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“None came close to your pledge, but we raised a ton of money. More even than last year.”
“That is great to hear.”
“It sure is. Even better is the crowd we’re attracting. The auction event has become quite the trend. Anyone with money, or without, wants in on the action. We’re going to have to start rejecting some of our regular participants.”
Aiden’s heart sang at the news. “Good. The more exclusive we make it, the more the elite will want to be there and the more money they will bid.”
Liam sighed heavily. “I’m thinking it’s my turn to make a bid on a woman next year. Lord only knows none of them interested me in that way this year. But the way the bids are escalating at every auction I mightn’t have the funds to make a decent offer.”
Aiden snorted. “Have you not gone over our profit and loss statements? You have more than enough to make a bid—if the right woman makes an appearance.”
“That’s a big if, brother.”
Liam muttered goodbye and disconnected, before Aiden walked closer to the railing to stare unseeingly over the edge. It was eerily quiet, with not even the team of cleaners who were busy making everything tidy and presentable in the building to be heard.
Though Sundays were always quiet thanks to the nightclub being shut, the function rooms and restaurant still made a killing as well as the bar. Aiden really didn’t need to be available today. Liam could handle everything.
A tread alerted him to Luna’s presence a second before she stepped out onto the balcony, a sheet wrapped around her like she was some kind of Roman Goddess. “Good morning,” she said with a sweet smile, her corkscrew hair a halo around her glowing face.
“Good morning,” he answered, then cocked his head to the side. “Did you sleep well?”
“When we weren’t fucking I slept like a baby,” she conceded. She bit her bottom lip then and added, “I really enjoyed myself last night.”
His heart pitter-pattered carefully in his chest, as though one beat out of place would scare her away, never to return. “I did, too.”
She cleared her throat. “I, ah, kind of have a clothes problem. I really don’t want to walk downstairs to the locker in this sheet to change back into the clothes I wore last night.”
He grinned, relieved to know she wasn’t prepared. It meant there was less chance of her walking away from him, at least for the foreseeable future, AKA next few hours. “You didn’t bring any spare clothes with you to put in the locker we provide?”
She flushed a little. “No. I only have what I wore here.”
His heart plummeted. It was clear all she’d had on her mind were her plans to screw him and then leave without looking back. He crossed his arms while managing a smile. “I can send someone out to the shop for you, or bring in someone to fit you some clothes.”
She shook her head. “Thank you, but no, thank you, I have plenty of clothes at home.”
“You live in Sydney?” he asked faintly.
She grimaced, as though reprimanding herself for revealing too much. “I do now,” she said carefully. “I moved in with Bernard. He should be home now. I’ll ring him to bring a change of clothes.”
Aiden’s chest tightened, his throat constricting so badly he could barely breathe. “Bernard?” he snarled.
He didn’t want to sound all macho and possessive, but he couldn’t help himself. She’d been a virgin, who the hell was this Bernard guy and what did he mean to her? And why did they live together?”
She arched an eyebrow. “Bernard is my housemate. Not that we see each other a whole lot. He’s in the airline industry, too. Most of the time we’re in the sky going the opposite direction.”
“So he’s an airline hostess, too?”
Her smirk stretched into a grin. “No, Bernard is not a cabin steward, he’s a pilot.”
Aiden’s muscles tensed in places he didn’t know he had muscles. “Do you have some kind of relationship with him?”
Her grin faded and she rolled her eyes just a little. “That isn’t any of your business.”
She was right. Of course she was right. He was being a jerk. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had dozens of women in his bed, and out of it, in the past, and he’d never cared about their relationship status. What she’d done with her life since he’d dumped her was no concern of his.
So why did he suddenly need to know every facet of her life?
He managed a stiff nod. “You’re probably hanging for a coffee.”
