Page 142 of Lovers' Dance

“Good girl,” Matt murmured with pride.

When it rose to three-point-two, I freaked. The bid was with me, and I could see out the corner of my eye that the man was going to raise his damned paddle.

Before I could stop myself, I launched to my feet, waving the paddle at him with blazing eyes. “I swear if you raise your paddle one more time, I’ll come over there. I am getting that bloody vase tonight.”

The auctioneer’s mouth hung open widely as I blushed furiously and covered my reckless mouth with a shaking hand. Awkward. Humiliating. The list of words running through my mind at the moment was long, but humiliating kept top place.

“Bloody hell,” Nathan said, as Bella regarded me with something close to horrified astonishment on her face. Those seated around us started murmuring in shock.

Matt winked at me—he winked at me.

Then I heard someone in the back laugh, and it started to spread through the ranks until it seemed everyone was laughing. Were they laughing at the embarrassing turn of events or at me? I so didn’t belong here.

The auctioneer seem to catch himself as I sank back into my seat.

“Shit,” I muttered, peering unhappily at Matt. I threatened someone. Someone who was capable of bidding in the millions for old pottery. I hoped he wasn’t as powerful as my Matt. I didn’t want my date ending up with a police caution.

“Right, ah, the bid is at three-point-two million,” the auctioneer said, trying to regain control of the laughing crowd. “Do I hear three-point-three?”

I didn’t know what the hell was wrong with me. I wasn’t acting right, but my head did turn to the side peering at the man. He leaned forward and sent me a salute. His paddle remained down.Thank fuck for that.

Matt pulled me into a hug as the auctioneer tried to get someone else to bid. When no one else did, he banged the hammer signalling the sale. I slumped against Matt as people started clapping.

“You were fantastic,” Matt said, fighting his chuckles.

“I embarrassed you and myself,” I replied, turning my face into his neck.

“You could never embarrass me, Madi,” he whispered fiercely, leaning back so he could peer into my eyes. “Never.”

The staunch tone of his deep voice, the intense emotions pouring from his piercing eyes…no, I wasn’t going to let Grumps’s warning—or my own doubts—ruin our unlikely relationship. As pathetic as it was admitting it to myself, I knew I would be Matt’s as long as he wanted me. I had swirled myself into a sweet prison of confusing love and amazing sex. A prison I would happily do hard time in and refuse any offers of parole. Damn. I had it bad.

Bella and Nathan were grinning at me, looking a bit astonished, but grinning in amusement.

The auction continued and my buzz didn’t abate. Matt made me bid on one more item. Once again the auctioneer had to calm the crowd down. Once I raised my paddle, no one else seemed to want to bid, causing no end of laughter. I hoped it wasn’t due to them buying into the stereotype that black women were ready to throw down and get dirty. Shit. Had I embarrassed my race tonight? Acting a fool?

Matt was pleased with me. His exact words were, “Bloody hell, poppet, you’ve saved me a fortune tonight.”

I was pleased he was pleased, like—like a trained poodle happy to serve its master. Why wasn’t I stressed over that analogy?

“Let’s get something to drink,” Bella murmured in my ear as soon as the auction drew to a close. Matt and Nathan wandered off, to finalize their purchases I assumed. Nathan had outbid this fierce-looking mature woman for a sixteenth century sword. Bella explained under her breath while he was bidding, that he liked ancient weapons. I made a mental note to keep a wary eye on him. Weapons collection equalled bat-shit crazy in my eyes.

When the men returned, people started flocking to us in little groups, one after the other.

Matt and Nathan. Together they were something special. I swear observing them interact with each other and the people hanging around us was like watching sand change into glass. They literally changed the behaviour of the people around them with their electric vitality. I could see, as I sipped my champagne and hid my expression behind the flute, that their friendship was a strong one. They seemed closer than brothers. That made me wonder about Adam and how he perceived Matt’s closeness with Nathan. I knew Matt was close to his older brother. But did Adam get jealous of Matt’s relationship with Nathan?

Siblings. It would’ve been nice to have one. Oh, wait. Was I jealous of Nathan’s relationship with Matt? Before I could ponder that upsetting thought, an older woman with whom I assumed to be her husband—he was holding onto her waist the way barnacles clung to ships’ hulls—came up to us.

“Boys,” she crooned, eyes sparkling like the diamonds around her neck. “It’s lovely seeing you here tonight.”

“Hello, Mrs Vanderbilt.” Matt and Nathan greeted her in unison. They exchanged a smirk.

I caught Bella rolling her eyes as she turned to converse with the strict-looking man on her right.

“I haven’t seen you around the club of late. Why is that?” She rested a hand on Matt’s chest lightly.

What the hell? Why was this Mrs Vanderbilt eyeing my man like that? Why was she eyeing Nathan in the same way? Why was her husband—I hoped he was her husband—doing nothing about her wandering hands?

“You know how busy men like us are,” Nathan said glibly.

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