Page 3 of Auctioned to the Mountain Man

“Why would I do that?”

“To stay warm while I see if I can save this death trap.” I should be gentler with my words, but something about this woman has always driven me a little bat shit. Maybe I’ll go to hell just for thinking it, but Alida’s fucking sexy when she’s riled up. Especially when I’m the one who’s done the riling.

“Fine.”

There’s something suspicious about how quickly she agrees to my offer, but I don’t have time to question it. As much as I wish I could just drive her home and send a tow after her car, there are consequences for missing the auction I don’t want her to deal with. If it was just money, I’d pay it in a heartbeat.

I could drop her off at the mansion and come back for her car, but I can’t let her out of my sight for a fucking minute once she steps inside that place. I’ve heard rumors about side deals being made outside the auction, and I don’t want her caught in a trap she can’t escape.

Within a few minutes, I’ve assessed that the radiator’s shot, her fuel pump is on its last leg, and if she’d had a spare tire, it wouldn’t have mattered much because the tie rod snapped when she slid into the ditch. She’s fucking lucky she didn’t wrap herself around a tree.

“Were you going to tell me about the spare tire?” I ask, tossing her bag into the backseat of my truck.

“You didn’t ask.”

I wait until I’m behind the wheel and driving before I say, “Have you considered replacing that death trap?”

“After tonight, maybe I will.”

Every muscle tenses at those arrogant words. As if she has any fucking idea what she’s signed up for. If I have it my way, she’ll never have to know the horrors of that place. Even if she hates me for interfering. I take a deep, calming breath, counting backward from ten to ensure my words are gentler before I say, “If you need a car?—”

“Don’t!” She points a finger at me like she intends to curse me. “I don’t need your fucking charity, Fox. I thought I made that clear.”

“You did.”

“So, knock it the fuck off.”

There are men attending tonight’s auction who’d pay double just to have her talk that way to them behind closed doors. They’d be turned on by her feisty spirit. The very thought of another man laying a hand on Alida makes my blood boil.

I’ve wanted this frustrating, fierce woman since the moment I first laid eyes on her three years ago. But no matter how badly I want to take her to heights she’s never experienced, to make her cry out my name in ecstasy when she comes over and over again, I won’t touch her. I’ve got enough problems without giving Brett a reason to haunt my ass.

I’ll take my dirty secret to the grave.

Even after I make the winning bid.

CHAPTER

THREE

ALIDA

“Where the hell did you get a hundred thousand dollars?” I hiss the words at Fox, hoping the resentment masks my relief as he leads me up a winding staircase and away from the auction room. I want to be angry with him for completely contradicting me and coming to my rescue, but the alternative makes me nearly hurl on the marble stairs.

“You could try thank you,” he says, his voice low as his grip tightens on my forearm. To the outside observer, it might look as though he’s captured his prey and is only determined that I’m not getting away. But I know the truth. His firm grip is the only thing keeping me upright.

What the hell I was thinking?

This auction idea seemed fun and innocent enough in the dressing room when Janelle helped me pick out a sparkly red dress sure to wow the crowd of bidders. One that made me feel like I was worth the highest price tag. A luxury item. I loved how I looked—and how Ifelt—in this dress.

Until I took the stage.

Reality hit me like a hard slap in the face.

The greedy, predatory gazes of the men in the front row will forever be burned into my brain. There was nothing gentlemanly about the wolves in suits. My stomach does a sickening flop at the memory of those paddles flying, the numbers climbing higher at an alarming rate.The higher the price tag, the more they’ll expect.How did I not recognize that simple statement for the warning it was?

The men hereareridiculously attractive—Janelle wasn’t lying about that detail. The bidding war should have been flattering. Never in my life has any man—let alone half a dozen—gone into competition over me. But with each bid, I felt dirtier. Like a thousand showers wouldn’t be enough to cleanse me of this terrible decision.

Now all I want to do is burn this damn dress.

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