The Highest Bidder Read Online Free PDF Page A

shiver all over. The sound of a man losing his firm grasp on control. The sound of a man coming undone.
    For her.
    Oh God, it had been so long.
    And then, even though somewhere in herself she expected it, they came. Dominating her senses, making her eyes water and her throat grow tight. Taking the air from her lungs and the sound from the room – all but the pounding of her heart.
    The tears.
    Casey tried to curl in on herself. She tried to roll into a protective ball and just ride them out. But Nick was having none of that. He held her firmly against himself, wrapped his arms around her, kissed her hair.
    ‘Go ahead and cry, Casey. It’s OK.’
    ‘It’s not–’
    ‘It is. I’m not going anywhere. Hey, I knew your story from day one – well, today is day one. So, from moment one. From the moment you gave me a hard-on with nothing but your big toe.’
    She snorted at that – unladylike – but a genuine laugh nonetheless. ‘I don’t want you to think that–’
    ‘All I think is that you’re having a lot of emotions right now. And I’m lucky enough to be here to hold you.’
    That brought more stupid tears and she was torn between feeling affection, gratitude and annoyance. How does a person ruin such an awesome bout of sex with a bunch of embarrassing tears? She shook her head but let him hold her. She was lulled by the pound of his heart and the heat of his body and the way Nick kept sweeping his thumb along her skin as she clung to him.
    She almost fell asleep. Almost.
    But her phone started to beep and rattle in the depths of her jeans and she realised what she’d done.
    ‘Oh, shit. That’ll be Annie.’

    WHERE R U? I HOPE A SERIAL KILLER DOESN’T HAV U.

    Casey shook her head and tried to text with trembling fingers.
    ‘Don’t go,’ Nick said from behind her. ‘Let me get us something to drink. Wine? Beer? Tea?’
    She almost said tea but said softly, ‘Wine, please. I think I need it.’
    ‘Was I that bad?’ he asked, cocking an eyebrow and grinning at her. His cool water gaze made her feel naked even though he’d given her his button down shirt from the back of a nearby chair.
    ‘No, I was.’
    Nick suddenly leaned forward over the back of the sofa, surprising her into a gasp. ‘You were far from bad, Casey. You were amazing and lovely and despite what you think ….’ He shook his head as if gathering his words. ‘Despite what you think, nothing you did was off-putting. I would be surprised if after all this time you didn’t have a reaction.’
    ‘You deal in nostalgia,’ she whispered. Her text to Annie was momentarily forgotten.
    ‘I do. And I know how powerful and important memories can be.’ He stroked her chin for a split second and when she realised her throat ached too much to answer him, she simply nodded.
    ‘I’ll get our wine. Red or white? Sorry I’m not evolved enough to also offer blush.’
    She snorted, genuinely amused and beyond grateful that he didn’t think her an overemotional wreck. ‘I hate blush. Red all the way.’
    ‘Ah, there’s my girl,’ he said with real affection.
    She was grateful that he walked out before she started leaking again. Because the moment he cleared the kitchen doorway, a fresh sluice of tears were unleashed.

Chapter Five

    IM W/NICK. SORRY. MAY NOT BE COMING.

    Casey picked her cuticle and then forced herself to stop before she bled. She held her breath as she waited for the phone’s patented chime. When it came she read:

    WELL IF UR WITH NICK, YOU’D BETTER COME ;)

    That made her laugh. Casey wondered how much of this was Annie and how much of it was fate. Had her friend asked this gorgeous, obviously kind, man to take pity on her? Was she a pity fuck?

    NO WORRIES ABOUT THAT. I DID. TWICE. BUT I FEEL AWFUL.

    Her vision doubled and then trebled and she wiped her leaking eyes. Listening to Nick in the kitchen getting their drinks had the lazy domestic sounds she missed so much. The sound of another person in the house, moving