Brielle laughs and I feel my chest warm at that beautiful sound. She burrows her face against my neck, and I leave my fingers tangled in her silky hair. We’ve forgotten the rest of the crowd. I don’t even care about the auction we will be hosting tonight. I don’t want to stop twirling around the room with my sweet bunny in my arms.
“I like it,” her voice floats just above the music and I grin.
“Good. I won’t call you anything else,” I rasp back as my fingers slip into her hair to tilt her head back again.
Her eyes flash up at me, dark with heat and I feel my dick jerk. She may have kept me at a distance all these months, but her eyes told me she didn’t want to. Now they tell me everything I want to know. They tell me she is turned on, just like I am, and that she doesn’t want me to let her go.
“Brett,” her voice is raspy, rough, her eyes glittering in the dim light of the ballroom we keep spinning around.
“Yes, bunny?” I reply as I lower my head so close that my lips almost touch hers.
“They keep calling for you,” There is nothing but nerves in her voice now and I frown, hating that something is intruding on us.
“What? Who is calling?” I turn to glance at the stage where Luke is waiting, eyes trained on me as he waits for me to snap out of it. He tells a bad joke about skiers being thick skulled and I toss a few choice words his way.
Turning back to Brielle, I hesitate. Lowering my head again, I touch my nose to hers, darting mytongueoutto trace her mouth. Her soft moan makes my dick surge in myslacks,and I groan. “Don’t you go away, bunny. I will be back for you.”
Her breath pants against my mouth and I smile, knowing I affected her. Striding towards the stage with the whole room watching makes me very aware of how hard I am in my fitted tux. When I glance back, Brielle is where I left her, watching me take the stage. I grin at her, and wink and I wish I could see her in the low lights because I know she is flushed.
“Here he is folks,” Luke announces as he steps back from the podium, inviting me to take his place.
“Thank you,” I call out to the crowded room, chuckling nervously when the mic crackles and a titter of laughs moves through the room.
Glancing out at the crowd I note very few familiar faces. Mostly strangers who want to be seen giving money to charities. Over the holiday season there will be several ofthese sorts of shindigs. All of these people, myself included, will be expected to be there to open our wallets.
When my gaze lands on Brielle, I am hit with inspiration. I will go toeach and everycharity event this season—because I know she will be there. Thesethingsare profoundly important to her—and I want to make it an important part of my life too. I want to be a better man for her. Because of her.
“Open those clutches, unfold those money clips, bid on some wonderful, unique items from some of my friends, and bid big. This is for charities who need your funds to get through the holidays. Spend it like you mean it.”
Brielle grins up at me and I flush, nodding my head at her. I leave Luke to it and go to join her. He explains the many items up for auction tonight, from signed snowboards from me and my former Olympic teammates, season tickets to the Harmony Hollow Hawks football team, and even designerjewelryfrom Rian Thorn.
Bidding starts,and I watch Luke score thousands of dollars for our favorite charities. One percent of the sales will go to Shea Ski Lodge, to fund the operation of the place, but besides that, every single dime will go to those charities. It feels good to give something back.
“How much is too much for that very nice snowboard, signed by the infamous Brett Shea?” Brielle teases beside me when Luke announces it.
“Bunny,” my voice is rough as I watch her eyes dance, her hand going up slowly. “Maybe you would prefer a private one-on-one lesson with the man himself? No need to bid, I would be yours for free,” I tell her, heat sizzling in the air between us.
Her chin lifts as her arm goes up higher, her fingers flicking. Luke spots her bid and calls it out. I reach out, grabbing her hip to draw her close. Her hand wiggles again, upping her bid. My hand drifts lower, cupping her plump ass and she bites her lip. Another flick of her hand. I grip her ass in my hand and yank her against me as she laughs, upping her bid once again.
Luke calls it at four grand but someone else is outbidding her. Bending my head, I brush my lips over her ear, telling her to stop bidding. I promise to get her a matching board. She makes another bid, raising it to six grand. When I promise to take her on the bunny slope and tell her why I really call her bunny, she whimpers and nods, flicking her hand again. Eight grand.
“Brielle, stop it,” I growl, swatting her ass and grunting when she moans. “I will give you what you want, Bunny. Just ask me.”
“I want that board, Ace,” she purrs against my throat before she stuns me, licking afierypath up my throat to my ear. “I don’t want someone else to get it.I want it.Don’t you want me to have it?” her voice is hot honey as it drips over me and I grip her ass tighter, letting her feel how badly I want her to have it. Her tits aresoft,but I feel the pebbled nipples through her silky dress.
“I want you to have it, bunny,” I growl, sliding my hand up to tangle it in her hair. Yanking her head back, I press my mouth to her ear. “Keep bidding. Show me how bad you want it, baby.” Our bodies press tightly together as I fist her hair at the nape of her neck, watching her beam up at me with a sexy smirk, her eyes sparkling.
“Thirteenthousand,” her voice rings out above the other bidding, the entire room quieting with a hush.
“Sold,” Luke shouts, slamming his gavel down as he grins at us.
“It’s yours, bunny,” I whisper against her throat as she laughs.
“Is it, ace?” she taunts me, biting her bottom lip as she gazes up at me.
Without thinking about what ought to come next, I back out of the room, pulling her with me. I do not care if people know we left or figure out why I am sneaking off with her. All I care about is getting my mouth on her. Hearing her sounds as I please her. Brielle's walls went down tonight. I want to wreck those walls so she can no longer put them up to keep me out.
“Bunny, we need to be alone,” I insist as I lead her down a dark stairwell to a hall lit by a stone fireplace. It is quiet, warm, and dark as I spin to press her to the stone wall.