Page 9 of Auction Time
“Why no?” he countered.
“It just is,” I shot back.
“I’m surprised by that. After our last encounter, I always felt you’d say yes to me. You never did come back.”
My eyes snapped wide as heat rushed to my cheeks then flushed right through my body. My lips parted like I was getting ready to say something, but no words came out.
“What!” Mia gasped in a high-pitched tone. Her voice seemed louder against the music in the background.
Cole smiled down at me and looked like he was actually waiting for me to answer.
“Well?” he prodded. Now the interest in his eyes seemed to pique.
Mia looked completely intrigued, and the intensity of her gaze on me was burning a hole in my skull.
“Cole, I don’t know what game you’re playing, but leave me out of it.” I found my voice and straightened my shoulders to square off with him. I knew I must have looked comical next to him looking like I was ready for battle. Me with my five feet and four inches against him at six foot six and solid powerful muscle.
“Well, look who grew up to be all woman-sized. Vanessa Cartwright, I have to say I’m loving the look and attitude. It suits you.” He nodded, then he shocked me further by leaning in close to my ear. I would have moved back, but the scent of his aftershave tickled my nose and forbade me. “Fiery suits you, goddess. It would look good on you in my bed too. Just on that fine body of yours and nothing more. What do you say?”
Jesus, please take the wheel because my head felt light. To say I was stunned didn’t quite explain the shock that flew through me.
I had to step back, away from him, to catch my breath. Now I was absolutely certain the universe was screwing with me big time.
When last I’d checked, this man before me was the same Cole Buchanan who had laughed me to scorn when I told him I wanted him to be my first. Then he told me to run on home and come back to him when I grew a pair of breasts.
No matter the stir of emotion deep inside me at his words tonight, I had no plans on answering his question, or any other question he might have for me.
I looked away from him, set my cue stick down, and walked away, leaving him with a wolfish grin on his handsome face. Completely unfazed. And far too confident. Not like the average human.
Mia joined me, falling in step, and grabbed my arm before I could get through the door. She pulled me to a stop and glowered at me.
“Vanessa, Jesus Lord, what the hell was that about?” she bubbled like she’d just gotten some juicy piece of news.
“Nothing,” I answered quickly.
“Don’t you dare lie to me. What was the nothing about?” she insisted.
I shook my head at her. “Mia, please. Not now.”
“Oh wow, this feels very bad. But oh so interesting.”
“It’s not.”
“Oh, but it does, and there I was thinking you were boring.”
I wish I was. She liked to think she was the daring one. The carpe diem girl who seized the moment. At one point that was me, and I’d learned my lesson well.
I may be on this mission to lose my virginity, but I would never be so foolish as to throw myself at anyone the way I did to him.
The devil was looking at me now, knowing he’d made his mark.
He was right because just like back in high school, I couldn’t get him out of my head.
Chapter 3
Vanessa
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