For Her Amusement: Bid on Love: Bachelor #5

by Heather Anne

  “I read all kinds of books, but romance is my favorite,” I say, turning to face him.

  “I didn’t know you were into porn, Everleigh,” he muses, rendering me speechless. Is he flirting with me? He never, in all the years I have known him, has he ever made any kind of suggestive remark towards me. Sure, there have been times where I’ve caught him looking at me or checking out my legs but nothing as blatant as this. I shake my head in an attempt to stop my thoughts from running rampant.

  “It’s not porn.” I roll my eyes. “It’s romance. Sure, there is sex in some romance novels but not all. I can’t read a book that is nothing but sex. The story needs to have substance and the sex necessary in pushing the plot forward,” my voice is defensive and he throws back his head in laughter. His Adam’s apple bobs and I just want to lean up and lick it.

  The heat returns to my cheeks and I look away.

  “I was teasing,” he says placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. “I bust Sienna’s balls about what she reads all the time.”

  I laugh because I know it’s true.

  “Speaking of my sister, do you know where she went? I’m going to need her to give me a ride home, I’ve had way too much to drink.”

  I scan the room and spot Sienna flirting with a tall man with a full beard. He’s wearing a blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up displaying a myriad of colorful tattoos.

  “She’s right there but we took an Uber here. You can ride back with us though,” I smile and he nods.

  Just then Sienna walks over to us with a big smile on her face.

  “So, my best friend and my brother…” She starts to tease but Colton and I both give her looks and she puts her hands up in surrender, giggling.

  “Sienna,” Colton warns, his blue eyes blazing.

  Sienna waves her brother off and grabs my arm.

  “I’m stealing my friend,” she tells him as she starts pulling me in the direction of the ladies’ room.

  We manage to say goodbye and as I’m being pulled across the room, I look back towards Colton. He is hunched over the auction table with a pen in his hand. He turns his head towards me giving me a sweet smile before going back to what he was doing.

  My nerves are doing flips, Sienna’s still gripping my arm, and I feel like I can’t hold it together. I’m going on a date with the man I have had eyes for, well, forever.

  “You need to Uber home yourself,” Sienna commands as we reach the ladies’ room.

  “That guy I was talking to? That’s Brant. The one I was telling you about earlier.” The pitch of her voice changes to that of an excited school girl. “I’m going home with him tonight.” She looks in the mirror and starts messing with her hair.

  “Do you really think that’s a good idea? His daughter is in your class.”

  She shrugs. “Maybe not, but it will be the best bad idea I ever had. I can feel it.”

  “I get what you mean.” I agree, and I do. Maybe coming to this auction was a bad idea but spending time with Colton in a different capacity than we have in the past, makes it all worth it.

  “If you’re talking about my brother, cut it out. I see the way you both look at each other. This auction was not a bad idea, Ev. You guys will go on some rides, have a nice dinner and who knows what else can happen? It’s fate that you were his winning bidder,” she smiles.

  “You really didn’t know it was him?”

  “Like I said, I wasn’t one hundred percent sure but if I did know, I wouldn’t have stopped you,” she laughs, I take in a breath.

  “Well, I’m locked into it now. I’m just going to go into it as two friends hanging out” I say with a new-found confidence.

  “Good! As for me, I’m going into tonight with the hopes of being ravaged” she giggles.

  “Just be careful,” my tones soften.

  “I will. I need to get back to Brant. Can you tell Colton I’m leaving and not to wait up? I don’t feel like getting the third degree from big brother tonight.”

  “Of course. Go find Brant and I want details tomorrow.” I give her a hug.

  “You’re the best!” She gives me a squeeze before leaving the restroom.

  I look at myself in the mirror, noticing my cheeks are still stained pink. I fuss with my hair, apply some lip gloss, and give myself a mental pep talk.

  It’s just Colton. It’s an Uber ride home and a fun night at an amusement park. What could go wrong? Knowing me, a lot.

  Chapter Five

  COLTON

  I try so hard not to watch as Everleigh is practically dragged away by my sister. Everleigh looks beautiful, as always, and I can’t help but give myself a mental pat on the back for how visibly I affected her. I know I shouldn’t think like that. She’s five years younger than me and my sister’s best friend. Completely off limits and I need to remember that going into this date. I need to have as little interaction with her as possible before the date which shouldn’t be too hard. We don’t see each other too often. Usually at my place once in a while, when she’s there for wine Wednesday with my sister or maybe around town.

  As I browse the silent auction tables, bidding on a few different things like a new laptop bag, I can’t stop wondering if this amusement park is the best idea. Knowing it’s Everleigh who will be joining me, has me wanting to put more effort into this date. I need to shut that shit down. As beautiful as she is, and as much as she makes me smile, I just can’t go there. I’ve kept my distance from her for a reason all these years and I can’t let one night change that. There’s too much at stake if we tried it and it didn’t work. It has the potential to put my sister in a position to choose between me and her best friend and I would never do that to her. Yes, Sienna has always been The President of the Colton and Everleigh Fan Club, but she doesn’t see the full picture. She’s blinded by the thought of the two people she loves the most having a life together. I’ve tried to stop her over the years to no avail.

  Not to say I haven’t thought of what it would be like to be with Everleigh. What it would be like to hold her, kiss her, but most of all, just be with her, in every way. I have learned to block those thoughts for the most part. No use pining over someone you know you can’t have.

  I place my last bid and turn to look for Jacoby when I see Everleigh walking towards me, a glass of red wine in her hand.

  “Hey” she smiles “Bid on anything good?” She takes a big sip of her wine.

  “A few things. I’m just about ready to head out. Where’s my sister?”

  She looks like the cat that ate the canary causing me to narrow my eyes at her.

  “Ev, where’s Sienna?” I ask again, my voice more commanding.

  “She told me to tell you she left with Brant and will see you tomorrow.”

  “Who the fuck is Brant?”

  “He’s the dad of one of her ballet students” she says, my eyes widen.

  “What the fuck?” My eyes widen as my anger starts to rise. What the hell is my sister thinking?

  I calm down immediately when her soft hand touches my forearm. I have to take a moment before finding my words because her touch, well it just does something to me. I make a mental note to make no physical contact during our date.

  “Relax, Colton. He’s single and, from what she said on our way here, they have been flirting for a little while.” Her voice is soothing.

  “So, it’s just you, me and the Uber driver?”

  She nods, finishing her wine and placing the empty glass on the table. She takes her phone out of her bag and looks at it.

  “The driver should be here in four minutes. We should head out front.” She starts walking towards the front door of the building and I follow.

  I stay two steps behind her which was another bad idea. Watching her heart-shaped ass sway in that dress is so erotic, I can’t stop wondering what it would feel like in my hands.

  Once we get outside, there’s a slight chill in the air, so I take off my tux jacket and wrap it around her shoulders. She looks up at
me with gratitude and I can’t stop my hands from rubbing her shoulders for a minute. Her contented sigh has me stepping back. I don’t know what it is about this woman. She has me questioning everything I ever told myself about why being with her would be wrong.

  I don’t have a chance to say anything before the Uber pulls up. Awkwardness permeates the atmosphere during the entire car ride to her house.

  She gets out of the car, leaving the door open as she shrugs off my tux jacket and hands it to me.

  “Thank you, Colton,” she says, her voice distant.

  “Anytime. I’ll text you during the week to finalize next Saturday.”

  She nods, closes the door, and hurries up to her front door. I have the driver wait until she gets inside before we head to my house.

  The minute she closes her front door, I groan raking my hands over my face.

  “Girl troubles?” the driver inquires.

  “Something like that.” My voice is apprehensive, not wanting to get into detail with some stranger about the one woman I want but can never have.

  “Can I give you a bit of unsolicited advice?”

  “Go for it.”

  “Don’t let her get away. I saw the way she was looking at you when she thought you didn’t notice. I also saw the sadness in her eyes when she got out of the car. There’s something there that you shouldn’t deprive yourself of. Trust me, I let self-doubt talk me out of something for a long time. I didn’t think I was good enough for her, so I pushed her away time and time again.”

  “So, what happened?” I’m becoming intrigued by this man’s story; wanting him to offer me something…like hope.

  “After a very long time of pushing her away, she finally gave up. She stopped talking to me when I saw her. She even went out on a few dates with someone else.”

  “Well that’s helpful,” I mumble, and he laughs.

  “Once I realized, that if she wanted me, then I must be good enough, I started to fight. Fight for her. Fight for us. It took a little while. I had a lot to prove but, in the end, it all worked out and we’ve been together ever since.” He smiles as he pulls up to my house.

  “The heart wants what the heart wants. Why deny it?” he finishes.

  “Thank you.”

  The next morning, I’m making coffee when Sienna comes barging in through the front door, wearing the same navy-blue cocktail dress she had on the night before, looking like a disheveled mess.

  “Rough night?” I smirk.

  “At times,” she winks. I groan.

  “Don’t say anything else,” I warn. My sister and I are close, but I draw the line at talking about what she does with guys.

  “How was the ride home?” Her voice is smug.

  I shrug.

  “Colton…”

  “What do you want me to say? It was fine. Quiet. The Uber dropped her off and then me.”

  “Did you guys talk at all?” She asks doggedly.

  “About what?”

  “I don’t know, the date, life. Anything?”

  “Just that I would text her during the week to finalize the date.”

  She throws her hands up in defeat. “I don’t get why you’re fighting this. She was the winning bidder. That has to mean something.”

  “It means nothing, Sienna.” The lie comes quickly.

  She narrows her eyes at me.

  “Seriously, why are you pushing this? Did you know that was me on that stage? Did you tell her to bid on me?” My anger rises. I know it’s misplaced; the universe seems to be playing a monumental joke on me to put me with the one person I can’t have.

  “I see the way the two of you look at each other. I’ve seen it for years. I don’t get why you keep fighting it. And, no, I didn’t know it was you. I thought maybe but wasn’t sure,” Sienna says.

  “We’ve been over this before. It’s not going to happen, Sienna,” I retort.

  “What about the date then?” Sienna is nothing if not persistent.

  “What about it? It’s just that – a date. We’ll ride some rides, play some games, have a nice dinner and I’ll take her home,” I answer.

  “And that’s it?”

  “That’s it. Nothing is going to happen, Sienna.” I declare trying to sound resolved but I’m not sure who I’m trying to convince, Sienna or myself. The more time I spend with Everleigh, the more my guard is likely to drop and I’ll cave. I tell myself repeatedly, I just can’t let her get too close.

  “Alright, Colton. You win. I’m just going to say this and then I’ll drop it. She’s had a thing for you for a long time. Just as long as you’ve been into her.”

  I start to protest; however, I’m stopped when she raises her hand to let me know she’s not done. “Whether either of you wants to admit to yourselves or not, there’s something there. If you really don’t want anything to happen between the two of you, then keep it platonic. You’re my brother and I love you but if you hurt her, I’ll kick your ass,” she promises.

  “Point taken” I say, grabbing my keys, my travel coffee mug and head out the door to go to the office.

  Chapter Six

  EVERLEIGH

  It’s been four days since the auction, and I have yet to hear from Colton. I haven’t been able to get him off my mind. The way my shoulders immediately felt warm the minute his hands were on them. The way his scent surrounded me when he put the jacket on me. He was sweet yet distant and I’m not sure what to make of that.

  Our date is three days away, so I’m starting to get nervous. Not knowing the details of the date is driving me crazy. I’ve been trying to keep myself busy at the store, however, whenever I have any down time, my thoughts go straight to Colton.

  I have a fantasy of the date being spectacular with a lot of flirting and ending with a kiss as he realizes that he wants me just as much as I want him. It’s more than want though. It’s an intense need to have him notice me, to acknowledge that whenever we’re in the same room together, the air starts to sizzle. Now that we have this date, I’ve been trying to convince myself that there is no way this fantasy will ever become reality. It never works like that, except in books and movies, not in real life. Especially not in my life.

  Things never go according to plan when it comes to romance for me. Maybe because I have a certain timeline of what should happen when you find someone you just need to be near. First, should be some flirting, and maybe a casual conversation or two, where we exchange phone numbers. That would be followed up by a date, with flowers, moonlit walks, and eventually sex. I know it’s archaic; that romance and chivalry are pretty much a thing of the past, but a girl can dream, right?

  My thoughts are interrupted by my phone alerting me to a text message. Please be him I say to myself. My stomach drops in disappointment when I see it’s from Nadine.

  Nadine: Hi Everleigh! You were the winner of the following auction items: the laptop, the year’s supply of beef jerky and the Michael Kors handbag and wallet set.

  Me: Awesome! When and where should I pick them up?

  Nadine: The jerky will be delivered to your shop directly from the company and the other items you can pick up at my office anytime.

  Me: I’ll be there this afternoon.

  Nadine: I won’t be in so I’ll leave them with Colton.

  Me: Nadine..

  Nadine: You’re welcome.

  Shit. Maybe I can have Sienna or Kaitlyn, my assistant manager, pick up the items from Colton. I laugh to myself. I know I’m being ridiculous. If I can’t go pick something up from him, how the hell am I going to be able to go out with him in a few days?

  I want to call Sienna, but I have been refraining from talking to her about her brother. It’s a little bit of an awkward situation that I don’t want to make even more difficult. Besides, she’s been wrapped up in Brant since the night of the auction. Don’t get me wrong, I’m over the moon with happiness for her, but I can’t deny there’s a little bit of jealously there too.

  I didn’t think that I was in a pl
ace where I wanted to be involved with anyone, but with the date with Colton looming, I can’t help but wonder what could happen if we hit it off on a different level. I frown at the thought because fantasy is way different than reality. Colton has never given me any hint that he would be open to exploring things with me. He has clearly put me in the friend zone, which is why some of his actions on auction night baffle me. The rub of my shoulders, the lingering glances. It was like he was fighting the same internal battle I was having.

  When I pull up in front of his building, take a deep breath and march myself up to the front door, pushing it open with confidence. I let the receptionist know I’m here to pick up the auction items and she points me in the direction of Colton’s office.

  My belly starts to tingle with the anticipation of seeing him. He has this effect on me that, no matter how hard I have tried over the years, I just can’t shake. I am a twenty-eight-year-old woman with a school-girl type of crush.

  I reach his door, which is open just a little, give it a gentle knock while pushing it open and peeking my head in.

  Colton is sitting at his desk, his black rimmed glasses on, and his face scruffier than it was when I last saw him.

  He looks up at me with a small smile. “Hey.”

  “Hi. I’m here to pick up my winnings,” excitement laces my voice.

  He laughs. “You got some good stuff,” he says leaning down and producing a large shopping bag from under his desk, motioning me to come closer. I walk towards his desk, noticing the pale cream-colored walls and big picture window behind his mahogany desk.

  “I sure did” I agree, giving him a big smile taking the bag.

  “No books though?” he asks, and I frown.

  “Sadly, no, but I’m really happy with what I did get”.

  “That’s awesome.”

  “Thank you so much, Colton.” I turn to walk away but am stopped by his sultry voice.

  “Hey, Everleigh?”

  I turn back towards him. “Yes?”