Even so, the sheer animal magnetism radiating from him was mesmerizing. He moved with incredible grace for a man of his size, walking down to the end of the runway as if he owned the room. When he reached the end of the runway, it looked as if he was trying to catch her eye, which was impossible. This was the man who had done everything in his power to avoid her so far.
Flustered, she ducked her head and looked down at her pad, scribbling without thinking. Then she looked at what she’d written. Bear bear bear bear bear bare bare bare bare. She quickly scratched it out.
The women in the audience went crazy for Flint, and as they shrieked his name, Coral had to stuff down a sudden homicidal urge to shift into wolf form and start rending some flesh. It felt like…jealousy. Women were bidding left and right. It seemed to go on forever, and a mysterious anger was swelling up inside Coral, and her hair kept falling over her eyes.
One tall, pretty brunette seemed especially determined to win the auction, and she had what appeared to be the final bid.
“$2500! I’ve got a bid of $2500 for this handsome specimen of a bear shifter! Come on, ladies, this bear is a prize! Going once…going twice…”
Coral’s hair flopped right over her eyes again, and she reached up to push it back out of her face.
“Three thousand dollars! We have a bid of three thousand dollars!” the M.C. howled, and the crowd went wild, whooping and hollering. Coral looked around to see who had made the bid, and realized to her horror that the announcer was pointing right at her. The pretty dark haired woman was glaring daggers at her.
No! Oh, lord, this couldn’t be happening! Coral’s face turned bright red as the announcer yelled “$3000, to the lovely redhead in the second row!”
A look of shock flashed across Flint’s face, and then he actually smiled, winked at her, and strolled off down the runway.
Oh, no. As if that bear’s ego needed to be any more inflated. Could she run up there and plead that she’d made a mistake? Probably not. That would be even more humiliating.
Three thousand dollars. Damn. That was a hefty chunk of her graduation present from her parents. Curse her luck, just curse it.
“Nice!” Blanche said. “I knew you were sweet on the bear.”
Coral slumped down in her seat, smacking herself in the face with her notepad. Kill me now, she thought. This could not possibly get any worse.
“If you need any sex tips, you should ask Blanche,” Maybelle said. “Lord knows she’s been around the block more times than the Earth’s rotated around the sun.”
Oh, nope, Coral thought. Just got worse. Yes, it did.
Then the two women tried to slap each other, with Coral swatting at them both to intercede, until security threatened to throw them all out.
After the auction, Coral stood up, frantically looking for the exit. Before she could make her escape, Frederick rushed over to her gleefully, blocking her attempt to rush down the aisle.
“So, my little red wolf,” he gloated. “You’ve just purchased the man of your dreams. What are you going to do with your new toy? I want all the graphic details.”
“Don’t. Just don’t. My hair fell in my face and I was reaching up to push it back. It was a total mistake. Oh, my God, I’m going to jump out the freaking window.” Coral buried her face in her hands.
“That is so classic! And we’re on the first floor, so go ahead. Ha.” Frederick dodged her punch, and scampered off to take more pictures.
“Well, well. I give you kudos for dedication to chasing down a story.” Flint’s voice rumbled from behind her.
She spun around and glared up at him. A big smile quirked those full, sensual lips, and there was a glint of amusement in his caramel brown eyes.
He loomed over her, and she tried not to breathe in his musky, masculine scent. There was that scent of honey again, too; he must have eaten some right before he came over here. She could literally feel herself salivating, and she swallowed hard so she wouldn’t drool.
“For your information, I didn’t mean to bid on you. My hair was falling in my face, and I was reaching up to push it out.”
“Of course you were,” Flint said, looking skeptical. Oh, the egotistical jerk.
“Anyway,” he continued, “I meant to apologize for this morning. I really did get called away on a work related emergency. Maybe after I take you out on our date, I can personally take you on a tour of the new Sweet Stuff factory site.”
Before she could answer, the pretty brunette who’d tried to bid on him walked up, and tried to link her arm through his. He frowned and stepped back, folding his arms across his broad chest. The woman didn’t take the hint; she sidled right up next to him, and Coral felt an irrational surge of jealousy flare up inside her again.
“I’m sorry, Flint, I tried to help you out and bid on you, but I guess she really, really wanted a date,” the woman said, shooting Coral a scornful look.