“Just, trust me, okay?” he says softly.
I don’t need him to ask me twice. I’d leap off a roof if he told me to right now.
He takes his finger away, and I feel myself straining on the balls of my feet, lifting myself higher as his face slowly moves towards mine.
I feel a rush of blood to my chest, my face, and it sings in my ears.
This is really-
“Oh! Oh, I beg your pardon! Mr. Thorne! What are you doing in here?”
A whole gaggle of tipsy women have just invaded the ladies’ room.
Instead of being mad he’s in here they swarm to him practically pushing me out of the way.
He opens his mouth to say something, but keeping his eyes on me, he just backs towards the door. His eyes commanding me to follow.
“Sorry ladies. I thought I was in the gents, uh, excuse me.”
CHAPTER TEN
Mason
This is becoming more stressful by the minute. If it’s not Jules about to run again, it’s being swarmed by crazy women when I’m just about to kiss her.
I make my retreat from the ladies’ room, and fortunately for me, Jules follows.
Gripping her by the hand, I pull her gently behind some huge plants in the foyer, hiding us from prying eyes.
“Like I was saying, I just need to wait for the bidding to finish. Then we can go. I’ll have you all to myself,” I promise her.
Promising myself.
“You’ll be all mine.”
I don’t mean to sound so possessive, but I can’t help it. The more time I waste, the more it feels like I risk losing her.
Somebody else is bidding on that idiot Karen too, who’s to say they won’t bid on Jules.
My Jules.
It still makes me edgy, and worse now that Jules is upset again.
I just want this part to be over, so I can finish what we almost started there in the ladies’ room.
“You don’t want Karen?” she asks, and I’m pretty sure my look says it all.
“I have my reasons for bidding on her, and it’s nothing like that,” I promise her.
“Now, can we head back in?” I ask her, nervous again. I need to make sure my plan goes off without a hitch.
She agrees, feeling relieved when she’s in my arm’s again, and I make sure to pull her in extra close. Her chest on my arm, stiffening under my touch gives me a welcome rush of heat in my pants.
There are two worried eyes greeting me as soon as we maker our way back into the ballroom.
Fitch, a legal and finance executive I actually trust who’s in charge of bids is shrugging. His eyes bulging.
What the fuck?
Glancing up at the screen, the totals are off the charts, and the announcer is reeling off the bids being matched and then broken by my own.
Bids for Jules.
“Stay here,” I command her. “Stay right here for two seconds.”
In three steps I’m hissing in the lawyer’s ear. “What the hell is happening? Why isn’t she mine? The auction should be over by now.”
He squirms, and checks his own tablet, showing me the bidding.
“Must be hacked. We have IT and security on it, they’re tracing a signal and it’s not coming from the building.
I grab him by the collar, pulling his face an inch from mine. “I don’t give a damn about the money, just make it stop so she’s mine!” I growl, somehow convincing myself if I don’t win the auction I’ll never have Jules.
I let Fitch go, straighten my own tie and head back to Jules, who looks more confused now than anything.
“Not a Karen bid, I hope,” she quips, glancing up at the seven figures on the screen, which are multiplying like the national debt.
I breathe easier, knowing she’s still here. That she’s feeling better.
That’s all I really care about.
“It’s for a good cause,” I assure her, and watching her as she looks up at the screen again, I feel my heart melting in my chest.
I’m in deep, so deep with Jules and I don’t even think she even knows it.
Yet.
We take our seats again, and the whole room’s buzzing with excitement over the amount raised and exactly who the mystery bidders really are.
All eyes are on me again, people waiting for me to flinch, or to dread having to match the dollar amount bid with my own cash.
Little do they know I’m bidding most of it anyway and it’s all for her.
All for Jules.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the new total, with majority bids for Jules McPherson and her Canning Street soup kitchen charity are… Six million five hundred and eighty thousand dollars.”
There’s a thunder of applause, and I watch with a smile as some of those smiling back at me lose theirs.
Like they want to see me give a shit about something as stupid as money.
I’m glad she’s sitting down because once it registers that all those bids are for her, Jules looks pale, like she’s gonna faint.
I pour us both some water, it looks like she could use some.
“Tell me you didn’t bid that much money… because of… me?” she asks, fading by the second.
I’m worried she’s gonna slide off her chair, and I sit down, moving mine closer and holding her up.
Before I can answer, Fitch is in my ear again, his hand on my shoulder, which he snatches back as soon as I stare at it.
“Sorry sir, but we got him. Some kid in Nebraska thought he’d be cute and make you shell out some more of your millions, I guess.”
I stare back blankly, only annoyed that I’m again being interrupted when I’m getting close to Jules.
“We’ve alerted the authorities. We’ll follow up with-”
I wave him away with my hand.
“No. No police, no charges. I’ll make good on the promise of matching the bids,” and turning to face Jules. “I got what I wanted and it’s worth every cent.”
He looks dumbfounded, but he’s gone with another one of my stares asking him why
