“Fuck.”Drew rubs his face and maneuvers me so I’m slightly in front of him.His hand lands on my hip, burning with promise.“We need to stay for this.”
I can barely pay attention.
I’m surprised he’s letting a charity auction stop him from taking a woman home.
I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Why was Zander trying to stop us?
Auction after auction is announced as the minutes drag on.Drew wins the luxury Maldives vacation; Sebastian takes home a Tiger Woods golf day and Zander a whisky collection, which is obviously a big deal, but I have no idea why.
“And the final auction of the evening, the Manhattan diamond.This piece is a vintage white teardrop diamond totaling twenty-four carats.”
The image of the necklace appears on the screen behind him, and I find myself hugging Drew’s arm as I let out a softwow.
I’ll never get to see it again, but I’ll never forget how stunning it was in real life.
“Made is 1973 for actress Mary Monroe, the necklace has been anonymously donated for tonight’s auction, and I’m sorry to say, the winner has asked to remain anonymous.”
The room lets out a round of disappointedahhhs.
Drew pulls out his phone, checking something on the screen and taps a response.Clearly he wasn’t as enamored by it as many in the room, or perhaps he’s hurrying his driver so we can now leave.
Finally, his eyes dip, the lust I saw earlier still alive and eager.
“We’re leaving,” he tells his friends.“See you tomorrow night.”
“Not me,” Sebastian states, and Drew rolls his eyes.
What was that about?
I give them all a small wave, and Zander watches me over his crystal tumbler.
Drew tugs me through the crowd.“We have one stop to make.”
I have to walk fast, almost running, to keep up with his long strides as we cross the lobby.Suddenly, somewhere in the middle of the room, Drew stops, curses, cups my face, and slams his mouth down on mine.
Holy hell in a handbasket.
Stunned, I grab his arms, my fingers pressing into his thick biceps, and melt into a pool of submission as his tongue sweeps in and devours me.
Oh, my god.
No man has ever kissed me like this.
My toes curl, my core tightens, and the world evaporates from existence as I hang on for dear life.
“Mr.Carrington.”A man in a suit, surrounded by two security guards, steps into our space.
Goddamn them.
While I blink away the blur of chemistry, the moment Drew releases my lips, I watch him take a black velvet box, sign on a digital device, then he leads me away.
When we step outside the building into the night, Patrick makes himself known.
Drew nods at him, turns to face me, opens the box, and I gasp.
He removes the Manhattan Diamond and places the necklace around my neck while my brain tries to work out what is happening.