From Ice to Flames

by Hargrove, A. M.

  “That would be great. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get over to the bachelor auction.”

  “Sure and I hope it brings in more money.”

  “I’m positive it will.”

  By the time I pushed the back door open, I was breathless from my near sprint. I grabbed one of the paddles lying on a table we had for the purposes of bidding and then took an empty seat near the back. The spotlights were on the third bachelor, who was an executive on Wall Street. His bid was now at $12,500. Jeez, I hope Hudson’s didn’t go that high.

  The auctioneer finally closed the bid out at $12,750. Who in the hell would pay that much for a date? Hudson was the next bachelor up and I wondered if he was prepared to spend this much.

  My hands were sweating by the time they announced his name. I had no way of asking him now. Maybe I should text him, but how could he possibly answer now that he was on stage. Why hadn’t I thought of that before now? What should I do? I don’t care how high the bidding goes. That’s what he’d said. I crossed my fingers that he would be a cheap buy.

  The auctioneer called out for an opening bid. Just as I went to raise my paddle, someone opened up with a $5000 bid. Well shit. I wasn’t expecting that. I raised it to $5500. The other person went to $6000. This went on until we hit $15,000. I began to freak. Whoever was bidding against me—and I kept trying to see the other bidder but couldn’t—didn’t go to $15,500 like I’d expected. She went to straight to $20,000 instead. Holy shit. What should I do? I stared at Hudson, looking for a sign, but I couldn’t get a read on him. He was too far away. Besides, he was probably blinded by those spotlights. Then his words came back to me again. I don’t care how high the bidding goes.

  “$21,000,” I heard myself say. It was crazy. Totally mad.

  A hush fell over the audience.

  The auctioneer said, “Do I hear $22,000?”

  The bitch wouldn’t stay quiet. No. She said, “$23,000.”

  That was it. I stood up and said, “$25,000.” I’d just made a spectacle of myself. Everyone turned to stare. It was too late to back down now, even though I wanted to slink off to a dark corner. But I held my ground.

  The auctioneer said, “Do I hear $25,500?”

  Dead silence greeted us.

  Then he banged his little hammer and said, “Sold to the woman in the back for $25,000.”

  I scurried the hell out of there and up to the stage entrance. Poor Hudson must be a wreck knowing I’d just made him a pauper. I wanted to find him and apologize. I stumbled through the door and ran straight into his arms where he dragged me behind a curtain. His mouth crashed onto mine for the second time that night and I wasn’t in any way prepared for it. What in the world was happening between us? Instead of being pissed off at me, here he was doing his best to fuck my mouth like some sort of caveman.

  Tearing my mouth away from his, I said, “Stop a minute.”

  “Shit, I’m sorry.”

  “No, that’s what I was going to say.”

  “Then what?”

  “I was going to apologize.”

  “Apologize? Why?”

  “Because I spent all that money on you.”

  “But I told you to.”

  “Yeah but $25,000? Are you crazy?”

  He didn’t answer. His hand reached for my jaw, as his eyes held mine. I knew what was coming, but his kisses were impossible to brace for. It was mind-blowing. It started off soft, with gentle nips, as he caressed my mouth from one corner to the other. And then he settled in, nudging my lips open as his tongue slid in, reminding me of how it might feel if he … oh God. My knees nearly buckled at the thought and he sensed it because his arm circled around me and pulled me tightly against his muscular manly body—the same one I’d been fantasizing about. We were pressed together from chest to thigh and there was no hiding the fact that he wanted me.

  His husky voice whispered, “Milly, come home with me tonight.”

  “I … what about Wiley?”

  “He’s at my brother’s. We’d have the night to ourselves. Please say yes.”

  “I, uh, yes.” Was I insane? This man had the ability to ruin me.

  He ran his thumb beneath my lip. “I hope I can wait that long.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’d carry you out of here this minute, but I know you can’t leave now.”

  A nervous chuckle leaked out of me. “Right. And I need to go pay for you.”

  “Let me go with you, in case they have an issue with the card.”

  “Good idea.” We walked away from the dark corner and ran into Ava.

  “There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

  “Did you need something?” I asked.

  She eyed the two of us. “Uh, no. I’ve got it. Where are you off to?”

  “I have to make a payment.”

  “It was you?”

  “Yeah.” I giggled. Giggled. What the hell was I doing?

  “Congrats on your new purchase.” She winked at me.

  We left and went to the table that was handling the payments. When we got there, Marin, Hudson’s sister-in-law was there.

  “Hey Marin,” he said. She burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” he asked.

  “This.” She pointed between her and me. “I was the one who was bidding against Milly.”

  “What?” Hudson practically yelled.

  “I knew you were worried about getting stalked again, so Grey and I decided I’d buy you. It was a donation. You know. But then someone kept cranking it up. I got super worried. Thank God, Milly, you finally stood up at the end, or I would’ve kept on going.”

  My hand covered my mouth. “Oh, my God. If I’d known. I was so worried because Hudson said he didn’t care no matter how high it got.”

  Then Hudson hugged Marin as they all laughed.

  “I’m glad you two think this is funny. If I were paying, I’d be crying,” I said.

  “It’s for a great cause,” Marin said. “But that’s why I’m here. I’ll split it with you, Hudson, since it was my fault.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “No, I insist.”

  “So, what? We each do $12,500?” he asked.

  “I’m good with that. You?”

  They settled it between them and paid.

  “I need to go check on a few things. Hudson, can I meet you somewhere in, say thirty minutes?”

  “How about the bar up front. The one closest to the entrance?”

  “Perfect.” Marin and I said our goodbyes and I headed to the back to check on Ava.

  When I got there, she grabbed me and said, “What is going on?”

  “Hudson wanted me to buy him.”

  “What?”

  “Yeah. I’ll have to fill you in at work on Monday.”

  “Are you trying to kill me? Can’t you tell me tomorrow?”

  “I may be spending part of the day with him.”

  “You what?”

  “I’ll call you when I can. But, about the auction, is everything going okay? Do you need anything?”

  “It’s going great and we’re fine here. Just handle your end and we’ll talk on Monday. And Milly? Have fun.” She waggled her brows and I laughed. I hurried to where the silent auction had taken place, just to ensure that everyone had received their items. They had spent a great deal of money, so I wanted to be sure everyone was pleased. An unhappy customer meant bad reviews, which could impact next year’s benefit.

  Glenn was still there and again he complimented me on the event. “I heard the Bid for Bachelors is bringing in some high dollars again.”

  “Yes. I don’t have the final numbers obviously since it’s still going on, but Ava will on Monday. However, she seems very pleased so far. I sat in for a couple of the auctions and the numbers were quite high.”

  “Excellent. Have a nice remainder of the evening, Milly. You deserve it.”

  “You too, Glenn.”

  My next stop w
as to find Clinton, to let him know how everyone was raving about the food. I found him giving instructions for sending out more dessert trays.

  “Clinton, this was extraordinary.”

  “Milly, thank you.” He was hurrying around and I had to run to keep up with him.

  “The buzz is how wonderful the food is. You have outdone yourself. Truly.”

  He stopped to hug me. “Thank you. I haven’t told you how amazing this event was. You really know how to execute these. This is so much better than our past ones.”

  I laughed. “Well, it’s not my first rodeo, as they say.”

  “That’s very clear.”

  “So, will you stay? We really would hate to lose you. This has been our best year yet.”

  “I know. As long as there is no Linda, yes. I’ll be here again.”

  I pressed my hands together. “Oh, thank you. This event wouldn’t be close to what it is without you and your culinary talents.” I made a mental note to send him a nice gift on Monday.

  “That’s very kind of you, but I believe you’re selling yourself short. I’ve been here for every single one, and Milly, there is no comparison. And it’s because of you. By the way, you look gorgeous tonight. If only I weren’t gay …” He chuckled as his voice trailed off.

  “Stop.” It was funny the exaggerated way he winked at me. “I’m going to head out soon, but we’ll catch up next week. And thanks again, Clinton.”

  I left him and rounded the corner and who should I run into but Linda and her date, Melissa. She was the board member we had suspected she’d been having the affair with.

  “Milly, what a great event.”

  “Thank you, Melissa. Hello, Linda.” I was stuck talking to them with no way to avoid it.

  “Milly. You must certainly be proud of yourself,” Linda snarled.

  “Linda, I told you if you came with me, you were to keep your thoughts to yourself. You were the one who was at fault in the fiasco you caused. Milly had nothing to do with it. Had you done your job as you promised me you would, your situation would be much different. Milly has done an outstanding job and if you can’t acknowledge it, then it’s best you keep your opinions to yourself,” Melissa said.

  Wow, she really told her. “Thank you, Melissa.”

  Linda scowled but said nothing.

  “It’s true. This has been our best event yet and I’d just like to congratulate you.”

  “Thank you very much. Well, I best be going,” I said.

  “I’ll see you next week at the board meeting then,” Melissa said.

  “Next week then.”

  I nodded at Linda, but she didn’t return it. Sour grapes, I supposed. I wouldn’t let her spoil this night. It was too much of a success for that.

  When I got out front, Hudson was there waiting for me. He handed me a glass of champagne.

  “Cheers. Here’s to a smashing success of a night.”

  And here’s to a much bigger one between the sheets.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hudson

  We took a cab home. It was a short ride from the Met to our east side apartment building. We kissed all the way there. Her heated lips made me impatient to rip her gown off and if I wasn’t careful, I’d be doing that as soon as I walked through the door.

  As we walked off the elevator, I tugged her arm, leading her toward my place.

  “I need to walk Dick.”

  I said, “Mine has needed to take a walk all night.”

  “You’re a naughty boy.”

  I spread my arms. “I admit it. Can I undress you?”

  “Right here? In the hall?”

  “I would prefer in the comfort of my bedroom, but if you’re game ...”

  Her wet tongue peeked out of her mouth and ran along her bottom lip, leaving it glistening, and me nearly moaning.

  “The dogs?”

  “Will be fine. For a little while. We haven’t been gone that long.” I kissed the inside of her wrist and she caved.

  When I unlocked the door, the three hounds came running. “Sit,” I commanded. They obeyed, and I handed them each a treat. Then I lifted her up and carried her into my room.

  “Is this the magic ride?”

  “Yes, and just so you know, you’ve driven me crazy all night in that dress. I’m dying to see that sexy body of yours but especially your ass.”

  “My ass?”

  “Uh huh … I love the way this dress clings to your curves. I’m pretty sure you wore it to torture me.”

  “I hope you love it a lot because there’s a lot of it to love.”

  When we got to my room, I set her down. I didn’t want to rush things, but fuck, I’d lusted after this woman all night and my patience was wearing thin. Her hair was twisted up in some kind of fancy style, so I started there. One by one, I found the pins holding it in place until thick waves tumbled around her shoulders.

  Her dress wasn’t revealing like any of those strapless things that you saw everywhere. No, it was special, unique. Made of silk, I carefully located the zipper and slowly undid it. Then I slid it off her shoulders until it reached her elbows. She wore a crimson strapless bra, and I could barely wait to see what else. My hands shoved the dress to her waist and then to the floor. No doubt it was costly, so I offered her my hand while she stepped out of it. Then I gently laid it across a chair. I turned around and got the full glimpse of her. She wore a matching crimson thong and black sandals that were nothing but two simple straps. One went across the top of her foot and the other wrapped around her ankle.

  Oh, my fuck. All I wanted to do was run my hands over this perfect woman. Her creamy skin looked like it had been photoshopped. I wanted to tell her that, show her how breathtaking she was. Only I couldn’t speak. My tongue had suddenly become paralyzed. Swallowing the bale of cotton that had jammed my vocal cords, I tried to clear my throat but failed. It took several attempts and I finally managed to say, “You’re extraordinarily beautiful. More than I'd imagined.”

  I approached her, my hand extended. But her voice stopped me.

  “What about you? Aren’t you going to undress?”

  I had forgotten about my own clothes. Holding a finger in the air, I said, “That’s a stellar idea.”

  I jerked my coat off and tossed it on the floor. Next followed my bow tie, then shirt, and when it came to my pants, I practically ruined the zipper in my haste to chuck them.

  “We’re not trying to set a world record, you know?” she said, still standing there.

  “Yeah, I, uh …” I scratched my head. What was wrong with me? I was acting like an idiot. I went to take a step toward her and dumbass me forgot my pants were still around my ankles, along with my fucking shoes. I began that slow-motion tumble, arms wind-milling, helpless to do a damn thing about it. Luckily, we were directly in front of the bed, so we both landed on it, me on top of her.

  “Well, that was a rather smooth move, Dr. West.”

  “Oh, didn’t I tell you?”

  “Tell me what?”

  “They don’t call me the Smoover for nothing.” I kicked off my shoes and pants.

  She broke out laughing and it was contagious. When we finally regained control, I said, “I’m sorry about that. I’m not usually such a clumsy ass. You have completely stolen any ability to think clearly.” She stared at me with those luminous eyes and then I kissed her. Like a man who’d been dreaming about her for days, which I had. I took what I’d been deprived of for months, without mercy, leaving nothing untouched. The kiss was draining, yet invigorating, and passionate, yet fueled with fire. My heart had been a block of ice for so long, I’d forgotten what it felt like to experience heat. This kiss brought it all back in one punch. It was the flame to my ice and exactly what my frozen heart needed to thaw it. It melted instantly and turned it into a puddle.

  When my heart began to thrum, I figured it would burst straight through my ribs. My blood burned with lust for her, with every cell in my body jumping to life. This was insane. My coc
k was as stiff as it had ever been and if we didn’t fuck soon, I was going to bust a nut and make an ass out of myself. Not that I already hadn’t, but it was about to get even worse.

  I slid down her body, taking her thong with me. When I got between her thighs, I spread them wide, wide enough for my mouth to invade the privacy of her pussy. I wasn’t asking. I was taking. The time for being polite had passed. I figured I could ask for forgiveness later, if necessary, but I would do everything in my power to make sure she would want more of what was about to occur. There was one thing I was pretty damn good at and it was this.

  When she was nice and exposed for me, I took my first long swipe. And then another. She mewled and it spurred me on.

  “Jesus, Milly. You taste like a fucking dream.”

  I licked her again. She jerked and moaned, but when my tongue went to town, and I mean to town, she was all in. I liked a woman who wasn’t quiet and who let me know what she liked and what she didn’t. She even put my fingers where she wanted them and told me how many. And that was just fine with me.

  But the best part of all was when she panted out, “Whatever you do, do not stop what you’re doing with your tongue. That’s pure magic.”

  She grabbed my hair—no she fucking yanked it. It was a huge turn on, but I loved it the most when she came hard riding my tongue. And just in time because if it had been much longer, I would’ve joined in. I quickly grabbed a condom, rolled it on, and slid home.

  “Fuck, you’re tight.” I inched in and out.

  “Yeah, it’s been a while.”

  I finally made it balls deep, and as her tight pussy clenched down on me I said, “I’m sorry, but I won’t last long.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “It’s been a while for me too.”

  “Really?”

  She asked me like it was a huge shock.

  “Yeah. Damn, you feel so right.” I pushed one of her knees to her chest. “Tell me if this is okay.”

  “Keep going.”

  The one thing I really wanted was to see her ass as I fucked her, so I made a quick decision. I pulled out and said, “On your knees.” Helping her to flip, in no time I was pushing in from behind. “Oh, fuck. What a sight. Ever since I saw you tonight, I wanted to fuck you like this.”