Page 60 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Surgeon

“I’m so sorry.”

“He asked if I could suck him off one more time for old times’ sake before he left town for good.” I glanced at him. “I didn’t, of course. In fact, I’m glad I didn’t have a weapon of any kind right at that moment.”

Paolo looked so upset for me that I was starting to think I shouldn’t have told him my story. I couldn’t believe I had, really.

“Then I moved in with Nadine’s mama. She helped me out since Nadine had already left for West Bay. Anyway, I… I lost the baby.” I looked at him and tried to keep the tears out of my eyes.

“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.” He reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze.

“Thanks. I was pretty devastated. My grandparents found out and said they’d pay for two more years of college if I wanted to move back home with them. They were thrilled I’d lost the baby. Thrilled, like it was a good thing. I told them what I thought of them.” I gave him a wry grin. “That’s why I wouldn’t go to them when I needed money for the internship. It’s fine with me if I never see them again. But I did need money, and I didn’t want loans. That’s why I did the auction.”

“But how did you get here? West Bay, I mean?”

I snorted. “Nadine’s mama took care of me after I lost the baby. She waited about a week after I’d recovered physically and then marched me to the bus station. She paid for a one-way ticket to West Bay and told me to call Nadine to pick me up. She said not to come home. She told me I was too damn smart not to go to more college, and I could pay for it by showing offmy ‘nice figure’ at the strip club Nadine worked at.”

He looked amused. “I thought she seemed like a character at Nadine and Reynolds’ wedding.”

“Oh, she is. She’s something else. Anyway, I’m so thankful for her. She put me on that bus, Nadine came and got me, and the next thing I knew, Carmen had given me a makeover and started me as a hostess at Sugar. And here we are.”

“Here we are.”

I sat up, holding the sheet to my chest. “You got more of a story than you thought you would by asking about that nickname, huh?”

“I’m glad you shared with me.”

“What do you like for breakfast?” I was ready to get the conversation off personal things.

“Whatever. I can make it, if you don’t want to.”

“We could make it together, I guess.”

***

Later, we sat at the table, eating the omelets we’d made together. “I’m surprised you can cook,” I said, between bites.

“Why?”

I waved my fork in the air. “I don’t know. You’re this rich doctor who grew up privileged. I wouldn’t think you ever learned how to do any of that.”

He grinned as he set his glass of orange juice down. “You know who taught me to cook?”

“I’m guessing it wasn’t your mother.”

He laughed. “No, definitely not my mom. It was three people—my nonna, our cook, and the Salazar’s cook.”

“You spent a lot of time with them growing up?”

“Yes. I spent a lot of holidays with them. So did Byron and Reynolds. Anyway, they all taught me a lot about cooking, and then when I became a doctor I wanted to eat healthily. I didn’t want to be one of these single men who ordered in from restaurants all the time. I do have a part-time cook, but I enjoy doing some of myown cooking.”

“I like that. And I hate to admit it, but your omelet is better than mine.”

He looked very proud of himself. “Of course it is. I’m excellent at everything I do.” I rolled my eyes, but he grinned when he said it, letting me know he was aware that he was being ridiculous.

“Okay,” he said, wiping his hands and pulling out the manila envelope with the contract Carmen had printed out for him. “I’ve looked over all of this and signed it. But I had some questions for you. I’ll be purchasing and furnishing a house or condo, whichever you’d like, a car, giving you a black AmEx for the span of our time together, paying off any and all student loans, and anything else I deem necessary in the way of gifts while we’re together. Does that fit what you thought you were signing up for?”

I nodded, face flushed. I got embarrassed talking about this stuff.

He reached across the table and lifted my chin gently. “I don’t ask you this to make you feel bad about it. I’m just making sure that you get everything you’re supposed to get.”