Fakers (Licking Thicket 1)

“Two fifty for my boyfriend,” Ava said, raising her paddle and darting a look at Diesel. “I won’t give up on my honey nugget!”

Diesel didn’t seem to get the message.

“Three hundred dollars,” he said in his deep voice.

No one said anything for a minute. The only sound in the fucking gym was my molars grinding together. I glared at Ava, promising her the entire balance of my savings account, and she nodded.

“Five hundred dollars!” she said.

“Wow! Sold!” I grabbed my gavel and banged it down once, ignoring Diesel Church, who’d attempted to raise his paddle again. “Amazing work, you guys! Now! Who’s ready for some two-stepping?”

I left the podium and headed for the bar where my mom was sitting. I needed a drink. I could hardly stand to look at Mal. My plan for a special night had evaporated before my eyes.

Of course, then Ava came bounding up a second later with her arm wrapped around Mal’s waist.

“Amazing job, Brooks, honey!” my mom said, tackle-hugging me from behind. “I can’t believe how much money we’ve raised! Isn’t it thrilling, Ava?”

“Less thrilling that I had to pay for it.” She smiled as she handed my mother a check.

“Be right back!” my mom trilled, scooting away with her money.

“So,” Ava said, grinning at me. “I won!”

“Yep. Super,” I told her. “Lucky you.”

“Brooks.” She gave me a mischievous smile. “Remember that year I missed your birthday?”

I snorted. “Which one?” There’d been ten.

“All of them.” She nudged Mal in my direction. “Here you go. And Merry belated Christmas too.”

Mal bit his lip like he was fighting laughter, probably at my jealousy, but I didn’t care. I hurried him out to the parking lot before my mother, or Diesel Church, or anyone else could interrupt us again.

Five minutes later, when Mal was buckled in his seat and we were speeding out of the lot, his questions began… which was honestly a minute longer than I’d thought it would take.

“Where are we going, Mr. Johnson?”

“You don’t get to ask questions, remember? You’re my bachelor for the night. Bought and paid for at auction.” I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively. “I can do anything I want to you. And there are so damn many things I wanna do to you, Malachi.”

“Ugh.” Mal rolled his eyes. “That’s… that’s horrifying. I’m seriously horrified right now. Stop talking.”

I glanced over at the giant tent in the front of his tuxedo pants. “That does look serious.”

“Shut up.” He pressed a hand against his fly, and I gripped the steering wheel tighter.

“People bid on me, Brooks! Like, multiple people.”

“No shit. I was there,” I reminded him sourly.

“Your brother bid on me, Brooks.”

I took a breath through my nose and tried to keep my tone casual. “I know. That was just… Dunn being Dunn. Friendly. Reinforcing what he’d said earlier at the Iveys’ barn.”

“Uh-huh. And then your mother bid on me.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know. I figure she heard about the sign from Ava, like everyone else did, and wanted to thank you.”

“And Mrs. Nutter bid on me.”

“Yeah.” I scratched at my chin. “No, that was just weird.”

“And then Diesel and Ava got into a bidding war—”

“Yeah. Yes. I know. Once again, I was there, Mal.” The steering wheel creaked under my hands. “No need to rehash—”

“And, you know, not to tell you how to do your job as bid-watcher or whatever, but I’m pretty sure Diesel raised his paddle one more time at the end.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“No, I really think—”

“Well, I think it doesn’t matter, because Ava’s name was the one on the check and, as someone recently told me, that’s how history will remember it.”

Mal ran his tongue over his teeth, and the look he shot me was decidedly sassy, which had a predictable effect on the fit of my suit pants. “So then, why am I riding off in the night like the Bonnie to your Clyde, and not in Ava’s air-conditioned bedroom giving her one of my patented foot rubs?”

Was it ridiculous to feel jealous that Mal had rubbed Ava’s feet? Yes, I decided. It was.

I also decided I didn’t care.

“You were there. Ava gave you to me as a present,” I said smugly. “For my birthday.” I glanced at him. “You’re belated, but you’ll do.”

Mal burst out laughing. “And what exactly is your evil plan for innocent, little old me?” He batted his eyelashes.

“You’ll find out soon,” I promised. “Unless. I mean. We could just go sit and talk somewhere. The tree house? Or…”

“Brooks.” Mal twisted so he was leaning against the center console of the car and laid his hand on my thigh mere centimeters from where my dick was throbbing. “To be clear, you can do anything you want to me short of literally taking me in the woods to kill me. Okay?”

I nodded jerkily. “Maybe move your hand, in that case? So I can get us there in one piece?”