So Much Trouble: Bad Boy Forbidden Love Romance Collection (So Wrong It's Right Book 4)

by Jamie Knight

  "The way I made money was by hosting an auction at my business,” she explains, “They pay a pretty hefty hostess fee. I'm just telling you because its quick money, and there's nothing wrong with it." She confides.

  I look at her, then ask timidly: "Did you auction off your virginity?"

  She laughs. "Not at first, but eventually…yeah," she admits.

  I stare at her in shock again.

  She pulls a business card out of her purse and hands it to me. "Look, they’re having an auction here tomorrow night. Why don't you stop by and see how it's done for yourself? We can talk more then, and if you're interested in hosting I can introduce you to the people in charge.".

  I take the card from her and stare at it.

  "Where can I try my dress on?" She asks.

  I snap out of my trance, put the card down, and pick up the dress. "Right this way." I say brightly, directing her to the new makeshift fitting rooms.

  She smiles at me and takes her dress inside. While I wait for her to change, I go back out into the store and stare at the card on the counter. Her story is certainly unusual. I don't know if I can bring myself to do anything as daring as attend the auction, though.

  I sigh and look around my shop. Memories of my grandmother surface again and I have to will myself not to cry. I realize that I can't lose this shop. I have to do anything and everything I can to save it. That means making money in any way that I can. Tammy walks out in her dress. "Well how do I look?" She asks with a smile.

  "Fantastic. Also, I’ve decided I'll be at the auction tomorrow." I inform her, turning to look at her with a smile.

  She smiles brightly. "Wonderful!" She exclaims.

  I help her over to the mirror. "How does it feel?" I ask, directing the focus back onto her dress and her wedding.

  She looks at herself in different angles in the mirror. "Oh, it’s perfect! You did an amazing job. I'm surprised you were able to do it so quickly." she replies.

  I laugh a little, "It’s my job." I reply.

  As I see her smile I realize all over again that this is a job I love doing. There is no way I am going to lose this shop. She smiles at me again. "This dress is perfect. I'm glad this is the last fitting, I can't wait to wear it for real!" She squeals in delight.

  We both laugh excitedly.

  After she changes and pays for the gown, she gives me a quick hug. She writes the time of the auction on the back of her card. "If you have any questions you can always call me."

  I thank her and she leaves the store. I make a note to deliver her dress a few days before her wedding.

  Chapter 5 - Gabriel

  The night has finally arrived. I'm at the auction with Tim. Well, “with” is a loose description, I lost track of him the moment we walked through the door.

  I was really looking forward to tonight, we both had high expectations for what could happen. I have to be honest, though, now I'm starting to be kind of disappointed that I came. This is a pretty packed auction. I wasn't expecting there to be this large a crowd tonight.

  I mean, there usually is, but at the larger events that take place out of town. I let out a sigh of boredom as I look around at the crowd of people again. There is not one single woman here that catches my attention. I think I might just be wasting my time. I look around for Tim. I need to tell him that I'm going to leave. I don't think I can endure much more of this.

  I could be at home working right now, instead of wasting my time here. If I had known it was going to be this much of a let-down, I wouldn't have agreed to show up. I have got to stop letting myself get talked into these types of situations.

  I finally spot him a distance away. He's deeply engrossed with some woman. I hesitate, I don't want to interrupt him, but I don't know how much longer I can take being here. It feels like this was a huge waste of time. But I also don’t want to just flake out and disappear, either.

  I'm about to walk over to him, when I hear the hostess announce the start of another auction. I think nothing of it, but out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of fiery red hair and turn to see the woman walking up on stage. I do a double take and immediately stop in my tracks. I'm mesmerized, all I can do is stare at her. I think I'm holding my breath. It's like the atmosphere in the room suddenly changed.

  It's almost as if I'm drawn to her. I move closer to the stage so I can get a better view of her. My eye is drawn once again to her long red hair, which she wears tied back. If I look close enough, I can see a soft smattering of freckles on her lovely face. Hazel eyes look nervously out over the crowd. They don’t stop on one person, certainly not me. I bet she is quiet or shy. She looks the type.

  I pay close attention as the hostess says, "This young lady is auctioning off a date tonight."

  I'm a little disappointed that that’s all she’s offering. I think someone else groans in the audience. But right away, people start bidding. I'm surprised by this. I can tell the woman on the stage is too. I'm even more shocked when my own hand flies up to be included in the bids.

  The numbers increase, and soon it's just me and a couple of the wealthiest men here. I don't know what it is about this woman, but I can't stop myself. Maybe it's her appearance or the fact that she seems so different from the other women here, but something won’t let me quit.

  She’s mine.

  I watch as she looks out at those of us who are left bidding. She keeps looking at me, then away. Eventually we lock eyes. I can see her gasp softly on stage. My heart starts to pound deep within my chest. I don't know what's come over me. All I know is that I want her to be mine and I will stop at nothing to have her.

  Her eyes remain on me as I raise my paddle. "Thirty thousand." I say in as calm a voice as I can. I hear several people gasp loudly. The men I was bidding against shake their heads and mutter. The redhead on stage stares at me in shock, so does the hostess. Eventually the hostess recovers herself and asks the crowd, "Do we have any other bids?" After a few seconds of head shaking she announces, "Going once…going twice…sold!”

  I just continue to stare at the redhead. Eventually she looks away and goes to the hostess to await further instructions. I put my paddle away, satisfied. I’m done bidding for the night. I accomplished one part of my goal tonight. I'll have to wait until later to see if I can make the rest happen.

  Tim has an arm around a girl as he walks over to me. "Dude, that was insane. What were you thinking?" he asks, appalled.

  I shrug at him. "I honestly don’t know,” I admit, “There’s just something about her.”

  He shakes his head in disbelief. "Man, when you want something you really go after it," he marvels.

  I laugh a little, "True, but you already knew that about me. Excuse me a moment."

  He nods and goes back to cuddling his date. I turn and look for the hostess. I need to pay my bid. I also keep an eye out for the redhead. I'm eager to get better acquainted with her. I see them standing together across the room. The hostess looks up at me, so I immediately walk over.

  "I believe I owe you something,” I remark.

  The hostess smiles warmly as I pay her. "It was a pleasure doing business. You two have fun!” she winks at us before walking away.

  The redhead stands alone in front of me. She glances up at me, then away quickly. I can tell that she is definitely nervous. I look around and try to think of something to say. I don't want to frighten her. "Hello,” I croak out finally.

  "Hi."

  Her voice is very soft. I think was right about her being shy.

  She doesn't say anything else, she just keeps looking at me. I try smiling at her. She actually blushes a little before smiling back. That is adorable. I wasn't expecting that. I'm actually starting to feel glad that I came tonight. Crazy, I know.

  Chapter 6 - Lorelai

  I seriously can't believe my luck. I wasn't even planning on going through with the auction, but I'm so glad I did. I spent a lot of time just watching and hesitating.

  I didn't think I’d ha
ve the courage to actually get up there and participate. But when I saw how much the girls around me were earning…I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to save the shop.

  But I became even more nervous when the hostess finally led me up on stage. I kept reminding myself that all I was selling was a date, but being put on display in front of a room full of men made me nervous, all the same.

  The moment I laid eyes on this guy, though? Well, for a moment I was almost sorry I was only selling a date. He was devilishly handsome, the kind of flawless good looks that seem almost too perfect to exist off of a movie screen.

  And I can't believe how much he bid, just for a date with me. Obviously I’m thrilled, but shocked nonetheless. Not to mention deeply flattered that someone this attractive thinks a night of my time is worth thousands.

  The hostess pulls me aside to go over the rules for the evening. It's really difficult to concentrate, because I’m dying to see my handsome mystery man again, to find out who he is. I look up in surprise as he walks over. Reminding myself to breathe and be cool, I listen to him talk to the hostess.

  Oh my gosh, even his voice is hot.

  After he pays her, she walks away, leaving us alone together. I feel my nerves beginning to flare again, so I try to avoid looking at him.

  He watches me for a long time, but eventually he says "Hello."

  I'm surprised that's all he has to say. I guess I figured he’d have some already prepared pickup line or something. I try not to let out a nervous giggle and reply with a shaky “Hi.”

  There's an awkward silence where he just smiles at me. I can feel my face heating and I know I’m probably the color of a tomato. I'm so nervous I think I could pass out. After a few moments he clears his throat and holds out his hand. "I'm Gabriel."

  Hesitantly, I reach out to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Lorelai."

  We both pull our hands away slowly, and I try not to think about the sparks still tingling under my skin from just that little bit of contact with him.

  “Have you eaten yet?" he blurts out suddenly, startling me,

  For one brief, confused moment, I don’t know how to respond, so he continues: “I was wondering if you would like to grab a bite with me?"

  "Uh, sure."

  I cringe at my response. I wish I had something more clever to say. He smiles and offers me his arm. I'm shocked but I lightly place my hand on it. He leads me out of the crowded building and out on to the empty sidewalk. He holds the door open for me as we walk outside. I must admit, I'm surprised and intrigued by him. I thought chivalry ended long ago.

  We stop in front of a very expensive looking town car. He let's go of my arm and holds the door open for me. I try not to stare and drool a little. I'm not used to being surrounded by such wealth. I thank him quietly and get in the car. He shuts the door softly for me then also gets in. We drive across town. I have no idea where we are going, so I stare out the window nervously. I am trying very hard not to be impressed by how expensive looking his car is.

  "So, tell me about yourself," Gabriel says abruptly.

  I glance over at him. "Um. W-well, I'm a business woman, so to speak. I own a bridal shop in town," I stammer.

  We pause at a light and he turns to look at me. "That's interesting. If I may ask, what brought you to the auction? Forgive me assuming so, but this doesn't exactly seem like the sort of crowd a nice girl like you associates with."

  The light turns green and we start to move again.

  "Well, to be honest, a friend invited me tonight. You're assumption is correct. I usually don't go to events like this," I admit shyly.

  I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that. It sort of feels like putting a sign around my neck that says “Yes, I’m a prude.”

  He's sort of intimidating, yet I want so badly to impress him, and I’m not sure why. He looks at me briefly. "I understand that. I don't go to these things terribly often, myself. If I’m being completely honest with you, I only attend them to get laid. Even then that's only once in a while because I'm usually consumed with work.”

  I'm shocked into silence by his brutal honesty. I really wasn't expecting that. I mean, I get that's what people usually do at these things, I saw some of what went on. I guess that because of his chivalrous attitude I had expected him to behave differently than the other men. Eventually I get the nerve to look at him. "Then why did you bid on me?" I ask softly.

  I look away quickly, realizing I'm afraid to hear the answer. He keeps driving and he’s quiet for a while.

  “I’m not sure,” he admits finally.

  I look at him in confusion. I don't know what to think of him or this evening now, and I'm starting to wonder if this was a mistake. I can’t think of anything else to say to him. Fortunately, though, I’m spared the need, at least temporarily, by our arrival at the restaurant.

  By now I'm not surprised that it's the most expensive one in town. It also happens to be one of the most romantic spots around. I’ve had fantasies about dining here before, but never really expected it to happen.

  As he parks the car I sneak a quick look at him. Why am I here? Is tonight really going to be a waste? I don't know what to think right now. I'm so confused and I'm trying not to be nervous, and I try to tell myself that no matter what happens tonight, I’m doing this for the shop.

  Chapter 7 - Gabriel

  After opening her car door for her, I lead her into the restaurant. She's fallen quiet once more, and I can't tell if she's nervous, or impressed by where we are.

  After slipping her a tip up front, the hostess seats us at a table a little ways apart from everyone else. I pull out Lorelai’s chair for her before taking my own seat. I can tell that she’s noticed me doing these things for her. It's just the way that I am.

  I sit across from her as the waiter hands us our menus. I don't even look at mine. She looks at me curiously as I tell the waiter, "We'll start with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a garden salad. For our entrees, we'll be having the ravioli al uovo, and we’ll finish with the strawberry panna cotta.”

  The waiter nods and takes our menus before walking away. I realize that I just totally bulldozed over Lorelai out of habit and look over at her. "I hope it's ok that I ordered for us?" I ask her.

  She nods quickly. "Yes, that's fine,” she says with a nervous giggle, “I wouldn’t even know where to begin. But I should warn you that I'm very allergic to shellfish."

  I nod. “Good to know. Fortunately that won’t be an issue with this order.”

  Everything feels a little awkward right now. I can tell that she’s apprehensive about being here with me. She feels out of her element, and mentally I’m kicking myself for not having asked her before ordering.

  Thankfully the waiter arrives with our wine, breaking the silence. "I'll be right back with your salad,” he tells us as he pours us each a glass.

  We both reach for our glasses and take a sip at the same time. The dry white wine is crisp, with a hint of something earthy, and I’m immediately pleased with the selection. The look on Lorelai’s face tells me she’s enjoying it, too.

  She looks around the room and sets her glass down. "So tell me about you,

  she says, her tone polite, but nervous, “You mentioned that you’re usually busy with work? What is it that you do?"

  "I'm an investment banker. I love my job, so I spend a lot of time working at it. I'd say I'm pretty decent at the work I do." I reply with a little shrug.

  I don't really want to go into details about my wealth or bore her with the details of my busy days.

  "Well that's very modest of you. I'm sure you’re great at it. You have to be really smart or talented for that line of work. And, I mean…" she gestures around us, “Clearly you’re pretty successful.”

  I chuckle sheepishly. “I do all right. So tell me about your business. What's it like owning a bridal shop?"

  She sighs softly, and I wonder why her mood has suddenly taken such a shift. She looks sad, and she’s quiet for a long mom
ent, staring at her glass of wine. Eventually she says, "Well, it's kind of a family business. I inherited the shop from my grandmother, and I love it. I always have. There's nothing like being able to add some magic to the biggest day of someone’s life and give them that happily ever after moment.”

  The words make her blush, but her mood visibly lifts as she speaks and a smile blooms on her lovely face, albeit a slightly bittersweet one. She reaches for her wine and takes a sip. It's cute watching her cheeks turn pink.

  "Well it certainly sounds like you have a passion for your work. That's something not too many people have these days."

  Lorelai nods in agreement. We lapse into silence again and drink our wine. Her answer was sweet and a little surprising, and I found myself charmed by her. There’s something innocent and wholesome about her, in spite of the voluptuous, sexy exterior that has me thinking some very unwholesome thoughts.

  In every way, Lorelai is the exact opposite of the girls that I usually look at, and it dawns on me that I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing here.

  What could make me choose a woman like this?

  I mean, obviously she’s beautiful and sweet, but she’s also too pure and too clean for filthy hands like mine. I look her over again. I realize that I have no idea why I'm here, but I couldn't stay away from her no matter how hard I try.

  I put my wine down and want her to talk again. "Are you looking for your happily ever after? Your Prince Charming?" I ask.

  The words are out of my mouth before I even realize they’ve popped into my head.

  She almost chokes on her wine. Covering a cough with her free hand, she puts her glass down and looks at me. It looks as if she is unsure of how to answer. Finally she says, "Of course I am. Isn't everyone looking for love? Their better half?

  I take another sip of wine before I reply. "Well, if that's how it is, then I guess that's not what I'm looking for. I guess I don't believe in that sort of thing anymore…."