Two if by Sea (18 page)

After a beat, the man responded. “Yes. Fifty thousand dollars, please.”

Miranda stepped back in shock and Dawn scrambled onto the stage before grabbing the mic from the flabbergasted announcer. “Thank you, sir. So that’s fifty-thousand for number fifty-two. Would the gentleman with number fifty-three care to counter?”

Miranda watched as the two men turned to each other. From across the room, she couldn’t hear a word, but she could tell it was intense. They stared each other down, all vigor and sex, and she squirmed where she stood. She almost hoped it came to blows. At last, the two men turned and Mr. Fifty-three spoke up.

“It seems we’re at a bit of a stalemate. I’d like to propose an…unusual compromise. We’ll donate two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the shelter.” The crowd gasped in sync and he held up his hand for silence. “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“Ms. Holmes goes out on a date—with both of us.”

What?
Miranda shook her head. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for her best friend’s shelter. And all she had to do was go out on a date with two men.
Holy shit.

Dawn didn’t even look her way. “Sold. To numbers fifty-two and fifty-three. Thank you, gentlemen. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

As the auction gong sounded, Miranda struggled to breathe. She could never live up to a quarter million dollar hype. She was just a lowly engineer who had a two bedroom apartment and a cat. Not an heiress, a debutante, anything. Just plain old Miranda Holmes.

She glanced up and Mr. Fifty-two winked.
Oh, god. This couldn’t get any worse.

“Gentlemen, come on up and claim your date.” Miranda swung her head and gaped at Dawn. Claim their date?
Nononono
. She was supposed to have time to prepare. Breathe. Do a shot.

Dawn glanced over and Miranda pleaded with her eyes.
Give me an out! A mini pep talk. Anything!
But her best friend only smiled and turned back to the audience.
Great. I’m on my own
.

“Ms. Holmes?” She turned to see her winners standing at the edge of the stage.
Wow
. Up close they were…way out of her league.

“Yes. Miranda.”

She stepped forward and held out her hand. Mr. Fifty-two took it and raised it to his lips. “Winston Stone. It’s a pleasure.” He pressed his lips to her knuckles and Miranda swallowed down a wave of giggles. Men with sexy brown hair that fell over their eyes and devilish smiles didn’t take her hand. Or kiss her knuckles.

“Likewise.”

“Here, let me help you down.” He gave her hand a gentle tug and Miranda stepped toward the stairs, attempting to navigate and be graceful at the same time.
How would Cinderella do this? Right, stare straight into his eyes, step into the air, find the stair
.

Lose her balance, slide off the stage. Oh no!
Instead of a graceful princess, she turned into a bumbling idiot, missing the stair completely. Before Winston could catch her, she was falling. Off the stage, toward the ground, and into a serious pair of arms.

“Hello.” His voice slid into her ear like liquid smoke and Miranda gasped. “Good thing I still play rugby. Winston would never have made that catch.”

The man put her on her feet and she turned to face him. Mr. Fifty-three. Where Winston was smooth and suave, he was rugged and sinful. Trimmed beard, broad shoulders, piercing blue eyes.
Mmm. Hello to you too.

He leaned in and brushed his lips across her cheek. “James Waters. Pleased to meet you, Miranda.”

“Thanks for catching me. Not exactly the intro I was going for, but it worked, I guess.” As she glanced at both men, awareness of all the other eyes locked on the three of them made her blush. “So, any chance you boys have enough money left to buy me a drink?”

James laughed and slipped his arm around her back. “Of course. The bar’s this way. You coming, Winston?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“
Y
ou can’t be serious
. Packaging is anything but exciting. I mean, it pays the bills, but that’s all.” Miranda sipped her champagne and shook her head. Her lush auburn curls bounced around her shoulders and James fought the urge to run his fingers through them.

They’d been chatting for hours—he’d learned all about her job, her life, her wants. Shit, Winston even opened up about their hedge fund and lack of sexy women. If his usually private partner was willing to spill about their billion-dollar business, then he was suffering as much as James. He’d talk about the awkward teen years next if it kept his mind off her tits and how much he wanted to bury his head between them.

Winston took a swig of his bourbon and smiled at them both. “I don’t know, Miranda. I’ve always marveled at how places like Ikea can pack an entire bedroom into a single, flat cardboard box.”

“Well, you’re the only man who’s ever said so.”

“I like being first, so I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Color flushed up her cheeks and James’s dick twitched in his tux. Damn if he didn’t want to drag her upstairs to a waiting hotel room and fuck her right then. Pin her against the wall. Run his hands over all that tight black velvet. Rip it off her and make her come.

He glanced up at Winston and saw the same heat in his partner’s eyes. Winston might be the suaver of the two, but he turned feral in the bedroom. All lust and need. Testosterone and sex. James closed his eyes and took a drink. He didn’t want Winston for a lover, but something about the two of them wrapped around a woman…fuck. He’d never forget the only time it happened.

Now that they’d both won Miranda…

With a shake of his head, James opened his eyes and finished off the last of his martini. Even if Miranda were exactly the woman he’d been wanting—sexy, funny, down to earth—he’d never ask her to share a bed with both of them. Unless she was willing.

She’d been laughing and smiling and driving him crazy all night. The way the slit in her dress inched up her thigh. How her green eyes sparkled when she held in a laugh. The beyond kissable pout grinning at him.

“What?” He arched his brow. “Please tell me I don’t have something in my teeth.”

Miranda laughed. “No. It’s just—you seem a bit lost. Preoccupied with work?”

Winston leaned over and answered for him. “James is never preoccupied with work. I think you’re the only thing on his mind.”

“Oh, right.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I mean, I know you both kept bidding because you hate to lose. I can’t imagine how you run a business together.”

Winston winked at James. “Competition it good. It’s what makes us so successful. The drive. The hunger.”

“Really?” She glanced up at James and he nodded.

“People don’t give us their fortunes to throw away. They come to us because we make them money. A little friendly competition between partners only fuels our passion. Keeps us on our toes.”

“Like gambling?”

“No. We never gamble other people’s money.”

She picked up her glass and swirled the last of the champagne. “Of course not. But…do you ever put a bet on it? See who comes out on top?”

James shifted in his seat. He knew exactly who he wanted on top and it wasn’t Winston.

“We don’t.” Winston glanced at James and smirked. “Probably because James won’t take bets he can’t win.”

A flash of anger had James straightening on his stool. “We agreed to keep it friendly, right Win?”

“Easy, boys. No fighting over me. You both won, remember?” She reached up and patted both men on the chest and James eased back down. They’d made enough of a scene already at the auction, but he wasn’t taking an insult sitting down. As he opened his mouth to tell his partner off, Winston held up his hands.

“You’re right, James.” He turned to Miranda and smiled. “So about our win, what’s your ideal date? If you could do anything, what would it be?”

“You really want to know?”

“Of course.”

“Well…” She looked up at the ceiling and thought for a moment before her whole face lit up with a smile. “I’d say something low key. Casual. Like pizza and bowling. Or burgers and mini-golf. You know…something where you can chat. Get to know someone. Have a good time.”

“Well, isn’t that pedestrian.”

James looked up and an anvil might as well have dropped from the sky and landed on his head.
Fucking hell
. “Dominique. Hello.”

“Hello, James. Winston.” She waved her bony fingers at Miranda and James tensed. “Nice show you put on earlier. Please tell me it was some sort of a joke.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He inhaled through his nose and glanced over at Winston. He’d kept it civil because of her father, but if the bitch dared slam a woman he was interested in, the gloves were off.

“I’m talking about spending a quarter million dollars on a woman who couldn’t fit in any spring collection, let alone the front seat of your Vantage.” Her hand landed on her hip and James flew out of his seat. No way was some stuck up socialite with less charm than a snake going to put down his date.

“You’re out of line, Dominique.”

“That’s not what you said in bed.”

Blood whooshed through James’s ears. Hot, fast, and filled with rage. He opened his mouth to rip her apart when Winston cut him off. “Hey Dominique, how about we take a walk? James has to tend to an…urgent matter. Isn’t that right?”

James clenched his fists.
Only my hands around her neck
. “It can wait.”

Winston leaned over Miranda and whispered in his ear. “I’ll deal with her, James. She’s not worth making a scene over. Take Miranda out of here and I’ll find you later.”

With a frown, James nodded. He watched as Winston pulled back and hooked his arm through his ex’s elbow. Forcing himself to calm, he turned to Miranda. “Let’s go somewhere, shall we? I need some air.” He took her hand and she slipped off the stool to stand.

Striding through the ballroom, all he could think about was how different she was from his ex. How she’d listened to him all night, never once asking about the number of houses he owned, the cars he drove, or how much he’d spend on her.

She was real. Everything he’d wanted and couldn’t find trapped in his Wall Street tower. He busted through the double doors and stomped down the hall.
Damn Dominique
. He was getting Miranda alone and showing her how much he wanted her—one kiss at a time.

Pushing open a door in the hall, he found an empty meeting space and pulled her inside. “I’m sorry about Dominique. She’s a bitch.”

Miranda looked up at him and bit her lip. “You have a history?”

“Unfortunately. I dated her for a New York minute. She was only interested in my bank account. It was—” He ran his hand through his hair and exhaled in a rush. “Short-lived. But her father’s one of our biggest clients.”

“I see.”

James snorted. “No, you don’t.” He turned toward her and reached out, trailing his fingers over her cheek. “I’ve never wanted all those money-hungry, shallow socialites. Women like her are only after status. A fancy house with a choice address. A head-turning car. The best plastic surgeon. They’re nothing compared to you.”

“You mean they aren’t ordinary.” She glanced at the floor and he took her chin in his hand, pulling it up until she looked him in the eye.

“No. I mean gorgeous and sexy and honest. Shit, you have no idea what you do to me or Winston, do you?”

She shook her head no despite his grip.

“Then I’ll just have to show you.”

H
is lips melted
into hers and Miranda gasped. James took it as an invitation, swiping his tongue across hers, toying and teasing as he let go and wrapped his hands around her. The hard planes of his muscles crushed against her soft curves and she swooned.

Damn
. The man threw his whole body into a kiss. As he explored her mouth, lapping at her tongue and grazing her teeth, she moaned. Heat and longing spread across her skin and Miranda reached out, taking hold of his biceps as he ran his hands down her back. Farther and farther they slid until he cupped her ample ass and squeezed.

Oh, god.
No man had ever taken over so fast. Grabbing her flesh and working her body—grinding his cock against her, massaging her ass as he plundered her mouth with his tongue. If he kept it up much longer, she’d come on the spot. Which she definitely couldn’t do.

She pushed against his chest until he relented and stepped back. “James! We can’t—I mean—I’m—”

“Mmm. The sexiest thing I’ve ever seen?” He trailed kisses down her neck and across her collarbone, edging the shoulder of her dress over with his nose. “We’re all alone, Miranda. No one knows we’re here. And I can’t keep my hands off you. Or my lips. I want to kiss you all over.”

She bit back a groan as he slipped his fingers under the fabric of her dress and tugged it off her shoulder. “But what about the party?”

“What party? I have all I need right here.” He glanced up at her as he kissed the swell of her breast. Damn if his blue eyes weren’t shining in the dim light.

Part of her wanted to give in, let him take anything he wanted right there. But she was a good girl. A rule follower. Not some slut he could buy with a high bid and a glass of champagne. “What about Winston?”

James didn’t even pause. “His loss.” He ran his hands up her sides, ruching the fabric as he explored her curves. “You have the most amazing body. I’ve been dying to touch you. You’re so fucking beautiful.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Because it’s the truth.” His hands found her breasts and squeezed, plumping the round globes as Miranda closed her eyes. Responsible women could make out behind a ballroom with men they just met. Totally within the bounds of decency. It probably happened every day.

She leaned into him and brushed her lips across his ear. “How about you stop talking and kiss me?”

James almost growled and straightened up, capturing her mouth with a punishing kiss as he stroked her breasts.
Jesus
. His hands were matches and his lips gasoline.
Light me up, please
. As she moaned into his lips, the door opened.

“I thought we agreed to a tie. But it seems like you’re the one having all the fun.”

Miranda squeaked and pulled away from James.
Oh, hell
. Winston stood in the doorway, smiling faintly as he stared at both of them.

A flush spread up her neck and cheeks and she bit her lip. She’d never intended to get carried away with either of them. Not at the party. And here she’d gone and done it. If something went wrong and they changed their minds about the auction…Dawn would never forgive her. “I’m so sorry, Winston. I don’t—I shouldn’t have—”

“Don’t tease her, Win. She’ll think you mean it.”

Winston stepped into the room and Miranda held her breath. Was he teasing? She couldn’t tell.

He walked up to her and reached for her hand. “I’d never tease such a sexy woman. Not with words anyway.” He smiled and pressed his lips to the back of her hand. “Any chance I can pull you away from James for a dance? They’ve brought out the band next door.”

She glanced at James and back at Winston. Juggling two men as assertive and determined as the pair of them was a serious challenge. “Is that all right with you, James?”

“I don’t need his permission to ask you to dance.” Winston stepped closer and Miranda inhaled in a rush. He had a way of staring at her that stripped her bare and turned her on all at the same time. The lust James had lit inside her burned even brighter under Winston’s gaze.
Damn it to hell
. How could she want two men so badly?

“It’s fine, Miranda. I’ll catch up in a few. Enjoy yourself.” She glanced up in time to see James open the door.

“Oh—okay. I’ll see you soon.” She stood still, stunned at his sudden departure.
Was he mad?
Before she could figure it out, Winston was there, sliding next to her and brushing a lock of hair off her shoulder.

“Now that we’re alone. I have to ask you, does the prospect of two men turn you off?”

She smiled and shrugged. “It’s new to me, I’ll tell you that. I’ve never had two men fight over me before.”

He grinned and tilted his head to whisper in her ear. “I don’t mean two men fighting over you. I mean two men sharing you.”

Miranda blinked. “What? At the same time?”

His breath fanned hot across her cheek. “Exactly. What if I told you we both wanted you. Pressed between us, crying out in ecstasy, touching heaven. Would you say yes?”

“I…I barely know you.”

“That’s not a no.”

Miranda closed her eyes. It should be no. She should turn him down right then and there. But something about it—the chance to have both Winston and James at the same time. A thrill rushed through her veins, quickening her heart. “No, it’s not.”

With his face pressed against her cheek, he smiled. “Then you’ll just have to get to know us better.” Slipping his hand around her back, he turned them both toward the door. “How about we start with a dance?”

Miranda nodded. “I’d love to.”

A few moments later, Winston was twirling her around on the dance floor, manipulating her body like she weighed nothing at all. “Where’d you learn to dance?”

“My mother owned a studio when I was young. The dancers practically raised me.” He spun her around and tugged her close. “And now it’s second nature. Holding a woman next to me. Bending her body to the music.”

“I bet you talk like that to all the girls.”

“Only the ones I can’t get out of my head.” He wrapped his arm around her middle and dipped her. “And the ones I want to fuck.”

Miranda’s lips fell open as he pulled her back up and the music faded. Where James was rugged and demanding, Winston was suave and swagger. Both cocky, confident and so fucking sexy she didn’t know what to do.

“Hello!” The mic cracked and Miranda stepped back, breaking Winston’s hold of her. She glanced up at the stage as Dawn adjusted the volume.

Oh, lord
. She rolled her eyes at herself and smoothed her dress. She’d been so wrapped up in the dance that she’d forgotten all about the charity and her best friend. After taking a deep breath, she plastered on a smile and focused on Dawn. The night was all about her, not the sex-in-a-tux standing to her right.