Bachelor Auction

Marcus lost interest in the emcee when

Charlotte nuzzled his neck. He jerked his head away

and tried to step back, but she held on tight, causing

him to stumble. His hands fell to her waist as they

regained their balance. Damn, when had he become

so clumsy?

“What’s the matter Marcus? Can’t you handle

her?”

Marcus tried to locate the joker in the back of

the room but to no avail, and his anger once again

rose to overshadow shock and embarrassment. He

returned his attention to the cause of his

humiliation. “Would you mind telling me what the

hell you’re doing?”

She smiled seductively, continuing to play to the

crowd. “Paying you back.”

His jaw clenched tighter. “For what?”

“Someone altered my bid.” Her finger twirled

around the hair at the back of his neck. “I’m

thinking it was you.”

Of all the things she could be paying him back

for, that wasn’t one of them. “Why would I do that?”

She leaned in close, her angry whisper betraying

the sultry expression she presented to the crowd.

“You tell me. You’re the one who chased me down.

You’re the one who had his hands all over me in the

closet.”

“I already told you I followed you to apologize,

and I seem to remember an invitation.”

She glanced at his mouth, and her smile

widened. “And I seem to remember how quick you

were to accept.”

The fact that he couldn’t deny her statement

pissed him off royally. He’d been a fool to let desire

rule his actions. “That doesn’t mean I can’t put a

stop to this farce right now.”

Her blue eyes clouded then hardened. “Yes, you

could walk away. We both know you’re damn good at

that.”

PRAISE FOR AUTHOR

Darah Lace

“Darah Lace combines scorching sensuality with

endearing characters that will live in your

imagination long after you finish the last

page...crown this woman the Queen of Steam!”

~Nicole McCaffrey, author of The Model Man

WRONG NUMBER, RIGHT MAN

“WRONG NUMBER, RIGHT MAN is such a

sexy story! Jack’s seductive charm is impossible to

resist, and Lori is a sweet and sexy siren. They have

a deep friendship and scorching passion between

them. In WRONG NUMBER, RIGHT MAN, Jack

and Lori’s night of steamy phone sex turns into so

much more!”

~
Joy, Joyfully Reviewed

Bachelor Auction

by

Darah Lace

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places,

and incidents are either the product of the author’s

imagination or are used fictitiously, and any

resemblance to actual persons living or dead,

business establishments, events, or locales, is

entirely coincidental.

Bachelor Auction

COPYRIGHT  2010 by Darah Lace

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used

or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without

written permission of the author or The Wild Rose

Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied

in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [email protected]

Cover Art by
Angela Anderson

The Wild Rose Press

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

Publishing History

First Champagne Rose Edition, October 2010

Print ISBN 1-60154-759-5

Published in the United States of America

How could I not dedicate this book

to Nic—it’s how we met.

You’re a great friend and cp.

Thanks for being there.

Marcus Preston stared at the straw in his hand,

dread weighing heavy in his gut. He’d drawn the

short end of the stick. Par for the course of his life

these days.

He resisted the urge to loosen the bow tie that

suddenly felt like a noose around his neck and

looked up at his brothers. All three waited for his

reaction. “Anybody want to go two out of three?”

His younger brother, Chad, laughed as he strode

across the country club manager’s office to slap

Marcus on the back. “Now, you know with only three

of the four of us taking part that won’t work. Unless

you think Spencer should be included. Technically,

he’s still a bachelor.”

No way his soon-to-be sister-in-law would ever

go for Spencer’s participation in this mad endeavor.

“I don’t think Melody would agree with you,”

Spencer echoed Marcus’s thoughts from a wingback

chair near the unlit fireplace. “Besides, I’ve more

than earned a reprieve. I drew the short straw the

last two years running.”

“Hey,” Chad said. “I volunteered to take your

place last year.”

Spencer rolled his eyes. “Until you found out it’s

not always fun and games.”

Marcus ignored Spencer and turned hopefully to

Chad, knowing he’d never step in for him. Not after

what Spencer experienced last time. Still, he had to

ask. “So you’ll take my place this year?”

“Are

you

kidding?”

Chad

shuddered

dramatically. “I’m older and wiser now.”

“We could pull out altogether if none of us wants

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to continue,” Mitch, the oldest Preston brother, said

from behind the mahogany desk across the room.

“But let me remind you, Marcus, you were the one

who suggested we do this in the first place to

promote the company.”

“That was back when we needed the PR.”

Mitch stood and made his way around the desk.

“Yes, and Preston Enterprises’ participation in the

charity auction was instrumental in bringing new

clients to the table. After the losses we’ve suffered

the last few months, I don’t think we should turn our

backs on the chance for positive publicity.”

The air in the room grew somber as each of

them

pondered

events

leading

to

Preston

Enterprises’ current state of affairs. Though things

had begun to come around, the effects of corporate

espionage had taken a toll on the family as well as

the company. Spencer had lived through hell when

he suspected Melody of leaking information to their

competitor, Reese Consolidated.

Marcus had his own regrets in the overall

scheme of things. And the strains of the Texas waltz

filtering through the closed doors only served as a

reminder of one of those regrets.

Spencer sat forward, running his finger around

the inside of his collar. “Melody’s already wishing

she hadn’t let Charlotte talk her into taking charge

of this year’s auction. She’d have my hide if you guys

backed out. She’s counting on one of you to bring in

the big bucks.”

Marcus grimaced, his apprehension growing. It

wasn’t just that he would be placing himself on the

auction block of Houston’s Most Eligible Bachelor

Auction that had him cringing. When he and his

brothers joined the festivities of the charity benefit

in progress, he would have to face Charlotte Reese.

He had to sooner or later. After all, they moved

in the same circles of Houston’s upper echelon. She

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Bachelor Auction

was Melody’s best friend, and as such, would serve

as maid of honor when Melody and Spencer married

next month.

He also owed her an apology.

“We’ll just have to hope Marcus escapes the

blue-haired old bat who won Spencer last year.”

Chad shuddered again.

“Bea wasn’t so bad. We had a pretty good time

on that mini-cruise. She wasn’t all that demanding,

and after the promos were done, I was free to do

whatever I wanted.”

“Or
whoever
,” Chad rubbed his hands together.

“You had all the hot babes you wanted after

grandma went to bed. At least, the ones who knew

about the Bachelor Auction and didn’t think you

were a gigolo. Hey, Marcus, maybe Daphne Cohen

will decide to go for another Preston and bid on you.

That trip Spencer took with her year before last

sounded awfully hot for December.”

Marcus didn’t want to think of a weekend spent

with Daphne Cohen. Though she was beautiful, any

interest he might have held for her died once she

slept with his brother. He’d rather make the most of

his predicament with someone like Beatrice

Reynolds who only expected a weekend of

companionship, not casual sex. If he was lucky, his

final bid would come in low and his buyer’s prize

would consist of dinner only.

“Did you boys get your business taken care of?”

The four men turned as Melody glided into the

room, her black satin gown shimmering in the harsh

fluorescent lighting. Wisps of chestnut hair that

matched smiling brown eyes framed her face and fell

from some kind of twist to tease bare shoulders.

Spencer stood to greet her with a kiss that told

Marcus all the Daphne Cohens and bikini-clad

cruise babes were history. He knew he shouldn’t

envy Spencer’s happiness, but at the moment he

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doubted he would ever know anything remotely like

it. He’d thought once maybe, but...

“So who’s the lucky bachelor?”

He held up the straw.

“Oh, thank goodness.” Melody slipped from

Spencer’s embrace to give Marcus a quick hug and

peck on the cheek. “The good-looking Preston.”

“Hey now,” Spencer said, drawing her back to

his side. “Remember which one of us you’re engaged

to.”

Straightening his tie, she smiled up at him. “I

think I can tell you apart.”

Marcus couldn’t help the semi-smile that pulled

at his lips at the good-natured byplay and Melody’s

choice of words. With nearly identical features and

the same jet-black hair, he and his brothers were

often mistaken for one another, especially dressed

alike as they were for tonight’s black-tie affair.

Of course, the majority of their acquaintances

didn’t realize Chad stood six-foot-four, an inch taller

than his older brothers. Nor did they take the time

to notice that by some fluke of nature, Marcus’s eyes

were deep green, Mitch’s were blue, Spencer’s grey

and Chad’s brown.

“Seriously,” Melody said, turning to face him. “I

can’t tell you how much I appreciate you doing this.”

Marcus shrugged. “No problem.”

At least not yet. He had a feeling this auction

would turn his routine life inside out and upside

down. Yet maybe that’s what he needed—to let go

and have a little fun. He hadn’t done so in a long

time. In fact, he could remember the exact moment

he’d lost interest in the playboy life he led.

That wasn’t to say he had given up women. He

simply didn’t crave them, or to be precise he didn’t

crave sex the way he had. Better make that

meaningless sex. It left him hollow and needing

something more than physical release. Dating had

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Bachelor Auction

lost its appeal as a sport and became a search for his

idea of the perfect woman. One who shared his

values of home and family.

One who could erase the memory of the only

woman he did crave.

“I’m just sorry I couldn’t convince you all to

volunteer.” Melody’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

“I mean, can you imagine the coverage Preston