The Billionaire's Betrayal (Highest Bidder #3) - Carmen Falcone Page 0,9
wanted small talk, but that didn’t mean she wanted to provide a podcast episode of her life.
He shook his head. “It’s easier to get secret intel from a die-hard terrorist than basic information from you.”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never questioned a terrorist,” she said, and stared at him, the fire in her belly brewing from the exchange. He smiled, an easy, sexy smile that skittered her pulse. She shifted in her seat, partly mad at herself for being so interested in him and partly curious.
He parked the truck in front of a big red barn. “One of the guys I have in mind is Logan. He works at the farm and wants to go to college. He just turned eighteen. Very good kid.”
“Have you approached him with the idea?”
He removed his black sunglasses. “No, that’s why you’re here. To work your magic.”
She removed her seat belt. “Before even offering this opportunity to him or anyone else, I’d like to talk to him and get a feel for him.” A male auctionee was a new venture, but she had enough experience in the auction department to know they couldn’t simply say too much at first. She didn’t want a future prospect to become too eager to be selected and end up fooling them into picking him.
He kicked a few bits of gravel out of the way. “You’re assuming he’ll say yes if you offer the position.”
She lifted her chin. Of course she didn’t envision a lot of struggle from a young man when offered a huge amount of money to sleep with an eager woman. Maybe I’ve become more cynical than normal. “Yes. Trust me, that amount of money is life changing. Everyone has a price.”
He touched her cheek with his index finger, tracing her skin and sending little shivers down her spine. “But not you. I heard many have tried.” Defiance glinted in his eyes, carrying a promise she shouldn’t dare to understand.
She stepped back, breaking the contact, her insides still in turmoil. “But no one has succeeded.”
“That’s interesting. You’ve never, hmmm, sold your goods?” he asked, looking down at her as if they were completely alone in a dimly lit room, and not standing in front of a barn in broad daylight.
She sucked in a breath and spoke through her teeth. She couldn’t count on her fingers how many men had offered money to fuck her—even when she’d been a scared teenager, running from home. “No.”
He angled closer, and a dark shadow took over his expression. “Why not? I mean if you’re so nonchalant about it.” He said it evenly, but she detected a slight criticism in his tone.
“I don’t see why this matters,” she said, her voice shakier than she intended. Hell, she’d paid her own price for not sleeping with men for money. She’d been hungry and homeless for weeks until an old lady took her in for a couple of months and let her stay in her house in exchange for some company and cleaning.
“We’re partners now. I need to know some of your core values.”
She squared her shoulders. Core values? Did he want her to join a conservative community or make them both money by choosing the right auctionee? Annoyance pinched her, and she flashed him a dismissive glance she hoped put him in his place. “We’re temporary business partners.”
He nudged her elbow, and she quickly withdrew. Didn’t the man have any notion about personal space? Her flesh seared where his fingers had brushed, and she cleared her dry throat. “Which is why you should trust me.”
“Which is why the reason I don’t sleep with men for money doesn’t matter,” she said.
“Now, don’t be so defensive like a frog cornered by a rattle snake. If you asked me the same question, I wouldn’t be offended.”
She suppressed a chuckle, the idea of this mega rich man charging for sex utterly ridiculous. “Fine. What’s your price, Mr. Taylor?”
“At least five hundred thousand,” he said without hesitation.
“For a month?”
He winked. “For a night.”
She laughed, ignoring the shiver zapping down her spine. If she wasn’t planning on saving for an early retirement from the virgin auctions, she’d spend that money on a man like him. “Your ego is as big as your ranch.”
“That’s not the only big thing at stake.”
A wave of heat flooded her cheeks. She could tell, when they’d kissed, and she’d felt his massive hard-on against her. “I’m glad you know how to brand yourself. Big ego, big cock. A rare breed these days,” she said,