I force a smile to my face as I resist the urge to drag Silas away from her. Seeing her just reminds me of the history he has with her, the years they’ve spent together. I shouldn’t, but when I see her, I can’t help but compare myself to her, and it becomes painfully clear why Silas doesn’t think I’m good enough.
“Silas,” she says, drawing out his name. “I heard you’re taking part in the eligible bachelor auction? I’m definitely winning a date with you. I can’t wait.” She winks at him before walking away, her expression provocative. It’s clear she isn’t in the least intimidated by my presence, as though she knows other women come and go in his life, but she’s his constant. I looked her up after Josh mentioned her, and Silas always seems to end up back with her, no matter how long they break up for. His name is never mentioned in the articles, but I’ve seen photos of them together.
“What is she talking about?”
He lets go of me and turns to face me, a mere inch between our bodies. “I’m up for auction tonight,” he says, grinning. “Several other bachelors and I will be auctioning off dates. I was a little worried that I’d stand there without anyone wanting to bid on me, but I worried needlessly. Raven is here, after all.”
Thoughts of the two of them going on a date together plague me, and my mood plummets even further than it already had.
“I’d better get ready for the auction,” he tells me. “Don’t forget. You need to buy one thing tonight on behalf of Sinclair Security. I won’t be able to do it.”
I nod and watch him walk away, interrupted every few steps by women who seem far too eager to speak to him. The second he goes up on that stage, all hell is going to break loose. It’s obvious that most of the women that surround him have every intention of winning a date with him, and it doesn’t sit well with me.
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… is him?
“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.