Page 6 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 1

“I’ll walk you to your room,” I murmured, and straightened my spine as I reminded myself about what was at stake. I couldn’t risk decades of monetary security on one great night with a woman I’d just met.

“You don’t have to do that. I can get there myself as I’m staying here in The Alexandra,” Naomi challenged.

“I’m staying here too. And once again, my momma would tan my hide if I didn’t escort you. We’ve both had several drinks and I would sleep better knowing you made it safely back to your room. Plus, we’re friends. Adults. It’s not like anything is going to happen.” I said it, and meant it, but my heart felt the opposite.

She simply nodded.

I put my hand to her back and led her through the casino to the elevators.

“Which floor?” I asked.

“Um, the penthouse.”

“The top floor?” I choked out, disbelieving. I happened to know that there were only two rooms on the top floor because my friend, Faith Castellanos, whose husband owned the hotel, had told me so. One being the honeymoon penthouse suite, the other being for special guests or people who could afford such luxuries. The room had already been reserved, so her husband, Joel, had gifted me a luxury suite on the fifteenth floor. Not that Madam Alana wouldn’t have paid for my room in the host hotel as part of the candidates’ fees, but it made me feel closer to my friends by staying in something they owned. And I promised Joel I would provide detailed feedback on my experience since the resort was newly open to the public.

“I know the owner.” She gave a half-hearted shrug and looked away.

“Me too. Faith Castellanos is a friend of mine. Well, technically, Joel is too, but I don’t know him as well as I do her.”

“I know him through the jewelry business,” she answered, sounding conflicted, which was odd.

Maybe she and Joel had been a thing in the past. Jealousy tore through me unwantedly.

“Look, you don’t have to explain your relationship to me. I’m not your man,” I said, and hated it the instant the words left my mouth. They felt like dry sludge on my tongue—bitter and nasty.

Naomi closed her eyes, crossed her arms over her chest, and took a breath. The elevator dinged and the second the doors opened, she jetted to get out of the confined space.

“Naomi, wait. That was rude of me to say.” I followed her out. “I’m sorry…” I tried as she approached her door and slapped her keycard against it several times to no avail.

She shook her head vigorously from left to right. “No, no. You’re not wrong. Carry on. We had a great night together. Really great,” she said to the door, not to me.

I reached for her elbow and spun her around to find her eyes glassy as though she might cry. I cupped her jaw and ran my thumb along the high, rounded cheekbone. “I’m sorry. I’m saying all the wrong things. It’s just…” I let my shoulders slump. “I’m feeling things I shouldn’t for you. Things I can’t feel,” I whispered, and it pained me to admit it. My chest tightened, and I clenched my teeth in order to hold back everything I wanted to say but knew I shouldn’t.

She nodded and I watched a tear fall. I quickly wiped it away staring into those endless shimmery black depths. “I wish we’d met at a different time in another place where things weren’t so complicated.”

“I wish that too,” she agreed. “I know you have to go, but all I want to do is beg you to stay.”

“Fuck!” An ache the size of a brick hit my gut, telling me I was about to ruin the best opportunity of my life.

“You need to go…because if you don’t, I’m inviting you in. And you’re not that kind of man, and normally, I’m not that kind of woman. Though I think I could be that type of woman if the end result was making you mine.”

“Jesus!” I bit out, cupped both her cheeks, and pressed my nose next to hers. “One kiss. I can’t leave until I have at least a single taste to last me.”

“A kiss to last a lifetime?” she purred, her breath fanning the flames of my need for her.

“Yeah, Naomi. A kiss to last a lifetime.” Then I planted my lips to hers.

It was akin to a bomb exploding. We ravaged one another’s mouths. I sucked on her bottom lip, slanted my head to the side, and devoured her whole. The kiss went on and on. My tongue chasing hers, hers chasing mine. We were both breathing hard as I pressed her up against the wall, my hand on her tight, rounded ass, my cock wedged against her pelvis. She moanedand I thrust my hips, grinding along her slinky dress until she mewled.

When her hand came down between us and she cupped my length, rubbing her palm just right, I ripped my mouth away.

We were both wide-eyed and gasping for air as we realized how far we’d taken it.

I slowly extracted myself, grabbed her hands, and brought them both up to my mouth where I placed a single kiss to each.

“I’ll never forget you,” I promised as I backed away from a woman who could have been my everything.

She lifted her hand to her mouth and stood still as stone as I stepped onto the elevator.

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