Page 16 of Auctioned to the Mountain Man

He walks next to me and sets two plates on the table. He looks at me up close, and a soft smile forms on his lips. “You’re beautiful, Maggie.”

Heat forms on my face, and I smile. “Can I help with anything?”

“No, it’s ready. Have a seat.”

I sit down while he brings everything to the table. He dishes me out some spaghetti, and I dig in. We eat in silence for a while, and I try to slow down, but it’s really good.

It takes me a minute before I realize he’s not touching his food but instead just watching me.

I cover my mouth and swallow. “What?”

He shrugs. “I like watching you.”

I laugh. “You like watching me stuff my face?”

His hands curl against the hard wood of the table. “I like watching you enjoy your food. You make the cutest sounds and expressions.”

I put my fork down and cover my face. “Oh God, I probably shouldn’t eat in public.”

He reaches over and wraps his hand around mine, pulling it down. “Don’t stop. Did you eat anything today?”

I shake my head. “No. I was too nervous.”

He blinks, and it’s obvious he has something on his mind. “Go ahead. You have something you want to say. You might as well get it off your chest.”

He nods. “Why did you do the auction? Is it the money?”

I shake my head. “No—I mean, don’t get me wrong, the money is nice, but that’s not why I did it.”

“Why then? Why did you do it?”

I answer his question with a question of my own. “Why am I here?”

He juts out his chin. “You tell me why you decided to do the auction, and I’ll tell you why I went and bid for you. No bullshit.”

I nod. “Okay. Here’s the truth. I felt I didn’t have a choice. I felt like I was going crazy. There’s… a man… he’s not interested in me… he’s unavailable. I couldn’t get him out of my head, and I thought by doing this… giving myself to someone and finally losing my virginity, I could move on.”

His jaw is so tight it looks as if it might shatter. His eyes are staring back at me hard. He’s mad, but it doesn’t stop me from asking him, “Your turn. Why did you spend eight million dollars on me when you could have had me for free?”

He’s glaring at me now, and I’m waiting for him to storm out. He looks as if he’s about to bolt, but there’s no way I’m going to let that happen. Not again.

“Ben, you said you’d tell me. Now why am I here? Some misplaced guilt, trying to protect your company? What is it?”

He rears back in surprise. “You think I did this to protect Moonshine Distilleries?”

I shrug, not knowing what to think anymore. “Honestly, I’m not sure why. I’ve tried to look at it from every angle, but I’m not sure. Why were you there, Ben? Why am I here?”

“I told you that I read your email and knew you would be there. I went because I wanted to be there, and I was going to be the winning bid.”

My voice rises in frustration. “But why?”

“Because for the past few weeks, all I’ve thought about is you. I wanted you then, and…”

I interrupt him. “And you walked away.”

He leans forward, his face inches from mine. “For a reason. I walked away for a reason. I didn’t want to.”

He gets up, and I do too. “Don’t walk away, Ben.”

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