“Shall we get out of here, little dove?” he asked.
“How dare you? I’m not going anywhere with you. You’ve set this up, haven’t you? Well, you’ve had your laugh at my expense. I will not do this. I can’t. I’m not for sale, damn you.”
The words, delivered in a hissed whisper for his ears only, brought with them more of the subtle flowery scent he'd noticed earlier. It wasn't a fragrance he could place. Certainly not one of the more cloying, expensive perfumes he was used to from the women in his acquaintance. Hannah's scent was all her. Fresh and light, it brought to mind meadows in the summer breeze, like the kind his brother and he had played in when they were children. Long before Rick had been responsible for beating his wife into a pulp. Long before Logan's own and far too painful brush with the women's refuge.
“Are you not, my dear? Yet, here you are, to all intents and purposes mine for the next twenty-four hours.” He blocked the hand poised to connect with his cheek easily enough, and pulled Hannah away and off the stage and their fascinated audience.
“Now, now, little dove, violence is never the answer. Isn’t that the motto of the evening?”
Hannah kicked his shin, and he cursed under his breath as pain shot up from that abused part of his body.
She looked utterly mortified at her action, as confirmed by the words tumbling out her mouth.
“Jeez, let me go. This isn’t me. I’m sorry I kicked you, but for God’s sake enough of this.”
Amusement replaced his annoyance, and he chose to wind her up a bit more.
“That’s the oddest apology I ever heard, I have to say.” He didn't release his grip on her wrists. Instead, he marched her backwards until her back hit the wall, and using his considerable body mass crowded her in.
“It also changes nothing, and, besides, do you really want the charity to lose ten grand, because you don’t trust yourself in my company?”
He grinned at her outraged gasp.
“You wouldn’t renege on your donation?” The breathy question shot straight to his groin, and he shifted to relieve the ache in his balls.
“Maybe not, but are you really willing to take that risk, little Hannah?”
She opened her mouth to no doubt chew him out some more, but whatever she read in his expression stopped her.
“Don’t stop protesting now. It’s rather amusing to see you fight this thing between us.”
“What? There is no us. Let me go. I’ll scream.” That breathy moan of a reply wouldn’t disturb the wings of a butterfly, but it made him even harder.
He dipped his head and whispered the next words into her ear.
“You don’t really want me to let you go, do you?”
She gasped in answer. Hot little puffs of air ghosted across his jaw, further testament that she wasn’t as unaffected as she’d like him to think she was. Hannah bit her lip, and the hand she had poised on his chest to push him away curled into the lapels of his tuxedo, instead, and raising herself up on tiptoes, she reiterated in kind.
“Yes, I do.”
His big shoulders shook in silent laughter, and she arched away slightly to glare up at him. It only made his amusement deepen.
“I mean it. Let. Me. Go.” She accentuated every word with a tug at his jacket. He did just that, and she would have stumbled had he not put a hand out to steady her. The minute she got her bearings on the killer heels she wore, he released her, stuck his hand in his trouser pocket and pulled out a key card.
“Fine, have it your way, little dove. If you change your mind this is the key to my suite.” He held it out to her, and when she took it smirked down on her. “Be very sure this is what you want, however.” He leaned in and dropped his voice to that growly whisper guaranteed to get to the ladies. “Let’s be absolutely clear about what I want. If you choose to use that key, you’re mine to do with as I see fit, little dove.” He paused and traced the outline of her lips with his thumb. The urge to kiss those plump lips drove him hard. What’s more she wouldn’t resist him. The subconscious way she leaned into him, parted her lips, and her little tongue darted out to touch the tip of his digit told their own story. Such a fucking turn-on.
However, there were too many people milling about, and they’d given the gossipmongers enough to hark on about.
He smiled and cupped her jaw instead.
“I don’t do love. I don’t do commitment, and whatever you decide will have no bearing whatsoever on your standing at work.” He nodded when she couldn’t seem to help her tiny jerk of reaction. “Neither will I renege on my donation. I’m not that guy. However, I would very much like to fuck you, my sweet. No strings, no promises, just one night of fun. And it would be fun, that I can promise you. So…” He withdrew his palm slowly, and Hannah shivered at the loss of contact. “Over to you, Ms. Watson.”
End of sample chapter
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/auctioned-to-the-bad-boy-ceo-by-doris-oconnor
