Page 96 of Shared By the Highest Bidder

“I’ll show you free and easy.” Emery pulls me into his office and crashes his mouth down on mine. After a long, wet kiss, he groans, “Fuck, I missed this. Why didn’t we do this every day?”

“You were busy.” I’m swept up so easily by him. “Too busy.”

“That’s what fucked up my marriage.” After more punishing kisses, he pulls back and stares down at me, stroking my cheek. “I can’t do that again. I have you right here. Don’t let me fall into this pattern of work, work, work. If you want me to kiss you, damn it, come sit on my lap. Do you hear me?”

The air shifts around us, and I don’t think he’s handing me a line. He’s sincere, even if there is regret in his tone that he messed up his marriage.

I’ll take this as a win, and starting Monday, I will aggressively demand the attention I didn’t get this week.

“Loud and clear, sir.” I kiss his cheek. “I have to meet my friend and her puppy before he eats the chairs. Have a great weekend. Tell Jess I said hi.”

Wiggling my ass, I strut out.

As I exit the building, crisp fall air hits me, and I love that the day holds on to the last bit of sunlight.

Across from Emery’s building, Zara sits at an outdoor café table with Maverick.

I skip across the street and soak in the hooting and hollering up and down the block of Friday Happy Hour in New York City.

“Hey, boy.” I pet Mav’s head and let him gnaw on my fingers. “Go ahead, I don’t need those hands lately.”

“Three men and no action?”

“Not this week.” I give her an update over a bottle of wine as we dig into a charcuterie board of cheese, fruits, and nuts. “It’s only been a week with them, but I can explain it like this. With Emery, it’s a game. He buys women he can play with. Women he can control.”

“But he’s not touched you yet.”

“No, we just kissed. With Ashton, it’s fake dating. I’m helping him out at his fundraisers, making his investors think he’s in a stable relationship with a good girl.”

“That he takes home to fuck, because you’re a bad girl in the bedroom?” she asks enthusiastically.

Popping a roasted cashew into my mouth, I chuckle.

“Not yet. I feel like we’re getting close. He likes me, and I like him. But he’s a busy surgeon, and he really doesn’t have time for a relationship.”

I don’t mention him and Ford, or that Emery doesn’t want anything serious.

“Then there’s Ford. The lawyer repping Michael.”

I don’t know what Ford wants long-term exactly, other than to get Ashton back.

And add a woman. Me. But I’m not sticking around.

“That man is hot.” Zara blows out a breath and fans herself.

“Unbelievably hot. He um... We lost our heads and had sex. Oh, and I sort of gave him a blowjob.”

“Definesort of, because if he came in your mouth, I hate to tell you, that was a full-on BJ.”

“Guilty.” I raise my hand.

“Wow.” Zara shakes her head and looks down at Maverick. “It’s a good thing you can’t talk.”

I laugh, the wine making me feel light-headedalready.

“I guess it could be worse.” Zara refills my glass. “They could be awful and just holding you down to get off.”

I can’t imagine Ash or Emery making love that way. Ford certainly didn’t.

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