Dana was wearing a simple black dress with a plunging V-neckline, showing off more of those tempting orbs she had teased him with a few nights ago. The dress ended at just the end of her thighs, a little bolder than the outfits before, but lord, she was smoking hot.
They drove toward the auction, which took place in the evening at a venue in the downtown core. They spoke about the car he was driving, a 1964 Astin Martin, and Rux noticed how she leaned in closer to him each time they interacted.
“Were you a big James Bond fan?” she asked, grinning.
Rux shrugged dramatically.
“I mean, wasn’t everyone?” he responded.
Dana shrugged back, mirroring his attitude.
“I wasn’t particularly,” she said, watching him as he drove. “A man using women whenever he felt like it didn’t exactly float my boat.”
Rux nodded, understanding her point. He then turned briefly, moving his eyes up and down her supple body, unable to control his smug smile.
“What?” Dana said, laughing.
“Nothing,” Rux said, turning back to the road. “I was just thinking about how unfortunate that is because you’d make a really fine Bond girl.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Rux saw how Dana crossed her legs, squeezing them together. A beaming smile then grew across her face as she raised a finger to her lips, tracing them, tongue rolling out briefly upon impulse. He wanted to pull over and make her feel things she’d never felt before.
“Oh, Rux,” she said in a sultry tone. “I appreciate the compliment, but I’d rather be the spy.”
She winked at him, and Rux thought he was going to crash the car.
They walked into the venue together, with Dana immediately making heads turn from every angle. She didn’t seem to notice, though. Her eyes were fixated ahead.
Rux figured that a lot of women had adapted that way; it took very little to get a leer or five from any man within a ten-yard radius.
They moved through the aisles, standing side-by-side, discussing each car as they arrived at it. Dana was positively glowing. The high spirits made her flirty, joyous, and relaxed overall. Rux was hoping to have that effect. He didn’t want her to feel any pressure. Despite how much he wanted her, he was never going to force her in any direction.
He felt like an observer walking next to her as they moved through the bustling crowd. She seemed to be floating next to him, looking dazzling and confident and … absolutely in need of no one to fulfill her.
Why on Earth would she ever choose me?
They arrived at an auction taking place with mostly men standing around, holding their hands high as the auctioneer rattled off high prices. Rux thought his heart was going to rupture when she grabbed his hand and squeezed it like she had held it a million times.
“Rux!” she exclaimed. “That’s a Rolls Royce Phantom!”
Rux turned to where she was pointing and noticed a bright cobalt-blue darling sitting on the main stage before them. It seemed to be a popular one as many people were shooting their hands into the air. The price soon skyrocketed to over half a million dollars.
“Let’s go!” Dana said.
Rux thought his face was going to break because of how widely he was smiling. Her excitement was contagious, and he let her pull him through the crowd to the front of the line. The touch of her skin gave him a glimpse of their future, of sitting around firelight, lingering kisses, naked moonlight touches …
They made it to the front, and Dana’s eyes continued to gleam off the similarly shaded vehicle. She clutched her hands together, then leaned over to whisper into Rux’s ear over the booming auctioneer.
“I worked on one of these with my dad,” she said, her gorgeous smile making him choke. “I always find them to be so dark, so strange.”
Rux was blinded by his adoration for her, the way his skin prickled when her breath traced his skin. He leaned down this time to her ear, her scent smacking in the face like a brisk wind.
“Do you want it?” he asked.
Dana’s smile melted away in a flash, and she was almost grimacing. He realized that he had crossed the line. He couldn’t throw money at her to make her happy, nor did he want her to think that he thought of her that way. He quickly caught himself.
“I mean, I could buy it,” he said, “so we could both work on it. Together.”
The smile grew back slowly on Dana’s lips, so genuine and charming.