Striping Hot

CHAPTERFOUR

GIANNA

Rex moved away and headed for the stage area with a few other guys. Gianna slipped through the crowd to find herself a good spot. Most people were laughing and pointing, getting in on the fun of the event.

She saw Gerri coming down the main stairs to join the announcer. She was stunning with her long, pale hair and glittering dress. It was very difficult to guess her age, and Gianna felt the woman carried a kind of confidence she had never seen before, almost as if she wasn’t quite human.

Gianna passed off the silly thought. Watching Gerri laughing and making jokes with the announcer calmed her. It was only when she had been alone with Gerri that she had felt something different about her.

Gerri obviously wanted us to meet … she practically dragged me over to him and dropped me under his nose.

She giggled at her own silly analogy, but she felt there was some truth in it. Rex looked so very civilized as if he was a picture of modern virtue, but she could sense something dark and primal inside him.

It turned her on, and she wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about that. The quest for the Pulitzer had made chasing down love the last of her priorities for the last few years.

Rex, as the most desirable bachelor, would be auctioned last. Gianna moved closer to the stage, recording a few scenes for her story. She had almost forgotten she was here on official business.

When the first young man headed down the stage, Gianna cheered along with all the other ladies gathered at the foot of the stairs.

The young man was not even twenty-five but was a successful company head in advertising and publicity.

Gianna watched with interest as several young girls bet on him excitedly, some of them even fighting with each other as they tried to raise their hands. In the end, everyone was outbid by a fiercely beautiful older woman who eyed the young man like he was a tasty snack. Gianna had never seen a woman who embodied the word cougar more.

The first guy had sold for around five grand, and Gianna thought it was a fairly high amount. She thought surely, the rest would go for less.

The first round had only gotten out of control because of the younger girls getting into a bidding war. Gianna fully expected the rest of the auction to be more civilized.

The next offering was an advertising executive, thirty-two years old and well known for wild, playboy behavior. Gianna had met him several times, and she was pretty sure no one would bid highly for him.

She was shocked to see him sell for eight grand. Her heart pounded up into her throat, and she felt sweat break out on her sides. In case it was another fluke, she forced herself to pay attention and not jump to conclusions. If this kept up, she would never be able to bet on Rex.

To her dismay, the next two sold for even more. This was not a fluke. It was cause and effect. The more desirable the bachelor, the higher the price. Gianna did well financially, but she couldn’t drop ten grand for something like this!

Gianna wrung her hands. It was clear that Rex was going to sell for far more than any of the others, possibly even a ridiculous amount.

She was happy for the charity, but her heart was falling inside. She needed to get close to Rex and question him about Voren ... hopefully, intercept Voren at some point ... and understand his plans.

If she was close to Rex and Voren revealed all, she’d have him, and then she’d also have her story. This was the closest she had ever gotten to her big break.

She had to admit she also wanted to spend more time with Rex just for his own sake. No one had ever looked at her the way he did. It was as if he was staring right into her soul, into places she’d never known she had. The closer they had gotten, the more she thought about kissing him.

She wanted to know what that raw, unbridled power looked like when it was free.

Will he tear off the suit as if it were the constraints of society itself?

She could imagine that quite vividly. She could also imagine his eyes growing dark with purpose and desire, his strong hands on her as he explored her body and released his passion. Gianna shifted uncomfortably, pressing her thighs together.

What the fuck are you doing? Keep it together.

She hadn’t been attracted to anyone like this in a very long time. She tried to bring her mind back to the present, but the lingering thoughts of Rex and his powerful hands kept distracting her away from the auction.

When she saw him moving toward the stage, she gasped softly, completely mesmerized by how he looked in the full light of the stage.

“Rex, oh, my god, it’s Rex Titus!” a woman shrieked. She was too close to Gianna for comfort, making her cover her ears and step away. The other two women standing near the first began screaming as well, and Gianna took another step back.

They were obviously models, squeezed into tiny designer dresses they were probably being paid to wear. All of them had perfect makeup and hair, making Gianna feel a little bit like a fashion reject. She knew there was nothing wrong with her look, but she felt dated beside the hip youngsters.

She took another slow step back. Her mind tried to return to the haunting images of Rex and the sensory pleasure of his attention, but she shut it down swiftly. He had no interest in dating someone like her. Why would he? A guy like Rex could take his pick of young starlets and models.

Her discipline had always been her greatest strength. Getting close to Rex to try to trap Voren was a good idea, but clearly, she couldn’t compete for Rex’s attention. She couldn’t afford to buy him, and there was no way he would agree to see her for any other reason. The best thing she could do was find Voren and follow him.

Hopefully, he’ll be doing a lot of shadier deals tonight, and I can get some evidence. I could start writing the article right away!

Thoughts of success and the completion of her goals drove all else from her mind. Rex began to fade as she turned to walk out of the crowd, turning her back on the auction.

I’ve got to get out of here.

“Hey, hello?” a sweet voice called. Gianna ignored the call, shouldering through the crowd. Before she could fully leave the ballroom, she felt a hand grab her arm and gently pull her back.

“Hi, hey. Excuse me,” the breathy voice called. “Can you wait a minute?”

Gianna turned, ready to give a cutting remark that would set her free from this social distraction. When she saw that it was a young woman in a bright red dress, she paused. She was definitely out of focus, her mind split between Voren and Rex with nothing but chaos in between.

“Hi, Gianna? It’s Lucy. We met a little while ago?”

“Oh, yes, of course,” Gianna said. “Rex’s sister.”

“Yes,” Lucy grinned. “That’s right. Are you leaving the auction now?”

“Oh, well. I have things I need to do, and this is all ...”

“No!” Lucy cried, a bit too loudly. “I mean, stay. Have a drink with me.”

She looked up to the stage nervously. There were only two bachelors left before Rex. Gianna didn’t know if she wanted to stay to see someone else buy him.

“I’m afraid I’d like to keep moving. It was nice to meet you ...”

“No, please,” Lucy said, grabbing her hand. “Aren’t you going to bet on my brother?”

“What?” Gianna asked. “Bet on Rex? Are you kidding me?”

“No,” Lucy said softly. “He has been in a really bad way lately. Like, I mean, really bad. I’ve tried everything to pull him out of it. But when he was talking to you, he was really happy. I haven’t seen him like that for a very long time.”

“Oh,” Gianna said, trying to process the information. She was excited at the idea she’d had an effect on Rex. For a while there, when she’d been looking into his eyes, she’d had all kinds of fantasies. She could almost feel his body against hers while they snuggled in front of a fire or fed each other chocolate.

Don’t be ridiculous.

These romantic fantasies were just her overactive imagination with a bit of sexual frustration thrown in. Rex was handsome, rich, and powerful. He had given her some very direct attention, and it made her feel good.

It didn’t mean they were going to fall in love and get married. Gianna was too practical to believe something like that.

“I’m sorry, Lucy. It’s all a bit rich for my blood, even if I wanted to. This kind of money is far beyond me. I’m also here to work. I should be doing a few more interviews, not worrying about buying a man at an auction.”

She deliberately said it aloud, so she could hear the ridiculousness of it for herself. The very idea of buying a man. She was a serious journalist, a professional! Even if she had time for dates, she certainly didn’t have to buy one.

“That’s too bad,” Lucy said a bit forlornly. She played with a lock of honey-blonde hair. “I was willing to pay whatever was needed so you could win the auction and buy Rex. I’d really like to see you two go on a date. A real date.”

Excitement and fear collided in Gianna’s chest. Her head swam. She carefully put her champagne glass on a nearby table. This was like convincing yourself that no, you cannot have the chocolate fudge cookie. It’s bad for you and then finding out it was magic and had no calories.

“I don’t know …” she whispered. Lucy grabbed her hand, bouncing a little.

“Please? Come on, just give it a go. I’ll make sure you don’t lose a cent. You don’t understand how down he’s been and what a difference it made talking to you. I think it would be really good for him. Besides, you like him, don’t you?”

Gianna smiled, shaking her head. “Yeah, I do. I can’t deny that.”

She looked up at the stage. Rex was coming up next, and he looked amazing under the bright lights. His eyes looked paler, glittering like the shallows of a tropical beach. His unruly hair was pitch black, tumbling across the pale skin of his forehead in an almost-shocking contrast. He moved with precision, with a combination of athleticism and confidence that fascinated her.

A movement at the front of the stage caught her attention. It was Voren, and he was watching Rex intently. The competitive drive came flooding into her all over again. If Voren wanted to get next to Rex, she had to get close to him as well. She had almost convinced herself to go ahead just on the merits of having a date with Rex. Lucy's offer was irresistible with the added incentive of uncovering Voren’s despicable scheme.

“Okay, Lucy,” she said softly. “Let’s do this.”

“Excellent!” Lucy cried, clapping her hands. “You won’t regret this, Gianna, I swear. You’ll have such a great time. I know that you can make a difference with Rex, too. I just know it.”

Gianna smiled at the young girl’s enthusiasm. She hoped that all of this was going to be worth it for Lucy, at least. From where Gianna was standing, she still couldn’t tell if this was a good idea or not.

Sometimes, that’s what it’s all about. Taking the risk. Making it happen. Just don’t lose your head.

Rex stepped to the front of the stage. His eyes picked her out of the crowd, and he looked right at her, his face transforming into a devastating smile. Gianna gulped as her knees went weak.

Don’t lose your head … Or your heart.