Tempting the Crown

by Violet Paige

  I reached for the first picture. “Hi.” I smiled at the woman in front of me, dressed in a silver glittery gown. She looked like she could be one of the hospital’s big donors. I wanted to be extra sweet in case it added to her generosity tonight.

  “Who should I make it out to?”

  “Betty, please.”

  “All right, Betty.” I scribbled my usual wishes for love and music and signed my name.

  “It was a beautiful concert,” she gushed. “Just beautiful.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad you could be here for the event.” I handed her the glossy photo before the next fan moved forward in line.

  I don’t know how many people passed through. I didn’t keep count of the tuxedos or cocktail dresses snaking through the line. I reminded myself I was raising thousands of dollars. My wrist was starting to ache. I had barely glanced up when I heard a deep voice. A solid, strong hand slid my album cover in front of me.

  “You can write it out to Luke.”

  I cleared my throat. “Anything else?” I wanted to sound casual and normal, but there was something about Luke Canton that stirred something in my stomach.

  I had only spent a combined total of two minutes in the man’s company, but I felt nervous and giddy. It wasn’t something I had felt in awhile. I was almost afraid to look up—afraid he would see what he was doing to me.

  He leaned toward me. “Depends on how much you can put on one of these pictures.”

  I wasn’t going to blush. I refused to let him get under my skin, even though he was blatantly flirting, and I was blatantly returning the cues.

  I used the fuchsia pen and scribbled a few lines. I added my phone number at the end, eyeing him as I handed it to him.

  His eyebrows rose. “Did you think I was asking for your number?”

  “Weren’t you?” I challenged.

  “I did pay a thousand dollars for the autograph.”

  My eyes widened. “A thousand dollars?”

  “It’s for the kids, right?”

  I nodded. “Right. For the kids. But still, that’s very generous.”

  “Yeah, that’s what they say about me.”

  I dropped my eyes to the table. We both knew the things people said about him. It couldn’t all possibly be true, could it?

  “And what if I dial this number? Is it going to be a Chinese restaurant?”

  I pressed my knees together under the table. It had been a rebellious impulse to give it to him, and I was starting to question myself. Was I really this mad at Jake? Or was I willing to flirt with Luke Canton a little while longer?

  “Try it,” I suggested.

  He pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed the number. I bit my lip when we both heard my phone ring.

  “Not a Chinese restaurant.” He grinned.

  “No.”

  He looked over his shoulder. He was the last one in line. Jake would be here any minute.

  “Want to get a drink?” The way he asked it sounded as if he was asking for so much more than a nightcap at the hotel bar. Even his words dripped sex. Was there ever a woman who turned him down?

  I nodded. God, yes. He didn’t know how thirsty I was. Thirsty for something other than schedules and order. Thirsty for a taste of something wild. Thirsty for something dangerous. Dangerous like him.

  He leaned over the table. “Here’s the thing. I have to leave alone.”

  I looked at him, trying to read between the lines. He didn’t explain what that meant.

  “But, I can meet you somewhere as soon as I leave the hospital. Or.” He stopped and lowered his voice. “You could come back to my place.”

  The good girl knew what to do. Lexi Wilde would not have a drink with the state’s biggest womanizer. And she sure as hell wouldn’t go home with him. Everyone knew about Luke Canton. I didn’t have to be a huge football fan to know he was the kind of bad boy girls like me needed to steer clear from. Jake wasn’t completely wrong. Luke’s image was the complete opposite of mine. Our paths colliding publicly would be an explosive disaster.

  “Text me your address,” I whispered.

  He picked up the thousand-dollar autograph I had signed and tucked it inside his tuxedo jacket.

  “Done.” The wink he shot at me made something twitch between my legs. I let out a tiny whimper.

  “Lex,” Jake was out of breath. He ran toward us. “They need you on stage to announce the auction winners.”

  “Oh?” I shot Luke a disappointed look. Getting out of here wasn’t going to be easy and with the way the night was going, it was starting to look impossible to spend a minute alone with him.

  “Yes, come on.” He stood impatiently between the table and Luke. “The mayor is waiting for you.”

  Luke started to follow us and Jake spun around. “Thank you, Mr. Canton. I can take it from here.”

  But Luke wasn’t the kind of man Jake could push around. I recognized that about him quickly.

  “I’ve put in quite a few bids. So I’d like to hear Miss Wilde tell me if I’m the night’s big winner.” His eyes traced my lips and I felt them part slightly in response to his heavy stare.

  “Oh, well I didn’t realize that,” Jake stammered. Luke had him almost as flustered as he had me.

  It was impossible to ignore the effect he had on people. His frame was imposing. His eyes a shocking green. And his body was like a Greek god. The killer smile didn’t hurt either. Standing next to him I didn’t care if he was the Pied Piper leading me down the wrong trail. I only knew I wanted to know what was at the end of that road.

  “I’ll join the other donors. Excuse me.”

  I watched him walk out of the room as if he owned the entire hospital. He was brash. He was confident. He was hot as hell. And holy shit, I wanted to spend the night with him.

  “Jake?”

  “Hmm?” He was practically sliding me across the polished floors to get me to the stage.

  “Would you be okay if I donated something to the auction? Something last minute the donors could bid on live?”

  “Sure, babe. I think it’s a great idea.” He was clearly preoccupied trying to get me up on stage as quickly as possible. He released my hand at the base of the stairs.

  I pecked him on the check before I took the steps. “Thank you.” I smiled. “It’s really going to bring in a lot of money for the children. And I think the fans will love it.”

  “Sounds good.” He nodded. “A signed guitar? Some of your Alexan boots? Backstage passes for the Christmas show?”

  I anchored my foot to the stair and looked at the mayor, then turned over my shoulder to answer Jake. “I was thinking of auctioning off a private concert.” I jogged the rest of the way to the applause of the crowd, leaving Jake with his jaw hanging open.

  I looked out into the crowd, squinting through the bright lights. But now that I knew what I was searching for he was easy to spot. There on the sideline was Luke Canton and I hoped like hell he was here to play ball.

  7

  Luke

  I tugged at my neck. The collar on the tuxedo hadn’t gotten any looser as the night wore on, and I had been here longer than I intended. I hadn’t expect to stay for the entire concert, or wait in line for an autograph. And I sure as hell hadn’t planned on sticking around for a country girl to make a fundraising speech, but here I was, doing everything Luke Canton didn’t do.

  It wasn’t as if I hadn’t been around my share of beautiful women, because I’d spent time with more than would fill a swimsuit catalog. Lexi Wilde was beautiful, but there was something else about her that got under my skin. That innocent act of hers. That sweeter than honey voice. The way she made everyone around her feel as if they mattered more to her than anything else in the world.

  The cynical side of me told me that it was just that—an act. But I couldn’t ignore the curiosity she sparked. I didn’t usually go for the good girl.

  I leaned against the wall, watching as she read off the auction items the mayor handed to h
er. She seemed happy on stage. It fit her. She was a natural performer. The purity in those baby blue eyes almost made me forget what kind of man I was. I wondered if she had that affect on all men.

  Did they look at her and think they had a chance? Did they think she was so sweet she could forgive their darkest secrets? Did they hear her voice and feel it? Feel the strength she had to let a man forgive himself? For one night, for one show did they feel like they actually deserved to be with a woman as good as Lexi Wilde?

  “All right ladies and gentlemen, I have the winner of the two pedigree horses,” Lexi announced. There was a bright smile on her face as she swept her hair off her shoulders.

  I remembered the sassy sex kitten with the V-cut dress and wondered if she were still here in the crowd. I had thrown her number in the trash.

  “Can I get a drum roll?” She paused. “And the highest bidder is Mr. Luke Canton.” The spotlight swung in my direction and the crowd clapped. I squinted under the lights and threw a wave to the donors. What was I going to do with horses? I guessed I finally had a use for the empty stables at the ranch.

  Lexi seemed pleased I had won. I waited while she ran through the list of other items. The crowd was dwindling and I thought about sneaking out the back. What was holding me here? I needed to leave. I needed to forget that for a few songs this girl had hypnotized me like a siren. I walked toward the table to make my payment for the horses and work out the details on their delivery.

  Then Lexi cleared her throat and asked the drummer to give her a beat. “Austin, you have been so generous tonight. And what you’ve done for these children—well, really there aren’t words to express what it means to their families. You’ve touched lives. This money is going to make a difference.” She paused. “But I think we can do even better.” She eyed the crowd, smiling widely. “I want this to be the best auction event this side of the Rio Grade. What do you say?”

  The crowd clapped, but they looked at each other trying to figure out what she meant. It was late and most of them had emptied their pockets.

  “So, I’m going to throw in a personal Lexi Wilde one-of-a-kind item.”

  Suddenly, she had my attention in a new way. I’d already paid a thousand dollars for an autograph. And that was just so I could talk to her and give her my number, but now it sounded as if she raised the stakes.

  She spun on her heels, her eyes locked on mine. She held the mic to her pink velvety lips. “For one night, you can have your very own private Alexa Wilde concert.” She waggled her eyebrows.

  The men started hollering. Half of them had been asleep until this moment, but with a chance to spend time alone with the star their eyes and checkbooks were wide open.

  I looked around the room at my competition, because that’s what they were. This was no different than Sunday afternoon. I stared at the opposition, daring them to try to take me out. Like hell I was going to let one of them outbid me for a date with this girl.

  The mayor quickly grabbed the mic from Lexi. She didn’t look like the type of woman who handled unscripted events well. I wondered why in the hell she was mayor of this city.

  “Well, this is a surprise. Thank you, Miss. Wilde. I’d say this would be a treat for anyone. A concert? This is beyond generous. Really, I have no words. I’m not even sure where to start the bidding.”

  She didn’t have notes on the valuation of this particular item, and I wasn’t sure what kind of price tag to put on it either. A private concert. To be the only one Lexi sang to, even if it was only one song was the kind of experience that could change a man’s soul.

  A man in the front row with a red mustache raised his hand. “Five thousand.”

  The mayor laughed nervously. “I guess we’re starting the bidding at five thousand.”

  I inhaled sharply. I knew how these things went. I couldn’t jump in right away, I’d only drive up the price and show my hand. Years of gambling taught me how to keep my poker face and my bidding hand calm.

  “Six thousand!” a short guy near the bar shouted from a barstool. The men were jumping at the chance for a date with her. I saw a few pull out their phones to check their account balances.

  That was one thing I never had to worry about. Linc balanced my funds almost daily. I knew exactly how much money I had to work with.

  “Sixty-five hundred,” another man bellowed.

  The numbers kept rising. Lexi stood smiling and walking back and forth across the stage. It was amazing how someone coated in virtue could generate a bidding war between men. The pissing contest was heating up. The bids were up to twenty thousand dollars. Fuck.

  Lexi looked at me, batting her long eyelashes. She was baiting me. Trying to lure me in. She wanted my bid. Part of me wondered if she had orchestrated this entire sham of a donation for my benefit. I didn’t give a shit if it was manipulation or innocence. This was a contest. This was a game, and I was going to win her.

  “Twenty-one thousand.” I raised my hand from the corner.

  There was a man on the other side of the room wearing an expensive tuxedo. He called to the mayor, “Twenty-two.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Twenty-three.”

  I saw him take a sip of champagne before calling out his bid for twenty-four thousand dollars.

  There was a hush over the crowd. Their heads swiveled toward me. I could cut my losses now. She had my number. This wasn’t the only way I could see her. But as I stared at the man in his crisp tux and looked at that girl on the stage I felt the swell of competition in my chest. I wasn’t going to lose to him. I wasn’t going to lose in front of everyone.

  “Twenty-five thousand,” I announced over the crowd’s head.

  There was an audible gasp as the spotlight swung back to me. I tried not to squint this time. I wanted them to see the confidence in my eyes. The look of a winner.

  The mayor clutched the microphone. “Twenty-five thousand? Do I have any higher bids?” There was a grumbling from the men around me. Most had spent their money on trips and overpriced jewelry for their wives. I puffed my chest forward. “Going once. Going twice…”

  I couldn’t tell if she was hoping the high-dollar suit would swoop in and save Lexi from my clutches. She drew out the count.

  “Last chance for a private Lexi Wilde concert.” She scanned the audience. “The winner is Mr. Luke Canton of the Austin Warriors.” She put her hands together and the donors followed her lead. “I’d say this is a night of surprises.”

  I was used to attention on the field, but this was ridiculous. I put my hands up to quiet the applause. I nodded at them. I heard a few cat calls as Lexi walked across the stage.

  “Let’s tell our star quarterback how much we appreciate him,” Lexi shouted into the mic, egging on the crowd.

  She was making it worse. “All right. All right.” I tried to step away from the beam of light. I’d rather do a dance in the end zone than have this kind of attention.

  Eventually the band started to play and Lexi waved to everyone one last time before she exited the back of the stage in a swirl of smoke. The lights came on and the patrons moved to the front doors and waited for the valets to retrieve their cars.

  I hung back, waiting for the singer behind the stage.

  She ducked her head around the corner. “Hey, there.”

  I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Quite a show you put on.”

  She ran her teeth over her bottom lip. “Quite a generous donation you made.”

  “Is that what you call it?” I stepped closer.

  “For someone who just won a private concert by Lexi Wilde you don’t sound very excited,” she teased.

  “Oh, believe me. I’m excited.” The crew bustled around us, breaking down the set and packing up the band’s instruments.

  “Lex!” Her manager appeared. “What the hell—” He stopped when he saw me.

  “Can you believe how much money we raised, Jake?” she asked. “And so generous of Luke, don’t you think?”

  He looked me o
ver. I knew what he thought. He didn’t want me near her. She was his country princess. His star to mold and manage. I got it. But like everything else, I didn’t give a shit what this guy thought. He stood between me and what I wanted.

  “Extremely generous.” His lips pressed together. “I think we’re going to have to coordinate with Mr. Canton’s people and schedule the concert for later in the year. I’ll have our people call your people and we’ll set it up.”

  “That’s okay.” I slapped him on the back, knocking him from where he was standing. “I think Lexi and I can work out the details.”

  “That’s not how it works,” he snorted. “She’s booked solid through the holidays.”

  I towered over him. “I just paid twenty-five thousand dollars for a concert. It’s exactly how it’s going to work.”

  Jake straightened his tie and turned away. It was obvious there was something he was dying to spit out, but I didn’t know if it was my size or the look on my face that stopped him.

  “Okay, that’s never happened before.” Lexi stood with her hands on her hips.

  “What’s that?”

  “Jake ran out of here speechless.” She held her hand over her mouth and laughed.

  “Why is that guy your manager?” I couldn’t help but ask, even though it was none of my damn business.

  “It’s complicated,” she answered.

  I felt as if I had crossed a line. I didn’t like complicated or long stories. I didn’t usually stick around for either.

  “Doesn’t matter. He’s gone. How about that drink?”

  “That’s how you want to spend your twenty-five thousand?” she asked.

  “Oh, no no.” I shook my head.

  “What?”

  “I asked you out for drinks before the auction. I have two dates with you.” I studied the V of her throat. I swore her pulse was beating faster.

  “Two?”

  “Mmmhmm.” I wasn’t letting her out of this.

  “You don’t think it’s too late tonight? For the drinks, I mean.”

  I laughed. “Where I’m from it’s never too late.”

  “And where are you from, Luke?”