Bachelor Auction (21 page)

the extent he wouldn’t interact with her, she’d never

succeed in her plan. She needed to bring him back

around. But how? Nothing she’d done so far had

worked so far.

Right now, she’d settle for a smile. And if she

were honest, she’d admit how much she needed one.

Like the kind he’d given her this afternoon during

their snowball fight prior to...

Her lips curled upward. Maybe that was it. They

had both been so caught up in the fun and

excitement of the moment, their natural attraction

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had snuck up on them before either could deny it.

Getting Marcus to drop his guard without dropping

her own would be difficult. She would have to let go

a little to draw him in, be more herself and less the

woman he expected. But as long as she was careful,

she’d be safe.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte turned a deaf

ear to the little voice in her head that said she’d lost

her mind and reached across the table to close her

fingers around his wrist. “Marcus, what is it you

want to know? Just ask.”

He looked at her hand then up to pierce her with

his gaze. She almost changed her mind but held

firm. “Do you still have feelings for Wylie?”

“Would you be jealous if I did?”

He tried to pull away, but she tightened her

grip. “Wait.” Letting herself go wasn’t as easy as

she’d thought. “I’m sorry. You asked a serious

question, and I...well, it took me by surprise. Old

habits are hard to break.”

“Are you going to answer it?”

She released him and slid her hand back but

didn’t allow her gaze to waver. “My relationship with

Grant ended years ago. We parted as friends.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

His persistence both amused and confused her.

He was like a dog with a bone. Did he really care?

Did she want him to? “Why do you want to know?”

“I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Okay, so he cared, but not in the way she’d

hoped—no, feared. She meant feared. She picked up

her fork and poked at the steamed vegetables on her

plate. “That’s very sweet, but there’s no need for you

to worry. Grant’s a lot of fun, but he’s off the

market.”

“What if he wasn’t engaged?”

“He is.”

“But what if—”

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“I would never jeopardize the charade we’ve

built. The reputation of the bachelor auction and the

children’s benefit means too much to me.”

“Dammit, Charlotte.” His hand snaked out to

grasp her chin. His elbow knocked the flower

arrangement to one side. It clanked against her wine

glass, sloshing the burgundy liquid onto the pristine

white tablecloth. “Stop hiding behind the auction

and the children. Answer the question. If you had

the chance to resurrect your relationship with Wylie,

would you?”

Startled by his actions and how close he’d come

to the truth, she almost missed the stares from the

occupants of the surrounding tables. Once again

she’d pushed him too far at the risk of all that was

dear to her. Yet she didn’t know what to say short of

the truth.

But then, why not tell him the truth? Part of it

anyway? It wouldn’t make any difference. He

wouldn’t believe her. And as long as his ego felt

threatened by the possibility of her hooking up with

Grant, his damned honor and pride would stand

between her and her goal. He’d never give in to her

seduction.

Cupping a hand around his, she pressed her lips

to his palm. Then with a repentant smile she hoped

appeared sincere, she said, “I’m sorry, baby. But I

couldn’t resist pushing your buttons. You know how

much your jealousy turns me on.”

His frown deepened, and she waited for him to

understand her words were meant for the audience

his behavior had garnered. When she had his

complete attention, she spoke in a soft tone. “I’ve

answered your questions. You’re just not listening.”

When he started to interrupt, she turned his

hand over and brushed her lips over the soft hair

dusting the back of his fingers. His fingers curled

around hers. “I’ll tell you once more, though I don’t

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expect you to believe me this time either. I didn’t

come here intending to resurrect my past with

Grant. We both got what we wanted out of the

relationship we had in college. We don’t need the

same things anymore. And if I felt the need to

pursue anyone this weekend, it would be the

bachelor whose services I’ve already bought and paid

for.” She slid her tongue between his fingers.

Frissons of heat shot up Marcus’s arm to

ricochet through his body and converge full strength

in a burgeoning erection that strained against his

zipper. How did she do it? Make him go from

insanely furious to sexually charged in seconds flat?

He couldn’t think when she looked at him like

that, her eyes full of invitation. Touching him, she

was a force unto herself. He eased his hand from

hers and sat back to study the hem of the tablecloth,

glad the table hid his more than evident response.

A sigh across the table signaled her acceptance

of his silent refusal. He glanced up and wished he

hadn’t when he saw the fork glide from her closed

mouth. Watching her eat had been almost as

difficult as watching her with Wylie.

Frowning, he lifted his glass to swallow its

contents. He was no closer to discovering the truth

about Charlotte’s past relationship with Grant Wylie

than he had been an hour ago. And he was more

confused than ever. He’d seen her gaze follow Wylie

all the way to the door when he left and watched her

face soften. That, along with the man’s cryptic

comment, had Marcus going in circles. Probably

their intent. And she’d reverted to seduction to

ensure he backed off, a dead giveaway that she was

hiding something.

Well, he would back off. For now. But no way

would he give up.

Clearing his throat, he broached a topic that had

weighed on his conscience for days. “I’ve been

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meaning to talk to you about my bachelor fee.”

The little half smile she was famous for

appeared. “What? You think you’re worth more than

fifty-thousand?”

“Hardly,” he said, unable to keep from returning

the smile.

She lifted a brow. “That’s not what I heard.”

“So you’ve said. But we won’t go there now.”

“Does that mean we will later?”

“Charlotte,” he warned.

She leaned forward and wiggled her delicate

brows in a suggestive manner. “When? Tonight?”

He laughed and shook his head, for the first

time enjoying her sexual but playful banter. “I want

to pay you back.”

She cocked her head to one side. “Why?”

“My brothers are partially responsible for this

mess, and you shouldn’t be expected to clean up

after them.”

“And neither should you. Why not make them

pay?”

“Believe me, they’ll pay.”

She sat back in her chair. “Actually, Melody and

Spencer offered to pay your fee the night of the

auction. Mitch tried the next morning, and Chad the

night before the hospital promo.”

“And?”

She leaned forward again and winked. “I came

out ahead by a hundred thousand. Think they’ll

catch on?”

Marcus knew she was teasing, but her comment

stirred the gnawing guilt that had been festering in

the back of his mind for months. “Are you having

financial trouble? Because if you are—”

“Geez, Marcus, I’m kidding.” Her blue eyes

ignited as she tossed her napkin on the table and

folded her arms under her breasts. “I can’t believe

you think I’d really do that. I’m not my father.”

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“I never meant to insinuate you were.” Though

at one time he’d suspected her of helping her father

steal information from Preston Enterprises. Those

unfounded suspicions had caused him even more

remorse. “But it’s occurred to me that things might

have been difficult after his arrest. I’m sorry for

that, and if I can help in any way, I will.”

“If you’re feeling responsible for my father’s

incarceration, don’t. He deserves everything he got.

I’m sure yours isn’t the only company he stole from.

He probably had spies everywhere.”

The bitterness in her voice only added to his

guilt. “Have you been to visit him?”

She shook her head, and a wisp of pale hair

escaped from behind her ear to meander down her

throat. “He was never interested in being a father

unless it could get him another business deal or into

one of my friends’ beds. I was just another pawn to

be used in his games.”

Marcus thought of his own father. William

Preston expected those around him, especially his

sons, to work hard, but no harder than he worked

himself. He demanded honesty, loyalty and

integrity. Yet his wife and sons never doubted his

love. “How is your mother?”

“She’s in rehab. Admitted herself the day after

he was sentenced.”

She unfurled her arms and bent to one side. He

leaned to watch her remove one of her heels and

twirl her foot at the ankle. The jerk behind his fly

reminded him he wasn’t doing himself any favors by

staring.

He straightened in his chair and wondered if she

knew what she was doing to him. Odd, but he didn’t

think so. He suspected her gestures were more a

means to hide her nervousness. The way his stillness

was meant to conceal his.

Marcus cleared his throat again. “Rehab?”

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Darah Lace

Slipping her shoe back on, she sat up. “Yes, an

alcohol treatment center. And she filed for divorce.

Took her twenty-seven years to figure out he wasn’t

worth it.”

He’d heard rumors but never paid much

attention. Knowing the difficulty Charlotte had

faced in the past, he could see where she might feel

bitter.

“Do you mind if we change the subject?” she

asked as she placed the napkin she’d tossed aside

earlier on her lap again.

“After we agree that I’ll pay my bachelor fee. I

know your father’s assets were frozen and the board

of trustees relieved him of his stocks.”

Her laugh had a hard edge to it. “They were

very nice to mom and even apologized to me for the

condo.”

“Condo?”

“That’s what my mother said. Geez, I can still

see the look on her face when Leo—you know Leo

don’t you?”

He did. The new C.E.O. of what used to be

Reese’s company.

At his nod, she continued. “Anyway, when Leo

explained how my father had recently purchased a

condo in my name with company funds, I couldn’t let

her find out it was where he kept his flavor of the

month. I told her that Daddy had bought the condo

for me for my birthday. She believed it because I’d

been hinting about moving out for a while. I assured

Leo’s

silence

by

reimbursing

the

company.

Unfortunately, I had to follow through and move

into the damned thing.”

A light bulb went off in Marcus’s head and

energy zinged through his veins. Her condo wasn’t a

reflection of her taste but her father’s. “You haven’t

redecorated.”

“Only my bedroom. I—” She blinked then waved

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a hand in the air. “Anyway, the money I received

from my father every month was just icing on the

cake. The majority of my money comes from a trust

fund established by my maternal grandmother. She

created one for my mother, too. My father couldn’t

get his hands on either. Seems Nana didn’t trust her

son-in-law. As for your fee, I give twice that amount

every year so don’t worry about it.”

Her eyes took on a gleam that hadn’t been there

since he’d asked about her father. “However, if you

feel so strongly about it, you could match the fee

with a donation of your own. The hospital needs

every penny they can get.”