Page 10 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

“I thought it was a happy accident?” she asked sourly.

“Well, you seem distinctly unhappy. So now it’s a problem.” I took a breath to steady myself. “Here’s the way I see it. You can let me pay or you can go back and tell them you don’t have the money and they have to redo the whole thing over again—which isn’t happening because I’m not going back. Not a fun conversation.”

She stared at me. “This one isn’t that fun either.”

“I’m giving you an out,” I said, my voice lowering to a harsh whisper. “Would you really put yourself through that rather than accept a little help?”

Her face contorted as if she was about to cry, but instead, she inhaled deeply, steeling herself. “It’s just not right,” she muttered. “Just throwing money at a problem doesn’t fix it.”

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling frustrated. “It totally does. Like ninety-nine percent of the time, money can fix anything. And this money is for kids. Kids with cancer.”

“But—”

“Okay, what’s your plan then?” I asked, interrupting.

She bit her lip. After a moment’s hesitation, she squared her shoulders and met my gaze with newfound resolve. “I need to come clean and apologize. Then face the consequences, whatever they may be.”

I nodded. “Or come with me, grab a bite to eat at a fairly fancy restaurant, and take a ride in a really nice car. Then, the only consequences you’ll face are a full stomach and a fun story to tell your friends.” I cocked my head, studying her. “Final offer.”

Her gaze flicked back down the hallway toward the ballroom. For a moment, I thought the crazy woman might actually turn around and leave.

Then she let out a soft sigh and nodded. “Fine,” she muttered. “But only because I don’t know how else to fix this mess.”

“I swear, I’ve never seen anyone so against having a fun night,” I said, already walking again.

She followed. We exited through one of the back entrances, where my car was waiting. The sleek black car gleamed under the soft glow of the hotel’s outdoor lighting. My driver looked surprised to see me. He hopped out of the front seat and rushed to open the door for us.

I motioned for her to get in. “Ladies first. Or are you going to argue with me about that, too?”

She scowled at me before sliding into the leather seat, looking both out of place and oddly enchanting as she fidgeted with the seatbelt.

I jumped in beside her. As soon as the door shut, the driver got in and pulled away from the hotel. A bottle of champagne was waiting in the console, along with two crystal flutes. I popped the cork with practiced ease, pouring the sparkling liquid into the glasses.

“To letting yourself have some fun tonight,” I said, handing her a glass.

She accepted it, taking a small sip.

“I just want this night to end,” she said quietly, staring out the window.

I chuckled, leaning back in my seat. “You don’t know what you want.”

Her head whipped around, and she glared at me. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I said, unbothered. “You’ve got indecision written all over you. It’s practically a second skin.”

Her mouth opened and closed, her cheeks reddening with indignation. “I know exactly what I want, thank you very much!”

“Do you?” I asked, raising a brow. “Because from where I’m sitting, it seems like you have no idea.”

She sputtered, clearly offended, but I didn’t care. If nothing else, this night was going to be interesting.

She bristled and shot me a dirty look. “What I want is to rectify my mistake, not to run away from it. Not to hide behind champagne and flashy cars and your big-ass wallet.”

I smirked, swirling the champagne in my glass, intrigued by her. I didn’t really understand why she was so averse to spending time with me. She couldn’t be getting a lot of offers like this.

I had grown up sheltered in a world of luxury and money. Money bought people and power. I rarely interacted with anyone outside my social circle. Something about this woman drew me in. I wanted to know what made her tick.

If nothing else, it seemed like a good way to shake things up. My life was all very planned. Nothing happened I didn’t want to happen. Even the stupid auction. I could have walked away if I really wanted to.