Her head twisted, seeing Jason’s tall silhouette closing in behind Summer.
“Thirty-thousand dollars.” Summer’s tone held firm, tossing out the figure like he was throwing change in a wishing well.
Her eyes tracked his every movement. He didn’t budge an inch when Jason joined him center stage. Separated by a mere inches.
Jason countered without hesitation. “Thirty-five.”
“Fifty,” Summer interjected, before the bid barely left Jason’s lips.
Shayla whispered in her ear, “What should I do?”
Tension gathered force as hundreds of jaw-dropping faces waiting on bated breath. The absurdity of the situation was already too far gone to rein in the madness. She couldn’t turn down a donation of that magnitude. Only twice in the history of the event had a bid gone to this proportion.
Purely by some divine intervention, she managed to pull a coherent thought from her scattered brain. She conceded with a curt nod, “For charity.”
Given the green light, Shayla took control. “Mr. Calver? Will you be taking us to fifty-five?”
Jason didn’t even have time to open his mouth, let alone give a response. Without so much as flinching, Summer threw down the gauntlet, stealing any chance Jason thought he might have at winning the bid.
“One hundred thousand dollars.” His chin lifted as he approached the stage, never breaking eye contact. The reflection of her red dress, set fire to his amber irises. Summer slid his hands into his pockets, asking in a low voice, “Would you like me to add another zero?”
Cocky. Mother. Fucker.
Masking her fury, she forced a pleasant smile. “How generous.”
Peeling his focus away from Carrie Ann, he turned to Shayla. “Mrs. Mathews, put me down for one million dollars.”
In one swift movement, he hopped onto the stage to claim his prize. Applause erupted to a near earsplitting decimal. Feeling his hand at the small of her back, she had no time to react. In a blur, Shayla’s eyes popped as big as quarters as Summer escorted Carrie Ann off the platform. Leaving his hand-hold in the dust, she stomped…eloquently around the back of the stage, hiding behind a canvas panel.
The smell of tobacco put her on high alert. Her eyes darted into the corners of the veranda, praying not to find her father. Her life did not need any more special surprises. A bartender stood in the shadows smoking a cigar-like cigarette. He took one glance at their weighted demeanor and split without saying a word. She’d deal with him later for walking past two no smoking signs to light up.
Carrie Ann spun to face him head on. Summer held out his hands on either side of her, cautiously, corralling her so she wouldn’t escape. Ignoring the erratic heartbeat slamming against her ribs, she bolstered every ounce of infuriated pigheadedness she could muster.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Summer?”
“Cheating…a little,” he said softly. A mock smile tipped the edges of his full mouth…as if that would soften her explosion.
“Yeah, well, we all know you’re pretty good at that.”
He laid a palm to his chest, melodramatically suffering from the blow to his heart. “Come on now. We’re not going to hash that over again, are we? Play nice, Red.”
“Play nice?” she snarled through clenched teeth. “How about you go fuck yourself?”
Tiny laugh lines whisked outward from the corners of his eyes. “I’m more interested in fucking you.”
“Oh, give me a break!”
“I’ll give you just about anything you ask for.” His voice riddled with insinuation.
“Perfect. Get out of my face.”
“Sorry, that’s not gonna happen. We need to talk, Carrie Ann. I don’t plan on going anywhere until we do.”
A muffled round of hoots and hollers indicated that bachelor number one had just found a date. Urgency gathered in her gut.
“What do you want, Summer? Is this part of some sort of twisted therapy program for past mistakes?” He started to step closer, but she threw out a hand as a warning. “You’re invading my space!”
His eyes twinkled as if weighing the consequences of his answer. He whispered in a soft growl, “I’m gonna invade your personal space with my cock as soon as you come to your damn senses.”
She went scarlet. The provocative remark fired off a round of clenches, low and deep, striking a tender place hidden inside. She needed to escape him, but her legs felt encumbered and heavy, unable to carry her away from the lunacy taking place in front of her. The man melted her insides. He turned her to a withering mess with a simple smile. He also had a way of pissing her off more than any other man she’d ever known. It wasn’t fair or easy.
And neither was she.
“In. Your. Dreams.”
“Every night, Red. Every night.”
“Well, thank you for stopping by to lighten your wallet. The HAHF appreciates your generosity,” she riddled. Candor doused her hostility in formality. The air surrounding them was becoming saturated with resentment.
“Did you really think I’d let him outbid me? I don’t like that guy, Jason. I don’t like him one bit.”
Her eyed beaded. “You don’t get a say…now do you?”
“I did tonight.”
Despite her fists being pulled into tight balls, ready to take aim at any moment, he dared to ease closer. The scent of him filtered through her labored breathing. The spicy fragrance noticeable on her tongue, inflicting havoc on her palate.
Summer slipped his fingers into her closed hands. Every tiny muscle in his face softened, the seriousness severe, exposing a small porthole view into a matured, settled man. His handsome features verging on gloriously striking. Her lashes fluttered taking in the sight.
“This wasn’t my intent.” His chest expanded, pulling in a deep breath. Peering down at their locked hands, he jiggled her fingers. “I didn’t come here to do this. It just happened, Carrie Ann. I saw you…and you look so…”
Summers voice trailed off as he looked her over, almost as if he could hardly believe she was real. His examination was slow and sweet, and laced with ravenous greed, drifting over every inch of her. The fine hairs on her arms rose to sharp points. She could scarcely breathe.
His haughtiness faded, leaving only a vast display of raw emotions. The man had the distinct capability of casting a sensual spell over her with just one look. A rush of adrenaline struck low in her belly, but her heart strings constricted, tightening around old wounds.
“You look stunning.” Breaking into familiar territory, he eased in, their thighs brushing as he hovered above her. He added, “I’d tell you I’m sorry, but I’m not. I miss you.”
Refusing to look up at him, she stared at his shirtfront. It was a good shirtfront. Just enough imperfection to make her want to reach up and tweak his collar. Which was attached to his tan throat. Which led to his thick head of hair. No! No way! Not gonna happen!
“I’m not sure what you’re expecting for your million dollar donation, but—” The sound of footsteps walking off the stage, captured her attention. She continued in a whisper, “I need to get out there. I’ve gotta go.”
“I want one day, Carrie Ann. A chance to talk.”
Without any explanation or rationalization, she complied with a curt nod. Carrie Ann didn’t dare lift her chin to look up at him, knowing he’d have no hesitation taking advantage of the proximity of their mouths. She gathered her hands from his and skirted from behind the wall, heading for the platform.
“Red,” he called out in a low voice. She cast a half-glance over her shoulder attempting to hide the blush on her cheeks. His smiling eyes cruised around the room. “Great job. You’re totally rockin’ it.”
Pride swelled deep within, spreading heat throughout her chest and limbs. She couldn’t stop the stupid grin erupting from her face…which irritated the shit out of her. Sauntering up the steps, her hips swayed more than normal.