I stand in the corner as several items go up for auction, including a gorgeous diamond necklace that I would’ve bought just out of sheer spite, yet I find myself holding back.
“At last, the highlight of our event.” I look up at the woman on stage, who seems to be a celebrity of some sort. “I hope you’ve got your chequebooks on you, because we’re about to auction off dates with the city’s most eligible bachelors.”
Five men walk onto the stage, but the only one I’ve got eyes for is Silas. He smiles at the crowd, yet somehow, his eyes find mine within seconds. I swallow hard as he holds me captive with his gaze, unable to look away.
With each man that gets auctioned off and exits the stage, I get more nervous. I noticed Raven standing at the front, clearly expecting to win, and I know I should let it be, but I can’t.
He said I could bid on one thing that I wanted tonight. What if it’s him? What if what I want… ishim?
“I don’t need to introduce Silas Sinclair to you, do I?” the hostess says, and the women in the crowd go wild. “Let’s start the bidding at a thousand dollars. One thousand dollars, anyone?”
“Five thousand!” Raven shouts, holding up her number.
“Eight thousand,” another woman shouts instantly.
“Ten thousand,” yet another woman adds.
I look around the room, a sense of dread overcoming me as I take in the countless women that want nothing more than a date with Silas. The bidding quickly gets out of hand, the amount of money they’re willing to spend on a single date making me uncomfortable.
“Sixty thousand,” one woman says.
Many of them are celebrities, heiresses, and prominent business women. They’re all more qualified to be with him than I’ll ever be, but I don’t care. I raise my hand and gather my courage. “One hundred thousand,” I say, and heads turn as the room quietens. I feel countless gazes on me, everyone assessing who I am and what I’m worth.
“Going once,” the hostess says.
Silas smirks at me, his eyes betraying how pleased he is.
“Going twice.”
Raven twists her hands, and for a moment I fear she’ll outbid me.
“Sold to the lady in the back!”
My shoulder slump in relief, and Silas chuckles as he exits the stage. My cheeks are blazing and my heart is thumping so loudly that every other sound fades away. What have I done?
“Good girl,” Silas murmurs, his hand wrapping around my waist.
He pulls me flush against him, and I look up into his eyes, unsure what to say. The truth is that I didn’t want him to go on a date with any of these women.
“There’s no avoiding me now,” he tells me as he pulls me onto the dance floor. “I meant what I said earlier, Alanna. You made your choice when you came home with me. I won’t do anything that you don’t want me to, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting you get back together with my brother. Not ever.”
I look into his eyes, startled by the passion blazing within them. “I know,” I whisper. “I won’t.”
He nods, looking pleased as he twirls me around, the two of us swaying together, our bodies far closer than appropriate. “Tell me, baby. Why did you bid on me?” he whispers eventually.
“You told me to bid on something on your behalf. I figured I might as well do you a favor. Those ladies seemed really viscous.”
He pulls me closer, the two of us falling into a steady rhythm. “I told you to bid on something youwant, my love.” His hand roams over my back, his touch possessive.
“I don’t want you.”
He smiles. “You will by the time the date you just bought wraps up.”
ChapterForty-Seven
Silas
I smile to myself as I knock on Alanna’s bedroom door early in the morning. She won a date with me, so that’s exactly what I’m going to give her. The only reason she’s even considering forgiving Ryan is the memories she shares with him. She has no idea of our shared past, of our history. If I want to compete with Ryan and make her fall for me the way she once did, I’ll have to give her new memories to replace the ones she lost.