by Tina Beckett
His injured hand was on the podium, the slanted surface putting it out of sight of anyone except those who knew him well. Would these people be surprised to know that he had donned board shorts and carried a surfboard into the water?
Probably. Because right now he looked like the consummate executive. Confident, unruffled and perfectly groomed, his dark hair swept back from his forehead, not a strand out of place.
But they didn’t know him as she did.
And Addy liked that. Liked seeing a side of him that no one else would or could.
She found herself staring, and was pretty sure an army of women in the audience also had a speculative eye on him. He was sexy. And unattached.
That made her come back to earth with a bump. Yes, she might know things about him that other people didn’t, but it didn’t make a difference. She had no claim on him, nor did she want one.
Even if a certain little someone might be lurking unseen who did have a claim on him.
She banished the thought as quickly as it appeared.
So, if one of these wealthy patrons wanted to take him home for the evening, she wouldn’t care?
She would. She’d want to scratch the woman’s eyes out. And that drove her crazy with irritation.
Whatever this little crush thing she had going on, it needed to be over and done with pronto. Because, if against all odds she did wind up pregnant, she was setting herself up for a very big fall. One that would hurt more than anything Leo had ever done to her.
I’m not having any more children.
Wasn’t that what he’d said?
Garret ended his speech and a round of applause followed as he signaled the auction was set to begin. Addy found herself shaky and nervous, for more reasons than just holding up auction items.
But there was a lot riding on this event, so she needed to put aside her problems and pull herself together. A lot of kids like Matthew would get a chance to have an accurate diagnosis thanks to new modern equipment. They deserved it. And Matthew’s family couldn’t afford to pay for those kinds of things; they could barely afford to put food on the table. But this crowd could.
She willed the bidding to be fierce and competitive as the auctioneer worked his way through the first cabana: tools and DIY items. The big-ticket item in that lot was a flatbed trailer perfect for hauling everything from lawn equipment to camping supplies. It went for over a thousand dollars.
Addy hadn’t had a chance to look through the bid book, which listed each item and gave a suggested retail price. Maybe she should have.
Bidding was closed on the first cabana and moved to the second, which was housewares. Bidding went quickly on that one and then they were on Addy’s turf. She got into place and waited for the auctioneer to name the first item—a set of gardening tools—lifting each item as it was named until the gavel came down with the words “Sold to—” and the bidder’s number was entered into the record.
There were thirty articles ranging from snorkeling equipment to a long board, which was beautifully handcrafted and had an estimated bidding price of twelve hundred dollars. She wouldn’t have minded owning that board herself, but it was probably against the rules to bid on something in her own group. Using the carry straps that were included with the board, she put the webbed bands over her shoulder and demonstrated how to transport it, unable to resist running her fingers across the highly polished surface. She probably looked ridiculous carrying it around in her dress, but it didn’t matter. She caught Garret’s eye from where he stood to the side of the cabanas. He gave her a smile and a nod that turned something in her tummy all liquid.
She blinked back to what she was doing as the bidding continued to climb. She couldn’t very well demonstrate how to stand on it because she could damage the fins on the hard floor, so she had to suffice with just moving around with it. The winning bid was almost seventeen hundred dollars. The board was worth every penny of that. With a sigh, she propped it back against the fake palm tree, allowing her fingers to trail across the warm surface one final time before moving on to the last item.
When her section was finished, she was able to slide once again into the background. Garret met her at the edge of the crowd. “Good job out there. That was a beautiful board.”
“Thanks. It looks like it’s going well. And, yes, that board was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“I can think of something even more gorgeous.”
When she jerked to look at him, his gaze was fixed on the auctioneer.
Ha! Had she actually thought he was talking about her?
Dream on, Addy. There are all kinds of beautiful people and items in this room.
“Any idea how much the auction has brought in so far?”
“There’s no official tally right now, and people can give a monetary donation without actually bidding on anything. But since it’s more exciting to dress up and come to the auction than to just mail in a check, there’ll be a time for that. The auctioneer will call out different amounts and the attendees will raise their paddles, committing to give that amount. It’s almost as exciting as the bidding itself. And the whole event is a good way to get the hospital’s name out there.”
“I can’t believe I’ve never come to one of these before. I like it. And it’s good to see the generosity of people in the community. It looks like they really love Miami’s Grace.”
“South Beach has always supported the hospital. We couldn’t do what we do without them.”
Garret went with her to wait in line for a plate of finger food, ignoring her protest that the guests should go first. “Most of them already have their plates, if you look around the room. When they’re not bidding, they’re eating, so it’s fine.”
They got their tidbits and Addy got another pomegranate citrus drink, and then they found a place to sit in the vendors’ area, where most of the auction items had come from. So far none of the donated items had gone without some kind of bid, so the product vendors would go back to their places of business empty-handed, a very good thing for both the hospital and the companies who made the donations.
“You said you don’t have a tally right now, but how much does the hospital normally get from the auctions? I haven’t paid attention, although I know I should have.”
“A hundred thousand wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.”
“Out of the ordinary. I’d say that was extraordinary. Does the hospital already have plans for the money?”
He dropped his damaged hand below the table and picked up a finger sandwich, giving it a dubious look before taking a bite.
Addy laughed. “It’s cucumber. I’ve heard they’re pretty much standard fare at these swanky affairs.”
“I thought you hadn’t been to one of these before.”
“Not to the hospital’s, but I do put on a dress every once in a while. Just not very often.”
His lips twisted to the side. “I’m not sure that longboard would have brought in as much as it did without you serving as its backdrop.”
“I don’t know about that—it was worth all of that and probably more.” She decided to change the subject before she started thinking funny thoughts again. “So the money brought in will go for...”
“We have a wish list by price. It’s in the auction pamphlet. It helps people know where their bidding dollars are going. It works very well.”
“I can see how it would.” She hadn’t looked beyond the cover of the pamphlet, since it had been hard to get past the picture of her pearls. “Do you like giving speeches?”
“Not particularly, but I do what needs to be done.”
“Yes, and you do it very well. So well that I think I owe you an apology.”
This time he turned to face her, sitting back in his seat. “For what?”
“For trying to convince you that you should teach, that you could still do something useful in
the medical world. I was wrong. Not that you couldn’t teach or do any number of things. But I’m coming to realize that this is useful. I just never realized how much so.”
“Forgiven. And maybe you were right on some level. Maybe taking this job was a cop-out. But there really are a lot of things that need to be done to keep the hospital running smoothly. And I’ll never perform surgery again, no matter how much use I regain of my hand.”
“No, but you’re so gifted—” She stopped herself. “And there I go again. Sorry.”
Two more cabanas had closed out bidding.
The jewelry cabana was next and she suddenly stood. “Do you mind if I go outside for some air?”
She didn’t really want to see the pearls or hear the bidding on them. She wasn’t attached to them, and, right now, all they brought back were bad memories. Memories much better forgotten.
“Of course. Everything okay?”
“Yes. I just don’t want to be here for this part. I know it’s stupid. It’s just—”
“Not stupid at all. If you want some company, I won’t be missed for a minute or two.”
She didn’t answer—because she wasn’t sure how she felt about being around him right now—so she just let him decide for himself. He ended up following her out and they soon found themselves across the street on the sidewalk, leaning against the rail, the scent of the ocean carried in on a gentle breeze.
“I love that smell. Have never gotten tired of it.”
“The fragrance of seaweed?”
“Funny. No. The salt. The smell of damp earth and clean air that comes with living near the water.”
He smiled, turning around and bracing his elbows on the low wall. “I will admit that, as crowded as it is in South Beach, there are times like this, when you get the impression that life isn’t moving as fast as it is in places like New York. There’s time to sit back and enjoy the beauty, even on a night as busy as this one.”
“And days when you can just take your surfboard out and make any day into one of those quiet reflective times.”
“Yes, there is that.”
“Do you miss New York? I’ve never been there, so I have no idea what it’s like outside of television shows.” Was she curious about whether he might go back there someday? Especially with what he’d said about not putting flowers on his daughter’s grave.
“Some parts, but not much. I miss seeing the seasons change. I miss sometimes feeling like you have a bubble around you—that despite the thousands of people passing by, you live in this isolated little spot where no one enters unless you invite them in. South Beach is friendly. And sometimes there aren’t boundaries.”
She gulped. Sometimes there weren’t boundaries in more ways than one. She forced herself to keep talking, as if there weren’t this little pain inside that just kept getting bigger and bigger.
“I never thought of it that way, but, yes, you’re right. People socialize here in a casual, carefree way.”
“I was surprised to find out that South Beach isn’t always just about the beach. Or the ocean, although that’s a big draw. I actually do like it here.”
“Enough to stay here for the rest of your life?” Oh, Lord, why had she just asked that?
“I think so. The jury is still out on that.”
That little pain widened, radiating from her heart out to the surrounding areas.
“I can’t imagine the hospital without you.”
“I can’t imagine it without you either.” His words were so soft that she had to tilt her head to capture them all. His arm looped around her waist for several seconds, and that ache inside went from uncomfortable to giddy. “Addy, I shouldn’t even ask this, but will you meet me after this is all over with?”
Was he asking her to—?
This was the moment of truth. She was pretty sure she knew what was behind that request. She’d be pretty devastated, actually, if she was wrong. And despite everything, there was an answering need inside herself.
“Yes,” she breathed.
It was as if all that fear and those countless admonitions this evening had never happened. She wanted to be with this man, wanted the auction to be done and on her way. But of course it wasn’t.
She leaned her head against his jacket, reveling in the weight of his arm around her waist, the heady masculine scent that drifted up on ocean currents, the way his breath ruffled across her hair.
This was why it was so hard to resist him. Why she didn’t want to resist him.
The moment grew longer and longer, until she felt his lips brush the top of her head. “We’d better go back in before we’re missed.”
She was pretty sure she wouldn’t be missed at all, but she knew he still had some things he needed to do before they could go.
Once inside, she forced her eyes to stay focused up front, even as she sensed Garret’s impatience beside her.
She understood it completely—felt the exact same way.
“They’re motioning for me up front. I’ll be back in a minute.” He curved his index finger around hers and squeezed. “Do not go anywhere.”
“I won’t.” There was no way she was leaving now. She wanted to be here when he came back, wanted to go wherever he wanted to take her.
He gave his closing remarks, thanking everyone for coming and promising they would post the totals for the auction on the hospital’s website.
“Enjoy your night. There is still plenty of food left and the bar will remain open for a while longer. When you’re ready, you can turn in your bid cards and collect your items. For those things which are too large to carry or won’t fit in your vehicle, we have asked a shipping company to set up a booth in the lobby. They can help you arrange transportation. Thank you again for coming. Miami’s Grace Hospital is grateful to each of you.”
He left the dais to applause, striding through the crowd, stopping to shake hands here and there and smile as people talked to him. He never gave the impression he was in a hurry, gave his undivided attention to each person that crossed his path, but with each step he managed to take, he was keenly aware of where she was. His trajectory told her that, because he never wavered or veered off course.
All she could do was stand there, a sick sense of anticipation building in her belly. Because once he arrived and they were on their way, things were going to be off the charts.
And she was terrified of what that might mean.
CHAPTER TEN
ALTHOUGH GARRET’S APARTMENT was in a nice area of town, it was sparsely furnished. None of that mattered right now. All she cared about were the long, slow kisses that he was planting on her mouth.
They’d made it through the door, and then he’d backed her up against a nearby wall, tossing his keys onto a side table.
Then he’d kissed her.
Was still kissing her, hands pressed on the wall on either side of her head. He was leaning in. Taking his time, unlike at her place when everything had seemed so frantic and desperate.
Garret had voted for his place.
And she had readily agreed. She needed to be somewhere where she could remove herself from reality—needed to find out what, if anything, she meant to him. In case the unthinkable was actually true.
He eased her a couple of inches away from the wall and his hands went to the back of her dress. He found the zipper and she could feel the wrist of his damaged hand pressing the fabric at her nape as the other hand slid the tab slowly down, all the way past her butt.
When he let go, the fabric fell away, pooling on the floor around her feet.
She didn’t care. Didn’t want to pick it up, too entranced by the continued short touches of mouth to mouth. She squirmed, trying to deepen the pressure, but it didn’t work. “Shh, I want to enjoy it this time.”
She smiled against his lips. “Are you saying you didn’t last time?” He
followed her words with kisses, teasing her mercilessly.
“I enjoyed it very much. But I wanted more. I still do.” His teeth nipped at her jawline. “Now step out of your shoes. One at a time.”
He backed up a pace and watched as she used one shoe to loosen the other along the back. Then she let it drop on the floor. The other shoe came off just as easily.
She was barefoot before him, and, boy, did he seem to tower over her. “Do you need help with your tie?”
“I need help. But not with that.” A quick flash of his teeth as he reached up with one hand and loosened the knot, slipping a finger under the tab until it hung free.
How had he tied it in the first place? She’d thought maybe he’d used a clip-on, but she should have known he wouldn’t take the easy way out.
“Now the buttons.” She moistened her lips and waited to see if he would do her bidding.
He did, undoing three.
She shook her head. “More.” Then she noticed his sleeves. Buttoned with jeweled cuff links. She reached forward to touch one of them. “How?”
“I had the sleeves custom made just wide enough that I can slide my hand through it. My dry cleaner takes the cuff links out and puts them back once the shirt is laundered.”
“You must really trust your cleaner.”
“I do.” As he’d talked, he’d been slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt all the way down to the cummerbund. “Now your turn.”
“Uh...you have more clothes than I do. It’s still your turn.”
He reached behind him and ripped the Velcro that held the black satin band, letting it drop to the floor. “Now you.”
Well, since she was standing there in just a lacy one-piece bodyshaper—one that had boasted no panty lines—that was going to be hard. “Still you.”
His rough laugh made her tummy ripple with need. “You can’t blame a guy for trying.” He pulled his shirt out of his dress trousers and finished undoing the buttons, letting it hang open. Then, when she shook her head, he slid it off his shoulders and let it drop to the floor.
His chest was now bare, just the slightest dusting of hair in the middle—a dark shadow that trailed down his flat torso and disappeared behind his waistband. All things she hadn’t been able to notice the last time because of the rush.
