The Billionaire's Betrayal (Highest Bidder #3) - Carmen Falcone Page 0,2
be like to seduce her, to make her succumb to his wants and needs? Was she as assertive in the bedroom or did she prefer that a guy take charge between the sheets?
He cleared his throat, willing the sinful images away. “I know you’re famous for your virgin auction. I propose I help you organize a male virgin auction,” he said. The idea had seemed crazy at first, but for the last two weeks, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. What better way to get Madam Alexa’s trust than to work with her?
She studied him for a bit, then laughed. The sexy, hearty sound was like downing a shot of tequila—it agitated him at first, then relaxed his limbs and prepared him for another. “Are you kidding? Where would I find the target audience? My name has been thrown around online. A lot of women hate me, in case you haven’t researched.”
Oh yeah, he had. She’d given a few exclusive interviews about her occupation but always stopped short of revealing too much about herself. “Yes. That’s where I come in. Brooks Taylor, at your service,” he said, tilting his head to one side. “I’m well connected and know a lot of women, from all over the country, who would be into this kind of thing. They’d fly in and have the time of their lives.”
“And what do you want in return?”
“Half of your cut.”
She picked up a pen from the silver penholder and clicked it, studying him. “You look like you already have money. Why would you want to do something of such a questionable nature?”
“Because it’s my specialty. Besides, this could be the beginning of a fruitful partnership,” he said. Damn, his father would cut him off altogether if he ever learned of Brooks’s plan. Thankfully, Brooks had used his growing up on a ranch and then a bachelor’s in agriculture to his benefit—with the right investments, his brand of cattle farms had become one of the most successful in the country.
“My virgins see a doctor and they have a certificate of virginity. I don’t fool my buyers. How can we make sure it’s the same case for males?”
He scratched his day-old stubble. “Well, that’s tricky, I agree. But why can’t the virginity guarantee take a back seat to the fantasy of breaking in a young stud? Think of the moneyed middle-aged women ready to sleep with a man perceived to be innocent. A good-looking dude. Do they need anything else?”
She played with her pen, rolling it between her fingers. “Why me?”
“Because you already know the ropes. Saves me time.”
She sat her pen on the desk. “I need to think.”
Needing to think was a hell of a lot better than a straight-up no. He stood, trills of hope surging through him. Yeah. He’d get his answers—and his revenge. “Tell you what. I’ll take you to dinner tomorrow. You can tell me your decision then.”
She lifted her hand in refusal, and even though she was sitting, he felt like she was on the same eye level as him. Her presence was that strong. “I don’t do dinners—”
He gave her a once-over, pretending annoyance himself. “Don’t you eat?”
She did a half eye roll. “You can come back here tomorrow. I’ll have my answer by then.”
He slid a hand down his belt, his finger tapping the Italian leather. “Good. If you don’t, I’ll fly solo. Don’t want to, but I could,” he said, his voice not giving away his concern. Damn it. He needed to act like this wasn’t as important as it really was—for his plan to work, she had to say yes.
She curled her lips, like he had given her a compliment and not an ultimatum. “Have a good night, Mr. Taylor.”
He cocked his head to the side, giving her one long look. “You too, Alexa.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “Alexa? Didn’t realize we’d gotten so close already.” A tone of mockery laced her voice. Maybe she intimidated the average man who used her services and had more money than common sense. Maybe she expected him to bow to her demands.
Determination inflated his chest, stretching him to his full height. “You’ll be surprised how close we’ll get. Night,” he said, heading for the door. Madam Alexa was in for a hell of a surprise.
…
“Have you made a decision?” Jackie, her wing woman, asked, carrying a small tray with two cups of hot black coffee.