Page 1 of The Auction
SIX YEARS EARLIER
The frat house is loud before we even open the car doors. Bass shakes the windows. Voices spill into the street. The porch is already crowded with guys in jerseys and girls in barely-there dresses clinging to red cups like lifelines.
It’s exactly what I expected.
And I’mready for it.
Trey throws the car into park and turns around. “Bree. Final warning. No sneaking off, no drinking, no skinny dipping again?—”
“That was once,” Bree says sweetly, adjusting the neckline of her sparkly crop top. “And it wastasteful.”
They bicker. Like normal siblings. Loud, dramatic, annoyingly endearing.
I don't get that luxury.
Next to him, my brother Jonathan says nothing. He just stares at me in the passenger seat mirror. No humor, no warmth. Just a look that says:
Don’t make me regret this.
Bree and I hatched this plan. She threatened her brother Trey if he didn’t let her come to the party. Said she would show their mom where he hides his stash of Jim Beam. He agreed but only if she brought a friend with her—probably because of the skinny dipping he just grumbled about.
Bree gave my name and said he’d have to convince Jonathan and—here we are—two high school juniors going to a college frat party.
Bree has been before. Her brother doesn’t hate her guts like mine does. He’s brought her to an after-game party or summer bonfire.
Jonathan would rather chew glass than take me anywhere. He’s only doing it because Trey asked as a favor. He doesn’t give a shit about me.
But I don’t care. I’m not here for him or to make out with some sports-crazed frat boy.
I’m here for one thing andthatis Jaxon Kane.
It’s been four years since I last saw him. He left when I was thirteen—off to college while the rest of us were still figuring out how to pass Algebra. Back then, he was all crooked smiles and cocky charm. Jonathan’s best friend. The boy who used to tease me in the kitchen while his mom cleaned our house and cooked our meals.
He’s a genius. Skipped several grades and left my brother behind quickly. Jonathan never did like that but everyone wanted to be Jax’s friend so naturally that meant Jonathan had to be his best friend.
He and his mom never had much but you’d never know it. Jaxon always had this carefree air about him. His freshman yearin high school he sold an app. I didn’t pay attention to it at the time but now I know he made millions off it.
Bought a house for his mom. She quit work.
And the next year he was gone.
Passed right through high school in a summer and colleges nearly offered him to world to come to their school. But now he’s back. Several degrees later, if the rumors are true and tonight, I’m going to make sure when he looks at me, he doesn’t see Jonathan’s kid sister anymore.
Jonathan heads into the open double doors first.
Trey turns around pointing his finger at us, moving back and forth between both of us. “No wandering off. No drinking. If you see a guy in a toga, turn around.”
Bree rolls her eyes. “Oh my God, okay Dad!”
“I’m not kidding, Bree!” He calls back. His final threats drowned by the thumping music.
Bree is practically bouncing as we walk toward the house. “You ready for this?”
“I think I’m going to puke.”
“Girl, you’ve got this.” Bree slides her arm through mine, and we step up on the wide colonial style porch. My eyes bounce from face to face looking for that tousled dark hair and near-black eyes.
“You are going to make every guy in this place drool over you. Jaxon Kane can either take the bait or watch someone else do it.” She bumps her shoulder into mine as we step into the house.
