Page 106 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Surgeon

He was only gone briefly and then came back out with a sweatshirt blanket with West Bay University’s logo on it. It was part of the gift my friends from the hospital had given me. He wrapped it around my shoulders and the two of us swung on the swing and looked out at the starry night sky.

“I love your house. How are you liking it?”

I peered over at him. “I love it, too. Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“No,” he sighed. “No, of course not. But I was interested to hear what you’d say.”

“Well, get to it.”

“I wanted to tell you that my dad had tried to pressure me into a marriage with Gia Santoro. He told me our business was failing, and it needed an influx of cash that a partnership with her father would bring.”

My eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. Also, I found out it was all bullshit. He was lying. I spoke with my brother Raphael, and he said business has never been better. Anyway, I went to see my parents and confronted them with the truth. I stood up to them and gave them hell for the way they treated you.”

“I bet that went well.”

He chuckled. “It went better than I thought it would, but that’s a story for another time. I just wanted you to know that I stood up to them. I also told them they’d cost me a relationship with the only woman I’d ever loved. And I actually think they felt bad about it.”

I gave him a look.

“A little bad,” he conceded. Then he took a deep breath. “And I wanted to tell you the hardest part. Gia blackmailed me.”

I frowned and stopped swinging. “What?”

He nodded. “She said she was going to go to the hospital board and tell them about my extracurricular activities at theSalazar clubs if I didn’t date her. She wanted me to be mean to you, to cut you out of my life. She insisted that I take her out and show her the town, take her to the hospital gala, and so on.”

“That’s… awful!” I couldn’t believe it.

“Even worse,” he continued, “she said she was going to tell the hospital that you were a stripper at Sugar. I know it wasn’t true, but I didn’t think you being a hostess there was going to go over any better. I was afraid it would ruin your chances of getting a job anywhere in West Bay as a PA, to be honest.”

“And that’s why you went out with her, put up with the mean things she said about me, and went to the hospital gala with her.”

He nodded, looking off in the distance. He told me all about Nico providing the tape that effectively ended Gia’s blackmail. And that he’d confronted her with it at the hospital gala.

“Why didn’t you come to me?”

“Before I had a way out, I was afraid you’d want me to stand up to her no matter the consequences. After the hospital gala, I was just biding my time to decide what to do to get your attention. It was only a couple of weeks ago, you know.”

“And this was it?” I gestured towards the back yard where the party had taken place.

“Yep. Some of it, anyway.”

“This… this was wonderful, Paolo. Thank you. But why’d you do it? Why not just let me go?”

“I couldn’t.” I went on to tell her how Gia had shown up suddenly at Cayenne and then surprised me months later at the benefit with my parents there. “It messed with my head. I’d had no clue who she was, or I never would’ve let the blowjob happen. Believe me. And I was scared you wouldn’t believe that I didn’t recognize her.”

“And why are you telling me all of this?” I asked softly.

“Because I want another chance. But even if you don’t give me another chance, you still needed to know that you weren’t totally wrong about me. I am a halfway decentguy. I just got sidetracked by fear. Fear that the family business was going to fail. Fear that Gia would expose me to hospital administration. And the worst fear of all; fear that you would get hurt.”

“Thank you. For telling me those things. Also, for the party and the gifts. My goodness. Thank you for all of that.”

“Go on a date with me. A real date. Like dinner and dancing or whatever you want. I just want to be with you.”

I studied his face.

“I’ve been miserable without you. Please go out with me. Give me another chance.”