I sigh. “And you hold her very dear, I’d suppose.”
She nods. “She was the sweetest and kindest person in the world. When she was alive it was the last time I was ever truly happy.”
“I’m sorry to hear that it’s been so tough for you, girl.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“It’s not. But I’m so glad to hear that you’re not married. No boyfriend either?”
She shakes her head. “No. Why? Why are you so concerned with my relationship status?”
“Because the moment I saw you at the bar tonight, I realized that there’s nothing more that I want than to make you mine.”
She turns beet red. She stands up and approaches me, placing a light hand on my shoulder. “I don’t know what to say to that… But I do have to tell you — thank you, Blaze. Thank you for saving me.”
I laugh back at her with a smile. “Girl, I think you’re the one saving me.”
She looks my way, those big brown innocent eyes of hers staring right at me and leaving my heart skipping beats.
Then, showing some fire in her belly, she makes a move. She leans in, and plants a kiss right on me.
Her lips on mine are beautiful and electric. My mind is racing and I’m in heaven.
Fuck.
She’s too good to be true, and yet? She’s right here. Wanting me. Desiring me.
And I can’t wait for what she’ll do next.
8
BAYLEE
I don’t know what I’m doing.
Kissing a man I have just met isn’t how I usually do things. I’ve had dates before, but I usually am very reserved. Hand-holding seemed like a bridge too far for me in those cases.
Now I have my lips on his, and I’m wearing nothing more than a bathrobe. His bathrobe, no less.
But it feels right all the same. I’m not kissing him just because he happens to be my knight in shining armor, riding in at the last moment to save me from the clutches of some disgusting villain. No, I’m kissing him because he makes me feel something I haven’t felt before. That I am more than some small-town girl, that I’m not just some asset to be bought and sold. He looks at me like I’m a woman, like I’m loved, and that maybe, just maybe, everything will be fine.
Which may be too rash. I break the kiss, blushing as I stagger away from him, sit down and nervously nibble on an onion ring.
He’s overwhelmed. He shakes his head, looking like he doesn’t know what’s happening. Did I go too far? Maybe he’s just a nice guy and doesn’t find me attractive? How unfortunate that would be, but it doesn’t change that I appreciate what he did for me.
He strokes his stubble. “Uh... so, what happened tonight? How did you end up at a virgin auction? The club was making the safe assumption that neither you nor the other girls were there out of their own free will.”
“No. I didn’t want to be there. I was only there because my Uncle Jericho and my dad forced me to go there, saying they’d kick me out on the street if I didn’t go along with it.”
“Your dad? Your own father made you go up on stage to sell your virginity?”
I nod. “I want to believe he’s been corrupted by my uncle, but he still allowed this all to happen. I don’t think I can trust and love him anymore. The man who I once knew has been gone ever since my mother and grandmother passed.”
He grunts, angry. “I’m sorry that happened. That’s absolutely horrible and I wouldn’t even call that man your father anymore.”
“It’s hard to swallow, but you’re probably right.”
“You’re welcome to stay at this club as long as you want, so don’t take this as a plea for you to figure it out, but do you have anywhere to go? I doubt you want to go back to that man, and I’m not sure I could let you go if you did want to.”
I shake my head furiously. “No. Heavens no! I don’t think I can ever feel safe around him again after tonight.”
“And you feel safe with some random biker dude?”
I giggle. “Yes. It’s crazy to me, but in the brief time I’ve known you, you’ve shown me more kindness than I’ve experienced in years.”
He smiles for a moment before it collapses. “It’s awful you had to come here just to get that.”
“It’s fine. I think it’ll all work out as long as I’m here with you.” I lick my lips, the butterflies inside me kicking into high gear. I can’t believe I just said that out loud, and yet I’m feeling frisky every time I look at him, acting in ways that I never envisioned myself acting.
“I don’t want to put you in a situation where you traded one asshole for another, Baylee,” he says, unable to take his eyes off me. “I’m not requiring any sort of payment for my kindness.”