The Auction: The Billionaire Wins a Date

by Starla Harris

  George unfolded the heavy linen napkin and placed it on her lap. A menu card rested against her wine glass. She lifted it and skimmed its contents.

  “Chef Étienne was a top chef in Paris,” Travis said proudly. “The restaurant he worked at won its third Michelin star under him.”

  Lia raised an eyebrow. “How did you get him to work for you? Did you kidnap him?”

  “No, we’re just paying him more,” Travis replied with a hint of arrogance.

  “I guess working for you must be just as rewarding as working at a world-class restaurant in Paris.”

  “Well, it does have its perks,” Travis grinned. “Étienne said his work-life balance has improved considerably since we employed him. He has more time to spend with his family and he’s in the best shape of his life.”

  “Oh. So you don’t make him cook for all of your dates?”

  Travis laughed. “I like your sense of humor. Even though it’s mostly at my expense.” He took a sip of water. “Contrary to what you think you know of me, I’m not out every night entertaining women.”

  “Poor women.” Lia murmured as she raised her glass to her lips.

  George arrived with the first course, a seared day boat scallop wrapped in bacon served with a delicate peach sauce on the side. “Wine, Miss?” George asked.

  Lia nodded. “Thank you.” George filled one of her wine glasses with a light pink translucent rosé.

  When George left, Travis raised his glass. “To Pages Theater. Among its many virtues, it brought us together.”

  Lia raised her glass as well. They sipped the light and fruity wine and smiled at each other over the rims of their glasses. Lia reached for her cutlery and speared a piece of scallop on her fork. It almost melted in her mouth. “Hmmm,” she sighed contentedly. “Your Étienne is worth every cent you’re paying him.”

  Travis regarded her, a sexy smirk playing on his lips. “I’m glad I finally managed to impress you with something tonight.”

  Lia returned his smirk. “Nah, it wasn’t you, it was Étienne.”

  Travis laughed out loud. “Touché.” He took a sip of his wine and his eyes bore into hers. Lia felt a small spark of desire ignite deep in her core.

  George appeared and cleared away their empty plates. Once the clutter of china and silverware subsided, Travis cleared his throat. “So, tell me about yourself.”

  Lia averted her eyes. “Well, there’s not much to know. I was born and raised in Upstate New York and I have both an MBA and an MFA in drama and theater arts.”

  “Wow,” Travis said, impressed. Then he gave a slight frown. “But how did you afford it? I mean, based on what you’ve told me, you don’t come from a wealthy family. And graduate school is…”

  “Expensive,” Lia interrupted him mid-sentence. “I had a scholarship. Plus two part-time jobs and a student loan.”

  “I see.” Travis took a sip of water. “You had to work quite hard for your dreams.”

  Lia nodded. “Yes. But I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d really deserve whatever success comes my way and I wouldn’t appreciate it. It wouldn’t really be my achievement.”

  Travis nodded, a stony expression clouded his face. He reached for his wine-glass silently. Lia realized her faux-pas with a sinking heart. Damn it, she thought. I managed to insult him again. And this time I didn’t even want to. She opened her mouth to say something but at that moment, George arrived with the main course. He put their plates in front of them, then reappeared with a bottle of red wine, filling another one of their wine glasses.

  Lia consulted the menu card. Apparently, the deliciously steaming and aromatic heap of food on her plate was Wakanui grain fed porterhouse steak served with truffled potatoes.

  “And where did you pick up your appreciation for fine cuisine?” Travis asked, cutting into his steak.

  Lia smiled. “On the job. I didn’t get to go to many high-end dinner parties as a student. And before that, I didn’t even sit down properly to eat.”

  Travis raised an eyebrow and let out a small laugh. “What do you mean? Your family didn’t have a table to eat at?”

  “Of course we had a table,” Lia replied with mock-outrage. “It was just extremely hard for my parents to get my brother and me to actually sit down to it for longer than five minutes. We were too busy running around.”

  Travis smiled. “Oh, I can easily imagine that. My sister and I were the same.” he trailed off, his smile vanishing, a guarded expression taking its place.

  Lia cocked her head to the side. “You have a sister?”

  “Yes.” Travis busied himself with his food.

  “Oh,” Lia said. She decided to let the issue go. “How old is your sister? Where is she?”

  A cloud fell over Travis’ face. When he spoke, his voice was lined with sorrow. “She’s estranged from the family.”

  The cutlery dropped out of Lia’s hand with a loud cling. “Oh God, I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay,” Travis said. “It happened years ago and I genuinely think she’s happier now for it. I’m the only one she still talks to. ”

  “Okay,” Lia nodded. A violin played a heartbreaking solo. She took a sip of her wine, racking her brains for a suitable topic of conversation.

  But she needn’t have worried, because Travis broke the silence. “Believe it or not, but I also went to graduate school,” he said quickly, eager to lift the mood.

  “Really? What did you study?”

  “Architecture.”

  Lia leaned on the table. “That’s fascinating! I never would have thought. Tell me how you got interested in architecture.”

  Travis smiled, his eyes suddenly shining. “I’ve always loved it. Ever since I was a little kid, I was really interested in building things. How you take a couple of objects, unrelated and functionless by themselves, and put them together to achieve something larger than life.” He paused, taking a bite of steak. “It was the happiest time of my life, my years at school.”

  “What did you do afterwards? Did you take an internship with an architectural design studio?”

  Travis sighed. “No. Unfortunately, my father didn’t really share my appreciation for architecture. He said I could study whatever I wanted to, but ultimately I’d end up working at Paulson Tech anyway.”

  “Oh.” Lia was taken aback. “I have to confess, I know next to nothing about Paulson Tech.”

  Travis chuckled. “We build microchips, not houses.”

  “Right. Of course.” Lia said sympathetically. She was intrigued. Travis was a deeper, more complicated and sensitive man than she originally assumed. “I understand it must be really difficult to have a taste of what you’re yearning for, only to have it yanked away. But I don’t see why you didn’t become an architect if that was your dream.”

  Travis ran his hand through his hair. An unruly lock fell onto his forehead. Lia felt a burning desire to smooth it back into place.

  “My father thought architecture was just a phase. He said I’m destined to take over the company when he retires. He said he needs me to,” Travis said in a wooden voice.

  Lia took a bite of steak and shook her head energetically while she chewed. “I disagree. I think everybody’s destined to do whatever they feel passionate about. And everybody has to determine it for themselves what that thing is.”

  Travis tilted his head to the side, a small smirk playing on his lips. “You’re quite the idealist, aren’t you?”

  “Yes. And I refuse to be ashamed of it.”

  Travis held up his hands. “And you shouldn’t be. You misunderstand what I’m saying. I was trying to point out that not everybody is fortunate enough to be able to follow their dreams.”

  “True.” Lia nodded. “But in principle, I think that nobody should be allowed to make such important decisions for other people. Even for their children.”

  “I agree.” Travis snorted. “Try telling that to my father.”

  “Why didn’
t you tell him?”

  Travis scoffed, frustration filling his voice. “You think I didn’t try”

  “So why did you? Listen to what he told you to do, I mean?”

  Travis frowned. “What else was I supposed to do? He’s my father.”

  “Sure, but you’re a grown man. Why didn’t you just leave?”

  Travis reached for his glass. “He threatened to disown me.”

  Lia let that sit for a moment. “So?”

  Travis gaped at her. “So? Was I supposed to let him disown me? Kick me out of the family? I can’t abandon my family. Not after everything that happened with my sister. It would destroy my mother.”

  Lia sighed. “I’m sure your father would eventually come around. And your mother would also get over it.”

  “But that would take years and years! What am I supposed to do in the meantime? I’m the only hope for reconciliation within the family. Also, what would I live off of while that happened?”

  Lia raised an eyebrow. “Your salary?”

  Travis scoffed. “Yeah, right. And how much would that be?”

  Lia gave a small cough. “To be honest, I have no idea what architects earn. But thousands of people manage to live off of an architect’s salary, so I don’t see why you couldn’t too.”

  Travis inspected his fingernails as his face turned slightly pink. He couldn’t do it, not because he didn’t want to give up his wealth and all the privileges that went with it, it was more than that. It was about family. Family and loyalty.

  “Not everybody is as brave, independent, or self-sufficient as you are,” Travis said at last, his voice barely a murmur. “But my family means everything to me and they need me. If that means having to put aside my own dreams to keep my family intact, then that’s what I’ll do.” The tension was palpable. The violin almost screeched in the background.

  “I don’t want to praise myself,” Lia said earnestly. “I’m not working this hard because I’m brave or because I want to prove something. I just don’t know what else to do. But I think I deserve to be proud of what I achieved.”

  Travis smiled at her. “Of course.”

  They sat in silence for a while, both sipping their wine.

  Lia played with her necklace. The entertainment system launched into a new classical piece. Lia felt her heart fill with joy as she heard the first few notes.

  “Oh, I simply love Tchaikovsky!” she exclaimed. “The violin in this is so lyrical.”

  Travis raised his head. He smiled at her enthusiasm. “I agree. It’s out of this world. I don’t know how a single instrument can create that many emotions with just a few notes.”

  Lia nodded. “It’s the culmination of art. Listening to great music, I always feel both all-powerful and completely inadequate. It’s what I strive to achieve in Pages. I want to create art that makes people understand their potential, and at the same time realize their insignificance in the grand scheme of things.”

  “You’ve got some lofty goals” Travis raised his glass. “To art!”

  Lia smiled. “I’ll drink to that.”

  George appeared with dessert. He placed the small plates in front of them and left to retrieve the dessert wine.

  “Passion suits you,” Travis said, slicing into his cake. “It makes you even more stunning.”

  Lia blushed. “I can’t help it. I wear my heart on my sleeve.”

  “And a beautiful heart it is.” Travis gazed at her intently. His blue eyes were blazing and Lia felt herself ignite. For a moment, an almost unbearable urge overcame her to kiss him. Instinctively, she leaned forward with her lips parted. Her heartbeat picked up and she felt desire prickle between her legs.

  Footsteps interrupted their moment and Lia sat up straighter, suddenly embarrassed. George filled their third wine glass with dessert wine.

  “Thank you, George,” Travis said, his voice deep and raspy. “That will be all for now. I’ll let you know when we need you.”

  George nodded and disappeared. Travis stood up and walked over to Lia’s side of the table, his eyes never leaving hers. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. Lia watched him helplessly, as a deer would watch a tiger, mesmerized and unable to escape.

  “It seems to me you haven’t tried your dessert yet,” Travis said huskily. “It’s a shame. Please, allow me.” He picked up Lia’s dessert fork and cut off a piece of her cake. “It’s called Apple Tarte Tatin. Made according to Étienne’s secret recipe.” He eased the bite of cake onto the fork and raised it to Lia’s lips. She opened her mouth and let him feed her cake. It was indeed delicious, but Lia barely registered the taste. It could have been orange Jello, for all she cared. She was unable to process any other impulse than his closeness. His body oozed masculinity and heat, and she wanted nothing else but to touch him.

  He leaned closer. His signature scent of mint and wood filled Lia’s nostrils. On their own accord, her lips parted and her eyes fluttered closed and the next moment, she felt Travis’ lips on hers. He kissed her gently, teasingly, barely touching his lips to hers. She responded eagerly, leaning forward, desperate for more. Her eyes opened and she found his blue eyes gazing into hers, desire and power emanating from them.

  She gave a small whimper, unable to bear the tension any more. As if he was waiting for this, Travis leaned forward and kissed her passionately. His tongue entered her mouth, tasting her, while his arms drew her close. She melted into his embrace and kissed him back eagerly. The thinking part of her brain shut down as she surrendered to arousal and instinct.

  His fingers stroked her back, the sensation of his hands on her bare skin was electric. He broke the kiss and buried his face in her neck. “God, you’re so sexy,” he declared huskily “This dress is killing me.”

  She moaned softly as she threw her head back, allowing him full access to her neck.

  Travis’ right hand slid down her back and arrived on her thigh. “I want to touch you,” he whispered into her ear. His breath sent shivers of desire down her spine. She parted her legs instinctively, wetness seeping through her thong.

  She felt his fingers explore her thighs through the fabric of her dress. The sensations his touch created were muffled by the cloth, and she suddenly found herself hating her dress with all her heart. She wanted nothing more than her dress to be gone. She opened her legs a bit more, sliding even closer to him.

  “Tell me you want me,” Travis panted. His teeth grazed her earlobes. Lia felt her body turn liquid with desire.

  “I want you,” she breathed. She placed her hand on his chest, stroking his muscles through his shirt.

  With a few expert moves, Travis pulled up her dress. His fingers found their way onto her bare thigh and they both inhaled sharply when his skin finally touched hers. He squeezed her thigh, massaging it sensually as he slowly made his way towards her crotch. Lia moaned and leaned back a bit, allowing him full access to her wet pussy.

  His fingers finally arrived and stroked her pussy through her thong. “God, you’re wet,” he croaked. He pulled the thin fabric aside, and he cupped her pussy with his hand. Lia arched her back as the touch of his fingers sent shivers through her body. She whimpered, her fingers running through his hair and she pulled his head to hers for a kiss.

  His tongue entered her mouth, and at the same time he slid a finger inside her. She moaned into his mouth, her hips darting forward to deepen the contact between them. She started riding his finger. His thumb found her clitoris and he drew small sensual circles on top of it. She writhed in ecstasy, unable to control her moans. All that mattered to her at this moment in space and time was his hand on her pussy and his lips on her. Her whimpers grew louder as she felt her orgasm crescendo under his expert touch. She dug her fingers into his back and she hung onto him for dear life as waves of pleasure washed over her obliterating everything else.

  “That’s my girl. Ride it out, baby,” Travis whispered into her ear, holding her tight and allowing her to slowly come down from her ecstasy. She buried
her face in his neck and breathed in his scent as her heart rate returned to normal and her brain turned itself on again.

  “Wow,” Lia breathed. “That was…” She gave an embarrassed giggle and drew away from Travis, trying to collect herself.

  He grinned at her cheekily. “Now, does your typical first date usually include that?”

  Lia laughed, “No. What about yours?”

  Travis shook his head. “Nah. This treatment was meant especially for you.”

  They looked at each other silently for a while. The organ piece ended and a symphonic orchestra started playing. Travis smiled, holding out his hand. “Do you still hate dancing?”

  “It’s starting to grow on me,” Lia replied. Travis stood up and drew her to her feet. He led her away from the table, toward the middle of the room. She relaxed, all conscious thought driven from her mind, and let herself be guided by Travis. She put her head on his shoulder and savored the feel of his arms encircling her body.

  “See? It’s easy,” Travis whispered. “You just have to let me take control for a while. Just for a little while. Trust me, you can’t go through life being in control all of the time.”

  Travis drew lazy circles on the naked skin of her back, and she pressed herself even closer to him. She felt his hardness press into her tummy and desire rose in her again.

  The music ended. Travis put a finger under Lia’s chin and raised her head to meet his eyes. He kissed her gently on the lips. “Let’s see if the stars came out.”

  He walked to the bar and pressed a silver button on its side. Within a few seconds, George appeared. “Yes, Mr. Paulson?”

  “Please gather our things, we’ll be going on deck to enjoy the night air,” Travis replied.

  “Of course, sir.” George turned around and vanished, only to reappear half a minute later with his coat and her cape.

  “Thank you, George.”

  Travis put on his coat and helped Lia into hers, his fingers lingering at her collarbone.

  “This way.” Travis took Lia’s arm and led her towards the exit.