I pull away from her hold, lifting a finger to tell her to give me a moment. “I forgot something.”
Before Eve can argue, I duck back into the lounge and am relieved to see Maddie is still hangingaround.
She has taken off her heels and is holding them by the straps, circling her ankles to stretch them. Shedoesn’t see me enter.
When she sees me, her eyes go wide, and then she beams at me. Eve is right. This is more than just anauction for Maddie. She legitimately has a crush. Or a hope, at least, that maybe there is a light at theend of this tunnel for her.
I shake my head to cut her off before she can say anything else. “Give it up.”
Confusion clouds her smile. “What—”
“I’m never going to bid on you,” I say. “You are wasting your time flirting with me and tormentingE
