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things for her.
Still, he found himself wishing it was Rocki sitting there. He could
hear her voice, husky, low, full of laughter and humor, filling the
room next door.
    â€œ So you’re
engaged to the Wicked Witch of High Street.”
    Cole burst out laughing.
He couldn’t help it. He supposed he shouldn’t laugh, not
so easily. But hell, the name was fitting.
    Lacey continued to stare
at him, a smile dancing around her lips. “Well?”
    Cole, still chuckling,
lowered his gaze to his whiskey glass. “It’s not exactly
your business, is it?”
    â€œ Well. Not exactly.
But I keep seeing you staring at Rocki. And I’ve seen her
staring at you. I’d be really excited about that. But if you’re
engaged...well. I don’t like it. She needs to get back in the
game, but not with a married guy.”
    Smirking, he took a sip
of his drink. Then he sighed. “Well, that’s not going to
be an issue with me,” he said.
    â€œ And that’s
because ...?”
    â€œ Damn. You’re
nosy.”
    â€œ Yeah, I am.”
She gingerly leaned over to the side, something that was too graceful
to be called a slump. He couldn’t exactly describe it. “You
got any idea how hard it is to slouch in one of these?”
    â€œ No. And I’m
happy not knowing, too.”
    Lacey laughed. “Awesome.
Because I’ve got to tell you, men in corsets? They just don’t
work for me. I’m glad to hear that’s not your thing.”
She tapped her index finger on the arm of the couch, still watching
him closely. “I’ve got to say, you just don’t seem
to fit with her. Mara, I mean. She’s so...cold and bitchy. You
seem perfectly human.”
    â€œ Don’t you
think you should get to know people a little better before deciding
shit like that?” he asked irritably. He took another drink and
settled deeper on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
    â€œ So I’m
wrong? You’re cold? You’re not human? Maybe she’s
not as bitchy as she seems?”
    For the longest time, he
was quiet. Then he answered softly, “No. But she didn’t
used to be that way. Lately, though...well. It doesn’t matter.
Not any more. Not after tonight.” He closed his eyes.
    â€œ And what happened
tonight?”
    He popped one eye open
and stared at her. “It doesn’t concern you.”
    Lacey hummed under her
breath. “Okay. Well, answer this. You got the hots for Rocki or
not?”
    He didn’t answer,
but he suspected the slow crawl of red up his cheeks did the
answering for him.
    Lacey laughed. “Awesome.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go cause some
trouble. You got your checkbook handy? You might need it.”
    Frowning, he opened the
other eye and watched as she slipped out of the room, moving into the
crowded mess of the restaurant. What the hell...?

    â€œ What the hell?”
Rocki muttered, watching as Lacey came back up on stage.
    â€œ Ladies and
gentlemen. We have one final date to auction away tonight.”
Then Lacey paused and added, “Although it’s more for the
men. Sorry, ladies. And guys, some of you have been asking for
this for a long while ...”
    Dread curdled in Rocki’s
stomach as she stared at the back of her friend’s head. Oh,
shit.
    She wouldn’t.
    Then Lacey looked back at
her with a wicked smile. “Tonight, folks...Lush is going on the
auction block. One date—one night of Lush’s company. A
movie, dinner, a night at the opera...you can choose or let her
decide. Now, can we open the bidding at five hundred?”
    Rocki, feeling more than
a little lightheaded, and altogether furious, stood there stunned as
half a dozen hands went up in the air.
    I’m going to
kill her.
    But by the time the bids
went up over twelve hundred dollars, she was feeling a little less
murderous. Still very light-headed. Swallowing, she made her way