Highest Bidder (Fanboys Book 2)

by Marie Johnston

  A little swirl of excitement snaked through her. She’d had sex with Flynn Halstengard.

  The feeling crashed. And it’d been awful.

  Not, like, all of it. For a few seconds when he’d been moving inside of her, he’d fulfilled all her fantasies. He was the only guy on earth who didn’t have to do more to get her off. Maybe it was his superpower, holding that power over all women. But it had been over and done before she could say “orgasm.”

  Did he have sex like that with everyone? She wasn’t delusional. A man who looked like him had to have sex a lot. A man who walked like him, smiled like him, talked like him had to be confident in his own body—and with his skills in the sack. He looked like the superhero of sex.

  Tilly sighed. She’d been spending too much time in Arcadia, gotten a little too lost in the graphic novels she picked up for her kids. So she should know: all superheroes had a weakness, and either she was it or he was terrible at sex.

  Enough. She yanked the drain and stood, water sluicing off her body. A tremor ran up her spine. When he’d kneeled and shoved her knees apart… Her core quivered. She wanted more of that. Maybe he’d been too…something, the way he’d charged into her room and announced they should have sex. Something was going on with him.

  One more chance.

  She dried off and dressed in her pajamas—blue flimsy shorts with white stars and a red tank top with the Wonder Woman insignia. Mara had started selling clothing in Arcadia, and she gave Tilly awesome deals on all of it, not just the swimsuits.

  She wouldn’t be going out again tonight, and Flynn had already seen her naked.

  She’d had sex with Flynn. And she didn’t miss the curl of disappointment when she thought of it.

  Steeling herself, she trotted downstairs, but Flynn was out on the deck, manning the grill, his rigid shoulders toward her.

  Finding fresh veggies on the counter that he must’ve picked up on his trip to town, she prepped a salad, then toasted some garlic bread.

  The sliding door opened, but as silence stretched, she turned to see what was wrong. Paused in the doorway, Flynn hastily looked away and carried the plate of steaming steaks to the kitchen.

  “Hope you’re hungry,” he said, presenting her with his epic ass. All that protein did him gooood.

  The aroma of the food teased her nose. This was almost as nice as eating out. Unless she was on a date, that never happened.

  They settled at the table, Flynn taking the far side.

  Okay. Hurt lingered that he didn’t choose the chair next to her, but she wasn’t up to interpreting his actions. The day had already been filled with new experiences, all made a tad overwhelming by the man across from her.

  She bit into the first cut of steak. Savory flavor burst over her taste buds and she closed her eyes and groaned.

  Flynn’s silverware clattered against his plate. Her eyes popped open, but he’d recovered and was slicing his steak.

  More for conversation than interest, she asked, “What cut of meat is this?”

  “Rib eye.”

  “It’s good.”

  “Thanks.”

  They ate in silence. He didn’t touch the bread but ate up most of the salad.

  Before he had a chance to clear the table and run, she peppered him with questions. “How’d you get into construction?”

  His jaw clenched for a heartbeat before he answered. “My dad was a carpenter.”

  “You’re a business owner in your twenties. Did you follow your dad around, then take over for him?” There had to be a fascinating story, and Flynn seemed like a guy who’d relish telling it.

  He pushed his plate away, his expression blank. “His boss hired me on and it took off from there.”

  She waited, but he didn’t elaborate. “What type of construction?”

  “I build corporate spaces.”

  “There must be a lot more to that than houses.”

  He nodded, still reserved. “I used to build houses.”

  “How’d you make the jump?”

  He lifted a shoulder. “It just happened. Houses got bigger, I got talking with the owners… Where’d you go in high school?”

  She recoiled at the sudden subject change. He hit on a time in her life she never talked about, which was most of her life. She answered honestly, her irritation at his vague answers eating at her. “I dropped out.”

  His surprised gaze flew up. “What? Really?”

  “Yep. Got my GED instead.” Now that she’d opened the door, she had no wish to step through it. Her Wonder Woman pajamas weren’t lending her any more girl power than she normally had. Standing, she gathered a bunch of dishes to carry to the counter.

  He did the same. “Why?”

  “I just made the decision and it took off from there.” How would he feel, having his own words flung back at him?

  “You started college early then?”

  “No, a year late, actually.” Ack. She was worse at this game than he was.

  “What happened?” He shadowed her around the kitchen, putting everything away.

  “Life happened.” She spun and started. He was right in front of her, his body blocking out everything. “I’m sure you know how it goes.” He must, if he didn’t offer any of his personal history for her.

  “Is that when you changed your name?”

  “Close.” She exhaled and rubbed the side of her head. The filling, delicious dinner wasn’t enough to stave off the headache talking about her past brought on. “I’m sorry, Flynn. I don’t like to talk about it.”

  He replaced her hand with his own, one on each side of her head. His thumbs massaged her temples.

  Oh, that was nice. His strong hands gentle with her. Couldn’t he have done this earlier in her bedroom?

  Abruptly, he stopped and stepped back. “I’ll let you rest then. Good night.”

  He was out of the kitchen before she could blink. She peeked at the time on the microwave. It wasn’t even eight p.m. Looked like she’d have time to plan her lessons after all.

  Best vacation ever.

  Chapter Six

  Tilly swung her feet in the cool water. She was perched at the end of the dock. The sun was high overhead, warming the tops of her shoulders as she frowned into the clear lake.

  Sundays were usually a quiet day, but this was ridiculous. Flynn had stayed in his room all day. They’d said hi over breakfast, then he’d disappeared into his room. She’d been about to knock to let him know she had made lunch, but his voice on the other side of the door had persuaded her to leave him alone. He must be working on vacation, too.

  She kicked her feet and watched them glide through the waves, releasing her frustration with the effort. Sure, she’d brought work with her, but she didn’t do it when he was around. It just seemed kinda rude.

  But she wasn’t the owner of a multimillion-dollar business.

  As more hours passed, the excuse didn’t make her feel better.

  With a sigh, she drew her feet up and stood. She shed her shorts and T-shirt. Today’s swimsuit was one Mara hadn’t had to talk her into. The front was a red-and-black checkerboard pattern, and the back was half red, half black. While the suit wasn’t an obvious superhero design, it was cool as hell. Mara had invited her to the next Twin Cities Comic Con, and Tilly planned to dress up as Harley Quinn. To her students’ delight, she had the laugh perfected.

  She evaluated the water. It was deep enough to jump in, but not so deep that she might find herself sinking because she couldn’t swim. But she could float and the dock was right there.

  The responsible thing to do would be to use the shore to enter the water, but she wasn’t looking forward to treading over the rocks again. She narrowed her eyes. Going inside to ask Flynn to lifeguard for her wasn’t an option. Besides, she’d gone swimming in the community center. She would jump in and grasp the sides of the dock, and besides, it probably wasn’t terribly deep this close to shore. How much depth did a fishing boat need anyway?

 
Steeling herself, she squeezed her eyes shut and jumped.

  With a splash, she cannonballed to the bottom. Her toes hit the mud and she pushed herself back up. Sputtering at the surface, she blew out water and doggie paddled to the dock.

  Rhythmic pounding startled her and her hand slipped off the slick wood. She submerged. Again, she rebounded off the bottom and cleared the surface.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  She almost lost her hold again. Flynn loomed over her, his green eyes flashing with fury. She looked from him to the cabin. Had he seriously run out here from his room that fast? It’d been less than thirty seconds since she’d made contact with the water.

  “I’m playing in the lake.” She sounded defensive. She was defensive. What she’d done wasn’t a good idea, but what else was there to do but work?

  He rested his hands on his lean hips. “By yourself?”

  “It’s my vacation.”

  “What would you have done i-i-if—dammit! Only you ever make me stutter again.” He shoved a hand through his hair and turned around, then spun back like he was afraid to take his eyes off her.

  “I’m sorry?”

  “Yeah. You should be.”

  She drew back at his adamant tone. Oh, no he didn’t. She pulled herself along the dock until her feet touched. “You should be, too. If you want to work while you’re here, fine. I’m going out of my mind with boredom, and I’ve already put in a few hours of lesson planning. If I’d known I’d be sitting on my ass alone in the woods, I would’ve planned some things to do.”

  Anger churned in his gaze, then died. “What would you plan?”

  She blinked at his abrupt change in demeanor. “This. I was close enough to the dock. Hiking. I’ve always wanted to hike through nature. Maybe tomorrow I’ll run in and grab some brochures for nature trails close by. Then there’s fishing. I’ve never fished before.”

  “Do you have a license?”

  “I need a license?” Her heart sank. She really wanted to fish. “Do they cost money?”

  “I’ll get you one.”

  “Oh no. You’re already paying for this whole week.”

  He cast her a droll look. “You paid for it.”

  “Sort of, but you bought the food.”

  He snorted. “Not nearly as much as you brought.” He glanced at the cabin and paused, his expression contemplative. “Look, I need to run into work tomorrow. We’ll cross one thing off your list today if you promise to stay out of the lake while I’m gone. Then Tuesday, we’ll do another. Think of one for each day.”

  He’d be gone all day Monday? Disappointment soured her outlook. Oh well. She was used to being alone.

  “Tilly? That sound okay?”

  What could she say? You let me down in bed yesterday, you’ve ignored me all day, and now you’re not even going to be here all of Monday. “Sure. Where are the instructions for the hot tub? I can get it cleaned out tomorrow while you’re gone.”

  A muscle jumped in his jaw as he stared at her. “Finish your swim and I’ll start on the hot tub when you’re done.”

  She jumped up and down with excitement, in slo-mo, thanks to the water. His gaze dropped to where her breasts bounced in the water. She couldn’t help the big grin as she fell backward. Water closed over her head and she bobbed back to the surface.

  “Don’t!” His hands fisted on his hips in frustration. “Fuck. Don’t do that to me.”

  She wiped her eyes clear. “This is only, like, four feet deep right here.”

  His expression clouded. “I don’t care, all right? Accidents happen.”

  “Can you swim, Flynn?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then why are you so afraid for me?”

  He ground his teeth. “Like I said, accidents happen.”

  Everything in her went still. “Who did the accident happen to?”

  He flinched and looked away. She didn’t think he’d answer, but he spoke low. “My sister.”

  Her mouth dropped open and she gasped. “I’m so sorry.” She moved as fast as she could to shore. She’d just given the poor man a heart attack, no clue he’d suffered such a tragedy.

  “No. Please.” He followed along with her down the dock. “You don’t have to get out.”

  She adopted her most reassuring expression. “I can’t relax and swim when I make you worry so much. Don’t worry. The lake will be here Tuesday. I’ll help you with the hot tub.”

  “There’s not much you can help with. Why don’t you start dinner?”

  “You’ll have to show me how to grill.”

  He leveled her with a steady stare. “You think you’re man enough to learn?”

  She barked a laugh and made her voice nasally. “I’ve got the chest hair to prove it, Puddin’.”

  “Pud— Oh, your swimsuit.”

  Delighted he got the reference, she exited the water and stepped gingerly over the rocks. “I should’ve gotten swim shoes instead of swimsuits.”

  “No. The suits were, uh…a good choice.” He pivoted and walked back down the dock. A small smile crept over her mouth when he stooped to grab her things. The fluid way his body moved… Last night had to have been a fluke.

  She waited for him as he retrieved her sandals for her. After she stepped into them, they walked to the cabin. He ran through instructions on the grill and they decided on bun-less burgers.

  “What’s with you and carbs?” She’d never have believed it until now, but he could be…uptight.

  “I don’t work out just to cover my muscles in a layer of fat.”

  “You don’t enjoy working out?”

  His expression shifted, like he didn’t understand the answer. “Does anyone?”

  “I do. I mean, I’ve never belonged to a gym, but I go for walks, I run sometimes. The library has a really nice collection of workout DVDs. It’s fun to try different ones.” She laughed at herself. “It made me come to terms with my coordination, or lack of. Have you found something you enjoy?”

  His eyes heated, and she knew exactly what he enjoyed. And she wanted to, with him, so much.

  “I liked building houses,” he finally said.

  “Then why don’t you?”

  “I’ve got people for that.”

  “But you enjoy it.”

  “But I’m the boss. Someone has to be in charge.”

  Weird. Had he taken over a company because he’d had to and not because he’d wanted to? She would have asked, but she didn’t feel like a repeat of last night’s minimalist conversation.

  “So, there ya go,” he said abruptly, gesturing to the grill. “I’ll get the hot tub going. Just, uh…go ahead and stay in that swimsuit for it.”

  He marched off the deck. She gave herself a silent high five and turned to the food. Could tonight be the night Flynn opened up with her some more?

  ***

  Flynn willed the tub to fill as fast as possible. He should pat himself on the back for coming out last weekend and cleaning it.

  Tilly was at the grill, preparing way too much food. Gotta set up with protein, Puddin’. God, that drove him crazy. Every time she used that fake falsetto, he had to restrain himself from dragging her down to the nearest flat surface, moving that flimsy strip of fabric aside, and plunging into her heat. Would she be ready for him that fast? Cuz he sure as fuck was for her.

  Was she even still interested after he’d pulled his disappearing act? Then he’d barely talked to her over dinner and ignored her, unintentionally, all day.

  But he’d been watching her like a creepy stalker. He’d heard her go outside and he’d abandoned his laptop to watch her lush body saunter down the dock. As she sat and pondered the water, he’d kept his desperate gaze on her.

  How had she crawled under his skin so fast? She was supposed to be the weird girl from high school. Some crazy chick he had to figure out how to shake. She still laughed the same, but he lived for each moment. She still wore unusual clothing, and this morning he couldn’t wai
t to see what she had on. And to top it all off, she’d paid ten thousand dollars of her own money to charity for her first vacation.

  And she refused to talk about herself. Wasn’t she supposed to prattle on and be annoying? He had no clue about her. When they’d been younger, she’d asked inane questions about his classes and his sports.

  She’d dropped out of school! Had it been that awful for her? Probably. He hadn’t enjoyed it and he’d been on the most list—most wanted by the girls, most liked by his classmates, most favored by his teachers.

  Then she’d jumped in that damn lake and his heart had stopped.

  Even now, his pulse raced when he thought about her disappearing into the vast blue liquid.

  But she’d resurfaced when Lynne hadn’t.

  What the hell had made him open his big mouth and tell Tilly about his sister? No one knew. His lips curled in disgust. His mom certainly never talked about it. She was so angry at his dad about that day, as if his old man could have done anything about it.

  He sighed and dropped his face into his hands. If he wasn’t careful, he’d spill the rest of the story and then Tilly, the special-education instructor, would think he was worse than shit smeared across her shoe.

  “Food’s ready,” Tilly called, following it up with a shrill laugh.

  If she was going to channel Harley Quinn all night, he might self-combust.

  Note to self: ask Wes to start pulling Suicide Squad comics for him.

  “Be right there.” He finished up with the tub. It should be ready as soon as they were done eating and cleaning up.

  He wolfed through his burger, Tilly’s clear joy over her first grilled meal going straight to his cock. Did she know how sexy she sounded, how uninhibited she seemed when she relished something as simple as well-cooked, quality food?

  They cleared the table. He was struck by how content he was. Having to work this morning had been, at first, a saving grace. He’d thanked his lucky stars that John Woods was a little too anal for his own good. Flynn’d had to make some calls and double-check details, but the more he’d heard Tilly banging around the cabin, the more restless he’d gotten.

  Last weekend, when he was out here to clean the hot tub and check the grill and just do an overall inspection, he’d been thinking about how he just wanted a big project to get lost in, and this cabin wasn’t it.