5. Five
Five
Ghost
Every muscle in my body tenses as Ty struts toward Sabrina, his designer shoes clicking against the marble floor. The self-satisfied smirk has me ready to clock him.
He reaches for her arm. “Ready to fuck, sweetheart?”
Is that supposed to be sexy? What bullshit. I step between them. “Back off.”
Ty’s eyes narrow and he waves the payment confirmation. “She’s mine now.”
“She’s not property.” My voice drops low, possessive.
“Quiet!” Sabrina holds up her phone. “Give me a minute and I’ll explain.”
The tension crackles and Ty’s jaw works like he’s grinding his teeth. Lazovski appears, his presence commanding immediate attention. Did he hear us arguing?
Sabrina straightens her spine. “I need to officially decline Mr. Tyson’s offer.”
“You can’t do that.” Ty’s face darkens and his brow furrows. Does he wonder how she knew his name?
“She can,” Lazovski says. “Every cent will be fully refunded.”
“This is bullshit.” Ty’s composure cracks. “They put her up to this.”
“That’s irrelevant.” Lazovski continues, “As per auction rules, the next highest bidders have first right of refusal.” He gestures to me and my brothers. “Which would be these gentlemen.”
Ty’s voice rises. “They’re her stepbrothers.”
Hmm, so he does know. We were right to be concerned. At least Sabrina is safe.
“The rules are clear.” Lazovski’s tone leaves no room for argument. “Stepfamily relations don’t disqualify legitimate bidders.”
“We’ll take it,” I say, satisfaction coursing through me at Ty’s murderous expression. We only have to pay what we bid, so we’re fine.
Lazovski nods. “I’ll let the helpers know the bid is officially transferred.”
“This isn’t over,” Ty growls, his face contorted with rage.
I keep my body between him and Sabrina as we move toward the payment station. Flame and Ruckus flank her sides, creating a protective circle.
Ty’s footsteps thunder behind us. “You can’t just—”
“Mr. Tyson.” Laz’s accent cuts through the tension. “Control yourself or leave. Blizzard or not, I won’t have this behavior in my establishment.”
Ty’s shoulders drop. Without another word, he skulks toward the bar.
The payment process flies by in a blur of signatures and bank transfers. My stomach churns at the unbelievable sum, but keeping Sabrina safe is worth every penny.
“Follow me.” Sabrina grabs my hand, tugging us down a hallway. The determined set of her jaw reminds me of when she was younger and would assign seats for family dinners.
“Please tell me you didn’t lie about Tyson.” She stops at a door, which I notice leads into a room with a viewing window along one wall.
“We’d never lie about protecting you,” I say.
“Protecting me, right? What about the sex we’re obligated to have?”
My throat goes dry. Flame coughs.
“Actually, thanks to Jasmine, I have a checklist, so there are a few things leading up to sex. It should get us in the mood.” She hands the phone to me and enters the room.
Ruckus and Flame stare at the list of checkbox items with me. I’m officially wrecked at the thought of getting to do these things with her. It seems so wrong with her being fifteen years younger than me, but I’m not about to miss my chance.
I glance in, making sure she’s not in earshot, then keep my voice low. “I’ll take one for the team. You two can make sure Ty doesn’t get anywhere near this room.”
“Hold up.” Flame’s shoulders shake with laughter. “Pretty convenient how you want us gone.” He plucks the phone from my hand, scanning the list. “I could knock these out for her.”
My jaw clenches. I can’t tell them I’ve never actually been with anyone. The military kept me focused, then the catastrophic explosion and survivor’s guilt… My mental space has been a mess for the last few years, far worse than my physical scars.
It happened about the same time Sabrina grew up and became the only light in my life. I knew I could never be with anyone except for her. But she doesn’t deserve my baggage. That makes the auction the perfect opportunity. “She needs someone level-headed.”
“Level-headed doesn’t mean good in bed.” Flame winks. “I’m betting she’d vote for fun.”
“Actually…” Ruckus steps forward. “I would do it. I’ll make sure she’s comfortable.”
“Right, because you’re such a sex god.” Flame rolls his eyes.
“I have more empathy than the two of you combined. I’d take good care of her.”
I try to sound confident. “Someone needs to watch Ty.”
“You watch him.” Flame pushes past me toward the door.
I grab his arm. “Not happening.”
“Calm down.” Ruckus holds up his hands. “Let’s just go in there, start with the easy stuff on her list. No need to jump straight to sex… and that’s exactly why I should do it.”
“But I lead.” I release Flame’s arm as we laugh at Ruckus’ point.
Sabrina pokes her head out. “Are you coming in or what? The viewing window’s getting crowded.”
Fuck. I glance over to see several men and a few couples gathering. Great. An audience for my first time… if I can convince my two brothers to back off.
I step in front of Sabrina, wrapping my arms around her waist. Her light hazel eyes meet mine, flickering with a mix of nervousness and anticipation. I pull her a touch closer to convey a sense of intimacy. It’s not just about ticking a box on her list; I want to claim and protect her.
Her lips part slightly, and I can’t help but notice the way her breath hitches. She’s not un affected, and neither am I. My heart is about to break out of my chest, and my cock thickens uncomfortably.
Fuck, this is hitting me harder than I expected. I lean in, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. She makes a soft sound. A moan? I pull back just enough to stare into her eyes again.
Time seems to slow as we stand there, locked in each other’s gaze. My cock is rock hard, straining against my zipper. There’s no way she can’t notice, but she doesn’t pull away. Instead, her cheeks flush a delicate pink, and her tongue darts out to wet her lips.
“I guess we can check that off the list.” Her voice wavers.
“I’m willing to do it again to make sure it was good enough.”
“Oh, it was. You made it feel real.”
I tug her into my waist. “Who said it wasn’t?”
Her shoulders bunch. “I’m not complaining, but I understand we’re doing this for the auction.”
“Is that what you want?”
She nods, but I’m not convinced. We have all night to figure this out, so I proceed with her list.
I’m about to whisper sweet nothings into her ear and trail kisses down her neck, when Flame steps behind us. He leans in close to Sabrina’s ear. “Your list escalates pretty quickly,” he says, his voice low and husky, “I’m ready to give you everything on it plus long walks on the beach at sunset, romcom marathons, and whatever else makes you happy.”
Damn him.
Movement beyond the viewing window catches my attention. It’s Ty.