Page 29 of The Bachelor Auction

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I only realizewe’ve reached our destination as Tyler opens the door and rounds the car to help me exit. For a brief moment, I hesitate, and then I place my hand in his strong grip.

Our eyes connect, and something passes between us. It’s just a fleeting current of electricity, but it’s enough to weaken my knees and make my head spin a little. For a moment, he looks at me with the kind of expression that makes me prickle all over.

Maybe it’s my imagination again, but I swear there’s longing in his eyes. And then there’s caginess, as though he’s not sure how to proceed. He’s not known for hooking up with his female employees. Or maybe he was once burned and has vowed not to repeat his mistakes. Either way, this is the moment to send a clear message—a message that whatever this is, it’s not going beyond our work relationship.

And yet I can’t bring myself to break eye contact and pull my hand out of his grip. I can’t even peel my thoughts off of him.

“You must be hungry. I know I’m famished,” Tyler says, his voice low. For some reason, it doesn’t feel like he’s talking about food.

I just nod my head in response as countless bells begin to ring inside my brain.

Tyler smiles and wishes the driver a good night as I peer around us. The parking garage looks like a showroom of expensive cars. I don’t mean to stare at the polished Jaguars and Ferraris—cars I’ve never seen in real life.

He leads me to an elevator and we ride up to the penthouse in silence.

As the doors slide open into a spacious foyer, every hope that he hasn’t brought me to his place evaporates into thin air.

He’s taken me home.

Hishome.

I try to ignore the way my stomach plunges into a free fall, but the sudden nervousness renders me speechless.

Just like his office, the décor is masculine and expensive, with no personal photos or anything that would hint at a woman having ever lived here. Which means he’s single, or in an open relationship with no form of commitment, expectations, or real closeness.

“Welcome home,” Tyler says.

My heart skips a beat at the word “home.” Coming out of his mouth, it seems like such an intimate word that conveys more meaning than it actually should. Biting my lip, I take in his expression. But there’s nothing to read, nothing to interpret. To him, this probably isn’t such a big deal. Maybe this is his game, inviting women over, making them feel warm and welcome until they’ve let down their guard.

I’m certainly ready to even though he hasn’t even asked me yet.

“Come on in.” He points down the open foyer to the vast living room stretching behind.

I follow him to the brown leather sofas set up near the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the skyline, and sit down.

“Wine?” Tyler asks from the bar area to my right.

“No, thank you.”

He takes out two tumbler glasses and pours us what looks like whiskey, then hands me a glass.

“I got you some liquid courage, anyway.” He winks. “You’ll probably need it.”

What for, I want to ask but refrain from it.

I take the glass from his outstretched hand and take a sip, feeling the liquid burn its way down my throat. It’s good whiskey—even I know it, and I’m not judging from the expensive label on the bottle.

“Why don’t you make yourself comfortable while I’m ordering dinner?” Without waiting for my reply, he leaves the living room. I lean back against the sofa as I tune in to his voice speaking to someone over the phone. The conversation’s brief, his words too low to make out. I assume he’ll join me after he’s done, but instead I hear a door open and close, and then all is silent.

A few minutes later, there’s a rap at the door and Tyler returns with our food. We eat in silence for a few minutes, and I almost find myself relaxing in his presence…until he puts down his fork and fixes his gaze on me.

Our gazes connect over the mahogany dining table and I know in that instant that work isn’t the reason I’m here. He didn’t exactly pressure me into joining him in his penthouse on a Friday night, and I didn’t exactly put up much of a fight.

In fact, I just followed his request, deep down knowing where it would lead.

“Tyler,” I start, then clamp my mouth shut.

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