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We’re back in the sleigh in record time, the horse jingling as it races back through the snow, taking us home to its barn and leaving behind our winter wonderland.
17
CILIAN
The halls of the estate stretch out before me, opulent and silent. My eyes scan each room with a growing frustration. Mia wasn’t in her room last night, and her absence lingers like an unspoken question in the air. Did she choose not to be there because she knew we had a deal? Or did something happen?
Our time together before the cocktail party yesterday had been hot, passionate. And I was more than eager to continue exploring it after the party calmed down last night. But she didn’t reappear after our conversation on the patio, and when I went to her room, she was nowhere to be found.
I haven’t seen her all day, either.
The day unfolds with an odd emptiness. Mia’s laughter, her spirited conversations, everything that defines the rhythm of the mountainous retreat is conspicuously absent. Something has shifted, and a sense of uncertainty hangs in the air.
It’s not until the day is waning, the sun dipping low on the horizon, casting long shadows over the estate, that I spot them. Mia and Luke, arm in arm, entering through the manor’s front door with an ease that sends a jolt through me.
I know he and Zach were hovering around her yesterday, their glances betraying their keen interest in her, which seems to have awakened since Halloween—like mine. But I hadn’t actually considered them competition. Until now.
I quicken my steps, closing the distance between us, but hesitate in the shadows. Mia’s laughter, once so familiar and cherished, now stings like a bitter reminder of betrayal. My easy charm and privileged position, which have always captured her attention, suddenly feel inadequate.
I know the way she looks at me. I’ve seen that look enough times to realize the girl has had a crush on me for years now. And at first, I thought it was sweet, something fun to flirt with but never cross the line.
Until Halloween. Now, everything has changed, and despite myself, despite my friendship with her father, I can’t seem to stop the magnetic pull that effortlessly draws me closer to her.
Luke leans in to whisper something in Mia’s ear, a gesture that reeks of intimacy, and a surge of possessiveness grips me. The doubt that has slumbered in my mind stirs and awakens, a beast ready to pounce.
I can’t lose her. Not to Luke or Zach, who circle her like predators. Mia is mine, by right, by entitlement, by the unspoken rules of our social hierarchy. And I won’t just stand idly by as one slips in during my absence. I’ve been too complacent, but no more.
If I want to stay in this competition, I need to show Mia that I care—about more than the physical stuff. Because as insanely hot as our connection is, that’s not what’s captivated me about Mia. That might be what got my attention, but our conversation last night has me hooked in a way I’ve never been before. And I want to know more. I want to learn everything about Mia.
It’s a new desire, I’ll admit, but I’ve lived long enough to know when something truly matters, and my feelings for Mia are stronger than anything I’ve ever felt before.
Luke steps back, offering to take Mia’s coat, and she slides out of it with a grateful smile over her shoulder. The slick git. He’s good, smooth, practiced. I’m sure he’s winning her over with his Southern charm.
I need to get my act together if I want a prayer of taking Mia home with me. Because more and more, I’m realizing that’s what I want. Something beyond the chase. More than a one-night stand.
Or in our case, a one-night foursome followed by an insanely hot reunion before the party began. But if I’m going to catch Mia’s eye now, I can’t play it safe with any half-gestures or casual flirtation.
Luke has a leg up on me in one regard—he knows Mia far better already.
So, if I intend to win the girl, I’ll need to make a sure statement that lays claim to her.
The silent auction comes to me in a moment of genius, and a decision crystallizes in my mind. I can’t be passive any longer. Tearing my eyes from the far-too-friendly scene before me, I stride purposefully to the den, where the silent auction table stands with twelve separate sheets of paper resting beneath twelve opulent representations of the prizes up for grabs.
Only one thing matters—the chance to dance with Mia at the Christmas Eve ball. I approach the small porcelain figurine of two dancers arm in arm and scan down the paper I’ve already placed several bids on. The bids have been fierce, fortunes exchanged for nine fleeting moments in Mia’s arms. And while Luke, Zach, and I are clearly the most determined to dance with her, I’m surprised to find just how many men would pay a pretty penny for the honor of holding her in their arms.
My gaze locks onto the empty last square of the bid sheet, and with determination, I scribble an astronomical figure that would leave even the wealthiest patrons gasping. Iwillwin this round. And with the silent auction about to close, I’m confident I’ll be the last man standing.
But it’s not just about winning the chance to dance with Mia. It’s about showing her how much I would give to have her. And this will remove any doubt in her mind.
I step back, heart pounding, and unleash a victorious smile. Then, with a nod to the man overseeing the bidding, I slip from the room, heading back to my suite to get ready for cocktail hour.
18
MIA
Luke and I part ways so I can head upstairs to get ready for cocktail hour. We’re back with just enough time to spare. Skipping up the steps, I round the corner into the hallway of my room and come face to face with Lindsey.
“Oh, sorry about that!” I exclaim, steadying myself moments before we actually collide.
