Page 9 of Bid For Me

I can’t. I can’t promise her that.

I sigh. It’s time to come clean. She deserves to know that I had an ulterior motive for wanting to win the auction tonight, and it has nothing to do with wanting to get into her pants.

“Elle, I know what you were selling tonight,” I begin hesitantly.

She gazes up at me with wide, disbelieving eyes. “You do?”

I nod and her cheeks flush. “Oh.” She rolls her bottom lip between her teeth, something she’s always done when she’s nervous, and stares at me waiting for my response.

Here goes nothing.

I take a deep breath and gather my courage. I can’t believe I’m about to do this, but what other choice do I have? It’s the moment of truth, the moment when everything hangs in the balance. I can feel the weight of her gaze on me, her eyes searching mine for answers that I’m not sure I have. But I knowthat I have to try, that I have to lay my cards on the table and hope for the best.

“Elle, I know you want someone to take your virginity,” I say, my voice steady, despite the uncertainty churning in my stomach. “But I have a proposition for you.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Elle

I have a proposition for you.

Bastian’s words hit me like a ton of bricks, leaving me stunned and speechless. My mind races, trying to process what he just said. A proposition? What could he possibly have in mind?

My gaze flickers from Bastian’s intense eyes to his lips, where the words linger, waiting for an explanation. But he remains silent, his expression unreadable, leaving me to wonder what he’s thinking.

“I...I don’t understand,” I finally manage to stammer out, my voice barely above a whisper.

Bastian reaches out, his hand hovering in the air as if he’s unsure whether to touch me again or not. I can see the conflict in his eyes, the turmoil swirling beneath the surface. Whatever he’s about to say, I get the feeling it’s something he’s been wrestling with for a while.

“It’s complicated, Elle,” he begins, his voice low and hesitant. “But I need you to hear me out.”

I nod slowly, urging him to continue. Despite my confusion and apprehension, there’s a part of me that wants to know what he’s thinking, what he’s feeling. Maybe then I’ll be able to understand why he bid on me at the auction.

I’ve known Bastian my whole life, and while he’s always been impulsive and wild, he’s never done anythingthiscrazy before. I’ve also never really seen this side of him…serious and earnest.

Bastian takes a deep breath, steeling himself for what’s to come and I unconsciously find myself mirroring him.

“I know you wanted someone to take your virginity tonight,” he says a beat later, his words measured and careful. “But I can’t do that.”

I feel a surge of disappointment and confusion wash over me. Anger too. If Bastian doesn’t want to...then why did he bid on me? Why go through all this trouble if he’s not interested in...in that?

It doesn’t make sense. Embarrassment and disappointment trickle over me, making my skin itch and my cheeks heat. I want to squirm with my discomfort but I don’t, because I’ve been taught a lady never fidgets. I’m expected to be the epitome of poise and grace at all times.

But inside I’m screaming.

“Then why did you bid on me?” I ask, my voice low and measured. There’s no denying the slight tremble in my words though, that gives away my emotions.

Bastian’s gaze flickers, his eyes filled with a mix of guilt and regret. “Because I couldn’t bear the thought of someone else...of someone else being with you like that,” he admits, his voice barely audible.

I’m taken aback by his confession, unsure of how to respond. So he did bid on me because he cares? Because he didn’t want anyone else to have me? But what does that mean for us?

“I don’t understand, Bastian,” I murmur. “Is this because of Aiden?”

My brother is the elephant in the room. We may not currently be on speaking terms after what he did to Candy, but he and Sebastian have been inseparable since they were toddlers, before I was even a twinkle in our parents’ eyes. He’s completely unattainable and somewhat taboo, and despite my teenage crush on him, he’s never even looked at me twice as anything other than Aiden’s annoying baby sister.

But as he takes another step closer, his hand reaching out to gently cup my cheek again, my breath catches. His touch sends shivers down my spine, igniting a fire within me that I can’t explain.

“I want to give you what you need, Elle,” he says, his voice filled with conviction. “But not just...not just for one night. I want something more. Need it, in fact.”