Page 26 of A Christmas Auction

“We had sex.” Unbelievable sex, but I left that part out, trying not to encourage her. This type of conversation was often difficult at best, and in my experience, letting someone down the day after sex could also be brutal. Always best to cut the cord before anyone got hurt, is what Jonas recommended.

“We had a lot of sex, Bruno. A lot, a lot, a lot of sex, buddy,” she crossed her arms over one another and waited for me to speak.

She could wait all day. Whoever starts the argument loses. Period.

“I just want to make sure we’re cool. It was good. But that’s all it was,” she shared, her voice becoming gentle.

“Good?”

She grinned, her entire face lighting up as her cheeks bloomed a rosy hue. “Okay, phenomenal. I haven’t been bedded like that in…well, ever. You are seriously amazing, Bruno. Who knew you had it in you?” She patted my chest in a placating manner I didn’t quite understand.

I frowned, not having any idea where this conversation was now going. I’d expected her to be clingy and needy today, but what I was getting wasn’t that. Not even in the same hemisphere.

“What are you trying to say, Holly?”

“You know…well…” She licked her lips and bit into the bottom one, her gaze jumping from place to place. Everywhere but my eyes. “You’re about to be on a date with me and another guy. Are you going to be okay with that?”

I snorted. “Am I going to be okay? Are you being serious right now?”

Her eyes bugged out to the size of dinner plates. “Um, yeah. I just want to make sure to reiterate what we agreed on last night. No strings attached. Just sex. Because I’m in this for real. I need to get chosen. What I don’t need is another man getting in the way of what I’m trying to do to start my future.”

I burst out laughing. “Un-fucking-believable. You are one of a kind, lady. Usually, I’m the one that has to have this conversation with the women I fuck, and here you are…what? Letting me down easy.” I shook my head. “For fuck’s sake. Let’s go.” I waved her to follow. “You’re going to be late.” And on that note, I turned around and left our hotel room, her shoes flip-flapping along as she brought up the rear. We passed my menon the way to the elevator. I made sure to give them each eye contact and a nod of my head in greeting and respect.

That did not, however, take away from my thoughts about what Holly said back in our room.

The nerve. Letting me down easy. Please. Now I had a point to prove.

The only thing that would be going down was her, to her fucking knees in an airplane bathroom. Maybe while her pretty boy actor was pouring champagne, waiting for her, she’d be swallowing my cock like she did so perfectly last night.

An evil smile adorned my lips as I stared at my reflection in the elevator’s mirrored doors.

“What has you smiling like that?”

“How are you on airplanes?”

Chapter 10

Your Sleigh Awaits

HOLLY

Today was the day I would change my entire life. And what a day it would be. Jet-setting across the West Coast in a glamourous designer gown and shoes. Attending a real Hollywood elite event while on the arm of a famous movie star. I could hardly believe this was my life. At least for today it was.

Alana had informed my suitor or in this case, my bidder, that he could meet us in the lobby bar of the hotel where she worked and lived part of the year. The rest of the time Alana resided in France with her husband Cristophe, whom I’d come to adore. He was the golden retriever to Alana’s black cat personality. A perfect match.

After the glam team did the full gambit of hair, makeup and attire this morning, I felt prepared for whatever the day would bring. Truly, I’d never looked better or felt more beautiful.

Bruno, however, snarled at the sight of my complete look, preferring to glare at me and everyone in the room before ditching us for a phone call with a member of his team. His response had hurt my feelings a little. We’d had such an incredible night together, one I wouldn’t soon to forget. I assumed we’d have a deeper connection today. A friendship of sorts. I mean, we’d spent most of the previous evening naked and fucking each other’s brains out. That should have earned me a “you look great,” or “that color suits you.”

Something.

But no. I got Mr. Grumpy Pants back in full force. Even now, as we waited at the bar and I sipped a glass of champagne, he was in full brood, choosing to sit several seats away from Alana and myself. He claimed it was to give us some privacy.

“Holly, I presume?” A man spoke as he tapped me on the shoulder.

Alana rose from her seat as I spun my chair around. Instantly, I was struck dumb, meeting Mr. Hollywood, I mean, Colin Omstead in person. He was unbelievably good looking, almost painfully so. Reminded me of attempting to look at the sun to watch a solar eclipse. Beautiful but dangerous to one’s health.

Colin was tall, with wide shoulders that tapered into the classic V-shape at his waist. Perfect dirty blonde hair and startling clear blue eyes. His eyes had the subtlest crinkle at the edges, showing his thirty-five years of life on this Earth, but they didn’t distract from his beauty in the slightest. In fact, they added to it. He wore a crisp, classic black tuxedo, with a daring dark-green satin tie and pocket square that matched my dress exactly. He looked dashing, like a real-life Prince Charming. And then hesmiled, showing a set of pearly white teeth, prettier than my dentist had, and I swooned.

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