Page 3 of Hacker Auction

I reached the scene and pressed my hand to her back. “I was looking everywhere for you, Rachelle.”

Tears filled her green eyes as she looked at me. “Oh.”

“I was leaving anyway. Not sure why you would ever want to spend time with the fat bitch.”

My teeth ground at his words. “You must have a small dick. So when a woman has a nice ass like hers, you feel so pathetic the only thing you can do is put her down? That’s fine. I’m sure I’ll be able to make her feel every inch of me.”

Rachelle coughed next to me, but her eyes never left the man glaring at me. His face had turned bright red. “You will regret speaking to me that way.”

“Let me guess. You will take me down. I wish losers would come up with a better come back, but I don’t have time for you.”

I wasn’t sure how it was possible because I thought it was hot as hell outside, but Rachelle shivered. “Here.” I wrapped my jacket around her shoulders. “Let’s get you back to the event.”

She nodded. A solitary tear trailed down her cheek. I reached up and whipped it from her skin. “I think you owe me a date.”

“You looked so stressed up on stage,” she said as we walked back down the trail, leaving the man I wanted to kill behind. “I bid so you wouldn’t end up with one of the crazy women in the crowd.”

The ice around my heart melted a little at what the woman did for me. “One date won’t hurt.”

We had reached the valet area.

“Miss Carlton.” A young man ran over and held out her keys. “I did as you asked. Your car is around the corner, and I made sure nobody blocked you in.”

Rachelle smiled at the teenager. “I owe you.” She pulled out five hundred dollars and handed it to the kid. “Now enjoy a little of it, don’t put it all in savings. Take advice from someone who didn’t enjoy their youth and only studied. Buy something for yourself.”

The kid tucked the money in his pocket. “Mom’s depression is bad. I’ll take sis to the movies this week.”

She nodded. “See you on Sunday.” Then she turned to me. “Thanks for earlier. Mom won’t make us do the date.”

I took my jacket as she handed it back. In the side pocket, I’d kept a small notebook and pen. Years ago, hackers made me wary of putting anything I didn’t want others to know on my phone, so I kept my essential thoughts in the notepad. Finally, I scribbled my number down. “If you change your mind. I’m open to our one date; I’ll only be in town for a few more weeks.”

Rachelle pulled the slip of paper from my hands. “Thanks, but I don’t think you need to spend your time on a date with me. There are plenty of other pretty women you can go out with.”

Before she could step away, I lightly wrapped my fingers around her wrist and pulled her to me. Her green eyes widened as she looked up at me. “Let’s get one thing straight. If I hear you put yourself down again, I will pull your dress up over your nice round ass and spank it until you stop putting yourself down.” Her pupils dilated. I couldn’t hold back as I traced my fingers along her jaw and down the strap of her dress. Finally, I stopped right above her breasts. “You’re sexy as fuck, and I would love nothing better than to strip you naked. I’ve been hard as fuck since I laid eyes on you.”

“You can’t say things like that.” She paused. “We don’t know each other.”

“We could know each other, but you choose not to fulfill our date. If you change your mi—” The chime of her phone cut off my words. She stepped back, and the pull between us disappeared.

Her brow furrowed as she looked at her phone. “I have to go.” And like that, my Cinderella disappeared into the night. The only difference was I knew who she was. In time, I would hunt her down and claim my one date because I was sure I wouldn’t be able to get her out of my mind.

CHAPTER2

Rachelle

I staredat my father and tried to comprehend what he had said. I’d received an email from Alexander General Hospital. The meeting invite was from the legal team. I figured it was another NDA they wanted me to sign. I didn’t expect the young woman who was waiting for me at the entrance to usher me up to the CEO’s office. And I was even more surprised to find my father sitting behind the large wooden desk.

Dad retired five years prior from practicing medicine. He was one of the top neurosurgeons in the world, but he said he wanted to spend more time with Mom. Growing up, Dad was always at the hospital or flying to another country to save someone. I could count the important times in my life he’d shown up for on one hand, but I never held it against him because I knew he tried to be there for Mom, my brother Raphael, and me when he could be.

“Dad why are you at the hospital? You retired,” I stated the obvious. My eyes landed on the four framed photos behind his desk. I was in two along with my brother. The other two were of Mom and Dad. “Please tell me you didn’t buy the hospital.”

He leaned back in the leather chair and pointed to the one in front of the desk. “Sit and let’s talk.”

“We could have talked this morning at breakfast.”

His lips twisted into a smile. “You know we don’t talk about business during family meals, and you seemed so excited about the house.”

Right, the house my parents gave me. I tried to tell them it wasn’t necessary. During my time in college I lived in the dorms then when I started my residency I moved into a small apartment near the hospital. But when I got pregnant, Mom talked me into moving home. Even though my parents’ house was over twenty thousand square feet, nobody wanted to be close to thirty and living at home. I hinted to Mom I was looking for a house. She immediately tried to get me to buy the one across the street. I politely declined.

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