The Auction House Deal: Bought by A Billionaire

Chapter 155: Coast Is Clear: Roman

No red light or police officer, had any attempted to pull me over, would have been enough to stop me on my mission to get to Hannah.

I knew she said she was fine, but I needed to see her. I needed to lay eyes on her and make sure she wasn’t in duress.

What was the deal with the phone calls? Something about that night just felt weird to me and it felt almost like I wouldn’t be able to breathe until I saw her with my own eyes.

Pulling into the parking lot, I was offered some relief at seeing her car, along with Lauren’s SUV and Lori’s sedan. I hardly took the time to park my car before rushing out the door and hurrying into the building. It was only steps inside that I laid eyes on Hannah and managed to let out a breath. The relief was rapidly replaced with mild amusement at the sight of Lori and Lauren giggling, laying down on the floor, with empty bottles of champagne in their hands.

"Well, looks like I missed the party," I greeted as I paced over to Hannah.

"Ro! Ro, did you bring more champagne?" Lauren called to me through her laughter on the floor.

Oh, she was very drunk. She didn’t call me anything but Roman unless she was nearly blacked out and words were just too much.

"I’m afraid all I brought was a taxi home," I replied, smirking at Hannah.

"Oh, that works too. I have a frozen pizza there," she replied. "Lori, darling, would you like to join me?"

"Depends. What kind of pizza is it?" Lori asked, her voice slurring.

"It’s mushroom," Lauren replied. And then gasped and giggled. "We can get the driver to stop by a fast-food place!"

"Oh, I’m so in," Lori replied.

"Good, so only one driver is needed," I commented. Hannah and I both laughed, and then I got out my phone and ordered them an Uber home.

I looped an arm around Hannah’s waist, comforted by her presence. "Do I need to be the one to drive you home?" I asked her, wanting to check how much she had.

She shook her head. "I only sipped on like half of a glass. Wasn’t really in the mood to drink, but still wanted to celebrate."

I nodded, a little relieved that she hadn’t gotten carried away like those two. Though, I wouldn’t have judged her if she did. It was an exciting day for her. Still, it meant that we could go about our evening.

When Lori and Lauren burst into another bout of laughter, Hannah and I shared a look. Then, without saying a word, we moved to them and prepared for the hellish task of stuffing them into the car, which would arrive at any minute.

I took hold of Lauren, and Hannah took Lori. We got them to their feet and managed to sit them down into a couple of the chairs that were around. Hannah walked off and fetched them some water. The two women giggled their way through the glass.

When headlights came in through the window, Hannah and I helped them to their feet and assisted them outside.

They were loud, they were obnoxious, but most of all, they were having a good time. All I could do was chuckle as I shot the driver an apologetic look. I then looped an arm about Hannah and headed back into the building. "Bless that poor man," I joked.

"I hope he’s patient with them," Hannah replied.

We took to the task of cleaning up from the little party they had. "I’m glad you guys had a good time."

"They are always a blast. You honestly would think the two of them were sisters, not Lori and I," Hannah chuckled a bit.

I smiled and shrugged. "It’s sweet that they’re so close. Did they do any planning for the gala?"

"Barely," she laughed. "They were far more interested in the champagne than anything productive."

We got trash bags and started picking up the bit of litter from the party. She then continued. "I think they decided that a fashion show and art show would be best. So they are going to have a blast hunting down designer dresses for all of us."

"I wonder how interesting the dress they find they will be," I smiled.

I couldn’t help but fantasize about Hannah in a variety of artistic dresses. Sleek red gowns with trains, an emerald ball gown with an other-worldly large skirt, or a mini black dress that might as well have been a leotard with sleeves and skirts made of mesh black material. That one lingered with me a bit, unable to look at her without picturing it. Some men would have hated the idea of their wife going out in such a revealing outside, but I would have been more than happy to see it. Hannah was effortlessly beautiful and sexy, and I was happy to show her off as mine.

"Knowing them, they will be outlandish, big, and just complete showstoppers," Hannah chuckled.

Once we finished the cleaning up, we headed out to our cars. I decided I would just drive her back in the morning so that we could ride together. Turning on some music and heat when we got into the car, we started the ride back.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her, peering over to her.

She shrugged with one shoulder and shot me a smile. "I could eat."

"I have just the thing," I smiled back. Heading into downtown, I managed to find somewhere to parallel park on the street. Moving over to her side, I linked arms with her and headed down the road.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You’ll see," I smiled.

We headed down the road, just listening to the sound of distant bars and traffic. I glanced up to the sky and was sad to see that not a single star was visible; though I wasn’t surprised, since we were downtown. Hannah curled into my side as a breeze drifted by us and I held her close, rubbed her arm.

It was a beautiful evening, and so peaceful. It felt silly that just an hour ago, I was frantic and in the throes of anxiety. She was fine, Lori and Lauren were fine, and there was no danger in sight.

We stopped at a sub shop that only had an order window rather than any entrance. "I’ll take a philly steak with provolone and jalapenos, fries, and a coke," I told the cashier before looking over to Hannah.

"Oh, uhm, the same for me," Hannah told the man.

I paid, and we stood to the side as we waited for our food. It wasn’t more than a few minutes before it was ready.

I grabbed the bag, and we moved over to a bench next to the car. I handed her one of the sandwiches. We unwrapped the foils and bit into the delicious, greasy, cheesy sandwiches. It hit the spot, at least for me. It was one of my favorite spots in town, but it was rare that I actually found myself able to go.

"What do you think?" I asked her once I swallowed my bite.

"One of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had," she smiled.

We ate joyfully and made a little small talk as we ate. It felt so wholesome and quaint.

She rested her head on my shoulder as we finished up the meal. "This is so nice."

"You think so?" I questioned, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "You sure you wouldn’t have preferred one of the ritzy cafes or bistros?"

"Those places are nice, but this is far more intimate," she said, lifting her head and looking at me. "I like it just being you and me."

We shared a slow, loving kiss.

I would have followed that woman to the ends of the Earth, I knew that to be fact. I would abandon every last dime to my name, walk away from the business, and rid of all my worldly possessions if that was what it took to be by her side. I could live anywhere and do anything, so long as she was the one I curled up with at night.

I hoped that I could figure out a way to show her just how much I was falling for her every day. Though the gleam in her eye told me that she was feeling the same.

Once we finished dinner, we tossed out the trash and finally headed home. It was a comfortable and quick ride home.

Getting inside, we wasted no time getting ourselves up to bed. We undressed, brushed our teeth and climbed into our bed. Going to sleep used to just be a necessary part of my day, but it was starting to be my favorite. Not because I was exhausted, but because I got uninterrupted time with Hannah.

I got to just hold her, be with her, kiss her, and just enjoy her company in the purest of ways. I kissed the side of her neck and squeezed her to me.

Once again, I found myself thankful that she was safe. Even the thought of the panic I had earlier was enough to put it back in my chest.

"I love you, Hannah," I whispered.

"I love you too," she replied in the sleepiest and sweetest voice.