Page 63 of The Marriage Auction 2: Part 1

Rhodes rested his hands on his knees and pivoted up to stand before me. He stared into my eyes for a long time, so long I was just about to look away when he nodded abruptly.

“If you’re sure you’re ready to do this,” he walked over to the table where the contract sat. I’d already made my decision. I was in it for the cash. Simple as that. My family’s safety depended on it.

“Rhodes, if you’d rather take more time…” Madam Alana offered him another out, which I found irritating.

I stood up abruptly, wobbling on the stupid stilts the stylist put me in. I’d give anything to slide my feet into my well-worn, beloved, Doc Martens right about now.

“Do you two know each other or something??” I rubbed my arms, trying to warm them from the chill in the room.Did hotels have to keep the temperature at freezing at all times? Damn.I shivered.

Rhodes clocked my tremble and immediately unbuttoned his suit jacket, shrugged it off, came over to me, then placed it around my shoulders. The scent of a fruity, woodsy-like cologne wafted through the air from the satin inner lining that was pressed against my skin. I clutched the lapels between my breasts and sighed when the heat of his body transferred from the jacket to me.

“Thank you,” I whispered feeling shy and awkward after everything that had happened.

“My pleasure, Maia. And in answer to your questions, Alana and I have known one another for many years. Since before my daughter was born.”

“And unfortunately, a situation occurred during your auction that was unfair to my friend. I invited him in the hopes he would see you specifically. I knew based on the information he’d shared about being pick-pocketed in the airport by a stunning, little brunette, that you were very likely the culprit.”

I slumped where I stood. “Fuck my luck, man. I’m sorry, Alana. I didn’t mean…it’s just, the timing was so perfect and…”

She held up a hand. “You do not have to explain yourself to me. You and I have our own past and it is water under the bridge,oui?”

“Yeah,” I huffed. “Still, I’m sorry I stole from your friend.” I turned to Rhodes. “I’m sorry I stole from you. It’s just Sam really needed the rent, and he’s covered for me too much already.” I blabbed, sharing more than I’d ever shared before with Alana oranyonefor that matter. This situation had me spilling all my secrets and completely out of sorts.

“Who’s Sam?” Rhodes growled. “You in some kind of trouble? If a man is messing with you, or making you feel unsafe, I’ll handle it right now. Take me to him,” Rhodes demanded.

“Whoa!” I lifted one of my hands between us. “You don’t even know me. And what you do know of me hasn’t exactly been positive and you want to stick up for me? I don’t get it.”

Rhodes let out a long exhale and rubbed at his temples with his thumb and forefinger. “God damn, this is getting complicated. Is this Sam person threatening you?”

“No. Totally the opposite. Sam has never made me feel unsafe,” I assured him.

“Is he a romantic interest?” Rhodes rumbled, his tone rising, nostrils flaring.

I couldn’t help my nasty expression as I responded, “Gross. I mean, the biker bunnies love him, but he’s more like a brother to me.” I imagined my best friend’s gruff, wicked smile. His hair swept off his head with a red bandana tied around his foreheadlike Axl Rose from Guns N’ Roses. Which also happened to be his favorite band. Go figure.

Rhodes pursed his lips and crossed his arms. Those were some massive guns. I’d bet I could put both my hands around one bicep and my fingers wouldn’t even touch.

“Okay, so do you still owe this Sam, like a brother to you, money?” Rhodes countered.

I shook my head and looked away. “I paid him with the money I stole from you so we’re all settled up until next month. But I figured I’d need to pack up my stuff and move it wherever my husband wanted me to move.”

“We’ll take care of it this week,” Rhodes said before grabbing the pen, and signing off on the bid.

“Um okay,” I whispered, my eyes wide, my heart back to thundering in my chest. I swallowed and glanced at the contract then back up to the endlessly icy depths of his eyes. “Does this mean we’re getting married?”

“Yeah, sweetheart, it means we’re getting hitched.” Rhodes ran his hand through his hair and sighed. “What else needs to be done, Alana?” he asked the madam who’d been silently standing several feet away.

She walked over, scanned the contract and then held it to her chest. “I’ll make sure my team files everything. Maia, the $250,000 deposit will go into your account tonight. When the two of you have gotten officially married, $2,250,000 will be transferred into your account. The second deposit on your first anniversary, and the third on your two-year anniversary. If at any time you break any of the rules as set forth in the contract, including but not limited to being unfaithful to your husband, you will forfeit all monies. This goes both ways.”

“Having experienced that pain myself, I would never do that to another person,” Rhodes hissed.

“I understand.” I murmured then looked at Madam Alana and then to Rhodes. “What do we do now?”

Rhodes closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then held out his hand to me.

I stared at that hand as if it were a venomous snake about to strike. Still, I summoned up the courage to place mine overtop his and waited for something bad to happen.

It never did.

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