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“You stopped being Linc the night you threw me away like trash.”
Her words, so cold and hard, force regret like a bitter pill to flood through me. I did do that, but not for the reasons she thinks. I’d never treat her that way, but she doesn’t know that, and I doubt she’d believe me now anyway.
“You were never trash, Lottie. You were always the rose among all the thorns in my life.”
“Cheap words, but actions speak volumes, Lincoln.”
I step back, knowing I need to come up with a new tactic. “Why are you selling your virginity and how the fuck are you still a virgin?”
I can’t deny the thought that she’s never let a man touch her or fuck her makes me happy because it makes me fucking ecstatic.
“None of your business.”
“I’m making it my business.”
“Why? Why do you even care? You have no idea what you’ve done by dragging me off the stage. I need to get back out there and see if I can fix this.”
“Not gonna fucking happen.”
She throws her hands up and I can see the frustration on her face, but also the exhaustion and it gives me the overwhelming urge to protect her, to ease her struggles, but I push those thoughts aside as I admit, “I always cared, Lottie.”
She holds her palm up at me. “Stop, let’s not rehash the past. I don’t want to hear your lies and bullshit, Linc.”
“Fine, tell me.”
She stands and straightens her shoulders like a woman about to go to war. She’s nearly a foot shorter than my six foot four, but still, she faces me down with her chin up and her head held high. She’s spectacular.
“Fine, you want to know why?” She moves toward me until we’re almost touching, and I look into her moss green eyes and see the determination there.
“Yes.”
“For Eric. I’m doing this for Eric.”
9: Lottie
“Who the fuck is Eric?”
I smirk as he explodes, as I suspected he would. Lincoln Coldwell doesn’t like to lose or be second. “Eric is everything to me.”
His jaw ticks, and then he swallows before turning away from me and walking to the bar. Up until the moment Harrison took the chance away, I’d been going back and forth about my decision to enter this ridiculous auction. It felt humiliating and seedy standing up on stage in this virginal white lace but it was my only chance to pay my way out of the financial mess I’m in and help my brother.
“I see. Does Eric know you’re doing this for him?”
“No, and he can never know.”
“And why is that?”
“Because he wouldn’t understand.”
“But he’d accept your help and your money for whoring yourself?”
Shame and anger mix like a potent poison inside me, but it can’t seem to stamp out the attraction I still feel for him. It was always strong even when we were young. I was sure I’d marry him one day and we’d live the happy life I’d read about in fairy tales. Fairy tales he’d taught me to read. Now the attraction is so much stronger but tainted with hate and betrayal.
“Why do you hate me, Lincoln?”
I watch his eyes flash to me and I know he hates it when I call him Lincoln, hiding the familiarity and affection we once had, but he doesn’t control me anymore, at least not in that.
“I don’t hate you, on the contrary, I’m trying to help you.”
