Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87439 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 437(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 291(@300wpm)
Troy’s comment earns some laughs, which is a relief because hell if I knew how I was gonna explain this to the guys without straight up lying about whatever the hell is happening between Lance and me.
Of course, given our history, people would assume this is just another way of sticking it to Alpha Theta Mu.
Lance is obviously just as confused, his brows shifting as his eyes narrow.
Everything’s happening so fast, I wonder if he even gets what’s going on, but I’m just relieved my dumbass mouth didn’t out us.
“Two sixty!” Ash calls out from the crowd as he glares at me, like he won’t let his friend be owned by some Sigma Alpha bastard.
“Come on, get him,” Ryan whispers to me.
Even though the first one was not on purpose, I roll with it. “Two eighty!”
Troy side-eyes me. “Um…this really isn’t how…”
“Two eight-five,” Lance’s buddy Marty follows, then whispers something to Payton.
“Three hundred,” I add, really stirring the pot on what’s clearly become an Alpha Theta Mu–vs.–Sigma Alpha battle.
“Fuck,” Ash mutters in the front, so I know they must be stressing about cash, but after a quick consult with his friends, he calls out, “Three fifty.”
And now I’m shifting finances around in my head.
“I can spot you a hundred,” Ryan says, so I call out for four.
Now things are really getting spicy. The tension is locked in, Troy not getting in the middle of it, I’m sure because despite how unconventional the bidding has become, he can’t argue with the money that’ll be going to the cause.
“Four fifty,” Ash calls.
Fuck. I’m really cutting it close on what I can manage. I should just let it go. If I let the Alpha Theta Mus win, then I’m not out of cash, and it’s not like I’m not gonna see Lance again.
As I’m working through the logic, Troy starts counting down to seal the bid when a loud, “Five hundred!” comes from the audience. My gaze shifts around before it settles on a raised hand.
One of Sigma Alpha’s own: Dax.
Ryan nudges me with his elbow. “Fuck, yeah,” he says. “Looks like we got that Alpha Theta Mu’s ass after all.”
“Right,” I say, though despite my best interests, I’m tempted to outbid him. I can’t, though, since that would definitely make even less sense to everyone. Hell, it barely makes sense to me.
As the Sigma Alphas start high-fiving and hugging it out in the audience, I realize I need to let this one go, even though a part of me wants to go feral and let all the guys know, especially Dax, that Lance is fucking mine.
No, not mine.
Just…fuck, he’s gotten into my head with that goddamn kissing.
When the auction ends, we join our house friends on the main stage, Sigma Alphas giving Alpha Theta Mus hell, as though this was all part of some elaborate prank to pull on Lance, which normally would have amused me, but is now pissing me the fuck off.
“Guys, just act cool,” I say. “This is a respectable charity.”
Dax approaches me, grinning, and just like that, I’m back to being on edge. “Hey, man,” he says. “Hope I was helping. Seemed like you were done bidding.”
“Oh, yeah. Thanks for that,” I say with clenched fists.
“No problem. I had the spare cash, and Lance is adorable as fuck, so you know…two birds, one stone. Although…I didn’t know if you needed to take the date.”
“No, no,” I say, almost hating myself as the words come out. “It’s your money. You won fair and square. And the Sigma Alphas seem content our house won his ass.”
I shouldn’t enjoy how good it feels to talk about owning Lance’s ass, but I can’t help myself.
Dax’s grin expands. “In that case, I guess I can just enjoy myself.”
I stifle a growl.
Rumor has it, Dax’s got this keen ability to tell when guys are questioning or curious. I don’t know that I believe in gaydar, but I can’t help wondering if the guy has some intuition about Lance and now he’s planning to make some moves, or if that’s just my fear because Dax is apparently this amazing, epic lover who definitely understands how a man’s body works and could show Lance things I couldn’t. Not yet, at least.
And suddenly I find myself having particularly ragey thoughts toward one of my own Sigma Alphas.
15
Lance
What was that?
The auction seemed to be going as usual, and next thing I know, I’m the one who brought in the most money of all the guys. Five hundred dollars is wild for a stupid date.
But that’s not even the most confusing part.
It seemed like Ty was trying to show up Alpha Theta Mu, like this might have been a stunt, which then made me question everything else we’ve done. But again, if him sucking my cock was part of some epic prank, that’s gotta be too far, even for a guy as competitive as Ty Lancaster.