Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

Chapter 4

4

ROMAN

W ell, that could not have gone worse.

She wasn’t even supposed to bid. She wasn’t supposed to sneeze, either, but here we were. The na?ve event staffer had just cost herself money she clearly didn’t have. Now I was going to be on the hook to cover her ass. I had already given three hundred thousand.

Fuck it. What’s another hundred grand for charity? For someone like me, it was pocket change.

I led her out the back before anyone caught on to the absurd mistake. She hustled to keep up with my long strides, her smaller frame practically jogging as I navigated the maze of hallways that only I knew about because, well, I owned the damn place. Her shirt and pants clung awkwardly to her curves. I wondered if the bland, ill-fitting uniform was the company’s idea or hers. We passed through a hallway with a poster covered in red and pink hearts taped to the wall. I caught a glimpse of the words announcing a staff Valentine’s party.

“I need to go back,” she said, her voice tight with panic. “I need to explain to them that this was a mistake. They need to auction you off again.”

I couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. “That’s not happening. I’m not going through that bullshit again. Fuck that.”

“Why not? It’s the only way to fix this!” she argued, sounding frantic. “We’ll default to the last bidder. I have a feeling she would be willing to pay double to have you.”

“Absolutely not.”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Kaira protested. “Some lady was wearing all these feathers. When she brushed by me, I was swarmed by the damn things. It’s her fault I sneezed. We have to go back. Why won’t you let me fix this?”

“Because you’re the lesser of all evils in that room. Trust me, I’d rather cover your bid than end up spending the night with one of those desperate, single socialite women who’ve been circling me like hyenas.”

She yanked her hand out of mine, forcing me to stop and turn to face her. Her face was flushed with determination, her brown eyes sparking with defiance. She had looked all sweet and meek, but I was seeing another layer of her. In a crisis, our true selves came out, the inner core we keep hidden from the world. It was like I was seeing her for the first time.

Her warm eyes had real fire behind them now, from a glow to a blaze. Her pouty lips and full face gave her a cherubic appearance but I saw the steel beneath all her softness. She wasn’t angry, just passionate.

Nice to meet you, Kaira.

“You’re not paying for my mistake,” she said with a little shake of her head. “Just let me go fix it. I can clean up my own messes.”

I leaned against the wall and eyed her more closely. Most people came to me with their hands out, trying to get something from me. Here I was, offering her a lifeline and she wanted nothing to do with it.

“There’s no mess to clean up.”

“Oh yeah there is,” she replied.

“Let’s call it a happy accident. Serendipity.”

“That sounds like something you’d need antibiotics for.”

I smiled. She had a sense of humor, even with the tension crackling off her. “Let me ask you this. Do you think I can’t afford to cover your bid?”

“You can afford to do a lot of things.” She shrugged. “Doesn’t mean you should do them.”

“I promise it’s not a big deal. That kind of money is a drop in the bucket.”

Her lips thinned into a tight line, unimpressed. “It’s four years of salary for me.”

I scoffed. “Yeah, can you imagine?”

She stared at me, her gaze steady and unflinching. If she was trying to give me an x-ray with that gaze, she was doing a damn good job. I couldn’t figure out why she was pissed at me. I didn’t do anything.

And then it hit me.

She wasn’t joking.

I had insulted her. That explained the clothes, I thought, and the way she let people in that ballroom look right through her. She was truly that broke.

Damn . My net worth had probably gone up a few million while we were talking. What a world.

“Let’s go,” I said, jerking my head toward the end of the hallway. “We’re getting out of here.”

“I don’t go anywhere with strange men I don’t know,” she snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.

I laughed, the sound echoing in the empty corridor. “Feel free to read my wiki page. You know, some of those women out there intentionally bid on me. They willingly wanted to pay just to be alone with me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ever heard of some of the most infamous serial killers? Lots of women chose to spend time with them too.”

My mouth dropped open. “I’m sorry, are you calling me a serial killer?”

“No, but the same principle applies. People choose to do dangerous things all the time. It doesn’t mean I have to.”

“Every woman that has been alone with me has lived to tell the tale.”

“So far,” she said, arching a brow.

I stepped close enough that she had to look up to meet my eyes. “Are you always this stubborn with people who are trying to help you?”

Her jaw clenched, and her features pinched in anger, making her look like a puffed-up kitten trying to take on a lion. It was adorable.

She jabbed a finger at my chest. “I know men like you.”

“Do you?” I asked, amused.

“Well, erm, no, not really. Not in real life,” she stammered. “But I know what you’re made of.”

“Not in real life?” I repeated, smirking. “What else is there?”

“Don’t twist my words,” she said, exasperated.

“Maybe I should be afraid of being alone with you ,” I said.

“No, I’m a writer,” she said breathlessly, her earlier fire extinguished in an instant. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked away. “Or I’m going to be one, one day. I was talking about books. That’s what there is besides real life.”

“Fine,” I said with a shrug. “Judge me however you want. I’m just trying to offer a simple solution to the problem.”

“I thought it was a happy accident?” she asked sourly.

“Well, you seem distinctly un happy. So now it’s a problem.” I took a breath to steady myself. “Here’s the way I see it. You can let me pay or you can go back and tell them you don’t have the money and they have to redo the whole thing over again—which isn’t happening because I’m not going back. Not a fun conversation.”

She stared at me. “This one isn’t that fun either.”

“I’m giving you an out,” I said, my voice lowering to a harsh whisper. “Would you really put yourself through that rather than accept a little help?”

Her face contorted as if she was about to cry, but instead, she inhaled deeply, steeling herself. “It’s just not right,” she muttered. “Just throwing money at a problem doesn’t fix it.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling frustrated. “It totally does. Like ninety-nine percent of the time, money can fix anything. And this money is for kids. Kids with cancer.”

“But—”

“Okay, what’s your plan then?” I asked, interrupting.

She bit her lip. After a moment’s hesitation, she squared her shoulders and met my gaze with newfound resolve. “I need to come clean and apologize. Then face the consequences, whatever they may be.”

I nodded. “Or come with me, grab a bite to eat at a fairly fancy restaurant, and take a ride in a really nice car. Then, the only consequences you’ll face are a full stomach and a fun story to tell your friends.” I cocked my head, studying her. “Final offer.”

Her gaze flicked back down the hallway toward the ballroom. For a moment, I thought the crazy woman might actually turn around and leave.

Then she let out a soft sigh and nodded. “Fine,” she muttered. “But only because I don’t know how else to fix this mess.”

“I swear, I’ve never seen anyone so against having a fun night,” I said, already walking again.

She followed. We exited through one of the back entrances, where my car was waiting. The sleek black car gleamed under the soft glow of the hotel’s outdoor lighting. My driver looked surprised to see me. He hopped out of the front seat and rushed to open the door for us.

I motioned for her to get in. “Ladies first. Or are you going to argue with me about that, too?”

She scowled at me before sliding into the leather seat, looking both out of place and oddly enchanting as she fidgeted with the seatbelt.

I jumped in beside her. As soon as the door shut, the driver got in and pulled away from the hotel. A bottle of champagne was waiting in the console, along with two crystal flutes. I popped the cork with practiced ease, pouring the sparkling liquid into the glasses.

“To letting yourself have some fun tonight,” I said, handing her a glass.

She accepted it, taking a small sip.

“I just want this night to end,” she said quietly, staring out the window.

I chuckled, leaning back in my seat. “You don’t know what you want.”

Her head whipped around, and she glared at me. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I said, unbothered. “You’ve got indecision written all over you. It’s practically a second skin.”

Her mouth opened and closed, her cheeks reddening with indignation. “I know exactly what I want, thank you very much!”

“Do you?” I asked, raising a brow. “Because from where I’m sitting, it seems like you have no idea.”

She sputtered, clearly offended, but I didn’t care. If nothing else, this night was going to be interesting.

She bristled and shot me a dirty look. “What I want is to rectify my mistake, not to run away from it. Not to hide behind champagne and flashy cars and your big-ass wallet.”

I smirked, swirling the champagne in my glass, intrigued by her. I didn’t really understand why she was so averse to spending time with me. She couldn’t be getting a lot of offers like this.

I had grown up sheltered in a world of luxury and money. Money bought people and power. I rarely interacted with anyone outside my social circle. Something about this woman drew me in. I wanted to know what made her tick.

If nothing else, it seemed like a good way to shake things up. My life was all very planned. Nothing happened I didn’t want to happen. Even the stupid auction. I could have walked away if I really wanted to.

For the first time tonight, I was starting to think it might not have been the worst choice ever.