“3,750,” the man at the front said.
Cheetah fast, Casey raised her paddle once more. Damn, she was hot going after something she wanted.
But the goateed-man wanted the painting too and signaled his intent.
“We have four thousand in the room.”
Casey’s arm went up again. Nate glanced at the guy in pinstripes. He matched her bid.
The pair of them went on like that for another few rounds, neither Casey nor her new nemesis backing down. Nate was tempted to jump in and offer some ridiculous price to guarantee the painting would be hers, but he knew that wasn’t what she wanted. She didn’t come here to have a man swoop in and save the day with his wallet. She came here for the thrill of the chase, and for the prospect of winning the prize. She wanted to win it on her own terms. But there was no way he’d let this guy take what his woman wanted, so he figured he could help her along in another way.
She raised her paddle again at five thousand pounds, her jaw set, her lips pursed.
“You are so fucking hot when you bid on art,” he said to her, and she flashed a quick smile.
“Does it make you want me more?” she whispered as the goateed man hesitated briefly, but stayed in the game.
“He’s wavering,” Nate whispered. “Go for it. Go big, and then I can take care of that sweet ache between your legs like you want.”
She trembled and her eyes flashed a hot and hungry look at him. “We can’t leave. I want the other Valentina too,” she said. “I just decided it. I need both.”
“And you’ll get both. And as soon as you get this one, we’ll find an office or another sales room or a coat closet, I don’t care. But I’m going to have my hands up your dress in about fifteen seconds,” he said roughly, and his tone seemed to spur her on.
“Do we have 5,250 pounds?”
Casey raised her arm high, and then spoke in a loud, but measured tone. “6,500 pounds.”
The auctioneer raised his eyebrows in appreciation, then scanned the room, his gaze settling on Casey’s opponent. Nate watched the pin-striped man start to lift his paddle, but it was half-hearted at best. The man shook his head.
The auctioneer beamed. “I shall sell it then. It’s the woman in the green dress’ bid at 6500 pounds.” He slammed the hammer down. “Sold.”
The expression on her face was one of pure victory, then she wrapped her fingers around his wrist and stood. She tipped her head to the exit. When they walked out, he heard the man who’d lost out utter a curse of frustration. Nate didn’t take it personally; not getting what you wanted was a bitch.
Thirty seconds later, they were inside a bathroom at Sotheby’s, locking the door behind them.
“By my calculations we’ve got less than eight minutes ’til the next Valentina goes up for bidding,” she said, and locked her arms around his neck. “Give me something.”
A tremor of desire shook him to his bones. He wanted nothing more than to take her hard and fast, and send her back into the sales room, ready to bid again, looking like a woman who’d been fucked thoroughly. But her pleasure always came first for him, and what turned him on most was sending her flying into bliss. He’d wait for the hotel to get his own needs met.
“Turn around,” he told her, and she slinked around in his arms. “Look in the mirror,” he said, gesturing at the gold-framed glass along the wall, reflecting her back at him. “See how sexy you are? You’re all fired up from winning, and you’re heated up from wanting me. This is who I’ve been looking at all night—the most beautiful, stunning, sexy and powerful woman I’ve ever seen. A woman who goes after what she wants. Who pursues what she wants. And no one has ever aroused me like you do,” he said, savoring her reaction to his words as she trembled in his arms. He clasped his hand around her throat, not too tight to hurt her, but firm enough to hold her as his. To let her know she belonged to him. Her lips fell open, and she breathed out sharply as he stared at her captivating reflection.
He dipped his mouth to her ear. “Watching you bid on that painting made me so fucking hard,” he whispered in a ragged voice as he yanked her backside against his hard-on.
A sexy whimper escaped her throat. “I’ll bid on more then. I love turning you on,” she said, sliding her hand between them to rub her palm against his straining erection. The feel of her was extraordinary, but he hadn’t taken her to the private bathroom to let her play with his boner. He gripped her hand and tugged it away, then took her other hand and raised both her arms over her head.
“And you do it exceedingly well. But the answer is no. You took care of me earlier today, and now it’s my turn to have my way with you. You keep your hands to yourself right now, and let mine do the work,” he said, sharply. “Put your arms around my neck.”
She reached behind, threading her hands around his neck, her body molded to his. She was so damn vulnerable in this pose. She was his like this, restrained simply by the position.
“I need you to keep your arms around me the whole time, Casey,” he said, as he lowered his hands to the hem of her dress and yanked it up. “Can you do that?”
“I can,” she said, her voice feathery.
One hand traveled up the soft, smooth skin of her belly, while the other made its way due south, sliding into her lacy panties and meeting her slick heat instantly. He groaned appreciatively. She matched him with a needy, desperate sound. God, this woman loved being touched.
“That’s how I want you to feel with me,” he said, sliding his fingers across that delicious wetness. “This aroused. This hot. This wild.”
“I do. I swear I do,” she said on a sexy pant, leaning her head on his shoulder, her cheek hitting his face. She was a fucking sight—her lush body all curved along his, her neck long and inviting, her hands bound of their own volition behind his head. She was giving him control yet again, turning her pleasure over to him.
Her sensuality was like a gift given freely. No, it was a goddamn treasure, and he intended to treat it that way. He slid his fingers across her slick folds, his lungs burning with desire for her as her body took off under his touch. Instantly, she rocked into him, her hips arching into the source of her pleasure. When he brushed over her swollen clit, she practically shoved herself into his hand.
“Oh, sweetness, you want it badly, don’t you?” he whispered in her ear, yanking her even closer.
“So badly,” she moaned.