Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
IF ONLY YOU KNEW
“Welcome everyone to the annual Ree Heights Community Day!” Bee gripped the mic in her hand on the small stage set up in the grass.
Tents with tables surrounded the platform, and lined up on a long folding table were the baskets that were bid on for eight different men.
“As you know, the auction is always for providing some kind of recreational activities for our kids over at Haven House. In the past, it has funded field trips, basketball and summer camps, along with clothing and food stipends to provide everything that these children need to thrive. I can’t ever express how much this city means to me and how you all come together when it’s time to make things happen.
So, with that said, we are here to auction off these lovely baskets.
” She motioned to the table with a wide grin.
Coast hovered in the background, taking in the many faces in the crowd.
The tournament had ended. The Blackmoor men and their squad won.
When the game ended, most people scattered to different vendor tents or made their way over to the stage to watch the auction unfold.
She spotted Inari with Dane, Ayla, and Kong’s kids, who both held ice cream cones in their little hands.
Desiree stood with her guard at her side as her grandsons approached, panting and sweating from their time on the court.
“Now remember, each man will commit to one date with the highest bidder on their basket. These women chose you based off your interests and the many items you placed in the basket. We’ll start with number one.”
Bee went through each basket before stopping at the last three.
Smiling to herself, she glanced over her shoulder at Coast, who was tittering on exhaustion with the sun still beaming down on her.
She was ready for a shower and some air conditioning.
A medium build, espresso-skinned man with a row of diamonds covering his bottom teeth lingered near the edge of the stage.
With his fitted hat turned backward, he winked at Coast, which made her uncomfortable.
Brows cinching together, she turned up her nose and faced Bee but spotted Mozzi out of the corner of her eye.
He too was focused on the man near the stage ogling her, with a deep scowl carved in his handsome face.
“Now, we’ve reached the final three, and I personally bid on this next one.
For the good of the cause, I am going to send my niece, Coast, in my place,” Bee announced, grinning over her shoulder at Coast, who suddenly had all eyes on her.
“The basket I bid on belongs to a young man I have watched grow up along these streets practically all his life. Mozzi Blackmoor.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Coast mumbled with an eyeroll.
There was all kinds of chatter in disappointment among the other ladies in the crowd, but Mozzi pumped his fist.
“That’s what the fuck I’m talking about!”
“Coast, come grab the basket,” Bee encouraged.
Reluctant, Coast dragged her feet to where Bee stood with the microphone and handed her Mozzi’s basket.
“Now, moving on to the second to the last. Inari Jacobs, looks like you are the winner, and your date is Moose Blackmoor,” Bee went on.
Cheers erupted along with more disappointment from the groupies who bid as Inari’s keen eyes took in the crowd. Moose simpered beside Kong and chucked his chin at her.
“Last, but certainly not least, Miss Ayla Jacobs is our final winner, and her date is Mr. Kong Blackmoor,” Bee concluded, catching both Kong and Ayla by surprise.
He stood beside her as the kids licked their ice cream nearby, and a shy smile toyed with her lips. She was only bidding to give a donation. She was a good sport and didn’t expect to win. Knowing that it was Kong she bid on now had little balls of apprehension swirling in her stomach.
“Ladies, feel free to present each man with his basket. We appreciate everyone for this year’s participation!” Bee yelled into the mic before starting an encore of clapping and cheers.
Inari quickly turned her attention from Moose, and Dane nudged her shoulder.
“Check you out. Going on a date with Moose.”
“I had no idea that was his basket,” Inari clarified.
“That’s kind of the idea.” Moose’s husky baritone cut into her conversation with her son. “You chose my basket based off what exactly, though?”
“The disposable camera,” Inari replied. “Back in the day, we didn’t have cell phones at our fingertips like that, and it was nothing like we see today with social media. We had to snap our selfies the old-fashioned way. I think I also spotted an iPod. It was nostalgic. Simple.” She shrugged.
“So, when do I get to occupy some of your time?”
Moose was enjoying this a little too much. Clearing her throat, she glanced at Dane, who lifted both brows and studied her. She knew she was doing a terrible job pretending not to be attracted to him.
“Don’t look at me. I ain’t your parent.”
Moose chuckled, and Inari nudged her son away from her.
“Go find your friends before I send you back home.”
“Moose, take her somewhere nice.” Dane ignored her and turned to his new homie. “I can’t remember the last time she been on a date. All she does is sit at home, watching old crime shows, meal planning, going to the gym, and nagging me.”
“Boy, get the hell out of here!”
Dane chortled, strolling off to find his friends, and his mother shook her head after him.
“He’s… exaggerating. A lot of my time is filled with work and driving him all over town for basketball and other shit.”
“I get it.” Moose bobbed his head. “So, give me a date that works for you, and I’ll accommodate it.”
“I’ll have to look at my calendar,” she lied, eyes sweeping over the ground.
Moose rattled her core, changing the air she breathed in and making her pulse race.
It was that old school, butterflies in the stomach, stars in her eyes type of emotion that hadn’t been evoked in her in a long time.
She didn’t know it was even possible. Dane was right about one thing; she hadn’t dated in a while because the pickings were slim.
She’d been abandoned and forced to stand on her own.
Depending on yourself left you with little faith in people because you were always waiting for them to disappoint you, anyway. So, Inari lived in survival mode.
Moose inched closer to her, eyes narrowing as hers nervously peered into his, searching. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but Moose flinched, and his brows furrowed as he watched her breathing change.
“Nah, we ain’t playing that game. Tonight. Seven sharp. Meet me at Artisan Bistro. Don’t make me come find you.” Moose leaned in and applied a gentle peck to her cheek, sending a shudder over her entire body.
When he walked away, her eyes stayed glued to his tatted backside.
She didn’t take orders from anyone, but Moose had her ready to submit from the lustful glint in his eyes to his assertive tone.
Everything about him screamed MAN, and every instinct she had screamed at her to run in the opposite direction.
Yet, she was drawn to him in a way she couldn’t depict in the range of fervor he stirred in her.
“I see thinking you run shit is a Blackmoor trait.”
“Fuck around and find out,” Moose warned, simpering sexily over his shoulder.
Kong turned to Ayla, mouth open, ready to speak when Nay slid up beside him. Draping her slender arm across his shoulder, she leaned toward his ear, lips practically touching his lobe.
“That was cute. You’re always doing something for charity.” She let her gaze wander over to Ayla in contempt. “It’s hot, and I’m bored. You promised me a good time tonight, too. I thought we could start with a shower.” She grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers with his.
Shaken, but not as stirred as Nayelli wanted her to be, Ayla blinked slowly before peering down at Kara and Kyro finishing their ice cream.
Clearly, Nay was trying to get a rise out of her like she’d been doing all week.
She showed up when she wanted, pranced around in tight, designer labels, and hung all over Kong when he was around.
Ayla didn’t doubt the two were fucking, but Nay put more emphasis on it than Kong seemed to.
There was no romance or any intimacy that she had witnessed between the two.
Whatever they shared didn’t seem to go beyond the bedroom, which told her it was mainly physical and convenient.
She tried not to analyze the situation too much, but she couldn’t help it when she looked into Kong’s eyes and saw somberness residing there.
“Come on, kids!” Ayla snapped out of her daze and forced a smile across her face.
Kong didn’t have to explain anything to her.
She was his employee. Nothing more or less.
He’d been very accommodating, and she was comfortable living and working at the estate, even with Nayelli and Phoebe constantly lurking around, trying to make things harder for her.
Audiemar had no complaints, and the children were slowly but surely adjusting.
The two still had a long way to go, but it was nothing that Ayla couldn’t handle.
The adults in the situation were what she sometimes grew concerned about.
When she was up at night, going over content or trying to come up with new ideas, she could hear Kong or his father moving around.
Both restless, like they carried the weight of the world on their shoulders.
Her bedroom was just off from the kitchen, so she listened to them creep inside, eating her leftovers and desserts before retiring to their rooms. It often brought a smile to her face, and secretly, she did admire Kong.
He seemed so disconnected and withdrawn, not just from his children, but from life itself.
She guessed it was because of his wife. Yet there wasn’t a single picture of the woman, from what she could tell around the house.