The Billionaire’s Bidding

Katie stared at her for a moment, her blue eyes going wide. “He won!” she cried.

“I see we have a winner,” called Maxim as he spotted Alex moving through the crowd. Alex stepped up smartly onto the stage and handed Maxim his ticket.

“Mr. Alex Garrison,” Maxim announced after a cursory glance. “Tonight’s winner, and one of Teddybear Trust’s most valued sponsors.”

Alex made a show of sizing up the car. Then he stepped up to the microphone at the small podium. “Lady luck is definitely with me tonight,” he announced with a broad grin. “And I’m hoping she’ll stick around for a few more minutes.”

He turned to Maxim. “Many, many thanks to Maxim and all of the dedicated volunteers at Teddybear Trust.” He paused, gazing at the car for another moment. “Although I’d dearly love to take this baby out for a spin on the expressway, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

The crowd went silent.

“Because I’m donating it back to Teddybear,” said Alex. “For their September auction.”

Applause burst out as Maxim stepped forward and clasped Alex’s hand with both of his.

Emma couldn’t help the surge of pride that rose in her chest. Act or not, Alex had just donated serious money to a good charity.

He turned back to the microphone. “If you’ll be patient with me for another minute. There’s one more thing I want to say.” He cleared his throat. “I was only half joking about lady luck. Truth is, I attribute tonight’s luck to one very special lady.” He stepped back for a beat.

“Emma,” he continued, nodding in her direction.

It was a little overboard as courtship went. But, okay. She could go along. He’d earned this one. She smiled warmly up at him, trying to look love-struck.

He grinned back, his obsidian eyes sparkling under the tree lights. “Emma, will you do me the honor…Will you marry me?”

Emma froze. Her stomach plummeted to the patio.

A collective gasp went up from the crowd, followed quickly by a smattering of applause that grew and grew, while heads turned her way.

This was as bad as the JumboTron. No, it was worse than the JumboTron. At least at a baseball game, she’d have some anonymity. Half the people here tonight knew her, or had known her father.

Katie nudged her, and she realized Alex was staring at her expectantly.

While she tried to form a coherent thought, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. He’d planned this, the rat.

He was the anonymous car donor. The entire evening of chivalry and philanthropy had been designed to back her into a corner.

“Emma, say something,” Katie hissed.

“I can’t,” she whimpered under her breath.

“We made a deal with him,” Katie reminded her.

Yes, they’d made a deal. But not for this. Not for such a ridiculous showy, sentimental display. Her reputation was at stake. And, besides, she’d specifically vetoed this very thing.

Katie gave her a slight shove toward the dais. “Get up there.”

She wasn’t going up there. She couldn’t do it. Her feet had become concrete.

“Emma?” Alex singsonged in an overblown, adoring voice. The faker.

“Bankruptcy,” whispered Katie in a warning tone.

Bankruptcy.

Emma forced one foot forward. Then she moved the other. Then she pasted a sickly-sweet smile on her face and made her way toward him.

The crowd’s applause escalated, and people congratulated her all along the short route. She let her vision go soft, and the multitude of faces blur in front of her.

Up on the stage, Alex gallantly took her hand. “Will you marry me?” he repeated, popping open the velvet box.

She barely glanced at the ring. She just wanted to get this over with and get out of there. She hastily nodded her head. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” And then I’m going to kill you.

His grin said he was reading her mind again. It also said he’d won this round. He took the marquise solitaire out of the box and slipped it onto her finger.

Then, as the crowd roared its approval, he leaned down.

He wasn’t…

He wouldn’t…

He would!

She tried to step back, but his arms slid around her.

Under his breath, he commanded, “Kiss me.” And she realized she had no choice.

Several hundred people were watching, and this was the crux of a multimillion dollar deal. She tipped her head and saw him smile.

She promised herself she’d make it quick. She’d pucker up, get it done and get the heck away from this sham. But then his lips touched hers, igniting twenty-four hours’ worth of pent-up passion.

His mouth was warm and firm, and way too mobile for a perfunctory photo op. Fine smoky scotch had flavored his lips, the residual alcohol tingling her sensitive skin.

She told herself to end it, but his arms pulled her tight, and fireworks went off inside her head, counterpoint to the flashes of cameras in her peripheral vision. A primal hormone kicked in, and her eyes fluttered closed. Her body went limp, and she opened to him, giving him access, returning his parry, her body alight in raw desire.

Ever so slowly, his arms loosened. Then he drew back, finishing with a brief, tender peck on her ravaged lips. Then the cheers of the crowd penetrated her consciousness, as every photographer in the place finished a montage of their kiss.

A cold wash of reality hit Emma. Keeping a professional distance was going to be a lot more difficult than she’d imagined.

Alex couldn’t believe how easy that had been. Maxim had been more than eager to participate in the Mercedes scam. Sure, it meant Teddybear got a sizable donation, but Alex had a feeling the man was more excited about the flamboyant engagement. Whatever.

Alex shrugged as his limo pulled away from the portcullis in front of the McKinley Fifth Avenue. He’d seen Emma to the penthouse elevator and now picked up the phone to dial Ryan’s number. He guessed a lot of people had a romantic streak.

“Yo,” said Ryan in a sleepy voice.

“The ring’s on her finger,” said Alex as the limo turned into traffic.

“It went well?”

“She said yes.” That was the salient point. The kiss had seemed salient there for a few minutes, too. Surprisingly salient. But the kiss was fleeting, even if it was unexpectedly arousing. That diamond ring was money in the bank. “Boy Scout Garrison is now Romantic Fool Boy Scout Garrison.” Gunter would be thrilled with the publicity, but Alex sure wasn’t wild about the inherent celibacy.

“Better you than me, buddy,” Ryan chuckled, knowing full well the engagement had clipped Alex’s dating wings.

A soft murmur sounded in the background, cuing Alex’s radar.

“You alone?” he asked.

“You kidding?”

Alex swore.

Ryan chuckled again. “Grit your teeth and think of the profit.”

“I am thinking about the profit.” But Alex was also thinking about Emma’s kiss. For someone who prided herself on her solemn strength, her lips sure packed a punch. And she’d looked fantastic in that sparkling dress that showed off miles of creamy smooth skin.

He’d run his fingertips over it as often as he’d dared. Which turned out to be a mistake, since it was hard to think about the money when all he wanted was more of her body and more of her lips. And that wasn’t about to