Page 54 of Billionaire Bad Boy Auction

He shrugged, but I could see the way he winced slightly at the movement. “It’ll heal.”

“Stubborn,” I muttered under my breath but loud enough for him to hear. He didn’t argue. “I’ll be back. Do you have a first-aid kit or maybe some burn gel? You know the kind with the lidocaine?”

“I have some of the blue stuff,” he said. “Bathroom. I’m going to pour myself another drink.”

“You’re going to be dehydrated. You should drink water.”

He scoffed. “No, thanks.”

I found some supplies in his bathroom and got to work, cleaning the burn as gently as I could. Dean flinched when I started. I couldn’t help but tease him.

“You’re such a baby,” I said.

He chuckled. “Yeah, yeah.”

As I worked, I was acutely aware of how close we were, how vulnerable he was letting himself be. It wasn’t something I’d seen from him before, and it made my heart ache.

“I was worried about you,” I admitted, my voice soft. “Are you okay?”

At first, I felt him pulling back, his walls going up. I thought he wasn’t going to open up, but then he surprised me.

“I’m fine,” he said, his voice rough. “Just frustrated.”

I didn’t push, just kept working on his back, giving him the space to talk if he wanted to.

Finally, he let out a breath, his shoulders sagging. “Seth’s always been like this. Even when we were kids, I was the one looking out for him. After our parents died, I felt like I had to protect him. But now I see I can’t protect him from himself. Maybe I made him into the screw-up he is now. I’ve always bailed him out. He’s never had to suffer the consequences from his many terrible decisions. I thought I was helping him. He got a raw deal, and when I made some money, I thought I could make things better. I’ve turned him into a monster.”

I shook my head. “You didn’t make him into anything, Dean. Seth’s been like this since that day he stranded me on the island and you came to save me. What do you think he would have done if you hadn’t come out there? I know what he would have done. He would have left me out there. Seth is one of those guys that doesn’t think. He just does. He’s always been the type to push limits. That’s not on you. You’re his brother, not his dad.”

Dean grimaced, his jaw tightening. “I hate that he did that to you. If I hadn’t gone to get you, I know he would have left you out there all night. I honestly don’t know if he would have gone back at daylight. He was probably just hoping someone else found you.”

I didn’t respond, just finished bandaging his arm. His back was red, but I didn’t see any blisters. I took my time rubbing the gel over his back. Yes, I was kind of enjoying it. His muscles rippled as I rubbed the gel into his skin.

“Up until that, I was having a really nice night,” I said, my voice soft. “For the first time in a really long time, actually.”

Dean looked at me. “Same.”

I hesitated. “It was a shame it had to end.”

Dean didn’t respond right away. He just stared at me. I could see him considering what he was going to do next. “It’s not over yet,” he said.

Before I could process what he meant, he kissed me.

It wasn’t like the kiss at the festival. This was deeper, more urgent, like he was finally letting go of everything he’d been holding back. I kissed him back, my hands tangling in his hair, my heart pounding in my chest. The last two times we had kissed, there had been some hesitation.

Not anymore. The fireworks weren’t in the sky anymore. They were in my veins, lighting me up from the inside out.

When we finally pulled apart, Dean rested his forehead against mine, his breathing ragged. “Portia,” he said, his voice rough.

I didn’t let him say anything else. I just kissed him again, pouring everything I felt into it. The confusion, the messiness, the uncertainty—it all melted away in that moment. I didn’t want to overthink this. I just wanted to give into the desire that had been burning between us.

He pulled back just a fraction. I rested my head against his forehead. “You know, you’re not as tough as you pretend to be.”

Dean chuckled. “Yeah, well, don’t tell anyone.”

I smiled, my chest swelling with something I couldn’t quite name. “Your secret’s safe with me,” I said, my voice teasing.

Dean didn’t respond, just pulled me closer, his arms wrapping around me, and pressed his lips into mine.