Chapter 51


    His blue gaze settled on me onest time, and I swore there was something wolfish, something a little wild, about


    them.


    “Me.” He tilted his head, holding my gaze. “That’s what’s being auctioned.” His voice matched the quality of his eyes,


    making a shiver trail down my arms. “And that’s what you’ll be bidding on tonight, Catalina. Me.”


    Eyes even wider and jaw probably lying somewhere around my high heels, I blinked and watched Aaron throw the


    driver’s door open. He walked around the car as I—unsessfully—tried to gather my wits. He gestured to the valet


    not to open my door.


    Aaron did.


    The humid summer breeze grazed my arms and legs as this blue-eyed man, who I was starting to understand I knew


    little about, offered his hand.


    “Miss Martín, if you please.”


    I blinked at him for a long moment. My whole body numb with … things I failed to pin down and identify.


    One of the corners of his lips bent with the start of a smirk; he was clearly enjoying how dibobted I was. How


    scattered I must appear. God, he looked as amused as I had ever seen him.


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    “Today better than tomorrow, Catalina.”


    Thatment was so Aaron, so like the Aaron I knew and was familiar andfortable with—the one who was curt


    and demanding, not the one who was taking me to a fundraiser so I could bid on him in an auction—that my hand


    shot to his, being immediately engulfed in his muchrger one.


    He helped me out of the car, the long skirt of my gown that wasn’t really a gown cascading down my legs. Aaron let


    my hand drop all too quickly, leaving my palm warm from his touch. Then, he held the massive and sumptuous door of


    the Park Avenue skyscraper open for me.


    I took one step forward, trying to keep the hammering in my chest under control.


    All right.


    My other foot moved in front of me.


    So, I’d be fake-bidding for my fake date tonight. For my soon-to-be fake boyfriend if our deal was still up after tonight.


    No big deal, right?


    Chapter Eight


    When Aaron had mentioned fundraiser, followed by auction, I had pictured a fancy but frilly room filled with wealthy


    and uptown old people. Don’t ask me why. But I had not expected the spectacr rooftop where we had been


    weed with a flute ss of the tastiest sparkling wine I had ever had the pleasure to drink. And surely, not the


    trendy—and rather extravagant—array of people of all ages and backgrounds in attendance.


    Who knew that the upper spheres of the Big Apple could be so … colorful?


    Not that I had met everybody here. Actually, we had pretty much stuck to those somehow rted to the football world.


    Which seemed natural after Aaron’s revtion about his past and his family involvement in it. For thest hour, I had


    been introduced to a couple of coaches and team coordinators, a sportscaster, and a number of influential people


    whose positions I wasn’t familiar with but that I nodded to like I knew exactly what they did. The only people we had


    talked to outside the sports bubble were a few entrepreneurs whose corporations, enterprises, and whatnot I had


    never heard of either.


    Every time we encountered a new group of people, Aaron introduced me as Catalina Martín, not adding any kind of


    drive and definitely aided with my newfound intention of trying to enjoy myself.


    This was my first time at an event like this one, and it would most likely be myst, so the least I could do was have


    fun.


    “I already said so, but I’m so happy to see you, Aaron.” Ang, ady in her fifties who was d in a dress that was


    probably worth two or three times my month’s rent, smiled. “Especially with someone on your arm.”


    I felt my cheeks heat, so I distracted myself, taking a sip from my fancy flute ss.


    We had been chatting with her for a few minutes now. And the whole time, I had been silently watching the woman


    with fascination. Her elegance and poise had me in awe. And unlike more than a few people here, she had kind eyes.


    The fact that she was the mind behind tonight’s event was only the cherry on top.


    “So, tell me”—Ang’s lips inched higher—“you’ll be taking part in this year’s auction too, I presume? I still haven’t


    gotten the chance to check the final list.”


    “Yes, of course,” Aaron answered from his post at my side.


    We hadn’t had time to discuss what the deal with this whole me bidding for him was. By the time I had somehow


    pulled it together, we had been walking out of the elevator and into the party. We’d been quickly jumping from one


    small group of people to the next, so I hadn’t had the chance to interrogate him about it.


    “That’s lovely to hear.” She took a sip of he


    r drink. “I had my doubts, if I may bepletely honest.” Ang threw her head back andughed. “Last year’s


    auction was … intense. Very entertaining, to say the least.”


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