Page 23 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Stalker

“Who’s it from, Daisy?” Old Man Dinardo asked with a grin. I looked around and everyone was watching me.

“Open the card,” Nia insisted.

I wanted to wait until I was in private, but I could tell that wasn’t going to happen.

I opened it.

And wished I hadn’t.

Daisy,

I can’t get you out of my head. I’ve tried, but it’s not possible. So, I’m going to have to do something about it.

I love you.

Nia read it over my shoulder. “Jesus,” she breathed, looking at me. “Daze, has this been happening a lot…”

I crumpled the card before anyone else could see it. “It’s just some guy from one of my classes,” I announced, grabbing her hand and pulling her down the hallway with me.

“Daisy!” Old Man Dinardo yelled. “You’ve got to take this delivery to Jack Lancaster!”

I rubbed my forehead and leaned back against the wall. “I’ll be right there,” I called out. “Look, don’t worry about this,” I said to Nia. “It’s nothing. I’ve just gotten a couple of weird notes lately.” I tried to appear calm, as if I wasn’t freaking out inside. The note was… weird. Really weird. And it scared me. But I didn’t want her to freak out about it.

Nia’s face had worry written all over it. “We’re not done talking about this,” she hissed, as one of our other co-workers walked in to get her apron out of her locker.

I just gave her a quick smile before grabbing the order and leaving for the Lancaster Building. I thought about the note as I walked towards the building. Things were getting worse. He’d made it clear he knew where I worked.

My stalker was escalating. As if I didn’t already have enough problems.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Jack

It had been a few days since the soup incident. And Cayenne. This fascination with Daisy wasn’t any closer to passing than it had been then. If anything, it was growing stronger. And I knew I had to do something about it.

I wished I had just asked her out when I had the chance. When we were standing in front of her… mansion. I had so much to find out about this girl. And I could’ve done it on a date if I’d just asked.

I ran a hand through my hair, not caring if it stood on end. I smashed a baseball cap on it. That would take care of it.

The alarm on my watch went off. It was almost nine. I grabbed my binoculars out of one of my desk drawers and hurried over to the window.

That’s how Tallon found me.

He never bothered knocking until he’d already entered a room. Then he said ‘knock knock’ as if that was okay to do instead. It was fucking annoying, but he was the best at his job, so I put up with it. That and the fact that we’d been best friends for decades. I could barely remember a time before Tallon was in my life.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked.

“Clearly I’m looking for the elusive scarlet warbler, Tallon.”

He laughed. I didn’t. “I can’t really tell if you’re fucking with me or not…”

I didn’t turn around. I couldn’t. I’d missed seeing her leave work yesterday. I couldn’t miss seeing her get there this morning.

“I’m fucking with you,” I said in a low voice as I stared out the window, moving the binoculars in the direction she always came from.

Tallon walked over to the window. “So,” he said slowly, repeating himself, “what the hell are you doing?”

I still didn’t turn. Because there she was. She was running late as usual. She rode that bike of hers like a bat out of hell.