifty.
Then Brady shouts, “Four hundred!”
I’m gonna lunge across Caleb, tear this guy out of his chair, and—
No, I’m not, because the judge was really cool with me and will not show me mercy again if I reappear in his court.And obviously, I wouldn’t actually pummel the guy for simply being into Dax. Even if, fuck, it feels like I should.
“That’s probably a wrap at four hundred,” Troy says, waving his prop gavel. “Going once…twice…”
The thought of Dax sitting across from Brady at a restaurant, this guy batting his blue beauties, charming the fuck out of him, fucks with my head. Even the thought of Dax laughing at one of his jokes is enough to drive me out of my damn mind. This bastard doesn’t know Dax like I do. Doesn’t know what a great guy he is. Doesn’t know how he needs to fuck that ass…or how to cuddle him right. He doesn’t know a damn thing about him except he’s hot, and he’ll go on a date with my guy over my dead body.
“One thousand!” I say—and I don’t just say it, I shout it at the top of my lungs, so loudly that it echoes through the theater and a girl nearby audibly gasps. No, not a girl. Tatum.
Troy’s mouth hangs open. Dax’s forehead is creased up, and he rightly looks as confused as I feel. Meanwhile, people turn in their seats to see who called that out, and I distinctly hear my name being whispered. Makes me want to crawl into my goddamn chair and die right now.
What. The. Fuck?
24
Dax
One thousand dollars?
One thousand dollars?
What the hell is Miles thinking? But judging from the look on his face, he has no idea either, and for a second, I think he’ll bolt. Then his expression shifts to panic, like he’s about to have another attack. The theater is eerily quiet, everyone trying to make sense of what just happened. Even Troy hasn’t said anything yet, and Troy is usually really good about keeping things steady and going with the flow.
I can see how big Miles’s eyes are, the way he’s fidgeting, his surprised and frantic gaze never leaving me, and all I want is to go to him, to hold him, to tell him he didn’t have to pay for me because he’s the only person I want right now anyway.
I take a step forward, and he gives me a small shake of his head. My heart is trying to beat its way out of my chest, everything sounding echoey. If it’s like this for me, it must be even worse for him, but I don’t want to make a scene. No good will come of me going to Miles and drawing even more attention to him in the middle of the damn auction.
Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay.
“Wow. Leave it to Dax to be our most popular bachelor. Did you pay Miles to do that?” Troy jokes.
“No. I’m just that good.” I try to smile when it’s killing me not to go grab Miles and kiss his stupid face. Why did he tell me to do this auction if he was going to bid on me?
“One thousand dollars going once, twice, sold to Miles Tanner!”
The second the words are out of Troy’s mouth, Miles is rushing toward the door, Tatum going after him.
Um, what the fuck is that? Why does Tatum think Miles needs him? I mean, am I glad he has a friend? Yes. But I also want to be the one by his side right now.
