The purr of her voice, her subtle endorsement of him, and the sensual look in her eyes had Carter shifting in his seat and stunned at his own reaction.
“Too bad I’m too old for you,” he said, meaning the words as a joke, but they came out far too flat for humor.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as if she couldn't figure him out. “Are you?”
The fact that she didn’t sound convinced and spoke out to question him didn't escape Carter's notice and for the first time, he wondered if he’d made a mistake.
Chapter3
Kaitlyn
“Fawn,slow down... I can’t understand you.” Kaitlyn felt like a terrible friend.
It wasn't that she couldn't understand Fawn when she went into her hysterical voice that only dogs and bats could hear, but she’d been thinking about a certain eligible bachelor who'd taken her on a date the previous night.
“I sent the money - they got it, right?” The money had hit Kaitlyn's account about three hours after the event, just as she'd been promised. With that cool forty thousand, she now sat on a pretty nest egg of about a hundred thousand dollars - more money than she’d ever seen before and more than she’d ever dare dream she’d have at once. Of course, she'd worked hard for almost every dime.
“They got the money, but they want another five thousand or they're going to hurt me.” Fawn’s voice gave way to that squealing, panicked cry again and Kaitlyn tried to figure out what she could do. She wanted to help her friend, but she was worried at this point they'd squeeze her forever for more and more money, and that she'd never actually see Fawn again.
“Just give me some time to get it together, I'll see what I can do.” She’s been very careful to keep how much money she had in the bank a complete secret from everyone. She liked Fawn, but she didn't trust anyone in her life. Growing up the way she had had taught her that people could turn on you at any time.
“Please, please, please do it fast.” On the tail end of Fawn’s words, Kaitlyn heard a man's deep voice in the background, speaking in a threatening tone before the line went dead.
Of course, Kaitlyn would dip into her savings to save her friend, but watching her hard work vanish bit by bit, chunk by chunk, was hard to watch. She couldn't help but wonder if maybe a certain rich, eligible bachelor would be able to help her get her friend back. After all, he dropped fifty thousand on a date with her; what would five grand more mean to him?
But the thought of conning, tricking, or begging him for money made Kaitlyn uncomfortable. He had already dropped fifty thousand just on a date and she did legitimately like the guy. Asking him for anything else felt wrong.
The biggest issue was that Kaitlyn knew she had to sleep at night no matter what she chose and having to decide between her friend’s safety and a man's money were both bad options. She’d dip into her savings before trying to ask Carter for help. But could she forgive herself if anything happened to Fawn? Especially since she might be the only person that could protect her friend.
She sat down on her shabby couch and put her head between her knees, feeling very small and helpless, worried about her friend, and trying to puzzle through the impossible situation that was her life.
Kaitlyn walked into work on a mission and headed straight for the backroom. She got dressed quickly with trembling fingers, while meeting her smoky eyes in the mirror. She could only hope she'd have the courage to carry off the plan that she'd come up with at home.
Whether or not it was a good plan was up for debate, but it had occurred to Kaitlyn that she didn't just have one rich, eligible bachelor chasing her around, but a second one, too. One that liked to visit her at work, tip her lavishly, and do anything he could to get her attention.
While Kaitlyn had worked hard and done everything in her power to shut Devon down, she decided maybe it was time to play into his affections and use it to help her bottom line, because that would help her replace the money she needed to spend to get Fawn out of trouble.
With the troubling plan in place, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. After his loss yesterday - thanks to Carter winning her at the auction - she had a feeling he'd be at her work today, desperate to win her attention.
After all, Kaitlyn was no stranger to getting what she wanted out of men.
“You're looking extra hot today,” one of the girls, a sweet, effervescent blonde named Candy, said, walking by with a bright, suggestive smile and wink at Kaitlyn.
“Right back at you,” Kaitlyn said, taking in Candy’s red shiny bikini and matching cherry lips. Candy was a house favorite and between her delightful attitude and incredibly good looks, there was no question why.
Candy lifted a hand and made a scratching gesture in Kaitlyn’s, mouthing the word, “Roar,” before sauntering off to spark an animated conversation with three other girls in various states of ready for their time on stage.
Despite the exchange, Kaitlyn found herself still upset, stressed out and worried about what her night would hold. Meeting her gaze in the mirror and taking a deep breath to ground herself in the moment, she reminded herself that she could do anything. After all she'd lived through, this wouldn't be the moment that broke her.
“You're on next, sugar.” The manager peeked backstage and jerked her head toward the floor, warning Kaitlyn that her do-or-die moment had come.
Despite her certainty that he'd be there, she couldn't help but wonder if maybe Devon wouldn't show today. He was such a huge part of her plan. Part of her was excited, but most of her was afraid. Afraid that he'd be there and afraid he wouldn't be.
Kaitlyn made her way to the stage as the first notes of the Britney song she loved began to play. Typically, she liked edgy rock songs to dance to, but she needed a different vibe for the day. Thanks to the circus her life had become, the song only seemed fitting.
Her mind zoned out as she danced, but she did notice halfway through her song as Devon came into the club and sat down in the very front row, shouldering out a couple of guys who seemed ready to start a fight until security grabbed them and led them to the door.
From that point on, she focused on him, making sure to flirt widely with everyone in the front row so he wouldn’t get suspicious. Only once she'd flirted with nearly everyone and glanced his direction did she finally approach, keeping her motion slightly hesitant as she did.