Page 49 of Billionaire Bad Boy Auction

We stepped up to the starting line. Alexis helped tie our legs together with a strip of fabric. Dean stood close, his arm brushing mine as she tightened the knot.

“You sure you can keep up?” he asked quietly.

I raised an eyebrow. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

He snorted, a rare sound that almost made me laugh. Almost. “I think it will work better if I just carry you.”

“Where’s the fun in that?”

The race coordinator gave us instructions, but I barely listened. My focus was on Dean’s arm around my waist. I could feel the heat of him and couldn’t help but think back to that night at the fire. He smelled like leather and musk with a hint of citrus. It was oddly grounding.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Ready,” I replied.

The whistle blew, and we took off. At first, it was a clunky mess—our steps out of sync, our legs tugging against each other. The couple beside us fell, the woman getting a face full of grass. I just knew we were going down. Then Dean tightened his grip and pulled me closer.

“Follow my lead,” he muttered.

He took control, half-carrying me. I matched his rhythm, letting him set the pace, and suddenly we were moving smoothly, almost effortlessly. Like we were actually sharing a brain.

The crowd cheered as we surged ahead, our legs moving in unison. I could hear Alexis yelling encouragement from the sidelines, her voice blending with the other shouts and laughter. The finish line was just ahead, but the couple behind us was gaining ground.

“Faster,” I said, glancing up at him.

He didn’t respond, just tightened his grip and pushed harder. We crossed the finish line a split second before the other couple, stumbling slightly but staying upright. The crowd erupted into applause. Alexis rushed over, grinning from ear to ear.

“You did it!” she exclaimed, clapping me on the back.

Dean untied the fabric from our legs. “Told you we’d win,” he said, his tone casual, but there was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “You basically carried me.”

Alexis handed us each a small ribbon—bright blue for first place. “Look at you two,” she said. “You make a great team.”

“Thanks,” I said.

“Hey, I’ll catch up with you in a few,” Alexis said. “I have to, uh, my mom needs me.”

She was obviously lying. She practically ran from us.

I expected Dean to make another excuse to leave. To my surprise, he didn’t. We started walking. We weren’t going anywhere. Just walking.

Dean and I found ourselves walking along the shore, away from the noise and the crowd. There was still tension between us, but it felt different. More relaxed. I understood him a little better. Not what made him tick, but I realized he didn’t talk a lot because he had nothing to say. But when he had something to say, he talked. A lot of people talked too much. Said too much. Not Dean.

“You look beautiful in that dress,” Dean said quietly.

Like that. When he said it, I knew it wasn’t an empty compliment.

“Thank you.”

I hesitated, my heart pounding as I thought about asking him what this thing was between us. It was confusing, and messy, and unclear—but I didn’t want to stop. I’ve always liked to color between the lines, but what I was doing with Dean was anything but.

Dean stopped walking, catching my hand and turning me gently to face him. I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could say anything, the first firework went off.

We both turned to watch as the sky lit up with bursts of color. The lake reflected the fireworks, creating a dazzling display that took my breath away. Dean said nothing. His expression said even less.

“You ever let yourself enjoy things, Jackson?” I murmured, my voice soft.

Dean exhaled a laugh, shaking his head. “Not really.”

I bit my lip, then tilted my chin up. “You should try it sometime.”

And then, before I could second-guess it, I kissed him.

Dean didn’t pull away. He didn’t hesitate. He just pulled me in, deepening the kiss, his hand sliding to the back of my neck, his body pressing against mine like he was finally giving in.

His hand at the back of my neck held me steady, his fingers threading through my hair. My hands found their way to his chest.

Dean’s other arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer until there wasn’t an inch of space between us. His body seemed to vibrate with something unspoken, something fierce and raw. Dammit. This man was going to be my undoing.