Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21547 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 108(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
“Honestly?”
Frustrated, I ram my hand through my hair. “Yes, fuckin’ honestly, don’t lie to me.”
A sudden deep frown creases Bobby’s forehead. “She came to me and asked me to tell you about it and get you an invitation. That’s it. She didn’t tell me to make you go or anything else. I think she’s a little embarrassed by the way she’s tried to throw herself at you this last year. She feels like she’s all but chased you out of town, but she said she has to do this. She wants you to be there.”
I shake my head side to side. “I can’t watch her walk away with another man.”
Bobby takes a seat at the table and kicks his legs out. “I swear being out in these woods has turned you stupid. Ethan, this is her making one last ditch effort. She loves you. The girl has been through hell and back. She’s hoping that you’ll come and not be able to let her go to another man. She’s hoping that you’ll be the one to get the highest bid.”
I stand frozen in one spot. Just the thought of going to an auction has a cold sweat breaking out across my body. “Does she know that I don’t go out in public? That I don’t go and see people? Does she have any idea what she’s asking of me?”
Bobby is worried, and I don’t blame him. He’s always liked Nikki, and I know he hates the way I’ve treated her. Fuck, I hate the way I’ve treated her. All this time, I would have thought she’d have moved on by now. The thought kills me, but all I wanted was for her to be happy. “She’s not moving on, Ethan. She doesn’t want to but...”
His voice trails off, and I ask him, “She doesn’t want to but what?”
He tilts his head and meets my eyes. “But she may not have a choice. If you don’t show up... if you don’t bid on her and win... she’ll have no choice because she’ll be married to someone else.”
He wants to say something else, but he stops. It doesn’t matter, though, because I know what he was going to say. And someone else will be taking her virginity. The thought has me clenching my fists at my sides.
I walk across the room and sit down at my desk. “What are you going to do, Ethan?”
I start typing into the laptop in front of me and hope I’m making the right decision. “I’m rsvp’ing to this auction.”
My brother comes to stand behind me and squeezes my shoulders. “Thatta boy! All right, so I looked into this and there are big spenders that show up to this thing. Do you need any money?”
I look up at my brother, and it’s obvious he wants this to work out. He’s a penny pincher and doesn’t normally throw his money around. “Nope. I have my trust fund, and I haven’t spent any of the money I’ve made from Cannon Industries since I was twenty. I’m good.”
He nods and sits down beside me. “Great. So you think we need to do something about your hair and maybe trim the beard a little bit?”
I put my hand on my hair that I’ve let grow long. I won’t lie, it’s become a comfort for me. But I know the beard looks ridiculous. I don’t take the time to shave up here, and the fact that I’m only able to grow hair on the right side of my face looks weird. “Yeah, I probably should do something with it.”
Bobby slaps me on the back, excited, and it’s obvious he seems to think that I’ve had some kind of breakthrough or something. The truth is, I feel as if I don’t have a choice anymore. I can’t just stand to the side and let this go down. Fuck, I hope I can do this. I think about Nikki and what she’s about to do, and I know I no longer have a choice. I need to go get what’s mine.
Chapter 6
Nicole
I pull at the hem of my pink lace teddy. I’ve been shaved, plucked, exfoliated, and examined. I guess I should have known that they would have to prove my virginity claim, but I had no idea the extent they would go through to get us ready for tonight’s auction.
I came thinking that I’d maybe wear a nice skirt and blouse, so I was surprised when they pulled out a clothing rack full of see-through negligees for all the women to wear. The owner of the auction house, Coco St. James, has been hustling around backstage with all of us and putting out fires left and right. She’s no-nonsense and straight to the point. Whatever orders she barks out, there are people all around her to do whatever she asks.