Simon & Rose (2 page)

Mark chuckled and put his arm around her shoulder. “Thanks, Rose. I’ll take all the support I can get.”

“While you two calm your nerves, let’s review the program schedule.”

He looked from Rose to Mark and back again to make sure he had their full attention.

“I’ll welcome the audience and then call each of you out and introduce you. Rose, you’ll be first and then I’ll have Mark come out. Don’t worry about memorizing anything to say. All you need to do is wave to the crowd at that point. Then I’ll make my speech. After that, I’ll call Mark back on stage to make his speech. When you finish, I’ll return to the stage, thank you for your words of wisdom, and call my dad out to start the auction.”

Mark and Rose nodded along as he reviewed each of their tasks.

“Okay, if both of you are ready, I’ll get the party started.” He waited for them to agree and with the nods of their heads, walked on stage.

“Welcome to the first annual dinner and ball for The Unforgotten Hero Foundation or TUHF (Tuff).” A chuckle rolled across the room. “Please, let me introduce a few key players of the organization. My beautiful Rose is the president of promotions and the driving force behind tonight’s event.”

Rose meant to walk all of the way onto the stage and stand next to Simon, but Mark had a determined grip on her hand. So instead she stepped forward until she was just beyond the curtain and waved to the crowd.

“My old commanding officer, Mark Anderson, has agreed to be my vice president of operations. Mark, come on out here.”

Mark took a couple of deep breaths, fearing he would hyperventilate or faint. He signaled Rizzo to stay, then stepped around Rose, switching hands as he went, to maintain his lifeline. Determined to conquer his fear, he took a single step from behind the curtain and bowed.

“Most of you are aware of my tour of service with the Marines. What you may not know is I had a long road to recovery once I was stateside. The unrelenting love of my family and an incredible woman...” he pried her hand loose from Mark’s and drew her from behind the curtain to hold her at his side. “Brought me back to the land of the living. Not all returning veterans are so lucky. My personal experience and the needs of other veterans is what fueled the creation of this organization.”

He waved Mark onto the stage.

Emma had appeared behind Mark, took Rizzo’s leash, and gave him a little push to get him started. Squaring his shoulders, Mark walked toward Simon, head held proud, refusing to look at the crowd until he was standing still. If you didn’t know he lost his left leg just above the knee, you wouldn’t even notice the slight limp.

As he approached, Simon went rigid, tall and proud, chest out.

Mark chuckled and drew him into a back thumping hug. He knew Simon was being a little silly to ease his tension.

“Before the evening festivities begin, I would like you to know a bit more about what this foundation provides. I’ve asked Mark to explain what your donation dollar will offer. Mark, they’re all yours.”

Mark took the microphone and quietly scanned the crowd, making eye contact here and there, until he laid eyes on the woman in the eighth row.
Hot damn
!

Strangely, as he stared at the lady, his fingertips began to itch. Without looking away, he rubbed them on the leg of his dress pants to alleviate the odd sensation. It didn’t help. They continued to tingle and itch. And now he had an intense urge to comb them through her thick mahogany hair. He glanced at his hands, expecting to find a bug of some sort. Ah hell, his palms were tingling too.

His gaze returned to the woman and was immediately captured by her dark brown eyes. From where he stood, they appeared black as night and sparkled like diamonds in a jeweler’s display case.
Holy mother, that’s one heck of a gorgeous woman! Damnation, she’s staring at me. Did she notice my leg?

That was when he felt the distinct stirring of life in his pants. God bless America, his manhood still functioned! As a slow smile tugged his lips and he continued to stare, men and women began to stand in a show of respect. Slowly, one by one, the entire audience stood and gave a standing ovation.

Admiring the angel in the eighth row had its drawbacks. His prepared speech was erased from his brain. In an attempt to remember what he needed to say and regain his voice, he tore his eyes away from the enchanting vision. From the pitcher conveniently position on a small table next to the microphone, he poured a glass of water. The act would give him time to take a breath and collect his thoughts. Thank god the speech came back to his jumbled mind. He took a sip to ease the dryness that had joined the party with Mr. Tingle and cleared his throat. If he had a prayer of making it through this, he would have to avoid looking at her again.

Mark set the glass aside and took a breath. “Thank you, thank you. I appreciate the warm welcome. So, why are we asking you to loosen your purse strings tonight? What exactly could a dog possibly do for a serviceperson suffering PTSD?

“We believe the animal-human bond is an absolutely indisputable part of emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical healing. We’re seeking to make this healing available to everyone, regardless of financial or other challenges that might discourage them from seeking this invaluable resource.

“A service, or therapeutic companion dog, as they’re sometimes called, can help a serviceperson’s recovery and make adjustment back into civilian life easier. The dogs are extremely helpful if the serviceperson is experiencing panic attacks, anxiety, depression, nightmares, flashbacks, or agoraphobia.

“So how will the dog help with these things, you ask?  The dog travels beside their owner in public places such as restaurants, grocery stores, buses, etcetera, helping to ease any anxiety the owner may experience.

“When in a crowded environment the dog will stay between its owner and any person approaching too close, creating a calm, yet friendly, ‘barrier.’ The dog will awaken its owner from a nightmare and then calm him. Should the dog sense fear or anxiety, it will try to redirect its owner’s thoughts elsewhere.”

*****

Sharon’s breath caught in her chest the moment Mark Anderson stepped from behind the curtain.

Goddess, have mercy.
Sharon froze. Unable to draw a breath, her gaze remained glued to the sexiest man she’d ever seen. He was wide shouldered with heavily muscled thighs, and so incredibly hot, her entire body sizzled. His dark brown hair, slightly shaggy chic due to a military cut left to grow unchecked, set off his deep brown eyes. Eyes that held her captive as effectively as shackles and chains.

The tension she held in her shoulders was forgotten as she stared open mouthed at the handsome serviceman. Love at first sight and he hadn’t even uttered a word. For a long moment, she soaked him in. Then he spoke and her heart fluttered in her chest. His rich, deep baritone made her shiver and triggered all kinds of steamy thoughts.

Excitement and heart palpitations dampened her brow with beads of sweat. Her wolf pushed at the walls of her mind. It wanted to bolt onto the stage and rub all over him. Mate! Could she be so lucky?

He looked away and she was able to breathe again. As he spoke, she devoured him with her eyes. In her mind, she stripped him naked. She visualized his taut muscular chest and arms that filled out his tuxedo perfectly, gleaming under candlelight in her bedroom. She licked her lips as her fantasy stretched to imagine his lean hips and thighs bared for her pleasure. Narrowing her eyes, she focused on his white dress shirt. Did he have a mouthwatering smattering of hair on that impressive chest? Goddess, she hoped so. Her fingertips longed to brush over the soft and slightly scratchy hair she was sure he had under all that cotton.

Sharon cocked her head and assessed his height. How would he fit with her five-foot-eight stature? She started at his dress shoes and worked her way to the top of his head. She knew Simon was over six feet and when Mark stood next to him he was only about an inch shorter. She nodded to herself, perfect. Even in her heels he would be taller than her. She could hardly wait for the ball to begin. The first thing she would do was ask him to dance.

Vaguely, through her fantasizing, she heard his voice as he continued his speech.

When his voice went silent, she glanced around. A dog in a service vest caught her attention as it calmly walked onto the stage and stood next to Mark. The dog nudged his hand to get his attention. What was going on?

*****

Mark made the mistake of glancing at the woman just as she slowly looked him up and down. When she licked her lips, she hammered the last nail in his PTSD coffin. He hadn’t allowed a woman to see him naked since he left the hospital, and here he was in front of hundreds of people, and she was stripping him bare with her thoughts.

His brain stuttered to a halt and went completely blank. A full on panic attack overtook him. Through the surge of overwhelming anxiety and struggling to breathe, the sensation of Rizzo nudging his palm began to bring him back to reality. The touch of her muzzle triggered a breath of air to fill his lungs and lessened the attack. Able to breathe again, he tried to collect his thoughts. Shit, why hadn’t he made note cards? He had no idea what the rest of the speech was.

“Pardon me, this is my service dog, Rizzo.”

The crowd gave a rousing round of applause for the dog. With his brain functioning again, his memorized speech miraculously returned along with Mr. Tingles. A relieved smile teased the tense expression he knew he wore. Regardless of the attack, his manhood was still interested. That was good. Very, very good. Then he noticed Rizzo’s cocked head, gazing at him as if she were intrigued by his fluctuating emotions.

Taking a breath, he cleared his throat and continued. “What I’ve described is just the tip of the iceberg of what a service animal can do for the victims of PTSD. Studies show that up to eighty percent of patients show marked improvement once they receive a dog.”

He paused for a moment to take a sip of water. “So, how long does it take to train a dog to do incredible things like I’ve laid out? And Rizzo thankfully, just demonstrated. Generally, nine months. This includes twice-a-week training for six months, followed by supplemental mentoring sessions. Both dog and man will need a bit of training.

“I was going to recount a success story of a friend of mine, but perhaps I’ll save that for another day. I’d like to leave you with the knowledge that for every forty thousand dollars raised tonight, we can provide one serviceperson with a quality of life they would otherwise never have.

“Those men and women sacrificed for freedoms we take for granted every day. This is your chance to show them your appreciation. Thank you.”

Mark raised a hand to the crowd, glanced one last time at the gorgeous woman who stirred his body back to life, gave her a tentative smile, and walked off the stage with Rizzo.

*****

Simon returned to the stage clapping along with the audience. “Thank you, Mark. And how about his awesome dog, Rizzo?”

The crowd cheered their appreciation for the incredible dog.

“Now, it’s time for the auction. Open your wallets and get ready to outbid the others in the room. Twenty-one local professionals and celebrities have volunteered to be our auction items tonight. If you are a lucky bidder, you’ll win a dinner date with your prize. You’ll also have a dance partner for the ball if you so desire.”

“Before I bring out the first bachelor, let me be very clear, there is no les rapports sexuels, or in laymen’s terms, hanky panky involved if you win one of the singles.”

A chuckle rose from the audience.

“My father, Isaac Le Beau, has been given the honor of acting as our auctioneer tonight, and Mark Anderson has consented to be the first bachelor up for auction.”

The crowd cheered again and a few women let their excitement over a chance at a date with Mark be known.

“Before we begin taking your bids, I would like to say a few words on behalf of Mark. One of the reason’s he is the perfect man to help head the charity is his firsthand experience with the services we will offer. Mark lost his right leg above the knee during his time with the Marines. He’s proud of his hi-tech prosthesis and his PTSD dog. Both have allowed him to live a fairly normal life. After having heard him speak, I’m sure you will understand when I say he prefers to be treated like any other man. Mark is not the kind of person to thank you for special treatment or considerations. Without further ado, I give you our auctioneer, Isaac Le Beau.”

Isaac took the stage to a rousing standing ovation. “Thank you, you’re too kind.”

Mark took a deep breath to calm his nerves and walked back onstage with Rizzo to another ovation. When the audience remained standing, he blushed and waved them to their seats. As husbands held chairs for their wives, the beautiful dark haired woman smiling brightly at him held his focus. His breath hitched and his smile widened to flash his twin dimples. He wanted to jump for joy. Just one smile from the lady in row eight and his body stood at attention. Desire heated his blood when he saw blatant hunger burning in her eyes.

Now that he wasn’t required to recite a speech he was able to study her. Her dark hair and eyes gave her an alluring air of mystery. The clingy red dress hugging her body, displayed every luscious curve of her womanly form. He held her gaze for a few heartbeats, then lowered his eyes to her full kissable lips. He wanted to spend hours tasting them. As he stared, his fantasy pulled into a dazzling smile to display little white teeth. His whole body shivered. In his mind, he imagined a tiny sting followed by the swirl of her pink tongue as she nibbled every inch of his body. The erotic thoughts she inspired tightened his pants further. This woman was a perfect storm and he wanted to ride her gale to an epic finish.

Fascinated, he watched her take a sip of champagne. Her lips parted to receive the glass and wrapped around the rim the way he wanted them to wrap around him. Then her throat worked to swallow as the tip of her tongue peeked out to bathe her lips. Every ounce of blood in his body headed south. The innocent act sent his mind straight to the gutter. Images of what he wanted her to do with her full lips and that pink tongue played out like a blockbuster movie. His cock jerked painfully, reminding him it had returned to the land of the living. Then Isaacs voice broke through his thoughts.

“Let me remind you, all proceeds will go to the Unforgotten Hero Foundation. Please be as generous as you are able. Let me start the auction with a man you have already met tonight, Mark Anderson. Now you will have the pleasure of bidding on a dinner date with this impressive serviceman. Who will start the bidding at ten thousand dollars?”

Sharon’s heart hammered in her chest. This was better than she’d hoped. Instead of asking Mark for a single dance, she was about to claim him for the entire ball. If the Goddess smiled down on her, she would have him for the rest of her very long life. Price was no object. She was independently wealthy and would pay whatever it took to win her man. From the lustful expressions on several women’s faces, she was in for a battle. Bring it on, ladies. The hunky bachelor was hers, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

A woman one row in front of Sharon raised her hand and waved it energetically.

“I have ten, now eleven to the lady in the back, twelve to you.” He gestured to the woman in front of Sharon again.

The woman nodded.

“I have twelve, now thirteen to the pretty lady right down front. Who will give me fourteen?”

Sharon decided she needed to nip this in the bud. She looked Mark directly in the eyes and raised her hand. “Twenty five thousand,” she calmly said, then she winked at him and lowered her hand to her lap.

Mark grinned and winked back.
Lord, I’m not much of a praying man, but please let the dark haired bombshell win this bidding war.

“I have twenty five from Miss Sharon Lejeune, who will give me twenty six?”

The woman in front raised her hand again.

Well. Apparently I didn’t raise it high enough to scare her off. No matter, it’s nothing a higher bid won’t fix,
Sharon thought.

“Twenty six to you, ma’am, do I hear twenty seven?”