by K. C. Crowne
Together we made our way through the backstage area. The serving staff was getting ready for the evening, with Kenna whipping them into shape.
“There,” he said. “That’s him.”
Up ahead was a very tall man dressed in a perfectly fitted tux. Even with him facing the other direction, I could tell he had an amazing body. His shoulders were broad, his arms huge, and his dark hair slicked back. He held a phone to his ear, his voice so powerful it almost rumbled the floor beneath my feet. On top of it all, something about him seemed so…familiar.
“Hey, Gavin!” Duncan called, getting his friend’s attention.
Just hearing the name made my heart jump into my throat. No way. No way is it that Gavin.
Then he turned, and it was him.
When he saw me, that cocky-as-fuck smile I’d seen so many times formed on his face, like it was all a big game to him – a big game that he knew how to win. He hung up, slipping his phone into his jacket pocket and stepping over to me.
When he was close, he spoke, his voice dripping with arrogance. “Hey there, gorgeous.”
Gavin
It didn’t help matters that Gia looked so damn sexy when she was pissed off. Something about the way she narrowed her eyes into heated little slits, her full, ripe lips pursed as if she were holding back every curse word in the book.
I loved it.
“Gia,” Duncan said, totally oblivious to the immediate tension. “I’d like you to meet my good friend Gavin Davenport.”
Holy hell, did Gia look good. She’d always been gorgeous, with her electric blue eyes and killer body, but something about her that night, the way she looked in that emerald-green dress and the high-heeled pumps, made me feel like I needed to use every bit of strength I had to resist thinking about how much I wanted her.
And shit, did I want her. As she stepped over to me, the image of her underneath me in bed, her legs wrapped around my waist and her stunning face in an expression of pure pleasure as I made her come over and over again, appeared in my mind.
It didn’t take much imagination to picture it. After all, I’d seen it before.
There was something else about the way she looked, too. Back in the day she’d always been more of the tom boy sort, her hair short and choppy and her style jeans and T-shirts. But she was dressed in a stunning gown that hugged her curves, making it clear she was all woman. As if my body wanted me to know how it felt about her, my cock shifted in my trousers.
A conflicted expression flashed briefly on her face, as if she were weighing the pros and cons of whether or not to tell Duncan there was no need for introductions – we already knew each other pretty damn well.
“Nice to meet you, Gavin,” she said, not offering her hand for me to shake.
“Duncan tells me you’d like for me to participate in the auction,” I teased, smiling at her.
“Actually,” she replied, not missing a beat, “we’re pretty full. Not sure we have room for another. And besides…”Her eyes moved up and down my outfit. “You’re not exactly dressed for the part.”
“Huh?” Duncan asked, confused. “What do you mean?”
She turned her attention to him. “It’s a theme auction – like, the sexiest bachelors working the sexiest jobs. We’ve got a fireman, a cop, a musician, et cetera.”
“Well, I could just strip down to my underwear and march out there like that. Might not be doctor’s scrubs, but it should catch some attention.”
The brief, annoyed look on Gia’s face let me know she certainly did not find my little joke funny.
“You know,” Duncan piped in. “Now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure I’ve got some extra scrubs in my car. And you’re about my size, so…”
“That could work,” I said. “Assuming I fit Ms. Stone’s standards for the auction.” I turned my attention to her. “What do you say? Am I handsome enough to sit with Nickle Creek’s most eligible bachelors?”
I knew I wasn’t doing myself any favors as far as Gia’s esteem for me was concerned, but I could never resist the opportunity to rile her up.
“I don’t know,” she said, folding her arms under her breasts. “Maybe I should take some time to think it over.” Before anyone could say anything else, she reached into her purse and took out her phone. “Shit,” she hissed under her breath. “It’s time to start letting people in. Duncan, can you help your friend get ready for the auction? We’ve seated all the bachelors at the long table near the stage so everyone can get a good look at them.”
“Will do,” Duncan answered. “Come on, Gav.”
Gia shot me one more hard look before turning her back and hurrying away. And, of course, my eyes stayed on that perfect ass of hers as she left.
“You know the old expression ‘take a picture, I’ll last longer’?” Duncan asked with a smirk.
“Yeah, yeah.”
Duncan put his hand on my shoulder and led me through backstage, taking it off as we approached the doors leading outside.
“I wonder what was up with her,” he commented as he opened the exit door and held it open for me. “She seemed really…I don’t know, annoyed when we were talking to her.”
This would’ve been a good place to tell him about my history with Gia, but I didn’t want to get into all that just then.
“She’s the event planner,” I said as I stepped outside. “Probably got a million things on her mind.”
“Yeah, good point.”
It was early evening, the sky a dark, solid gray, the Rockies looming and dark in the distance. The view drew our attention as we walked.
“Feels like snow,” Duncan observed. “Weather like this makes me glad to have a family to be stuck inside with.”
“That right? Weather like this makes me glad I’ll have time to focus on work.”
“You say that now,” he said with a smirk as we made our way to the parking lot. “But wait until you meet someone special.”
“You kidding? Love’s not for doctors who’re on-call twenty-four-seven.”
We approached Duncan’s car – a sleek, black Land Rover. He pressed the fob and opened the back doors and began rummaging through what was there.
“See, that’s what I thought,” he said as he pulled out a small, plastic bag. “Then you meet that someone special and it all changes. You find out what’s really important.”
It was a conversation I’d had with Duncan a few times before. I wasn’t interested in having it again. Being a husband and father might’ve worked for him, but I just didn’t have time for any of that. Besides – I liked my solitude.
“Here you go,” he said, handing me a small bag with some clothes inside. “Even got some sneakers in there you can use. Never hurts to have backup scrubs, you know?”
I took the bag and looked inside, finding a neatly folded outfit along with what had to be some of the ugliest sneakers I’d ever seen. “You kidding me with these things?” I asked, taking out one of the sneakers and holding it up.
“What?” he asked, shrugging one shoulder. “They’re comfortable as hell.”
“Maybe so, but I doubt they’re going to inspire much lust in the ladies bidding on me.”
“Hey, you never know. Maybe you’ll find that special someone tonight, some woman who has an appreciation for sensible footwear.”
I laughed as we turned to head back to the event hall. As we approached, the muffled strains of a live jazz band setting up could be heard.
“Music means it’s about to start,” Duncan said. “Better get in there so we can see how much worse you look in those than I do.”
“Prick,” I shot back with a laugh and a smile as we stepped inside. We said our goodbyes, making plans to meet up later.
It was good to see Duncan. One marriage and two kids later, the man wasn’t exactly easy to make plans with. But whenever we did, I couldn’t help but notice how happy he seemed, like there was a new light inside him that he couldn’t help but let shine. The family-man life seemed to be really working for
him.
I stepped into the bathroom, and the moment I was alone in the stall, my thoughts returned to Gia. I couldn’t believe it was her. I wasn’t all that surprised at seeing her. After all, when I’d heard Duncan mention Annie’s friend Gia was running the event planning for the evening, it wasn’t a shock to find out it was the same Gia.
But I hadn’t expected to be so fucking blown away by her. Standing in the stall, wearing nothing but a pair of skin-tight boxer-briefs, part of me wanted to take care of business just so I wasn’t distracted by her. My cock was already half-hard, so I’d be able to get it done.
I had to get my head in the game. I threw on the shirt, stepped into the pants, and slipped on the God-awful running shoes that Duncan had given me. I understood comfort, but damn.
Once I was dressed, I gathered my tux and headed out. After a quick run outside to drop my tux off at my car, I hurried backstage just in time to hear Duncan step up to the microphone. He gave a heartfelt speech about his autism charity, and how, despite the fun, helping children was really what the night was all about. The man was a good dude and I was proud to be his friend.
He went into the subject of the auction as I approached the exit back to the main event hall, handing the mic to Annie.
“…and let’s not forget about the big event of the evening,” she said. “The charity auction!”
Applause and cheers echoed.
“Tonight, for your bidding pleasure, we have a hand-picked selection of the handsomest, most charming bachelors Nickle Creek has to offer. We’ve got Nickle Creek’s hottest rock band, The Ravenettes. We’ve a choice selection from our local fire department. We’ve got a few boys in blue from Nickle Creek PD. And—”
Fucking hell. No sense in waiting. I stepped out from backstage. The place was packed. Nearly all of the guests had shown up over the course of the last hour, every table seated with men and women in fancy tuxes and glamorous gowns. And every pair of eyes was one me.
“And one very sexy doctor!”
I pulled the stethoscope out of my front pocket as I strode toward the table, wrapping it around my neck and holding up the end while waggling my eyebrows. I looked good and I knew it.
And as I made my way to the table with the rest of the guys, I laid eyes on her. Standing at the back of the room, her arms crossed under her full breasts, was Gia. She regarded me with a skeptical expression, as if I might do something to screw the night up.
I saw the table packed with dudes, all dressed in sexy versions of their work outfits. The rock guys were shirtless with ripped jeans, one with a guitar, another twirling a pair of drumsticks. The firemen had their big yellow pants on but no tops, and the cops’ shirts were unbuttoned all the way to the waist. And they were all handsome, down to the last.
Hell, I looked downright modest in front of them. I slipped into a seat and waved to Annie, who responded with a smile.
“What’re the stakes of the auction? Well, aside from guaranteeing yourself an evening out on the town courtesy of Pitt Medical, the top bidder of the evening will be taking an all-expenses-paid trip with the lucky bachelor to fabulous Las Vegas!”
Shocked, I looked around for Duncan. I hadn’t heard a damn thing about this. I’d expected a dinner or something like that, but a trip to Vegas? Sure, there were worse places to go, but I was a busy man. Taking a few days off to play the tables wasn’t exactly in my schedule.
“Appetizers are going around now,” Annie announced. “Take some time to get settled in. The auction will begin when the main course is served. Thank you all so much for coming and enjoy yourselves!”
Applause sounded as Annie left the stage with a wave. As the music started back up and the guests got up to mingle, I looked around at the rest of the table.
“I’m telling you,” one of the guys in the band said. “This could be the break we’re looking for.”
“How you mean?” the drummer, another handsome guy with wild hair, asked.
“Think about it,” the stud with the guitar continued. “You know how many rich broads are here? All we need to do is make sure one of us gets the highest bid. Then we take her away for a weekend in Vegas, sweep her off her feet, and bam, we got ourselves a sugar mama!”
“Ohhh.” Realization dawned on the drummer.
One of the cops and I glanced at each other, both of us making a “can you believe this shit?” expression. One of the waitresses strolled past, and I turned to snatch a meatball off her tray. And that’s when I spotted the last woman I wanted to see.
Sashaying toward me, her hips swaying back and forth so hard she threatened to check whatever poor schlub happened to be nearby, was Mariah Yarbrough herself. My ex-wife Mariah Yarbrough. She was dressed to impress, wearing a sparkling, champagne-colored dress that her surprisingly huge boobs looked about ready to pour out of. Her blonde hair was voluminous and curly, and she had so much makeup on her face it looked like she’d cleared out the nearest Sephora before showing up.
And her big, green eyes were locked on me.
Fucking hell. Mariah was without a damn doubt one of the most heartless, downright evil women I’d ever known in my life – a little detail I didn’t find out until after she’d blackmailed me into marrying her for what would be six of the worst weeks of my life.
“Hey there, handsome,” she purred, sliding into the open seat next to mine.
The rest of the guys at the table ogled Mariah like a bunch of horny high schoolers. She was a good-looking woman, but I knew damn well the beauty was only skin-deep. Beneath her exterior, she was as ugly as they came.
“Seat’s taken,” I said. “The shirtless, uh, zoologist went to the bathroom.”
She smiled, her big lips slowly spreading across her face. “Funny as always,” she said. “It’s good to see you, Gavvy.” After she spoke, she lifted her hand to the thick curl that hung in front of her face, gently sweeping it back and tucking it behind her ear. And showing off her massive – and I mean massive – diamond ring in the process.
“Very subtle,” I smirked, my eyes on her ring as she brought her hand down and rested it on her leg. “What’re we on now, marriage number eight? Or is it nine? Hard to keep track, you know. But hey, I hear if you make it to ten rings you can send them in for a prize.”
A few of the guys at the table chuckled, which most definitely didn’t make Mariah happy. She liked one reaction from handsome men – fawning over her to the point of making asses of themselves.
“Four, jackass,” she said. “And did you notice these?” She jutted her chest out toward me. “A little wedding present.”
“How could I not notice those?” I asked. “What, did the plastic surgery clinic have a ‘buy two cups, get one free’ special?”
More laughs from the guys, another hard glare from Mariah. She could be vicious when she wanted to be, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t run circles around her when I wanted to.
“Well, laugh all you want, but my husband Gerald is very pleased with them. Trust me – his enthusiasm is simply boundless.”
She turned and gave a finger-waggling wave over her shoulder at a man across the room who could only very charitably be described as of advanced age. He appeared to be in his eighties, with a baby-smooth head and a flared-out moustache. He carried himself with the gravitas of a man who came from old-as-hell money.
“Anyway,” she said, returning her attention to me. “When I saw that you were at the auction table, I had to come over and say hi. After all…” She reached into her purse and slipped out an auction paddle. “I’m planning on taking one of these handsome boys with me to Vegas.”
“Won’t Captain Crunch have a problem with that?”
“We have an…arrangement about such matters. As long as I save my best for him, I can do as I please. And Gavvy, I aim to do as I please.” She rose from the table, turned in a dramatic fashion, and sashayed back to her table.
Fucking hell. Who knew offering myself as a piece of man-meat would be so damn co
mplicated?
Gia
I was pissed.
It was supposed to be the perfect night. Running charity events like these was my dream – much more so than the bar mitzvahs and sweet sixteens that paid the bills. And the best part was that I had planned it for my best friend and her awesome husband.
But then he had to show up.
“What the hell is he even doing here?” I asked, storming through the back hallways of the event space, Kenna keeping up with her usual step-step-step. “I didn’t even know he lived in Nickle Creek! Last I heard he was doing Doctors Without Borders or something.”
Without saying a word, Kenna took out her clipboard and scrawled something with her pen.
“What did you just write?” I asked.
“Nothing,” she said.
I gave her my usual exasperated look that I reserved for when people tried to BS me.
“Um,” she said, her voice sheepish. “Just, uh, trying to decide which one I want to bid on.”
I crinkled my brow in total confusion before turning my head around to the auction table, then I whipped back toward Kenna. “Wait, tell me you’re not talking about which of those guys you want to bid on.”
“Well, kinda. Would that be so bad? I mean, look at them.”
I turned around one more time, taking in the sight of the men. They were all studs, of course, almost comically handsome in their unforms. And, of course, Gavin was the best-looking one among them. He was dressed in a set of midnight blue doctor’s scrubs, scrubs that looked a bit too small, actually. The fabric clung to his muscles, and his pants were so tight I could almost see the outline of his you-know-what.
“Which one would you want?” she asked, a devilish smile on her face.
“Um…” The question had me in quite a bind. After all, the hottest guy there was the one I’d never wanted to see again in my lifetime.
“I’d pick the fireman,” she said, her impatience to talk inadvertently saving me from embarrassment. “God, is there anything sexier than a fireman? Like, get a load of those arms. Imagine him carrying you out of a burning building with those bad boys, his chest all sweaty and…” She waved the clipboard in front of her face, fanning herself.
