" He saw the fear in Miss Chadwick's unfocused eyes and the bright spark of rebellion.
In the next moment, Miss Chadwick's wavering gray gaze found him in the far reaches of the room. And when her eyes locked with his, she refused to let go. He could no more look away from her than he could unleash the moon from its orbit.
There was only one thing he could do.
Speaking in a loud, clear tone, he entered the fray with a firmly stated offer that nearly tripled the last bid.
His competition turned to glare at him for how suddenly he had brought an end to the entertainment. No one was willing to top such an exorbitant price.
Avenell ignored them all.
He was far too busy battling an intense internal war between disgust at what she had been subjected to and an alarming thread of triumph.
Because no matter how they had both ended up here, no matter how wrong this all was... the woman who had been tormenting him for weeks now belonged to him. "

― Amy Sandas , The Untouchable Earl (Fallen Ladies, #2)