overrode her annoyance. “Good grief. You aren’t exactly a packaged present, for heaven’s sake. It’s a donation is all. You make yourself sound like a toy to play with.”
He chuckled and Brandi felt her face turn hot as she realized what she’d said. He reached out and touched her cheek with his knuckles, softly, just brushing her skin. Brandi almost shot off her seat.
“I don’t know how much playing I’m up to, Brandi, but I’ll try not to aggravate you too much.”
His mere presence aggravated her, but not the way he assumed. She cleared her throat. “I didn’t mean to insinuate…”
“I know.” He took his taunting knuckles away. “Now, back to dissecting my character. Shay told you I own a personal protection agency. People, the majority being politicians or those with high-profile positions, hire me as a bodyguard, or to keep watch over various functions where they might expect trouble. But I also take on other, more personal cases, with endangered women or children. It never ceases to amaze me how men can so easily brutalize someone smaller than themselves.”
Brandi shivered. There was a savagery in his eyes as he spoke that unnerved her. She had no doubt of the contempt he felt for bullies; but then, she shared that contempt.
He seemed drawn into his own thoughts for a moment, then he continued. “I was trained by the military. Spent eight years with Uncle Sam on special assignments that included keeping guard over some big government officials. Then I bailed out, worked for a firm for two years, and now I own my own business. I don’t like people who hurt or frighten other people. So I’ve made it my job to stop people who do.”
“How?”
“Excuse me?”
She had to ask. She had to know. “How do you stop them?”
His teeth closed over his upper lip and he pinned her with his gaze, refusing to let her look away. “However I have to. Without violence whenever possible. With extreme violence when necessary.”
She shuddered, but otherwise hid her reaction. For some reason, having him give her the unvarnished truth lessened the impact of his ruthless words. Brandi glanced at him, then muttered, “At least you’re honest.”
“Always.”
The drop in his voice nearly did her in. It was almost as if he suffered the same confusing mix of emotions that she did. Of course that was impossible. Her situation was unique to women; a man wouldn’t understand.
“I’ll always be honest with you, Brandi. As you get to know me—”
“I don’t want to get to know you.”
“—you’ll learn that I never lie.”
She wanted to growl in frustration. No man had ever so diligently pursued her. She’d given him options, offered to let him out of the absurd situation. Yet he remained insistent. “What do you get out of this, Sebastian?”
“Other than your sterling company?”
There was that touch of mockery again. She lifted her chin. “Yes. Why would you allow yourself to be sold in the first place? You seemed…disgusted by it all.”
“I was, a little.” Then he smiled. “Actually, a lot. I’m not one for rich crowds. Especially since my job usually keeps me in the shadows. And throwing money away—”
“On a very good cause.”
“I agree. But the battered women’s shelter wasn’t the motivation for most of the bids. Even without the cause, those people would have been comfortable tossing away thousands of dollars. To them it was no more than a lark, and the waste of it sickens me.”
“So, why would you do it if you hated it so much?”
“Because the money is desperately needed. Because the number of battered women and abused children rises every day. I see it in my job, I live with it. And I knew, with Shay in charge, the auction would be a success. She refused my check because she needed bodies to fill the stage. And when Shay sets her mind on something, she can be pretty damn persuasive.”
Brandi drew a sigh, then shook her head. He was a likable man, whether she wanted to like him or not. He was mostly polite, even with his arrogance, and his motivations certainly weren’t suspect. If anything, she had to admire his sense of obligation. “Shay has always been a bully. I swear, when she wants something, there’s no stopping her.”
“She’s pushy, but she’s also a shrewd business-woman.”
“You know my sister well?”
“I thought I did. But that bit about adoption threw me. She never let on.”
“Shay doesn’t think about it all that much, none of us do. She’s my older sister. My parents’ first child. Besides, it’s not something you’d bring up in idle conversation.”
“I suppose.”
“How did the two of you meet?” Even as she asked it, Brandi knew she was putting her nose where it had no business being. The notion that Shay and Sebastian might have once had a relationship was irrelevant to her. Or at least it should be.
But she didn’t retract the question.
“Shay and I’ve been friends a little over a year now. I had a case where a man threatened his wife. He’d beaten her before, and the hospital had records of the times she’d been in. But she had two kids, no money and no place else to go. Shay had just started work at the shelter. I got the mother and children settled there, then I worked with a few friends on the police force to get the guy locked up. I would have preferred a more personal vengeance, but that wouldn’t have solved the problem long-term. As it turned out, we discovered he was dealing drugs, too, so he’s out of the picture for a good long while. Anyway, Shay was great, making the family comfortable. We’ve had joint interests ever since.”
Brandi’s heart thudded against her ribs. He’d just given her incredible insight into his character, showing her his morals and his priorities. It was amazing, but she suddenly trusted him. This man was a protector, a man of honor.
And he’d offered to let her be the boss. It was such an intriguing notion—one that worked nicely with her plan to take charge of her life and move forward. She knew now, without a single doubt, he’d abide by her rules.
She hadn’t figured out exactly what her rules would be yet, but she had time to worry about that. With a burst of unusual confidence, she decided to take the chance. She thrust her hand toward him and waited.
He looked at her, then at her hand. One glossy black eyebrow lifted, and there was amusement in his green eyes. He took her hand. “What are we shaking on?”
“I’ll go to the resort with you.”
“Ah.” His grin was wide, putting deep dimples into his lean cheeks. “It was the lulling sound of my voice that brought you around, wasn’t it? The practiced way I repeat a story? No? Then you were convinced by the way I sprawl so elegantly in a seat?”
She gave him her own grin, feeling somewhat smug. “Actually, Mr. Sinclair, I understand now
