Turn Over:A Secret Baby Sports Romance(8)

The crowd clapped, but they looked at each other trying to figure out  what she meant. It was late and most of them had emptied their pockets.

"So, I'm going to throw in a personal Lexi Wilde one-of-a-kind item."

Suddenly, she had my attention in a new way. I'd already paid a thousand  dollars for an autograph. And that was just so I could talk to her and  give her my number, but now it sounded as if she raised the stakes.

She spun on her heels, her eyes locked on mine. She held the mic to her  pink velvety lips. "For one night, you can have your very own private  Alexa Wilde concert." She waggled her eyebrows.

The men started hollering. Half of them had been asleep until this  moment, but with a chance to spend time alone with the star their eyes  and checkbooks were wide open.

I looked around the room at my competition, because that's what they  were. This was no different than Sunday afternoon. I stared at the  opposition, daring them to try to take me out. Like hell I was going to  let one of them outbid me for a date with this girl.

The mayor quickly grabbed the mic from Lexi. She didn't look like the  type of woman who handled unscripted events well. I wondered why in the  hell she was mayor of this city.

"Well, this is a surprise. Thank you, Miss. Wilde. I'd say this would be  a treat for anyone. A concert? This is beyond generous. Really, I have  no words. I'm not even sure where to start the bidding."

She didn't have notes on the valuation of this particular item, and I  wasn't sure what kind of price tag to put on it either. A private  concert. To be the only one Lexi sang to, even if it was only one song  was the kind of experience that could change a man's soul.

A man in the front row with a red mustache raised his hand. "Five thousand."

The mayor laughed nervously. "I guess we're starting the bidding at five thousand."

I inhaled sharply. I knew how these things went. I couldn't jump in  right away, I'd only drive up the price and show my hand. Years of  gambling taught me how to keep my poker face and my bidding hand calm.

"Six thousand!" a short guy near the bar shouted from a barstool. The  men were jumping at the chance for a date with her. I saw a few pull out  their phones to check their account balances.

That was one thing I never had to worry about. Linc balanced my funds  almost daily. I knew exactly how much money I had to work with.

"Sixty-five hundred," another man bellowed.

The numbers kept rising. Lexi stood smiling and walking back and forth  across the stage. It was amazing how someone coated in virtue could  generate a bidding war between men. The pissing contest was heating up.  The bids were up to twenty thousand dollars. Fuck.

Lexi looked at me, batting her long eyelashes. She was baiting me.  Trying to lure me in. She wanted my bid. Part of me wondered if she had  orchestrated this entire sham of a donation for my benefit. I didn't  give a shit if it was manipulation or innocence. This was a contest.  This was a game, and I was going to win her.

"Twenty-one thousand." I raised my hand from the corner.

There was a man on the other side of the room wearing an expensive tuxedo. He called to the mayor, "Twenty-two."

I gritted my teeth. "Twenty-three."

I saw him take a sip of champagne before calling out his bid for twenty-four thousand dollars.

There was a hush over the crowd. Their heads swiveled toward me. I could  cut my losses now. She had my number. This wasn't the only way I could  see her. But as I stared at the man in his crisp tux and looked at that  girl on the stage I felt the swell of competition in my chest. I wasn't  going to lose to him. I wasn't going to lose in front of everyone.         

     



 

"Twenty-five thousand," I announced over the crowd's head.

There was an audible gasp as the spotlight swung back to me. I tried not  to squint this time. I wanted them to see the confidence in my eyes.  The look of a winner.

The mayor clutched the microphone. "Twenty-five thousand? Do I have any  higher bids?" There was a grumbling from the men around me. Most had  spent their money on trips and overpriced jewelry for their wives. I  puffed my chest forward. "Going once. Going twice … "

I couldn't tell if she was hoping the high-dollar suit would swoop in and save Lexi from my clutches. She drew out the count.

"Last chance for a private Lexi Wilde concert." She scanned the  audience. "The winner is Mr. Luke Canton of the Austin Warriors." She  put her hands together and the donors followed her lead. "I'd say this  is a night of surprises."

I was used to attention on the field, but this was ridiculous. I put my  hands up to quiet the applause. I nodded at them. I heard a few cat  calls as Lexi walked across the stage.

"Let's tell our star quarterback how much we appreciate him," Lexi shouted into the mic, egging on the crowd.

She was making it worse. "All right. All right." I tried to step away  from the beam of light. I'd rather do a dance in the end zone than have  this kind of attention.

Eventually the band started to play and Lexi waved to everyone one last  time before she exited the back of the stage in a swirl of smoke. The  lights came on and the patrons moved to the front doors and waited for  the valets to retrieve their cars.

I hung back, waiting for the singer behind the stage.

She ducked her head around the corner. "Hey, there."

I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Quite a show you put on."

She ran her teeth over her bottom lip. "Quite a generous donation you made."

"Is that what you call it?" I stepped closer.

"For someone who just won a private concert by Lexi Wilde you don't sound very excited," she teased.

"Oh, believe me. I'm excited." The crew bustled around us, breaking down the set and packing up the band's instruments.

"Lex!" Her manager appeared. "What the hell-" He stopped when he saw me.

"Can you believe how much money we raised, Jake?" she asked. "And so generous of Luke, don't you think?"

He looked me over. I knew what he thought. He didn't want me near her.  She was his country princess. His star to mold and manage. I got it. But  like everything else, I didn't give a shit what this guy thought. He  stood between me and what I wanted.

"Extremely generous." His lips pressed together. "I think we're going to  have to coordinate with Mr. Canton's people and schedule the concert  for later in the year. I'll have our people call your people and we'll  set it up."

"That's okay." I slapped him on the back, knocking him from where he was  standing. "I think Lexi and I can work out the details."

"That's not how it works," he snorted. "She's booked solid through the holidays."

I towered over him. "I just paid twenty-five thousand dollars for a concert. It's exactly how it's going to work."

Jake straightened his tie and turned away. It was obvious there was  something he was dying to spit out, but I didn't know if it was my size  or the look on my face that stopped him.

"Okay, that's never happened before." Lexi stood with her hands on her hips.

"What's that?"

"Jake ran out of here speechless." She held her hand over her mouth and laughed.

"Why is that guy your manager?" I couldn't help but ask, even though it was none of my damn business.

"It's complicated," she answered.

I felt as if I had crossed a line. I didn't like complicated or long stories. I didn't usually stick around for either.

"Doesn't matter. He's gone. How about that drink?"

"That's how you want to spend your twenty-five thousand?" she asked.

"Oh, no no." I shook my head.         

     



 

"What?"

"I asked you out for drinks before the auction. I have two dates with  you." I studied the V of her throat. I swore her pulse was beating  faster.

"Two?"

"Mmmhmm." I wasn't letting her out of this.

"You don't think it's too late tonight? For the drinks, I mean."

I laughed. "Where I'm from it's never too late."

"And where are you from, Luke?"

I bent toward her, lowering my lips to her ear. "Texas."

"Is that supposed to impress me?"

Everyone had cleared out behind the stage. She was the last one from her  crew. All I could think about was pressing her against the wall and  letting my hands have free reign over her. I had never wanted to feel a  woman's lips under mine like this before. I could almost taste them. How  soft they would be. The little purring sounds she would make.

I moved closer. "It should."

"I'm from Tennessee. I guess it doesn't have the same meaning."

My hand flattened against the wall over her shoulder. "No it sure doesn't. Everything's bigger in Texas."

I moved in to drag her lips under mine when we both jumped.

"What the hell?" We looked up.

The symphony members had returned to collect their instruments and the cellist had dropped his case.

I cleared my throat and made some space for us to breathe. Lexi's eyes hadn't left my mouth.