Page 59 of Hope's Highest Bidders

I cringe at the thought that comes next. “Does everyone at work know?”

He grits his teeth. “No.”

“So if no one knows, and Elana didn’t tell you, how did you know I was there?”

He blows out a breath as he stops at a stop sign. “You’re not going to like it, Maggie.”

He starts to drive again, and I turn in my seat with one hand on the dashboard. “I’m not going to like it? What does that even mean?”

He shrugs. “It means you’re not going to like it.”

“Ben! Stop this. I’m tired of these games. How did you know about this?”

He keeps his eyes on the road. “Elana came to dinner the other night and told me you were going on vacation, but she wouldn’t tell me where. I was worried about you, and I had to know.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “I looked at your email.”

I think back to the invitation I’d received and the application I sent back. “My email? Wait, that was my personal email.”

He looks at me almost guiltily. “I know.”

“You looked at my personal email? How did you even do that? Why would you do that?”

He doesn’t answer me, though. We’re at the main intersection in town, and Ben turns toward the distilleries. I point the opposite direction. “I live that way.”

“I know where you live.”

I shake my head. “Of course you do. Where are you going? Take me home.”

He keeps driving, seemingly unfazed. “I’m taking you home with me.”

I laugh. How can I not? This whole thing is crazy. “I’m not going home with you.”

“Yes, you are.”

I wave my hand in his face. “Uh, hello. No, I’m not.”

“Yes, you are. I have eight million reasons saying you are.”

I gulp. I never thought…. I didn’t think that he actually wanted to follow through on this. “Ben, surely you don’t think?—”

“I’m not going to force you to sleep with me. You don’t have anywhere to be until Monday. Stay with me.”

Fuck, I want to. I want to stay with him more than anything, but does that make me weak? He only wants me for one thing. But he did pay eight million dollars to get it. I look over at him and can’t help but wonder what’s going on in his head. He could have literally had me for free. “None of this makes sense.”

He shrugs and keeps driving up the mountain. “It will.”

I put my hand on his forearm and feel his muscles flex under my palm. He’s affected by my touch. “Why? Give me one good reason… Why should I?”

There’s torment in his eyes. “Because I messed up. That day I met you, I fucked up. I want to make it right.”

I cross my arms over my chest. I can feel myself softening to him, but I’m trying to keep my wits about me. “Fine, you want to be forgiven? You’re forgiven. You could have saved eight million dollars and just picked up the phone to apologize to me. You don’t spend that kind of money to make something right, Ben.”

“Will you go with me or not?”

I bite my lower lip. “I’m not fucking you.”

His eyes drop to my lips before looking back at the road. “That’s your decision. I would like for you to stay, Maggie.”

I should demand he take me home, but I don’t. Instead, I turn and sit straight in my seat and look out the side window. “Fine,” I mutter. “I’ll go home with you.”

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