Page 36 of A Christmas Auction

Bruno chuckled. “I meant for food, but I’m always down for a little dessert when you’re ready.”

“Do you ever stop?” I returned.

His eyebrow cocked. “Do you really want me to?”

I actually didn’t want him to stop. I enjoyed our banter almost more than the sex…almost. But even under extreme duress I would never admit it.

“I’m hungry too. Can you order me a bacon cheeseburger, fries and a Coke? And if they have some whiskey, I wouldn’t be mad at that either.”

“You want a burger, fries, and a coke?” He repeated, sounding shocked.

“Bacon cheeseburger,” I enunciated. “Don’t forget thebaconor thecheeseor there will be consequences.”

He grinned and leaned against the dresser. “I’d like to see what those consequences might be. More importantly, will we be naked for them?”

I closed my eyes, fisted my hands and growled. “I swear to God,” I was about to nail him right to the wall.

“Okay, okay,” he held his hands up in supplication while chuckling. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to get your goat and help you forget about today.”

I frowned. “That’s kinda nice actually,” I pouted and then went over to the big fluffy bed and slowly crawled from the foot up to the headboard.

“If you’re going to wave that fine ass in my face, I can’t promise to be a gentleman,” he croaked.

I turned my head to look over my shoulder and realized my position. Up on all fours with my ass waving in the air just as he claimed.

I shifted to my bum on the coverlet as fast as possible. “That wasn’t intentional.”

“Noted. Don’t worry. I’ll be a good boy. You don’t need sex right now. You need food, water, these pills,” he shook out four two-hundred-milligram Ibuprofen from a bottle the doctor must have given him, “and rest.”

He grabbed a bottle of water from the small bar and handed it and the pills to me. “You take those, I’m going to order our food and then go fill the ice bucket so I can make you a new ice pack. Doc handed me a note that said intermittent icing along with the pills before we left.”

I took the pills and snuggled under the blankets, the smell of leather mixed liberally with bergamot and a scent that could only be uniquely Bruno, filled my nose. I breathed it in deeply and closed my eyes. “I’ll be here,” I mumbled, letting the day disappear while I relaxed.

All too soon there was a knock on the door.

“What…who is it?” I muttered, pushing myself to sit back against the headboard.

“The food,” Bruno said and disappeared behind a little wall to open the door. I could hear him talking quietly to someone and then he appeared pushing a food cart into the bedroom.

“How long have I been out?” I asked, my gaze on the two bacon cheeseburgers that appeared when Bruno lifted the lids. My mouth watered at the sight of all that goodness.

“You’ve been crashed out the last hour. I waited to order the food so you could get a good nap in. How do you feel?” He asked while he prepped my plate, and silverware, then brought it over to me. I sat cross-legged and put my plate down on my lap,grabbing a French fry and shoving it in my mouth. It was nice and hot and salted to perfection.

I hummed while I chewed. “Better now. My head hurts less. The meds and nap really did help. Thank you, Bruno,” I looked to the side, not making eye contact. “For, taking care of me. For everything. You were there for me today, and it could have gotten really bad.”

He came and sat down next to my legs, then reached for my knee and squeezed. “Holly, look at me,” he asked gently.

I lifted my gaze and saw nothing but his concern. The broody alpha hot guy was gone and left behind was just Bruno. A good man that didn’t want to see me hurt.

“You will always be my priority,” he stated like a vow.

My bottom lip trembled. “It could have been so much worse today. Those women, that scene…” my voice trembled. “It reminded me of when the brothers attacked me last week.”

He nodded and rubbed my leg. “I feared it might. I’m sorry too.”

“For fingering me in the bathroom?”

He grinned wickedly and shook his head. “I’ll never be sorry for that.”

---