As faint applause echoed around us, Jackson came striding toward us. He pulled Vivian into a bear hug. “Thank you, Miss Vivian. You once again have managed to be far too generous when it comes to me.”
She gave his cheek a smacking kiss. Rubbing her lipstick off him, she said, “I think it was just enough.” She winked at me. “I’m sure that’ll have their tongues wagging all night, especially when Jackson here goes for the highest price all evening.”
“I do appreciate it. And I hope you’ll let you me take you out for dinner and drinks—all on me, of course,” Jackson said.
“I would be honored. I’d love to catch up with you about how college is going.” Vivian snapped her fingers. “Oh my, I just remembered that Jules will be here for a visit in a few weeks.”
Jackson smiled. “I’d love to see her.”
“Then it’s all settled.”
After he gave Vivian another hug, Jackson turned to me. “Thanks for betting on me, even if you didn’t win, Miss…?”
“Slater. Allison Slater.”
“Nice to meet you, Miss Slater.”
“And you’re welcome. You know, for my bid.”
Leaning in closer to me, he gave me a smile that would’ve normally caused my panties to get wet. “I’d love to take you out for dinner sometime, too.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “What are you doing after this?”
Glancing away from his hypnotic blue eyes, I stared over to where Rhys stood at the podium. He was auctioning another bachelor, but his attention was focused on me and Jackson. I couldn’t help getting a sense of a pleasure from the fact he looked like he wanted to punch Jackson for daring to talk to me. “You seem like a really wonderful guy, but I have plans.”
“Meaning there’s someone else you care about?”
I nodded. “Yes, there is.”
“Ah, all the good ones are always taken.”
I couldn’t help blushing with his compliments. “Thank you.”
“See you around.”
Waving, I watched him disappear through the crowd. The sound of Rhys’s gavel coming down caused me to jump. “And now we come to our final bachelor of the evening.” He paused and smiled. “Which appears to be me.”
Whistling pierced my eardrums. Turning to Vivian, I said, “I’m going to get closer.”
“You do that, doll.”
When I was almost right in front of Rhys, he asked, “Shall we start the bidding at five hundred?”
I opened my mouth, but a voice behind me cut me off. “Five hundred.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw it was Vivian’s niece—the bitch who had insulted my dress. Oh, she was going down all right. “I have five hundred. Do I have six?”
I thrust my hand into the hair and said, “Six.”
Rhys grinned. “I have six. Do I have seven?”
For the second time that night, the bitch knocked into me. “One thousand.”
Amused chatter filled the air that Miss Bitch had upped the ante. Rhys bobbed his head. “Well, then, it appears we have a thousand. Do I have fifteen hundred?”
“Two thousand,” I spat.
“Okay, that’s two thousand. Do I have—”
“Three thousand,” Miss Bitch interrupted Rhys.
I glared at her. “Four thousand.”
Stepping between us, Margaret said, “Ladies, you need to follow protocol.”
Lowering her voice, Miss Bitch hissed, “You are not going home with him. I am.”
Feeling like I was back in high school rather than a grown woman, I snapped, “Wanna bet?”
Rhys cleared his throat into the microphone. “So that’s four thousand, do I have forty-five hundred?”
“Five thousand,” Miss Bitch said, never taking her eyes off mine.
At this rate, we could go on all night. Something had to be done. Drawing my shoulders back, I punched my hand into the air. “Ten thousand.”
Miss Bitch’s eyes widened. “Did I hear you just bet ten thousand dollars?”
Cocking my brows, I countered, “Did I stutter?” When she didn’t respond, I said, “Yep, I thought you heard me correctly.”
I flicked my gaze from hers to Rhys. He grinned and shook his head. “Looks like we have a bid of ten thousand. Do I hear eleven?”
I shot Miss Bitch a look that dared her to try eleven. She then huffed out a frustrated breath before crossing her arms over her chest. I took that as she was conceding. When no one else bid, Rhys banged the gavel down on the podium. “Looks like Mr. Marshall and I will be tying for the highest bids tonight of ten thousand dollars.” Once again applause and whistling assaulted my ears. “Thanks to everyone who came to help make tonight such a success. Thanks also to all the bachelors who have offered their time and services. Most of all, thanks to my mother, Margaret McGowan, for planning and executing this evening’s festivities.”
When the applause started to die down, Rhys bypassed anyone else waiting to talk to him and came straight for me. I couldn’t help the beaming smile that lit up my face when he pulled me into his arms.
“I think I just won a date with you with your money,” I said against his ear.
He chuckled, causing my body to vibrate with his. When he pulled away, he was still smiling. “I believe you have. And where do you intend to take me on your date?”
Since I had had enough high class for one night, I knew it had to be somewhere low-key. “How about a B&D burger and some fries?”
“Ah, I see how it is. You’re planning to go cheap on me now that you’ve spent a lot of my money.”
I grinned. “Yep, sounds good to me.”
“You’re in luck, cheapskate. I happen to love B&D burgers.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” I replied, a little breathlessly since Rhys still had his arms around me.
Someone cleared her throat behind us. It was Margaret with her “I’ve been sucking on lemons” expression. “Rhys, darling—” she began.
He held up a hand. “Mother, I’m sorry, but this young lady just bought my time fair and square.”
“The newspaper wants to get a picture of us.”
When Rhys scowled, I nudged him forward. “Go on. Your adoring public awaits you.”
“I would happily like to tell my adoring public to get bent,” he said, in a low voice.
I couldn’t help giggling. “Why don’t you give me your keys, and I’ll wait at the car.”
He cocked his brows questioningly at me. “I think you’re just trying to abscond with my car.”
“Could be. Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
Rhys laughed as he dug a ticket out of his pants pocket. “Go ahead and have the valet bring it around. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“No problem.”
As I started out of the study, I ran into Vivian in the hallway. “Leaving, dear?”
“Yeah, Rhys and I are going to get some dinner.”
She grinned. “Have fun. Oh, and do something I would do.”
I couldn’t help laughing at her audacity. The truth was I would be happy to do all the wicked and naughty things Vivian could possibly do if only Rhys was willing. Being in his arms earlier, if only momentarily, felt so damn good. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had any idea what he did to me. Ugh, I hated feeling this mixed up and neurotic. I had to remember that I was strong, beautiful, confident, and that there was no reason why Rhys shouldn’t want to be with me.
As I handed over the ticket to the valet, I silently said a wish for strength so I could get my man.
Out the entire evening, the highlight for me was sitting in a tux at B&D’s, stuffing my face with a burger and fries, with a beautiful girl across from me. Once we devoured our food and had gotten enough odd looks from the other patrons because of our formal wear, we headed back to Allison’s place. I stopped off and picked up a six-pack on the way.
After I parked the car, I turned to Allison who hadn’t made a move to get out yet. “What’s wr
ong?”
“I’m a little scared to go inside.”
Twisting in my seat to see her better, I asked, “What do you mean?”
She giggled. “I have a feeling that Cassie and her date might be banging on the couch. They were already making out on my bed earlier tonight.”
“Damn,” I muttered, trying to rid myself of any thoughts of Cassie having sex.
After Allison got out of the car, she glanced up at the clear sky filled with stars. “It’s such a pretty night. Why don’t we have our drinks out on the veranda?”
“Sounds good to me, Scarlett,” I teased.
“Oh, shut up. Like you don’t have a veranda yourself,” she said, as we started around the side of the house.
“Why of course we have a veranda. I just like to be uncouth and call it a back porch.”
Allison laughed, causing my chest to have an odd clenching feeling. I’m not sure why I cared so much that she found me amusing. But more than hearing her laugh, I loved making her laugh. “What is it about being in Savannah that makes me want to talk and act like a proper Southerner?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. But the city certainly has some kind of pull on you,” I replied, as I uncapped a beer and handed it to her.
“Think it’s the voodoo?”
I snorted. “Could be.” I then raised my beer up to the full moon. “Here’s to all the voodoo and hoodoo that makes Savannah what it is.”
Thrusting up her longneck, Allison said, “To the hoodoo and voodoo.” Then she took a long swig of the beer.
I sat the six-pack on the table, and then we eased down onto the porch swing. For a while we sat in silence, merely listening to the heave and sigh of the swing. Turning my head, I eyed her profile in the moonlight. “You know, I just keep learning more and more about you, Allie-Bean.”
“And precisely what did you learn about me tonight?”
I swallowed a large gulp of beer. Then I grinned at her. “First of all, you become a tough little cookie when provoked.”
Allison threw back her shoulders and huffed out a breath. “She was a bitch. No, actually, she was a cunt,” she replied.
Beer spewed out of my mouth onto the tiled floor. “Holy shit, did you just say cunt?”
Giggling, she ducked her head. “Yeah, maybe.”
“Okay, chalk that up as something else I’ve learned tonight. You can have a real potty mouth when you want to.”
She smirked at me. “Like I didn’t learn it from my big brother?”
“Well, that’s probably true,” I conceded.
“So what else did you learn about me?” Allison prompted.
“Well, besides the fact you can go from genteel to raging bitch in a few seconds, I found out that you can handle your own in a tough social situation like that. And you certainly know how to dress to impress.”
“Thank you,” she murmured softly.
“Most of all, I’ve learned you are a woman of many complexities, and it’s very intriguing.”
Her mouth made a perfect little “O” at my declaration. Everything I said was the truth. In the last thirty-six hours, I truly had come to see Allison in an entirely different light. It was hard imagining that I’d known her seven years and not realized it at all. Not only was she a woman now, but she was a very interesting one. I wasn’t even sure Jake was aware of all the many facets that made up her character.
“You’ve learned so much about me, but I’m still missing some things on you,” she said.
“I’m sure all you would have to do is Google me, and a lot of shit would come up.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want impersonal information like that about you. I want it straight from the horse’s mouth.”
“Fine. I have nothing to hide, so fire away.” I cocked my brows at her. “But be forewarned that turnabout is fair play.”
“I don’t mind.”
“So shoot.”
Tilting her head, Allison asked, “How old were you when you lost your virginity?”
The audacious question, coupled with her interested expression, caused me to spew out the sip of beer I’d just taken. Swiping my hand across my mouth, I said, “Damn. Going straight for the jugular on that one, aren’t you?”
She giggled. “Would you rather me have asked the last time you cried?”
I shook my head furiously. I wasn’t one of those emotionally stunted men who thought it was weak to cry. It was more the fact that I didn’t want to have to acknowledge that it had been three days ago after I saw my sister. I wasn’t ready to go there with her yet.
“So answer the question,” she pressed.
“Actually, I was a late bloomer. I was nineteen.”
Her brows rose in surprise. “Seriously?”
I laughed. “You sound so shocked.”
With a shrug, she said, “I just imagined you being young. Like fifteen.”
“I was finishing up high school at fifteen. Trust me, for most of my teenage years, I wore glasses, had acne, and weighed one thirty soaking wet.” I shook my head as I was assaulted by a barrage of painful teenage memories of being bullied and being made fun of. It was just another reason that I hated living in the past—it was too fucking painful.
Trying to lighten the dark mood pervading me, I motioned to myself. “I was not always the stud you see before you today,” I teased.
My efforts were rewarded by a laugh from Allison. “I find that hard to believe.”
I couldn’t help shuddering. “Oh trust me, there’s photographic and video evidence.”
She shook her head. “Nope, I’m sorry, but I can’t imagine a time when you weren’t a hottie.”
“As fucking misguided as you are, I gotta say thanks for the compliment.”
With a grin, she took another sip of her beer. “So who was she?”
Shifting in my chair, I couldn’t help feeling a little uncomfortable with her questioning. I mean, where the hell was she going with this? And now because she had brought it up, I couldn’t help wanting to know the same shit about her…or did I?
“You want me to elaborate about losing my virginity?”
“Of course. After all, elaboration is the key element of Southern storytelling, and we are in the most Southern city in the South.”
“True, very true.” I took a long pull from my longneck. For reasons I couldn’t even fathom, I felt the need to defend myself to Allison. “The thing is, I had gotten some action, but I still hadn’t sealed the deal, so to speak.”
“Lovely,” Allison said, wrinkling her nose.
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted me to elaborate.”
She laughed. “You’re right. Please continue.”
“By the time I’d turned nineteen, things finally were looking up for me. I’d just met Jake and the other guys, and we were starting to play at Eastman’s. After being sick, I got put on steroids and started beefing up. I got Lasik surgery, and my mother actually gave me a year’s supply of chemical peels for my acne as a birthday present.”
“But you digress,” Allison said, with a grin.
“I’m trying to save face here about why I was so old when I lost my virginity.”
“Pray continue.”
I laughed. “Anyway, her name was Melanie. She was in some of my law classes at Emory. Since I was feeling more confident, I got up the nerve to ask her out. Thankfully, she said yes, and we started dating.”
Surprise filled Allison’s face. “Oh, so you have been in a relationship.”
“A few, yeah. None really lasted a long time. I did have my heart broken when I was twenty-one.”
“Interesting. And where was the deed done?”
With a wink, I replied, “In a pretty posh suite at the Ritz in Atlanta.”
Her eyes bulged. “Really?”
“Hey, give me some credit here. I’m not the type of guy to lose it in the backseat of a car.”
She giggled. “No, I can’t see you doing that.” Leaning her elbows on the table,
she added with a teasing lilt to her voice, “Of course, you had to pick somewhere high-end. Couldn’t lose the V-Card at the Holiday Inn, could you?”
“Hey now. I can’t help how I was raised, even if I try to escape it as often as I can.”
“So we know you had a posh first experience. But what about the relationship itself? How long did it last between the two of you?”
Tilting my head, I delved into my past. “Six months. She was a few years older than me.” At Allison’s continued questioning expression, I said, “She wanted more—a whole lot more than I was ready or willing to give at nineteen.”
“I see,” she murmured.
“And what about you?” When her usual red flush tinged Allison’s cheeks, I shook my head. “Oh no, don’t think you’re getting out of this one.”
“I’m not,” she huffed.
“Then spill it.”
“Fine,” she muttered. I turned a laugh into a cough when she squared her shoulders determinedly while downing the rest of her beer. “I was seventeen.”
“Man, you beat me by two years, huh?”
“Sex is never a competition.”
“Sometimes it is to see who will finish first,” I mused, which caused her to blush. “Anyway, please continue with the sordid details.”
“Like you, I was in a relationship. Dylan and I started dating when I was sixteen.”
Holding up my hand, I asked, “Just how old was he?”
“Eighteen.”
“Older man, huh?”
With a slight shrug, she replied, “I was a junior, and he was a senior.”
“Cradle robber,” I teased.
“I would hardly call that age difference cradle robbing.”
“Was he like the typical older guy who dated younger girls to get one thing?”
“Not exactly. I mean, our six month anniversary fell right after my seventeenth birthday, and he hadn’t really been pressuring me or demanding anything of me.”
“So where did you do the deed?”
A shy smile pulled at the corners of her lips. “Jake’s farm.”
Her declaration caused me to bolt upright in my chair. “Excuse me?”
“You guys were out on tour, and no one was there. It was the perfect place where we could be alone. I told my mom I was spending the weekend with my best friend, Kim. We didn’t go in the house—we stayed in the loft.”