He’s turned something so devastating and painful that happened to him into something filled with hope and love.

  I squeeze his hand resting on my thigh, and he interlocks our fingers, as his thumb absently rubs my skin.

  Turning to look at me, his blue eyes hold mine as he leans over, kissing me softly on the lips.

  “Thanks for being here with me,” he says quietly, moving to my ear before another soft kiss touches my neck.

  “There’s nowhere I’d rather be,” I smile into his hair before we focus our attention on the next speaker.

  Leaning back, his arm rests against the back of my chair as his hand cups the back of my neck, doing delicious things to my insides when I feel his fingers lightly massage me.

  By the time the auction starts, the mood in the room has turned to excitement as guests filled with good food and drinks get ready for the bidding.

  I’m feeling pretty good on wine myself and excited to see the items for sale. I scan the list and stop when I see the last thing listed to bid on.

  Dance the first dance with a Bayside Bolt.

  #13 Jett Hayes

  #36 Thane McCormick

  #88 Colton Foxx

  #27 Hunter Kane

  #40 Cayden Blade

  #22 Knox Stone

  “You’re being auctioned?” I squeak in Knox’s ear.

  “What?” He looks confused as he reads the card. “Shit. I forgot about that. They mentioned it to me in passing a few months ago and thought it would be a good money-raiser. I had forgotten all about it.”

  “It’s going to raise money all right,” I mutter. I’ve seen the way girls have been eyeing Knox all night. Some of them are not even trying to hide what they want from him as they undress him with their eyes. It clearly doesn’t matter to them that he’s been all over me in plain sight for everyone to see. They definitely don’t play by girl code, that’s for sure.

  “You jealous, sunshine?” His eyebrow lifts as he tries to hide a smile.

  “Would you be okay if I were up on stage and letting guys bid on me for a dance? Maybe I should bid on one of your teammates. It’s for a good cause, right?”

  I wipe his smug smile right off his face with that one.

  “Point taken,” he says, quietly. “I’ll just tell them I’ve changed my mind when they call me up on stage,” he decides, like it’s no big deal.

  Watching the paddles fly up around me as another item is shown, I slowly shake my head. “No, don’t do that,” I sigh. “I’m being ridiculous. It’s just a dance, and you’ll undoubtedly raise the highest amount. I’m not taking that away from the kids just because I don’t want to watch you dance with another girl.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want you upset over this.”

  “I’m fine. Really.”

  His eyes look uncertain, but he pulls them away when he hears his name being called. Sighing, he stands and walks to the front, getting on stage with the other players.

  “Knox is being auctioned?” Olivia whispers across the table.

  “Yep,” I say briskly, keeping my eyes trained on the room for anyone who dares raise a paddle.

  “Oh shit,” Miles chuckles, and I ignore him completely.

  “The last auction of the night is a good one, ladies,” the auctioneer says excitedly. “Bid on your favorite Bayside Bolt, and you’ll be starting off the evening in their arms as you kick off the first dance.”

  “Knox looks so uncomfortable up there,” Travis laughs softly.

  “It’s probably because Savi is watching his every move,” Jake snickers.

  I tune out my annoying brothers as I watch the auction begin. Colton’s first as the battle begins. Numbers are thrown out so fast I can’t keep track of them. He finally wins a dance with a brunette for twenty-five hundred before they move to Hunter.

  Paddles fly up left and right before finally settling on a redhead who paid the same amount.

  “Twenty-five hundred for a dance? This is nuts,” Lyla giggles.

  “Maybe they are only doing it to give back to the kids?”

  I look at my mom like she’s lost her mind.

  “Just trying to make you feel better, honey,” she smiles.

  “They are all coming from the same table and wearing little to nothing,” Ryder chuckles. “They definitely are not here for the children. Maybe to make some.”

  “That’s not helping, Ry,” Eve whispers to her husband.

  “I think Sav has already figured it out based on the daggers she’s shooting in that direction.”

  Ryder’s right. They all came together with one goal in mind. There are six of them, and there’s no doubt about what they came for tonight. They are dressed to kill, and all of them are stunning to look at.

  I watch Thane get three grand from the blonde in their group before they move on to Jett.

  Jett winks at their table, and it fires them up as they move up to thirty-five hundred to the other blonde.

  Cayden is next, and there are only two girls left. A dark-haired beauty and a beautiful auburn-haired girl. I hold my breath as the bidding begins. The auburn hair outbids the room, settling on five thousand, the biggest bid yet.

  “Jesus,” Olivia whispers. “They are on a mission, and nobody else stands a chance.”

  I watch the dark-haired girl pick up her paddle with a smug look on her face. Her eyes zero in on Knox as I watch her lick her lips before she smiles at him seductively.

  “Did you see that?” Sophia exclaims. “Give me that paddle,” she demands, trying to take it from Travis.

  “You are not bidding on Knox,” he laughs. “I already made a hefty donation. You can dance with him for free later.”

  “I know you ladies have been waiting for this one,” the announcer says, and I roll my eyes at his stupid monologue. “Let’s start the bidding at two thousand for the captain of the Bayside Bolts.”

  Paddles shoot up left and right, and I get whiplash as I move my head around the room at all the hands in the air. It’s down to the dark-haired girl and another woman as they battle it out. It finally gets too steep, and the other woman keeps her paddle down as the bidding stalls at seven thousand dollars.

  The girl looks at Knox again and plays with her necklace around her neck. I can only imagine what she’s thinking about right now. My hand shoots up in the air before I can stop it.

  “Seventy-five hundred,” I yell, looking the girl dead in the eye as she shoots daggers my way.

  “That’s what I’m talking about,” Olivia grins. “Don’t let her win, Savi.”

  I meet Knox’s eye, and surprise flashes across his features before a smile plays on his lips. He slides his hands into his pockets and watches to see what I’ll do next. I see his teammates out of the corner of my eye, chuckling as they watch this all unfold.

  “Eight thousand,” she yells, looking right at me, daring me to go further.

  “Nine thousand,” I shout back, not even bothering to hold up my paddle.

  “Savi, honey. That’s a lot of money. Are you sure you know what you are doing?” My dad asks, leaning over to me.

  “Just having Knox buy his way out of the trouble he’s going to be in if he lays one hand on her body for a dance,” I say calmly, keeping my eyes on the girl who’s testing me.

  “God, this is great,” Miles laughs.

  “Ninety-five hundred,” she finally says, but I can tell she’s at her spending limit by the way worry crosses her features, that she may not get what she wants.

  “Ten thousand dollars,” I say without hesitation.

  The room goes silent as I hold my breath for any more bidding. I’m not sure how high I should go, considering it’s not mine to spend in the first place.

  “Ten thousand, going once…going twice. Sold to the beautiful lady in the back,” he yells happily. “I’m now going to turn it over to Mr. Stone himself as he says a few words before the dancing and fun begin!”

  He passes the microphone to Knox and steps off the stage.

  “Well, that was interesting,” he laughs, and the crowd joins in. “I need to step up my dancing game for that kind of money.” He meets my eyes, and I bite back a laugh.

  He briefly thanks everyone for coming and tells them again how much each donation can make a huge difference in a kid’s life, going into more detail about the summer camps and the other funding the foundation does for the children, before he turns it over to the DJ.

  His eyes hold mine as he walks over to our table and holds out his hand.

  “I believe you won this dance.” His eyes dance with amusement, but there’s an underlying energy coming off his body that I can feel deep in my bones.

  “I believe I did,” I smile, walking with him to the dance floor.

  The other players are getting their girls from that table, and I can’t help but smile when I see the dark-haired girl left all by her lonesome.

  “You are enjoying this way too much,” he chuckles softly.

  “Yes, I am,” I grin.

  “I have to say, watching you fight for me was quite the turn-on.” He pulls me close as the music starts, and I melt into his arms.

  “Did you see how she was looking at you? It was like a cougar about to pounce on her prey.”

  “She couldn’t have caught me,” he says quietly into my hair as his lips brush my temple.

  His body sways against mine, and I smile against his chest.

  “This is our first dance,” I whisper, realizing we’ve never done this before.

  “Yes, it is,” he smiles, kissing the underside of my wrist where our hands are joined. “Only cost me ten thousand dollars too,” he says with amusement flashing in those ocean blues, knowing damn well I was using his money as some sort of punishment for being up on stage in the first place—especially when I saw who was bidding on him.

  “I couldn’t let her win,” I wince. “It’s my stupid jealousy that took over my hand raising that paddle, so it’s not fair to have you pay. I don’t know what I was thinking,” I laugh softly. It’s not the first time my mouth has gotten me into trouble, and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

  “If the roles were reversed, I would have done the same thing,” he shakes his head and chuckles. “I’ll happily pay it. It’s the best damn money I’ve ever spent.” Bending close to my ear, his breath fans my skin. “Just so you know, I would have paid double to have this dance with you.”

  He brings his lips to mine and kisses me softly. His hand tightens on my waist as his body presses into mine. I feel him grow hard against my stomach, and a soft moan escapes me.

  Knowing how many eyes we have on us, he keeps the kiss PG and breaks away far earlier than we both would like.

  “Hold that thought,” he quietly growls, keeping me close to him as the last notes are played.

  The DJ immediately picks up the beat, ending the first dance as others join us. The dance floor is crowded within seconds as bodies start to move to the music.

  Taking my hand, he leads us to the side door, and a cool breeze caresses my skin as we step out onto the balcony. There’s an outdoor bar to the left, and a view of the downtown city of Bayside. Beyond all the buildings, you can see the lights reflect on the water in the bay.

  The crescent moon is surrounded by a sky full of stars, giving a beautiful backdrop to an already beautiful night.

  Keeping my hand in his, he walks to the far end of the balcony, where it wraps around the side. Away from the balcony string lights, we are hidden in the shadows as he covers me with his body, keeping my back pressed against the building.

  “Now I can kiss you like you should be kissed,” he says with an edge of desperation to his voice. His hand cups my neck as he dives in seeking my tongue with his. Grasping his suit lapel, I hold on as he kisses me with a passion that leaves my knees weak and my heart wildly pounding.

  His other hand slides up my slit as he lifts my leg and palms my ass, bringing me flush against him. He’s swollen and rock hard when our bodies connect, igniting a fire in me that only he can douse.

  His lips are demanding and possessive as they move against mine. I feel his hand tighten on the back of my neck as he keeps me firmly rooted in place. Our tongues dance and tangle together as they collide, desperate for more.

  When he finally pulls away, our pants blend together as we take in air that was denied seconds ago.

  “I could kiss you for hours, and it would never be enough,” he breathes, touching his forehead to mine.

  “Kissing you is my favorite,” I whisper, before getting one last taste and reluctantly pulling away.

  “We have to go back in there, don’t we?” He groans softly and releases his grip on me.

  “Since it’s your event, I would say the odds are not in your favor to leave early,” I giggle, smoothing out my hair and dress.

  His thumb comes out and runs along my lip while his eyes tell me he’s not even close to being satisfied.

  “Is my lip gloss all smeared? It shouldn’t be too bad. I went with clear tonight, so I could kiss you whenever I want,” I say, touching my lips where his thumb had been.

  “You look perfect,” he smiles. “I’m just feeling damn lucky that it’s me who gets to kiss those beautiful lips.”

  “They are only for you.” I reach up on tiptoes and sneak one more quick peck in. “Just like these are mine,” I murmur against his soft lips.

  “You’ve owned them since our first kiss.” Taking my hand, he leads us back toward the crowd.

  “I’m going to freshen up in the ladies’ room real quick. Meet you back at the table?” I ask, stopping when we get to the restrooms.

  “I’ll wait,” he says, putting his hands in his pockets and clearly not leaving my side.

  “I’ll be quick,” I smile, disappearing inside the door.

  Walking over to the vanity, I tuck a few loose strays of hair back into the barrettes and check my dress for anything out of place before reaching into my small handbag and pulling out my lip gloss.

  Just as I begin to apply it, the door opens and in walks Miss Highest Bidder herself. Her eyes narrow when she sees me before she walks over to the mirror beside me and takes out her lipstick.

  “You’re fooling yourself if you think it’s going to last,” she says quietly, stopping my gloss against my lips as her words clip the air. “Guys like Stone get bored and move on to the next shining piece that comes along.”

  “You don’t know anything about our relationship,” I quip back, fixing my lips and putting the gloss back in my purse.

  “I’ve been around enough hockey players to know that most relationships mean nothing to them. Not when you have girls in every city begging for just one night.” She looks at me through the mirror and gives me an icy smile. “It’s actually making you look pathetic out there because everyone knows you’re temporary.”

  “You need to leave,” I hear Knox’s voice cut through like a blade as I whip my head to see him standing just inside the ladies’ bathroom.

  “Excuse me? I paid for a plate. I’m not leaving,” she chuckles darkly, putting her lipstick back in her purse.

  “I don’t give a damn about you paying for a plate,” he says, taking a step closer to her. “You either leave quietly, or I’ll have my security throw you out.”

  “What? You can’t do that,” she sputters.

  “Watch me,” he says with venom. “Disrespecting the girl I’m going to marry is a one-way ticket out of here.”

  “Marry?” She glances at me before quickly zeroing in on Knox. “You’ve got to be kidding me. We both know you’re not the marrying type,” she scoffs.

  “You know, I’m getting really fucking tired of you thinking that you know me.” He holds his hand out to me, and I gladly take it, wanting to get as far away from this conversation as I can get. “You’ve got five minutes to get the hell out of here,” he growls before pulling me with him toward the door.

  “Jesus, she’s a piece of work,” he mutters under his breath. “I’m so fucking glad you outbid her.” He stops then and pulls me to the side. “Are you okay? You know none of that was true, right?”

  His face looks concerned as he peers down at me, and I give him a reassuring smile.

  “I’m fine, and of course, I know it’s not true. I guess dealing with girls like that is a perk of dating a celebrity athlete,” I shrug.

  “I saw her go into the bathroom, and I had a feeling she was going to say something to you.”

  “Just so you know, I was handling it fine before you barged into the ladies’ restroom.”

  “I have no doubt you could have handled the situation,” he laughs softly. “It’s in my DNA, though, to protect you. I won’t ever be able to just sit back and watch someone disrespect you.”

  “I suppose I could live with having my own knight in shining armor at my disposal,” I murmur, sliding my hands up his tuxedo jacket and wrapping my arms around his neck.

  “More like a dragon at your disposal, ready to tear into anybody at a moment’s notice,” he says before grinning wickedly. “We both know I’m no knight.”

  “I prefer my dragon over a knight any day,” I grin.

  “That’s my girl,” he murmurs, kissing me softly before leading us back to the table. When we return, my brothers are sipping their drinks with their eyes on the dance floor like a pack of guard dogs ready to attack at any moment. “I’m not the only dragon,” he chuckles.

  “No, you’re not,” I laugh, shaking my head. “Well, I guess you are with the pack. I’m going to join the girls on the dance floor.”

  Reaching over, I finish the rest of my white wine before kissing him soundly on the cheek.

  “Enjoy the show, dragon, because I’ve got moves that will bring you to your knees,” I whisper in his ear as his body stiffens under my hand.

  Grinning cheekily, I turn and walk away, feeling his eyes on me every step of the way. In true dragon form, I feel the heat pierce my skin, feeling like a thousand promises of what’s to come later when he gets me alone, and I look forward to every single one of them.

  THIRTY-EIGHT

  KNOX

  Little does she know, I’ve watched her dance several times before while I sat there hard as fuck, getting grumpier by the minute because I wanted something I couldn’t touch.