The Winning Bid: The Auction Series, Book 1

by Windsor, Michelle

  “Drew?” Scarlett called his name and stopped walking. He watched her turn in a circle, enjoying the way she moved her body, before he stepped out of the shadows and came up behind her.

  “Hey.” She started in surprise as he wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck, inhaling her floral scent.

  “You scared me!” She laughed. “I didn’t know where you were.”

  “I was watching you.” He tightened his embrace before whispering in her ear, “I like how you move.”

  Her cheeks rose up in a smile. Instead of replying, she twisted in his arms to face him, eyes framed by the silk and diamonds in her mask, and brought her lips up to his in a hungry kiss. He swept his tongue across her bottom lip before sliding it into her mouth, the kiss becoming more urgent as their breaths became one with each other. He guided her backward, never breaking their kiss, until he felt her bump up against the railing surrounding the terrace.

  Tearing his lips from hers, he planted hot kisses down the length of her neck until he reached the swell of her breast, now heaving with her panting breaths. He slid the silk of her dress off one breast, exposing her nipple, and then ran his tongue over it, watching it peak as the cold air hit its wetness. Scarlett sighed loudly, and his cock grew harder, straining against his trousers. He skimmed his hand down the length of her body until he reached her thigh, and then, grasping her firmly, brought her leg up and wrapped it around him, pressing his raging erection up against her core.

  “Ohhh, Drew . . .” Scarlett breathed as he continued to rock himself against her. He pushed her skirt up and over his leg, clearing the thin barrier between them, and then pushed the flimsy fabric of her panties out of the way before sliding his finger over her pussy.

  “Oh my god baby, you’re soaking wet.” His voice came out rough as he fought to control the urge to bend her over the railing and fuck her senseless.

  “That’s because you keep teasing me.” Scarlett was looking at him, her eyes bright with desire, her response laced in want.

  He smiled back at her, almost feral. “I can’t help it. You’re doing something to me. You’ve cast some kind of spell on me.”

  He rocked himself into her again and then abruptly dropped her leg, smoothing her skirt back down. As much as he wanted to fuck her right here and now, anyone could walk onto the terrace at any moment. He didn’t want to risk exposing her like that. He leaned forward and kissed her deeply, then took a step back from her.

  “Do you want to get out of here?”

  “But we haven’t even eaten or danced yet.”

  He kissed her lightly on the lips again. “I’ll feed you. And if you want to dance, we can do that too. I just want to be with you. I don’t want to share you with everyone here. I’ve done what I needed to do here.”

  A slow smile spread across her face as she answered timidly, “Okay.”

  He took her hand then and, entwining his fingers with hers, led her back to the terrace doors she had entered from.

  “I need to grab my clutch. I left it on the table,” she said as they made their way through the doors.

  “Okay. I’d like to try and find Ben and say good-bye as well. Let’s grab your clutch first and try the bar. That’s usually where he can be found.” He knew from experience that Benny had either left after his speech or was drowning his aversion to these types of social events in whiskey.

  After retrieving her bag, they made their way to the bar, his hand still holding hers. As they approached, Scarlett pulled him to a stop, pointing to the restrooms off to their right.

  “Do you mind? I’ll only be a minute?”

  “Of course not. Go ahead and just meet me at the bar when you’re done. I’ll wait there for you.” He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips, releasing her hand but not his attention.

  “What?” she asked in apparent confusion.

  “Nothing.” Drew smiled seductively. “I want to watch you walk in that dress again. Is that okay?”

  She smiled demurely as she turned and walked away, rolling her hips as she went.

  Hannah quickly took care of business and then made her way to the lounge area of the ladies’ room so she could freshen her face up a bit. She loved the mask but was tired of its confines, and it was making her face sweaty, so she untied it. They were leaving and Drew had removed his, so she must be safe. Besides, it’s not like anyone could know she was his paid date. She touched up her powder and reapplied her lipstick. Miraculously, her hair seemed to have survived the mask, as well as the little make-out session she and Drew had just indulged in. Karla had definitely done an amazing job on her hair. She took the mask and, folding it delicately in half, placed it in her clutch.

  As she walked up to the bar, she scanned the area for Drew and found him near the end. Instead of speaking with Ben, he seemed to have found the attention of a rather busty, if not attractive, redhead in a tight black dress. Jealousy instantly flared, surprising her, igniting her bold approach.

  “Hello, Drew.” She sidled up against him tightly, wrapping her arm around his waist and her hand on his chest before placing a kiss on his cheek. She turned to the redhead, extending her hand. “I’m Scarlett. Drew’s date.”

  The woman eyed her up and down, a look of distaste stretched over her features. Drew chuckled under his breath, which only raised Hannah’s hackles further. Ignoring her hand, the redhead turned toward Drew, eyebrows raised in obvious disappointment. “You brought a date?”

  Hannah felt some relief at the woman’s response—and at the confirmation of Drew’s earlier confession about not dating. Though . . . he might have previously slept with the woman. She certainly wasn’t hiding her disappointment well at Drew bringing a date.

  “Yes, I brought a date. And we were just leaving.” Drew dismissed her politely, and then turned to Hannah. “Come, let’s go, apparently Ben has already left.” Then, to the redhead, “Have a good night.”

  Unable to contain her curiosity—because lord knew she had no right to be jealous, right?—Hannah waited until they were away from the bar before pulling Drew to a stop. “Who was that woman?”

  An almost satisfied grin broke out across his face before he responded, “Scarlett, are you jealous?”

  She was about to respond when a hand reached out and tapped her arm. “It is you! Harold, come see. I told you it was her!”

  Drew looked on in surprise as an elderly woman, bathed in jewels, addressed Scarlett with such familiarity. The stranger beckoned someone Drew could only assume was her husband over to see Scarlett.

  “Mrs. Downing! Hello, how are you?” Scarlett bussed the elderly woman on her cheek. “And Mr. Downing, hello! You look so handsome in your tuxedo.”

  Drew stood back in shock as he realized she was addressing Harold Downing. The Harold Downing, who owned one of the wealthiest brokerage houses in the country. Scarlett seemed to be full of surprises.

  “My dear, look how beautiful you are this evening!” Mr. Downing had reached Scarlett and was kissing her on the cheek. “How nice to see you out and about and out of the shop.”

  “Thank you so much. You both look lovely as well.” Scarlett glanced at Drew with what could only be described as sheer panic on her face, clearly unsure what to do next. While he was extremely curious to learn more about this shop Scarlett worked at, he’d better rescue her before she imploded. He extended his hand.

  “Mr. Downing, I presume?” And smiled widely. “Andrew Sapphire. Very nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. It’s nice to finally meet the man in the flesh.”

  He took Drew’s hand and shook it vigorously. “Ah, the same could be said about you, young man. Please, call me Harold. Wonderful speech this evening. Hope you’re taking good care of this young lady here. She’s a very special girl.”

  Drew looked at Scarlett, who was still vibrating with nerves, and then back at Mr. Downing. Perhaps he could take advantage of this situation and learn a bit more about her . . . “Yes, I agree, quite spe
cial. How do you two know each other?”

  But much to Drew’s disappointment, Mrs. Downing interrupted then and tried to unobtrusively lead her husband away. “Harold, let’s go and leave these two lovebirds to their evening.”

  “Oh, Alice! Give me a few minutes with the man.” He tried to shoo his wife away.

  Yes, Drew thought to himself, give me a few more minutes. Much to his surprise, Scarlett spoke up, placing her hand on Drew’s arm.

  “Actually, we were just on our way out. Drew has an emergency that needs his attention.”

  Her small hand gripped his arm with white knuckles. He was crossing a line with her that he shouldn’t be. Instantly, he put his hand over hers in a conciliatory fashion.

  “Oh, yes.” Harold started nodding. “I know all about those.” He turned his attention toward Scarlett then. “I’m sure I’ll see you later this week at the shop, dear.”

  Mrs. Downing turned towards Drew then to wish him a goodnight. “So nice to see our girl out with someone. Hope you’re both able to enjoy the rest of your evening.”

  Drew had to strain to hear Harold’s conspiratorial whisper as the man drew closer to Scarlett. “I think I want to do something different this week for Alice.” The old man gave Scarlett a wink then and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Of course, I look forward to it.” She patted him on the hand and then his wife. “Mrs. Downing, it was so nice to see you.”

  “You know I always love seeing you dear. Have a nice evening.” And with that, Mr. Downing took his wife’s hand, placing it in the crook of his arm, and led her away.

  Drew raised his eyebrows at Scarlett. “The Downings? You know the Downings?”

  She started walking toward the exit again. “Don’t think you can change the subject on me. I want to know who that woman was.”

  “Wait a minute. You know one of the wealthiest couples in the country, and I’m not allowed to ask about it?”

  She stopped walking and turned to look at him. “No, you don’t. You get Scarlett. That’s all you get. You don’t get anything else from me.”

  Dumbfounded, he just looked at her, reality slapping him in the face. This woman had only shared a small piece of herself, and everything else was a complete mystery to him. He had so many questions about her: Why was her reaction to his brother so intense, who was the “we” she’d referred to with such a warm smile on her face at lunch, and why, if she associated with people like the Downings, was she selling herself at auction? That one small piece wasn’t going to be enough. He wanted more.

  Chapter Nine

  Hannah stood in silent thought as Drew gave the ticket to the valet driver. Neither of them had said anything to each other after her last comment. She was still in a bit of shock at running into the Downings. She’d known there would be a slight risk at seeing someone she knew here and had realized, a bit too late, that she should have left her mask on until they’d left. It wasn’t that she was ashamed to be with Drew, but she needed to keep her personal life separate from this choice she’d made. Seeing the Downings reminded her how precariously close she’d come to exposing that life.

  “You’re shivering.” Drew came up behind her and placed his jacket over her shoulders, running his hands down the length of her arms before stepping away.

  “Thank you.” His warmth still lingered on the fabric that surrounded her and she pulled it more tightly around herself. She leaned down and inhaled deeply, taking in his scent as it drifted up from the jacket. She loved the comfort that his warmth and scent were bringing her, and hated herself at the same time for it.

  The valet drove up with Drew’s car, stopping directly in front of them. He jumped out and ran around to open the door for her, but Drew was already there. He held her hand as she sat down, and she wrapped her skirt around her legs before he shut the door. In less than a minute, he was in the car and pulling away from the hotel.

  He turned on the radio, settling on something acoustic. She listened for a moment but didn’t recognize the artist.

  “This is lovely. Who is it?”

  “Jason Mraz. Do you know him?”

  She shook her head. “I think I know some of his songs. Not this one though. I like it.”

  “Yes, just simple. It eases me.”

  They rode in silence for a few more moments until she realized they weren’t heading back in the direction of the estate.

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s a surprise.” He looked over at her, his voice low. “Do you trust me?”

  “Are you going to tell me who that redhead was?” She wasn’t forgetting about that bitch anytime soon.

  “Are you going to tell me about the Downings? ’Cause I’m dying to know.”

  “Drew, I can’t. I’m sorry.” She sighed. “I’m not trying to be difficult. Really. But that part of my life isn’t part of this life.”

  Drew was silent for a few moments before responding. “Okay, Scarlett. I understand, but I’m not going to lie; I hate it. I’m usually the one in control, but I feel like you’re holding all the cards here.”

  “No, I’m not. You paid for this part of me. You paid for Scarlett. I’m sorry, but this is all I can give you.”

  “Maybe that’s not enough,” he gritted out under his breath.

  She turned her head toward him in surprise. “Drew . . .” She faltered, not even sure what to say. If she was honest with herself, hearing him say he wanted more was a relief. To know she wasn’t alone in her confusion about her growing feelings for him. She couldn’t deny that she was beginning to feel more for him than she should.

  “Don’t.” He held his hand up and responded before she could try and continue. “It’s okay, Scarlett. I’m being unfair to you. Besides, it’s only 9:30. I have you, or at least I have Scarlett, for another eighteen hours. Let’s just try and enjoy that.”

  “Okay.” She was silent for the next few moments and just listened to the music flowing through the car’s speakers. They seemed to be heading east, away from the city.

  “Are you going to tell me where we’re going yet?”

  He smiled. “My house in The Hamptons. Are you okay with that? I can still have you back at the estate by early morning.”

  “Your house?” she squeaked. “Is that even allowed? I mean, I know the masquerade ball was one thing, but your house?”

  He scoffed. “What’s the worst that can happen? Domme Maria kicks me out of Timide? It’s not the only club in town.”

  She looked at him in surprise. “You would risk your membership to bring me to your house?”

  “I hardly think my membership is in any real danger. We’re supposed to be at a ball. As far as anyone knows, that’s where we are. Who is to know any differently unless we tell them? Besides, I think the money I spend there would be greatly missed.”

  “Well it’s nice to know my worth, I guess.”

  “Scarlett, don’t.” He glanced over at her, longing in his voice. “I want to share this with you. It’s one of my favorite places.”

  What could she say to that? Besides, she was tired of fighting over what she should and shouldn’t be feeling, or doing, or caring about. She bent her head down, kissing the palm of his hand. “Okay.”

  “Okay?” he asked in relief.

  “Okay.” She laughed. “Just tell me it’s not too much farther though, cause I’m starving!”

  “In that case,” he shifted the car into a higher gear and punched the gas, “I’ll get us there as fast as I can.”

  “What kind of car is this anyway?”

  He smiled broadly. “It’s a Jaguar. An F-Type S Coupe.”

  She shook her head, grinning. “Boys and their cars.”

  A little over an hour later, Drew pulled off the road onto a long, white gravel driveway. As the house came into view, Scarlett gasped, her eyes open wide, awe evident on her face. He beamed with pride over her delight. He’d recently had it built, and although it had been designed to be modern, he’d striven to ba
lance cutting-edge with warmth and an inviting presence.

  It was a large, contemporary home made up of natural wood and large floor-to-ceiling windows. The windows on the lower floor were glowing a rich yellow, and beyond the house, a rolling, manicured lawn met a pristine white beach, waves lapping lightly against its edge.

  “Drew, this is gorgeous!”

  “Wait till you see the inside.”

  He jumped out and came around to open her door and help her out of the car.

  “Careful. It’s all stone gravel here and probably won’t be easy to maneuver in your heels.”

  Scarlett stepped out of the car and tried to balance on the balls of her feet, tiptoeing over the gravel toward the entrance. Before she got three steps, he swept her up in his arms, a quick yelp of surprise escaping from her, and carried her the rest of the way.

  “Sorry, this just seemed easier.” He dropped a kiss on her nose as he went. She simply smiled in response and then rested her head on his shoulder.

  Once inside, he placed her gently down in the entryway. He took in her perusal of his home, trying to ascertain her opinion. He’d had the inside designed to be light and airy, the walls a soft white, the floors a light-colored hardwood. Her gaze focused on the floor-to-ceiling windows that spanned the width of the living room, framing a view of the ocean beyond.

  “Drew, it’s lovely.” She turned toward him.

  “I’ll give you a tour later, but let’s go to the kitchen and see if we can find something to eat.”

  He walked down the hallway into a large open space that contained the kitchen and living room. The kitchen was modern and sleek but had clearly been customized for a man with its natural wood paneling and butcher block. Stainless steel appliances and light fixtures complemented the wood and white marble countertop. Drew started pulling things out of the large fridge and placing them on the butcher block.

  “Let’s see,” he mumbled as he placed each item down. “Brie, grapes, chicken, marinated mushrooms, blueberries, some olives.” He turned and looked at her. “Does any of this look good?”