michael smoothly stepped in after the introductions were finished. "well, there you have it, ladies. you've read the stories and now you've met the inspiration. now it's time to bid on the one who makes your heart pitter-patter. you'll get an unforgettable evening of dancing and dining in the exclusive rooftop restaurant with the man of your dreams. remember, all proceeds will go to the local battered women's shelter, so dig deep. after all, your fantasy is worth it." michael's voice was enticing. "okay, hunks. let's show these lovely ladies what they're bidding on," he added, gesturing for the guys to strut across the stage and show their stuff.

jennifer and i exchanged amused looks now that the pressure of the introductions was over. our amusement morphed to laughter as we watched alec flexing his muscles. you couldn't see anything because of his tuxedo, but many of the women had stopped by my table during the signing and had already seen him with his shirt off. they hooted and hollered following his display, knowing what their money would be getting. alec was clearly the crowd favorite. my laughter became more forced as the women pressed closer to the stage. alec grinned broadly, eating up the attention. a mishmash of emotions swirled through me. i berated myself for the green-eyed monster that was suddenly rearing its head. two hundred women were willing to donate their hard-earned money for a chance to dine and dance with alec and yet, i was jealous as hell. even knowing it was for a worthy cause did nothing to tame the beast.

one model after another was matched up with squeaking bid winners who bounced up to the stage to collect their prizes for the evening. most of the women seemed to be waiting for alec, and there was clear anticipation for his turn. i couldn't blame them. i wanted to bid on him too.

in the end, the bidding came down to a war between an older stout woman who could have been his mom, and a leggy brunette with waist-length hair that belonged on a shampoo commercial or a barbie doll. i crossed my fingers, praying for the older woman, but since when did i have that kind of luck? of course barbie won. she practically glided her way on stage. i'm pretty sure she said her name was candy. i could have gagged. i pasted a smile on my face, pretending to be tickled pink over the outcome. in reality, i debated pulling every strand of hair from her head. we'd see how attractive she looked then.

i couldn't tell if he was putting on an act for the sake of the show, but alec looked positively gleeful when she led him off stage to the dance floor where the other couples had already collected. i didn't know who i was kidding. of course he was happy with his winning bidder. the speakers crooned out a love song and i almost puked when candy snuggled into alec's arms.

"do you want me to hold her arms while you pound on her?" jennifer whispered in my ear. "we can turn this dance into our own version of fight club."

i sighed, turning away from alec as he led candy effortlessly around the dance floor. "is it that obvious?"

"if you mean, can i tell that you want to poke her eyes out? yes, it's obvious."

"gah, i'm trying not to."

jennifer laughed, raising an eyebrow. "are you and tall, dreamy twinkie dating? or maybe even more than that? i know i would be if i had the chance."

i blanched at her words. i liked jennifer, but the idea of anyone else doing something with alec i hadn't done made me cringe. "you don't think kevin would mind?" i asked dryly as we left the stage together. kevin and jennifer had been married for almost ten years and had the kind of relationship i wanted.

"i think he'd give me a free pass if he saw alec. where did you two meet?" she held the ballroom door open for me so i could exit behind her.

glad to leave the loud music and flashing lights behind, i rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension that had gathered into a knot behind my neck. "i can't take the credit for discovering him; olivia found alec."

"why am i not surprised? that girl has an eye for talent. i'm shocked she's not here with you."

"she wanted to, but her client list has almost doubled in the last six months. she was too busy," i said, stopping in front of the bank of elevators.

"good for her. her talent is off the charts. hopefully she won't get too busy for us though." she winked at me as the elevator doors dinged open.

i waited for the elevator to empty before stepping on. "she better not. are you going up?"

jennifer shook her head. "no. i'm going to the bar. it's definitely time for a little liquid recuperation. do you want to join me? kim and malory are supposed to meet me there."

"no, thanks. my head is ready to declare mutiny if i don't find a little quiet and some advil. i plan on taking an extra-hot bath and climbing into my sweats for a little hgtv and room service." just saying the plan out loud made the introvert side of me happy. a little alone time was exactly what i needed.

jennifer shook her head. "you know you're twenty-two, not forty-two, right?" she called out as the doors clicked closed.

her words followed me up the five flights to my floor. the throbbing in my head that had been a dull pounding became a fully fledged marching band. jennifer was right and i knew it. she wasn't telling me anything i hadn't heard from olivia a million times. many single women my age would likely prefer a night of partying, drinking or sleeping with guys over my good time of a hot bath, room service and property brothers.

the doors opened on my floor, revealing an empty hallway. disgusted with myself, i trudged off the elevator unenthusiastically. i should have gone back downstairs with jennifer for a little fun. if olivia had been here, she wouldn't let me hole up in my room all night. should have and could have were two different things with me as usual. i shuffled down the long hallway toward my room.

i heard the sound of a door opening behind me, but gave it no thought until a loud voice startled me by calling out for my attention.

jumping about a mile out of my skin, i turned around clutching my heart that was beating erratically. a middle-aged man with a freakishly hairy gut, who had no business being shirtless, stood leering at me. he was holding a half-empty beer bottle. judging by the way he leaned against the doorway, it wasn't his first drink of the evening. "hey, sweetheart. you looking for a party?"

"no, thanks," i answered, edging backward. standing in a quiet hotel hallway, i suddenly realized just how alone i was. i was surrounded by rooms on both sides, but i had no idea if any of them were occupied. most normal people were probably out eating or enjoying the nightlife, not sitting in their rooms. i silently berated myself for being in this position. if i had stayed downstairs, i wouldn't be trapped in a hallway with some drunk who was looking at me like i was a treat delivered by room service.

"come on, baby. i'll give you the goods." he swayed slightly on his feet, watching as i took another step backward. his lack of steadiness gave me hope that he was too drunk to comprehend much of anything. i took another half step backward as he lurched toward me. for somebody who'd been drinking, his reflexes were surprisingly quick. he reached out and grasped my wrist, holding me in place.

a knot of dread twisted in my stomach as he pulled me toward him. "come on. don't be like that," he belched out, making me gag. i dug my heels into the carpet as he dragged me toward his room where the door was still ajar.

i shook my head, tugging on my wrist. "fucking let go!" i said, yanking harder to free my wrist. "let go!" i was on the verge of panic before i remembered the self-defense moves tony and zachary had drilled into my head when i was thirteen. at the time, i thought they were being too overprotective and that i would never have to use any of it, but as the asshole in front of me tightened his hold, i knew i had to try something.

he tilted the beer up and took a long pull. most of the beer went down his chest rather than into his mouth. swiping a hand across his lips, he tossed the empty beer bottle into his room and pulled harder on my wrist. "come on, sweetheart. you don't know what you're missing." my hand scraped along the wall as i fought to keep him from getting me into his room. i opened my mouth and let out a piercing scream that echoed down the hallway.

with a final jerk, he pulled me into his meaty arms, wrapping them around my neck. i tried screaming again, but his grimy hand covered my mouth. he held me tightly against him, anticipating a fight.

this couldn't be happening. it was every woman's nightmare, but i never thought it would happen to me. if he got me into his room, nothing would ever be the same again. my screams could no longer be heard, coming out as a muffled grunt against his hand. my teeth cut into the inside of my lip, filling my mouth with the iron taste of blood. i welcomed the pain as it cut through my panic like a knife, clarifying my senses.

his rancid breath blew into my face and i felt his free hand snake around my waist, creeping up toward my breast. the idea of his nasty paw touching me made tears spring to my eyes. i would not let that happen.

finally recalling some of my brothers' training, i let all the fight leave my body. it went against everything inside me to let myself go slack in his arms, making his job easier. his surprise and approval were evident. "i knew you wanted to party," he growled in my ear, bringing his face exactly where i wanted it. knowing i only had one shot, i reared my head back into his face with all the force i could muster. the blow smacked soundly into his nose as a ringing filled my ears. he released his hold immediately, stumbling back into the wall with blood streaming down his face. i raced down the hallway, screaming as loud as i could while i fumbled to get the key card into my door.

a woman and a burly gentleman opened the door to my left at the sound of my screaming. it wasn't hard for them to figure out what had happened when they spotted my tattered appearance and the blood gushing from the nose of my assailant.

the large man stepped from his room, standing between my attacker and me. "what the fuck is going on? are you messing with this little lady?" he growled, taking a threatening step toward the drunk, who was now cradling his broken nose while fighting to stay on his feet.

"hey, man, i ain't looking for any trouble."

"you may not have been looking, but you sure found it." he reached my attacker and forced his hand around the scumbag's throat, pinning him to the wall. "sally, call the front desk and tell them to get the cops. i got this perv."

she stepped closer and wrapped an arm around me. i thought by the way her body shook she must have been frightened-until i realized the shaking was coming from me.

"is this your room?" she reached for the key card that i still gripped in my fingers.

i nodded as my eyes filled with tears. the shakes that had overtaken me increased to the nth degree as i comprehended what had just happened. or worse yet, what could have happened. the adrenaline that had raced through my veins burned away and i sagged weakly against my door. the kind woman gently extracted the key card from my fingers. opening the door for me, she helped me into my room.

i looked back at my open door, terrified the guy would suddenly follow us in. "don't you worry, honey. my jim isn't going to let that prick near you again," she said, leading me to the only chair in the room. the hallway filled with the sounds of raised voices, but i couldn't seem to focus on them. i sat huddled in the chair with my knees tucked under my chin. wrapping my arms around my legs, i rocked back and forth, trying to still my quivering body.

chapter thirteen

the next hour passed with hotel security, police officers and paramedics crowding into my room. i was checked over thoroughly and asked repeatedly if i needed to go to the hospital. other than the bruises on my wrist, a torn shirt and my bloody lip, i assured them i was fine.

in the midst of the chaos, alec showed up. i had no idea how he had heard, but his presence gave me some relief. he stood stoically against the wall near where i sat, waiting quietly as i finished giving my statement to the police. his jaw was set and any of his normal playfulness was nowhere to be found.

i kept my eyes locked on his as i gave my statement, providing all the details i could remember. describing the incident caused my voice to shake as i recounted how the drunken doughboy had tried to drag me into his room. i noticed alec's hands ball into fists that he lightly rapped against the wall while he listened.

my two rescuers, jim and sally, also gave their statements and eventually my hotel room began to clear out. the paramedics were the first to leave, followed by the two police officers and then hotel security. the officers took pictures of my face and neck before handing me their cards, telling me to call if i needed anything. after they had documented my injuries, they followed hotel security out to check the surveillance cameras. the hotel manager was the last to leave after apologizing profusely, though it wasn't her fault. she assured me that my room would be comped and that anything i needed from room service would also be covered by the hotel. i nodded numbly, barely processing her words.

after giving me her card, she left my room, leaving alec and me alone. the room felt like it doubled in size once everyone left. neither of us moved for a moment, and i couldn't help wonder what he was thinking. was i nothing but a walking disaster in his eyes? i tried to recall if he had seen me in any kind of setting where i wasn't the center of attention. the majority of it was me acting like a fool, but this time the situation had been beyond my control.

unable to stand the silence any longer, i finally forced my limbs to unlock and i dragged myself to my feet. "i'm going to take a shower," i mumbled. his eyes met mine and he took a half step away from the wall before hesitating.

entering the bathroom, i leaned against the door for a moment before forcing myself to walk toward the shower. with the water at its hottest setting, i let the bathroom fill with steam as i pulled my clothes off, tossing my torn shirt into the small wastebasket. an unexpected sob clawed its way up my throat.

the water muffled the sobs and tears that followed as i let them wash away. feeling the drunken asshole's touch still lingering on my skin, i scrubbed my body vigorously with a washcloth. by the time i stopped because i heard the bathroom door open, i had rubbed myself raw in several places. "alec?" when he didn't answer, i peeked around the shower curtain to find my favorite pair of sweats and a hoodie folded on the counter. a small smile of gratitude tugged at the corners of my mouth before being replaced by a yawn.

i had no more tears left to cry, but i felt dead tired. twisting off the shower, i stepped over the side of the tub to the bath mat to dry off. the evening's events had drained my energy supply, and all i wanted to do was crawl under the blankets and sleep. my stomach ached lightly, reminding me of my previous plan to order room service. the thought of eating now held no appeal.