The Final Bid (The Auction Series Book Two)
The Final Bid
The Auction Series Book Two
By
Michelle Windsor
The Right of Michelle Windsor to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her.
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All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without direct, written permission from the author. Please do not participate in piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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First Published May 2017
Copyright Michelle Windsor 2016
Published by
Windsor House Publishing
Cover Design by Jessica Hildreth at Creative Book Concepts
Cover Bouquet designed by Amanda Walker Design Services
A special thank you to Nasar Jewelers in Plaistow, NH for allowing me to borrow and photograph the beautiful wedding ring set displayed on the cover.
Developmental and copy editing by the amazing Elizabeth Nover at Razor Sharp Editing
Prologue
Drew leaned against the brick wall of the alley, each heavy breath leaving him in a puffy white cloud. It was early November and mornings were dawning chillier each day. He pulled the hood of his sweatshirt tighter over his head and then stuffed his hands into the front pocket to try and insulate some of the warmth his body had created during his run. He’d arrived earlier than the previous mornings, and had been waiting in the alley across from the flower shop for almost a half hour.
It had been four days since he’d ran into her in the lobby of his hotel. Four days since he discovered she had a child and a husband. Four days of gut twisting agony. He knew he shouldn’t be here, but each morning here he was; hidden in the shadows like a thief, waiting to steal another look at her. Scarlett. Hannah. There were so many questions he wanted to ask her, but she made it crystal clear she didn’t want to see him again when she looked straight at him and said ‘No’. So, here he was, waiting and watching. Trying to figure out what to do next, but needing to see her in the meantime. Even if it was just a stolen glance.
His heart started beating violently in his chest and he pushed himself back further into the shadows as he saw the door on the side of the alley open. He watched as Hannah stepped out through the doorway, and then a second, smaller image of her shuffle out behind and wait while her mother locked the door. His eyes remained fixed on them as he observed Hannah take her daughter’s hand and guide her out of the alley before buckling her into the delivery van and driving away.
Like the previous mornings, twenty minutes later, the now familiar van pulled back into the alley beside the shop. The brake lights burned a bright red before turning dark as the sound of the engine died. He heard the van door open, close and then a moment later saw her emerge between the wall and the van. Today she wore a black wool coat and had a bright pink scarf wrapped around her neck, her nose buried in it’s warmth as she walked quickly to the front door of the flower shop. Her hair, the color of gold, was a stark contrast to the coat as it flowed loose and wavy down over her back. He knew that if he could get close enough and lean into her, she would smell like flowers.
Drew continued to watch as she unlocked the metal casing covering the door, then slid it up and out of the way. The metal must be cold because she was rubbing her hands together while blowing her breath on them. She found another key on the set she held and unlocked the interior door of the shop, opening it and walking in, closing it behind her, the faint tinkling of the bell carrying on the breeze. He stayed for another thirty minutes, waiting to see if this morning would be any different than the last three. It wasn’t. Her co-worker arrived just before 8:00 a.m. and a delivery truck full of flowers a few minutes later. He popped his earbuds back in, pushed play on his iPod, and with his head down began the run back to the hotel before she came out to meet the delivery driver.
Chapter One
“Grace Victoria Rose you better have your coat on!” Hannah walked through the kitchen of her apartment and out into the hallway only to discover her daughter hiding behind the coats hanging in a line by the front door, instead of putting herself into one.
“Gracie, what in the world are you doing?” Hannah knelt down and reached behind the coats to gently pull her daughter out in front of her.
“Honey, we’re going to be late. Why are you hiding?” Hannah leaned over her daughter and took a small lavender coat off one of the hooks.
“Momma I don’t want to go to school today.” Her little voice pouty and sad.
“Sweetie, you love going to Miss Daisy’s. I think you’re making turkey decorations today.” Hannah pulled her daughter’s coat on swiftly, buttoning it up, and then stood back up. “Why don’t you want to go today?”
“I want to go to the shop and play with the flowers like you today.”
Hannah couldn’t help but smile at her daughter’s request. She bent down again to wrap a dark purple scarf around her young neck. November had come in like a lion and each morning was colder than the next.
“Oh Gracie, I can’t bring you today.” She finished wrapping the scarf, and then placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. “But, I promise that you can come for a few hours on Saturday before we go see Daddy, ok? That’s only two days away.”
The little girl scuffed one sneakered foot back and forth a few times, a frown present on her face before replying on a drawn out sigh, “Ok Momma.”
“Ok, we gotta go then peanut. Grab your back pack.”
Hannah pointed to a small pink back pack sitting on a bench next to the front door, then grabbed her purse and keys off one of the wall hooks, ushering Grace out the door, through the alley, and into the delivery van. She dropped Grace off at the daycare center she attended daily, and then drove the short distance back to the flower shop.
The Secret Garden would be her shop in just three more weeks. She was still in disbelief that the current owner, Donna, had agreed to sell her the shop in a private mortgage. A purchase of sale was drawn up between herself and Donna, and instead of paying a bank each month, she would pay Donna. Donna had said she just couldn’t see any one else taking over ‘her baby’ and if this is what it took for Hannah to buy it, then so be it. The shop specialized in elegant extravagance and as such had an extensive clientele that included many of the wealthiest residents in New York. Hannah was thrilled to be able to keep working with her existing clients, but more so, to finally be able to have something to call her own and allow her to raise her daughter comfortably.
The very best part of the purchase was that she was getting the entire building. That meant the apartment above the shop was now going to be hers as well. The monthly payment to Donna was high at almost four thousand a month, but considering she didn’t have to pay rent anymore, and she had a steady influx of customers already established, she felt certain that things were finally taking a turn for the better. At that precise thought, her eyes fell on the black silk mask sitting discretely on the shelf above her desk. On second thought, maybe not everything had worked out as she expected.
She still couldn’t believe that she had run into Drew while making a delivery earlier that week. And had discovered that he was the heir to the Sapphire Luxury Resort chain. She felt incredibly stupid for not putting two and two together when she had originally learned his full name, but aft
er the way they parted, her only desire was to try and push him to the back of her mind. Of course, since then she’d googled him no less than twenty times, each time more shocked than the next at his history, his family, and his wealth. Most shocking was that there was not one image of him with another woman on his arm at any public event since his divorce, except for the one she found of him and her as they walked into the masquerade ball. Of course she was simply labeled as his mystery date. Oh if people only knew how true those words really were.
She sighed heavily as she removed her scarf and coat, hanging them up in the small closet in the back room. She walked to her desk, but before sitting down, she took the business card that Drew had enclosed in the note he sent two months ago. She ran her fingers over the slightly raised sapphire font that spelled out his name before bringing the card to her nose and inhaling. Closing her eyes, she swore she could still smell the faintest trace of his scent on it after all this time. That crisp, clean woodsy aroma that she couldn’t seem to escape. No matter how hard she tried to put her feelings for Drew in a tightly locked box, every night when she closed her eyes, he was all that she could see.
He invaded her dreams, every nerve coming alive with the memory of the way he touched her, kissed her, licked her. She would wake up drenched in sweat, aching for his touch, her body pulsing for him. And every day since she saw him, she kept waiting for him to walk through the shop door to confront her. But every day went by without any trace of him. She couldn’t erase the memory of his shocked face at seeing her scoop her daughter up into her arms, and knew that her having a child finally gave him a reason to stop pursuing her. That is what she wanted after all. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself.
“Hannah? Hello? Anyone home in there?” Her friend and assistant Robin had arrived at the shop and was standing in front of her. She hadn’t even heard the bells on the door ring to warn her.
“Robin! Hey! Sorry, I was deep in thought about that arrangement we need to do for the Penn’s order that I didn’t even hear you come in.”
Hannah stood up and gave her friend a quick hug good morning.
“No worries sweetie. I brought you a tea from that shop down the street you like.”
Robin handed her the tea, then placed her things on the counter so she could remove her jacket and hang it up. Hannah took the tea and smiled in gratitude at her friend.
“Thank you Robin. You’re too good to me. Let’s go see if Tony’s here with the deliveries yet.”
Drew waited until Hannah started unlocking the metal casing before leaving the cover of the alley, making his way across the street toward her. His sneakers were silent on the pavement, making it easy for him to come up behind her with no warning. She had slid the metal casing up and had unlocked the front door and was pulling it open. He was two steps behind her as he slid through the open door, bells tinkling overhead, before it could close on him. She still hadn’t realized that he was behind her and in the shop with her. It was then that he noticed she was humming, but it was what she was humming that stopped him cold. ‘Into The Mystic’. The song they had danced to at his beach house.
“Hannah.”
His voice was low and gruff. He was nervous to be so close to her again. She shrieked in surprise as she spun around, her eyes growing wide when they landed on him. “Holy shit Drew! What the hell are you doing here?”
Her hand flew up to her chest as if to try and still her heart before a look of anger crossed over her face.
“Are you trying to give me a god damn heart attack?”
He took a step closer to her, then stopped when she took two steps back. He raised his hands up near his waist, palms up, in an attempt to show her he meant her no harm.
“I’m sorry. I just-- Jesus Hannah, I’d forgotten how beautiful you are.”
She stared at him, her features softening a bit as she let out a sigh.
“Drew, what are you doing here?”
He reached his hand up, pushing the hood of his sweatshirt down off his head as he ran his fingers through his hair.
“I want to talk to you. I need to talk to you.”
She began unwrapping the same pink scarf she had on the day before from her neck, and then unbuttoned her coat. She said nothing as she removed it and moved to hang it in the closet.
“I’m not really sure there’s anything to say.” He watched as she placed herself on the opposite side of the work table from him.
“What do you mean there’s nothing to say? I saw you with your daughter. And your husband? Is he your husband? You said you weren’t married, but are you? I haven’t seen him here with you since that day.”
Hannah’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you haven’t seen him here? Have you been watching me?”
“Hannah I’m just trying to understand who you are and what the hell happened between us. Because I know for certain it wasn’t like anything I’d experienced before.” He took a couple steps around the table to try and get closer to her, but she countered his action, keeping the space between them.
“Do you think about me at all?” He looked at her blank expression and shook his head in frustration before continuing. “Because I can’t stop thinking of you. It’s been over two months Hannah and I can’t get you out of my system. And believe me, I’ve tried.”
She looked at him, eyebrow raised, a glare in her eyes, distaste evident in her tone, “Girls at Baton Timide helping out with that?”
He scoffed loudly before answering. “Try tequila. Lots and lots of it.”
He locked his eyes angrily on hers and slowly made his way around the table toward her, “You think another woman is the answer to my problem? You think if I go to the club and buy myself someone new, and tie them up, and fuck them that I’ll forget the way you felt.” He continued to prowl closer to her. “That I’ll forget how you smell, how you taste.”
Drew had reached her now and grasped her lightly by the shoulders as he bent down to whisper in her ear. “That I’ll forget how you screamed my name as I drove myself into you.”
He could hear her breathing quicken as he bent closer and ran his nose from her ear, down across her chin before grabbing her lips in a kiss. He moved his hands from her shoulders cradling her face to pull her closer to him, sliding his tongue across her lips, forcing her to open up to him. She hesitated for only a second before her mouth parted in a moan, her tongue meeting his, her hands reaching around to clench onto the back of his sweatshirt.
He moved one hand from her face to wrap it around her waist pulling her body flush to his, their kiss growing deeper, more desperate. He felt her leg wrap around him as she tried to grind her core into him, so he gripped her around the waist and lifted her onto the table, then pulled her other leg around him. With one hand gripping her hair, and their mouths fused together in desire, he took his other hand and pushed against her ass so that her pussy was flush with his cock.
It had been over two months since he’d been with a woman and he knew if they kept this up he was going to explode in a matter of minutes. In an attempt to slow things down, he tore his lips away from hers and began peppering kisses along her neck. She whimpered in protest but then groaned softly, her head falling back on her shoulders, her long hair brushing against the table, as he grasped her breast and rolled her taut nipple between his fingers. He loved hearing those sounds come from her lips again. Sounds he didn’t know if he would hear again.
She arched her back into his touch, and at the same time thrust her center harder against his throbbing cock.
“Fuck Hannah.” He hissed out and then leaned down fusing his lips to hers again. He reached his hand under her shirt and pulled the cup covering her breast down so he could feel her skin. He ran his thumb back and forth over the peak of her nipple feeling it get harder with each stroke.
She broke their kiss with a moan, “Drew…”
He moved his lips to her ear, “I’ve waited two months to hear you say my name like that again.” And then
trailed his lips back across to hers, fusing them together once more.
“Oh holy shit! Sorry!” A girl’s voice rang out in surprise behind Drew and he realized that Hannah’s co-worker had come in and neither had heard her.
Drew quickly pulled himself up and off Hannah as she simultaneously pushed him away as she tried to move off of the table. He moved himself behind Hannah in an attempt to hide his still erect member, as she fumbled her clothes back into their proper position.
A very red-faced girl in her young twenties, whom Drew recognized from his morning stake-outs, was standing in the entry way to the back room, her hand held tightly over her eyes.
“Um, I’m just going to go out to the coffee shop.” She started backing out of the doorway, her other hand held out behind her to help her feel her way. “I’ll be back later. Didn’t see a thing.” And then turned and fled out the front door.
Drew took a step toward Hannah. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to put you in that position.”
She shook her head as if trying to clear it and then looked at Drew. “That should never have happened.”
His voice was full of frustration as he responded. “But it did. And you can’t deny that you don’t feel something for me. I deserve some answers Hannah.”
A single tear ran from the corner of her eye and down her cheek leaving a light trail through her make-up as she spoke softly. “Drew, please just go. I’m begging you.”
He took the few steps necessary to stand in front of her and brushed the tear from her cheek before placing a tender kiss in it’s spot before growling out, “This isn’t over.”
“I know” fell from her lips in a whisper before he stormed past her, through the shop, slamming the door behind him as he left.
As soon as the door slammed shut, Hannah broke down in sobs. How could she have just let that happen? She had worked so hard to keep her feelings for Drew buried deep inside. She felt arms wrap around her and pull her into a hug and realized that Robin had come back into the shop.