The Safe Bet (Hidden Truths #1)(30)

The loud voice of the auctioneer boomed in her ears, and she focused her attention on him.

“Fifty-thousand.”

Kate looked at James, who had yelled out an obscene number, increasing the bid from ten thousand.

She glanced over at Michael. If the spotlight weren’t on the stage, she wouldn’t have been able to notice the slight twitch of muscle in Michael’s jaw. Was he jealous, or was he pissed at James for showing up?

Kate exhaled a noticeable sigh of relief when a stranger placed a much higher bid. She was in no mood to see a showdown between Michael and James because the way Michael was eying him made her wonder . . .

“Eighty-thousand,” James countered, his voice sharp.

“Ninety,” the mystery bidder was quick to respond.

Freaking seriously? Kate couldn’t see her mystery bidder. His voice was deep, but not too gravelly.

“A hundred thousand.” James wasn’t ready to give up. It was some kind of game to him, wasn’t it?

“One-twenty.”

Kate stared, open-mouthed, at the audience. Thank God the money was going to a good cause; otherwise, she would have assumed the men were outright delirious. She bit her lip and looked over at James. Please, don’t bid. Please, don’t bid.

“We have a winner,” the auctioneer announced.

Relief spiraled through her body when she realized the mystery bidder won.

“Michael, it’s your turn.” Julia stepped out front on stage and beckoned her brother. He kept his eyes trained on Kate, following her with his gaze as she backed away from the center of the stage to stand off to the side.

Kate fought back the unwarranted envy as she watched the women swarm in front of him.

There were fewer women than men, as most women at the gala were married. Unlike the men, they were not about to piss off their husbands by gawking at Michael in the way the men had admired Kate. Regardless, all twenty women who had gathered at the front began fighting tooth and nail over Michael, jostling each other as if he were about to toss a bridal bouquet.

Kate found herself tuning out the bidding. She was in no mood to watch the women fight over a man she’d never have.

Two hundred thousand was the winning bid for Michael. Kate recognized the twenty-one-year-old as the daughter of a rich Dallas oil tycoon. Sure, what’s two hundred grand for the chance with Michael Maddox? She cringed and looked away from the woman who had won herself a one-night stand with Maddox. What had she been thinking when planning the auction?

She looked over at Michael, who was now off stage and approaching James. Oh, God. She moved close enough to overhear them, without drawing their attention.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing here?” Michael asked. He crossed his arms over his chest.

A smile curled over James’s lips. “You were serious about not showing up, huh? I thought you were kidding.” His eyes twinkled with amusement. “What, you got a thing for your event planner? I didn’t see you bidding on her.”

“Get the hell out. Now!”

“Fine—don’t get your panties in a bunch. I came for the auction anyway. I thought there was supposed to be a famous model up for bid. I was surprised to see your event planner up on the block, though. I was hoping to win her, but she’s definitely not worth that much.” James smirked.

“If you don’t get the fuck out of here, I’ll remove you myself.” Michael’s voice was low enough to avoid turning heads but deep enough for it to register warning to James.

James shook his head, but thankfully, he backed down and turned away. Before she could feel relief—she caught sight of someone familiar, which had her stomach turning.

She shuffled across the floor and back onto the stage to get a better view.

It was him. The guy from the club. The guy from the street outside the Mexican restaurant. Blonde and muscular. And he was watching her again from across the room.

Was he the stalker? He had to be.

He started for the exit.

She got off the stage and hurried after him. But in a sea of black tuxedos, she lost him.

She needed some air. The room was closing in on her. She rushed away from the main exit, back toward the rose garden terrace. She drew in a deep breath as she exited the ballroom. She walked to the railing and gripped it until her knuckles turned white. She bent over, squeezing in on herself, thankful to be alone. There was only so much she could handle in one evening.

“You did a great job tonight.”

Kate turned around to see Michael standing outside the entrance to the terrace.

He removed his bow tie and shrugged off his jacket, throwing both on a nearby table. “This is just not who I am.” He stopped a few feet away. “You okay?”

“I—I don’t know.” She turned away from him and looked back out over the city.

He closed the gap between them. “Did James say something to you?” The muscles in his arms tensed as he gripped the railing. He looked over his shoulder, holding her gaze. His face was almost as taut as his muscles, as concern radiated from his body.

“What?” She shook her head. “No.”

“I have seen you look startled—maybe even scared—on a few occasions now. You’re sure nothing is going on?” He released his grip on the railing and faced her.

“I’ll be fine. The party is about over. I’d better wrap things up. You heading out now?” She rubbed her hands together and smoothed on a fake smile.