Page 33 of Highest Bid

When 3.00 a.m. finally came around, Colleen sashayed out from behind the bar with a bin liner to collect any rubbish. She paused beside Layla. “That was quite the display you put on with Galan.”

Layla shrugged. “It was just a kiss.”

Colleen snorted. “We both know it was a whole lot more than that. He was claiming you in front of everyone.”

“And that bothers you?”

Colleen smiled sweetly. “Honey, I’m not the one everyone is talking about.”

Colleen swept off, but Layla didn’t bother letting her snide comments get to her. Colleen had been the one fanning the gossip flames. But it wouldn’t be long before someone else was in the hot seat and Layla and Galan were forgotten.

Except Galan and his brothers were nothing short of celebrities, with rumors and innuendo following them no matter where they went and what they did. Even their long-dead parents weren’t off-limits.

Layla refused to think about the sickening gossip that’d been swirling around about the Black brothers’ mom and dad, and instead focused on the burn of anticipation, knowing she’d be with Galan again soon.

She cleaned faster than she’d ever done before, wiping spilled drinks and snacks off the bar tables and bagging the money from her till before handing it to the floor manager.

Finally saying goodnight to her coworkers, she ignored their raised eyebrows as she stopped at the private elevator instead of stepping outside with them. Keying in the elevator’s numbered sequence, she sighed with relief when the doors slid closed and she was carried silently up to the penthouse.

It was nice to be alone with no one judging or making vulgar assessments. Little wonder she’d always stayed unobtrusive. Being noticeable wasn’t any fun at all...unless Galan was the one doing the noticing.

The doors slid open to the Black’s shared sitting room, and she shook her head helplessly at the lacy pink bra abandoned in front of Aiden’s front door. The brothers sure kept busy. Even Liam, who seemed the likeliest to indulge in something longer term, failed to stay in a relationship for longer than a few weeks.

Layla’s joy faded. The odds really were stacked against her and Galan.

It didn’t stop her from stepping inside his penthouse apartment and entering his bedroom. He was sound asleep, the covers kicked off as he lay on his stomach with his gorgeous bare ass on show and his head tucked on top of one strong arm.

Lust burned low in her stomach. What would he do if she woke him by pressing kisses along his ass, then moved between his legs to lick his ballsack? She shivered almost violently. She had no doubt he’d rip off her clothes and fuck her hard, slamming into her until she was screaming out his name.

Ignoring another serious jolt of desire, she tiptoed past the bed and into the en suite bathroom before pulling off her clothes. She smelled like a brewery.

By the time she stepped into the shower and lifted her head to the spray, allowing the hot water to pummel away the sweat, grime, and alcohol, waves of tiredness were already descending over her. She toweled herself dry and walked back into the bedroom, a tender smile moving across her face.

Galan hadn’t moved. He clearly needed his sleep, too. She slipped naked into bed beside him, and he stirred before he drew her against him, his arms slipping around her and his powerful warmth encasing her like a cocoon.

Safe. Protected. Secure.

Her eyes soon after fluttered closed, and sleep dragged her under.

*

Layla woke to kisses. Except with her hair still in a bun, Galan was focusing on her bare shoulders and nape. She moaned, and he chuckled before drawing away.

She stifled a sharp pang of disappointment. She’d hoped for his electric-charged lips to trail down her spine, before his mouth and tongue kissed and sucked her pussy from behind.

“Time to wake up, firecracker.”

She cracked open her eyes, shocked to see bright sunlight flooding through his bedroom windows. “What’s the time?” she asked groggily.

He smoothed a hand down her back, his touch lingering at the base of her spine and sending skitters of need straight to her core. His voice turned husky, dark. “Almost eleven.”

She gasped, twisting around and sitting in one quick motion. “I have the lunchtime shift at the Garden Café. Ned will kill me!”

Galan shook his head. “Don’t worry about Ned. I took the liberty of ringing him to say you’d be late.”

What the hell? She glared. They might be sleeping together, but he wasn’t now in charge of her working life. “You should have woken me earlier.”

He arched a brow. “And you should have woken me. But you needed your sleep, just as you knew I needed mine.” He tucked his big hand under her chin and rubbed his thumb along her jaw. “Not even my insane urge to fuck you was enough of an excuse to take advantage of your gorgeous nakedness.”

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