Highest Bidder

Della-Ray

I watched his damp cascade of dark blonde hair, the black T-shirt that showed his strong back; the tightly muscled and inked arms, and the stone washed blue jeans that hugged his lean hips as he strode out of the store.

“Ma’am, take your groceries, please,” the cashier prompted.

I was bright red as I turned around. “I…I…”

“He paid for it all so can you just take it and leave? There are a lot of people waiting.”

“Just fucking take it,” someone spat from the queue.

I snatched the $62.30 worth of groceries and hurried out of the store. Jess pulled on my hand and I looked down at her. She was smiling happily.

“There he is,” she sang.

I followed her pointing finger to see the biggest monster of a bike I’d ever seen, packed on the curb. It was jet black with polished metal that was blinding in the sun and blood red rear lights. My eyes were riveted to the man who sat on it, as he tipped his head and downed the 500ml carton of fresh milk he’d just bought. I felt my brain turn to mush.

“Big bike. Can I go on it?” Jess squealed excitedly.

The man pulled back his head, and with the back of his tattooed hand he wiped the milk off the light dusting of dark blond stubble across his face.

His gaze met mine. There was no friendliness, no smile. In fact, it was a do not approach look.

It had an opposite effect. I was immediately jolted into motion. “Wait here,” I said to Jess, and marched across the sidewalk into the parking lot. I stopped a safe distance away from him.

“Excuse me, but…” I nudged my head towards the full plastic bag in my hand. “I can’t accept this. I have to pay you back for it.”

His gaze darkened with displeasure.

"I…I mean, I truly appreciate it. Thank you so much for helping us, but..." I glanced down at the bag once more, then at my niece. She was watching the man with open unbridled interest. When I lifted my head again I saw that he was watching Jess too. I stiffened defensively, out of habit as I usually did, ready to tear his head off if he made any snide comments whatsoever about my angel.

"I have to pay you back,” I said more loudly.

Completely, ignoring me, he bent his leg, fired up the beast of a bike, and revved it. Thunderous noise filled the hot air.

Seeing that he had no intention of responding to me I went closer. I was determined to pay him back. Only when I was this close did I noticed the ocean blue of his eyes, the slight scar that was hidden in the light stubble along his left jaw and the wild, untamed beauty of the man. He was so, so, so beautiful.

“My pay check was supposed to have cleared yesterday. Something probably went wrong, but the moment I'm able to resolve it I'll immediately transfer your money. Can I please have your bank account details?"

For a moment, he regarded me with disinterest, then, the rude brute started to reverse back. Before I could stop myself, my hand shot out.

He broke his gaze from mine and let it slide to the pitiful hold I had on his thick, tattooed forearms. I snatched my hand away as if burnt. I hadn't even realized I had done that. "I’m sorry-"

He gave me a ‘I-thought-so-look’, and continued his prep to leave.

"Look, I'll leave the groceries here if you don’t allow me to pay you back," I said to him.

“Do what you want with them. They’re yours.” His voice was deep, gravely with something dark and dangerous running underneath.

"Don’t you see, I cannot accept them,” I replied. I was getting frustrated. “Especially since you have refused to give me a way to pay you back?

"I don’t want money, sweetheart…but if you really insist on paying me back, you could let me fuck you," he drawled, his eyes so blue and piercing it as if he was trying to look into my soul.

The bag fell from my hand. He held my gaze as I stared, wide eyed at him. I felt my lips began to tremble, and I saw his gorgeous eyes drop to my mouth. Some strange expression flashed in them. I should have said something rude. Something cutting, something to put him in his place. The arrogant bastard that thought I would have sex with him for $62.30 worth of groceries, but I couldn’t. For the first time in my life, I wanted to…I wanted to fuck a total stranger.

Without a word, I turned around and headed back to my niece.

As I reached her I saw the empty carton of milk fly in an arc and land inside a rubbish bin by the side of the road. Then I heard his beast of an engine roar harder and zoom away into the distance. I couldn’t help turning around to glance back to the spot he had occupied. The bag was on the ground. Together with my niece, we retrieved the cherry tomatoes that had rolled out of the pack. Jess spotted one that had rolled underneath a vehicle and she immediately got down in the dirt and belly-crawled under the car after it. I should have told her off, but my heart was pumping in my chest and I could still feel my palm tingling where it had touched his warm skin.

“Got it,” she shouted happily, and jumped to her feet.

“Good girl,” I said automatically, and stroked her sweet moon face.

He had ridden off into the sunset, but I had every intention of finding him and paying him back. This was a small town and there was no way a man like that wouldn’t be known by everybody.