“Lila, are you going out tonight?” Dad’s voice carries from the living room, where I can hear the strains of the Jeopardy theme song coming from the television.

Guilt washes over me as I stare myself down in the bathroom mirror. Of course, I haven’t told him anything about Orchid. No father in the world wants to hear that his daughter just auctioned herself to not one man but two.

“Yes, Daddy,” I call out. “I’ve made you a plate for dinner that you can just heat up whenever you’re ready to eat.”

Making dinner was the least I could do to assuage my guilt.

I add one more coat of mascara and pull back to admire the effect. I’m ready — or at least as ready as I’ll ever be. Bennett is so much more sophisticated than I am, so I have no idea what to expect tonight. I’m wearing a white strapless dress with a purple floral pattern along the bottom, and the same silver stilettos I wore to Orchid.

I shiver a little as I turn off the bathroom light. I have to pass through the living room on my way to the kitchen, and Dad lets out an appreciative whistle.

“Wow, sweetheart, you sure do look pretty,” he says, his eyes flashing playfully. “You’re wearing your mom’s earrings.”

I touch my ears. “Yeah. Is that okay?” Mom had exactly one pair of diamond earrings. She hadn’t specifically left them to me — she didn’t have a will or anything, because she wasn’t exactly expecting to die when she went out for groceries that Thursday morning — but I’ve worn them on a few special occasions since she died.

“Of course it’s okay,” Dad says smiling. For a second, his eyes look glassy, and then he shakes it off. “Do you have a date with a boy tonight?”

A boy? I bite back a smile. Bennett is hardly a boy. But I don’t want to push Dad too far.

“Yes, Daddy. I have a date with a boy.” My lips twist into a smile.

“Well, make sure he treats you nicely. Say the word and I’ll break his legs.” Dad grins and I pretend to roll my eyes.

“I will.” I lean down and give him a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t wait up, okay?”

Dad’s brow furrows. “I know you’re a grown-up now, sweetie but …”

“What?”

“Text me if you’re going to be out all night, okay?”

I smile. “I will. Promise. You sure you’re okay here by yourself?”

“Of course.”

“Okay — well, you text me if you need anything, okay?”

“I will. Now go and enjoy your date.”

I give Dad a once over before I go. He’s been in remission for about eight months now, but it wasn’t the victory either of us had hoped it would be. He was still exhausted all the time, and rarely left the house. He’d gained a little weight back since his chemo ended, but his face was still gaunt, his eyes sunken in.

You think beating cancer is going to feel triumphant, but the fight doesn’t really end. At least it hasn’t for us.

With a sigh, I head out of the house and climb into my aging Malibu. I’d arranged to meet Bennett at the restaurant because I didn’t want him showing up at my house in his fancy car. That would be too much to explain to Dad. My father was pretty understanding about the fact that his baby girl dated and even occasionally had sex, but I didn’t exactly want to rub his face in it.

Bennett hadn’t been happy about it but he’d finally agreed when he saw I wasn’t going to back down. He’d given me the address and watched as I typed it into my phone. Not that I needed to — he was taking me to Yasu, one of the trendiest Japanese restaurants in LA right now.

I pull up in front of the restaurant, wondering where the hell I’m going to park, when I see that the restaurant has a valet. Because of course it does.

I pull up in front and hop out of the car, handing my keys to the polite Japanese kid out front. He takes it with a smile and disappears with my car as I make my way to the restaurant’s doors.

The first thing I see is Bennett. He’s leaning up against the exterior of the building, looking incredibly sexy in a slim cut charcoal blazer, dark jeans, and a white collared shirt. My heart races a little as I walk towards him.

“Hi,” I say softly when I’m close enough.

“Hi yourself,” he says. He seems much more relaxed than when I met him at Orchid — probably because there’s no Sam in sight. Bennett surprises me by leaning in to kiss my cheek. It’s a lingering kiss, his lips pressed against my soft skin for a few seconds longer than what seems friendly.

“Nice car,” he says finally, pulling away.

My cheeks flush, but I see Bennett’s teasing smile.

“Waitress salary,” I remind him.

“Well, you won’t have to worry about that anymore, once you get your auction money,” he says as we walk towards the door of the restaurant.

I swallow. God, that’s right. I’ve barely thought about the money since this whole thing started. Probably because it still doesn’t seem real. Between Bennett and Sam, they had bid ten million dollars — which meant I got five of those millions. That kind of money was so far beyond my realm of understanding that I couldn’t even really fathom it. Sure it would pay all Dad’s outstanding medical bills — many, many times over — but still, I could barely even think of it as real.

“Yeah, I guess so,” I say. “I’ll finally be able to get my bumper fixed.”

Bennett roars in laughter. “I think you’ll be able to do a little more than fix your bumper, gorgeous.”

He slips his hand through mine as I try to shake off the wave of nervousness that overtakes me. We walk into the restaurant together and I have to stop my mouth from dropping open.

The place is lavish, and I can’t turn my head without seeing a celebrity. I squeeze Bennett’s hand and he grins.

“Table for two,” he says to the hostess. “McCardiff.”

The hostess rakes her eyes hungrily over Bennett, but he doesn’t even give her a second glance. He’s focused entirely on me, and I squirm under the intensity of his gaze. I’m glad when the hostess finally locates the reservation in her ledger and begins leading us through the restaurant.

I try not to gawk too much, but I still can’t believe I’m here. One of the trendiest restaurants in LA, and I get to eat here for free, on the arms of a sexy, dominant man. Someone pinch me.

I must not be doing too good of a job keeping the excitement off my face, because when we sit down, Bennett grins at me.

“Get used to it, gorgeous.”

“Get used to what?”

“This,” he says, gesturing around the restaurant. “This is your life for a month. At least the portion of the month you spend with me.”

And there it is. The reminder that this month is about Sam too. Bennett’s face hardens slightly, even though he was the one to bring it up, but we’re saved by the arrival of our waitress.

“Mr. McCardiff,” she says. There’s a breathlessness to her voice that makes me want to side-eye her, but once again Bennett seems to pay her no mind.

“A bottle of your finest sake,” he says, never taking his eyes off mine. “Is that okay with you?”

I bite my lip and nod. “I guess so. I’ve never had sake before.”

Bennett grins. “I think you’ll enjoy it.”

The waitress stands another moment at our table, but when she sees Bennett isn’t acknowledging her further, she scurries off to get our drinks. The man across from me continues gazing at me, his eyes burning a hole right into me.

“Thank you for taking me to dinner tonight,” I say, when I can’t stand the silence anymore.

Bennett leans back and smiles, shaking his head. “It’s absolutely my pleasure, Lila. I know some of the guys at the club get off on pushing women as far as they can right off the bat, but that’s not me. I want you to feel comfortable with me first.”

First. I swallow. Even though Bennett’s saying all the right things, his words remind me of what I’ve really signed on to. This isn’t about a month of sweet little dates and checking out new restaurants. Bennett — and Sam — bought me. They bought my body. For this month, I belong to them.

I’m saved from thinking about it further by the return of our waitress, who wordlessly puts two small stony blue cups in front of us. From a white carafe, she pours a stream of clear liquid into each cup. After setting the carafe down on the middle of the table, she disappears again.

“Here’s to … trying new things,” Bennett says with a grin, lifting his cup.

I lick my lips nervously, but lift my cup as well. I knock it lightly against his and then tentatively take a sip.

Though I’m expecting something as strong as vodka, the liquid inside is more like a very dry, slightly bitter white wine. It makes my lips pucker, but not in a bad way.

“What do you think?” Bennett asks, watching me sip.

“I think … I think I’m going to like trying new things, if they’re all like this.”

“Music to my ears,” Bennett grins. His eyes are roaming my body again, and even though I’d been starting to feel chilly under the restaurant’s air conditioning, I suddenly feel my skin heating up.

Our waitress returns, and Bennett orders for us. Even though I hate when people do that at the diner, it doesn’t bother me here — mostly because the menu is almost entirely in Japanese and I have no idea what anything is. Bennett had been right about the sake, so I’ll trust him when it comes to the food too.

“So, are you originally from the Los Angeles area?” Bennett asks, once the waitress has scuttled off again.

I relax a little. Even though I don’t know what’s going to happen after dinner, at least I can make pleasant conversation with Bennett while we eat.

“Yes, born and raised.” I take another sip of the sake. Damn, that stuff’s pretty good. “What about you?”

Bennett nods. “Yes. Right in Echo Park.”

“Fancy,” I say, teasing.

He shakes his head. “Hardly. My mother wanted to be an actress but …”

“Was she?”

He snorts. “Not unless you count the role of junkie. She played that one her whole life. Until she died when I was twenty-one.”

My eyes widen. “Oh, Bennett. I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

He brushes it off. “I didn’t tell you that for sympathy. If anything, coming from nothing made me more determined to achieve my goals and make something of myself. I think it’s why I’m so driven.” He pauses, flashing me a charming smile. “Well, that and the fact that I like nice things.”

I smile, but my heart aches a little for the young Bennett, living with his junkie mom.

“What were your parents like?” he asks, turning the conversation back to me.

I shrug. “Just regular parents, I guess. My mom died when I was ten — car accident — so it’s just been me and my dad for quite a while now.”

Bennett frowns. “I’m so sorry to hear that. What’s your dad like?”

My face lights up immediately. “He’s amazing. Best dad you could hope for. That’s why it was so hard to see him get sick. For a while there, it’s like he wasn’t even the same person.”

“Sick?” Bennett asks, sipping his sake and regarding me with concern.

I nod, looking down at my napkin. “He had colon cancer. He’s in remission now but …”

“But what?”

“It’s still hard. He can’t work, at least not yet, but he’s technically not sick anymore so he doesn’t qualify for any kind of assistance. We’ve just barely been scraping by, and it would be fine except for the fact that part of me is terrified the cancer is going to come back, or maybe that they’re wrong about him being in remission and that they didn’t really get it all.”

I spit it all out in a rush, but it feels good to get the words out in the open. I haven’t really told anyone all of that before — I’m not close with anyone at work, and I definitely wouldn’t want to dump it on Dad — and I guess it’s been weighing on me more than I realized.

Bennett’s face now looks even more concerned. “God, Lila, I’m so sorry. That must be so difficult, especially if it’s just you and your dad. He probably hates having to put you through this.”

I nod. I know he’s right.

“Well,” Bennett continues, reaching across the table and taking my hand. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

His hand feels so warm and firm, wrapped around mine, that it sends a shiver up my arm, despite the somber subject matter.

By now our waitress has returned, and Bennett lets go of my hand as she lays out plate after plate of food on our table, most of which I can’t recognize.

Bennett sees me puzzling over a plate of something that appears to have … tentacles. He chuckles.

“Trying new things, right?”

“Right.” I grin and try to steel myself. I can do tentacles. Sure. No problem.

To my surprise, everything is delicious. Even the tentacles. Bennett walks me through everything on the table, and I end up trying things I’ve never had before in my life — eel, sea urchin, tiny little tempura octopi.

Even with the food, Bennett’s manner is so commanding and confident. I find myself wondering what it will be like to sleep with him. To wrap my legs around him as he thrusts in and out of me. To suck him off while he tugs on my hair. To feel his clean shaven jaw against my inner thighs.

“Are you all right?” Bennett asks, his face concerned. “You look flushed.”

“Must be the sake,” I mutter. Sure, Lila, blame it on the sake.

“It’s definitely stronger than it seems,” he chuckles. “Would you like some water?”

“No, I’m fine.” Just a bit horny, apparently. I try to remember the last time I had sex — probably over a year ago now. That was the last time I’d gone on a date. It was just before Dad got sick though, so the relationship, such as it was, fizzled out pretty quickly.

Judging by the way Bennett is staring at me right now, though, I have a feeling my dry streak is about to end tonight.

“Would you care to see a dessert menu?” Our waitress asks, once again choosing the most opportune moment to appear at our table. Bennett nods slightly and she drops two menus on our table.

I’m just about to ask Bennett what kind of dessert they serve in Japanese restaurants when a voice interrupts us.

“Well, well, well. Isn’t this a pleasant surprise?”

I look up at the sound of the voice and am shocked to see Sam standing there beside our table. He’s wearing a sexy navy suit and a coral tie, and he looks nearly irresistible with that layer of stubble and slightly mussed hair. He’s also got a smug grin on his face, the kind that says this isn’t much of a surprise at all.

I glance over at Bennett and watch as his jaw clenches and his face goes crimson.

“Yes, quite a coincidence indeed,” Bennett drawls, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He clenches and unclenches his fist next to his sake glass.

“Mind if I join you?” Sam looks to me, completely ignoring Bennett.

“Um…” I falter, unsure of how to react to this situation. I know Bennett is unhappy but Ava had made the point that it wasn’t my job to play peacemaker. They’re supposed to sort out their own issues.

Before I can decide on a course of action, Sam grabs an empty chair from the table across from us, and pulls it up to our table, positioning himself right between Bennett and I.

“Why don’t you guys order some dessert and we can talk?” Sam smugly looks between Bennett and I.

“We were actually just leaving,” Bennett says through gritted teeth. He eyes me, as if to make sure I’ll go along with this.

“Then why are you both holding dessert menus?” Sam slyly points out.

“Can’t you take a hint, asshole? Tonight is my date with Lila. One I won, fair and square. You can have yours another time.”

“I’m sure I’m not interrupting anything important…Lila?” Sam looks to me for some back-up.

“I, um…” I stumble again and shrug, ready to give up. To be honest, I’m a little irritated with both of them right now. If they’re already having fucking problems sharing me after one day, then I’m not sure how this is going to work out for a month. I wonder again what Ava was thinking with this arrangement.

“You’re making my date uncomfortable, Sam,” Bennett hisses, his jaw still clenched.

“Is that true? I’m so sorry.” Sam puts on his most considerate face as he touches my shoulder lightly. I get the distinct impression, however, that he isn’t sorry at all.

“Don’t touch her,” Bennett hisses.

“I’m sorry,” Sam says again. “I didn’t realize she was your property, Bennett.” Sam glares at his opponent in a game I don’t want to play anymore, but can’t find any way out of.

“She’s as much mine as she is yours,” Bennett retorts. I want to tell them both that I’m nobody’s property, but the truth is, they’re right. I belong to them for the month. What I really want to do is get up and walk out of here, but I don’t know if that would be in violation of my contract. Instead I ball up my napkin in irritation and refuse to look at either of them.

Bennett must finally see my discomfort, because he waves our waitress over and gives her the universal signal for check, please.

“Sam, if you’ll excuse us, I’m about to take Lila home for the evening.”

Sam finally loses some of his smugness as he looks from me to Bennett.

“Fine,” he says. The cocky grin slides right back into place, and for a fleeting instant I see it for what it really is — a defense mechanism. A mask.

“I can take a hint,” he says, folding his arms. “Lila, I’ll call you.” He plants a kiss on my cheek and my eyes follow him as he leaves the restaurant.

I find myself wondering at the rivalry between Sam and Bennett. At first I’d assumed they disliked each other because they differed on everything, but now I wonder if the opposite isn’t true. If maybe the reason they hate each other is because they’re so much alike.

“I’m so sorry about that,” Bennett says, as soon as Sam is gone. He does truly look apologetic, and I soften.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault he showed up unannounced.”

Bennett shakes his head. “Well, in a way it is. It’s our rivalry that put you in this position to begin with. I hope you’ll let me try to make it up to you.”

The self-awareness in his words makes me soften further.

“I’d like that,” I say softly.

Bennett grins and drains the last of his sake. “Good. Then what do you say we get out of here?”

“I’d like that,” I say again. Bennett’s smile broadens and I feel the heat between us growing.

He helps me out of my seat and then keeps his hand on my lower back as we make our way out of the restaurant.

“What a beautiful night,” I say, as soon as we step outside. It really is — the kind of night where you can’t even feel the air around you because it’s the same temperature as your skin.

“How would you like to take a walk on the beach?”

The beach? God — I haven’t been to the beach in years. You’d think that living in LA I’d make it to the beach once in awhile, but it just hasn’t been on my radar.

“That sounds nice,” I say tentatively. “Where should we go?”

“I know a little place,” Bennett says slyly. “If you don’t mind letting me take you for a spin.”

“My car is here,” I point out.

Bennett brushes it off. “No problem. I’ll take you back here to get it when we’re done … whenever that is.”

His words — and accompanying gaze — send a shiver down my spine. But this is what I signed up for, after all.

“I’m game,” I say, meeting his gaze, and then I let Bennett lead me to his car and to whatever the rest of the night has in store.