The Bachelor Auction (The Bachelors of Arizona Book 1) by Rachel van Dyken Page A

that followed had her suddenly wishing she was wearing a sweater she could pull across her body. Brock apparently wasn’t the type of man who stared; he looked through people with a laser-like intensity that had a way of making her feel naked and way too hot.
    With a gulp, she bent down to retrieve the bucket of soapy water and begged her legs to move faster as she scurried past him and dumped the water into the sink.
    Ignore him.
    She could ignore him, right?
    After all, it wasn’t like he was going to be following her around, offering his help or advice on how best to get stains out of the carpet.
    That idea was laughable.
    He probably didn’t even know how to iron a shirt.
    “Something funny?” came a raspy voice behind her, causing her to jump a foot and let out a little squeak.
    “Just…” She gulped. “Nope. Nothing at all.”
    A large masculine hand moved into her line of vision and turned off the faucet. “Just Jane, I think we should talk.”
    She fought to keep her shoulders from slumping. After all, she knew that tone of voice, so well in fact that she had these types of speeches memorized by heart.
    Every human voice in existence sounded just this way when relaying bad news. The doctors had when her father was diagnosed with cancer and there was nothing they could do, so had her boyfriends who’d gotten bored; even past employers, when upset with her work, had this type of voice.
    She should be used to it.
    But coming from a man like him? A man that a few days ago had been like a dream, a dream she could rely on to take her away from the monotony of her life…well, it affected her more than it should.
    He affected her more than a stranger should.
    “Okay.” She managed to turn around and keep her face impassive.
    His crystal blue eyes searched hers briefly before he crossed his arms over his bulky chest. “Three weeks.”
    She frowned. “Yes…” Her head tilted just slightly as she tried to digest his meaning. “It’s going to be three weeks of cleaning?”
    “Are you asking or telling?”
    “Telling.” She winced at her airy tone. “Is that what you wanted to discuss? The amount of time I’ll be here?”
    His eyes stayed glued to her face and then, as if she’d scared him, he took a large step backward and shook his head. “You know what? I’m tired, too. We’ll talk in the morning. Just try to stay out of my way, and I’ll stay out of yours.”
    “Don’t worry.” She held her head high. “I’m very good at being invisible.”
    He opened his mouth, then shut it.
    Nothing.
    Her prince didn’t offer up any excuse for why he was being mean and she supposed he didn’t have to.
    He was Brock Wellington, one of the most sought-after bachelors in the country.
    And she was a maid.

Chapter Sixteen
    W hat did a man do when he knew he was being a jackass? He drank, of course.
    So that was what Brock did.
    Until two a.m.
    It didn’t help.
    He even moved from the bedroom to the living room in hopes the couch wouldn’t trigger the memories he’d tried so hard to lock down.
    It should have helped.
    But the whiskey seemed to bring alive every single memory that he’d worked so hard to keep trapped inside this house. He hadn’t realized how messed up his head still was until he saw Jane leaning over the sink smiling.
    His mom had loved that sink because it was so deep. She’d joked that she used to wash Brock in it when he was a baby because it was easier than the tub.
    Seeing Jane there had been absolute hell.
    And telling her that she reminded him of his mother seemed like the worst idea in history. So he’d done the only thing he knew how to do.
    He’d pushed her away.
    So he’d had a shitty start to what he was beginning to realize was a haunting vacation.
    Too many ghosts.
    Too many memories.
    He managed to fall asleep around three in the morning, only to toss and turn with an ache in his groin that refused to go away. Finally in a moment of desperation he gripped himself and in