knowing his
opinion mattered. Not when she’d convinced him it
42
Bachelor Auction
didn’t and that she would gladly live up to her
reputation.
Lilly shook her head vigorously, obviously
warming to the topic. “I told Fern that Charlotte’s
probably just protecting her interest. There must be
a little hanky panky already going on between those
two and she doesn’t want anyone else interfering.”
“Fifty grand buys a whole lot of hanky panky.”
Marcus’s grip on her waist tightened, but
Charlotte was too stunned to care. Fifty grand? Did
he say fifty grand ? No, no way. It had to be a
mistake. Or gossip. Yes, that’s it. She slumped
against Marcus, relief flooding her. The chain
reaction of the rumor mill could distort the most
innocent circumstances. She knew that first hand. It
stood to reason her five hundred dollar bid for the
poor schmuck who’d been blackballed could have
been inflated to... fifty thousand . Couldn’t it?
Charlotte’s small moment of relief gave way to
doubt, and doubt to agitation. Not that she minded
shelling out that much money. She’d donated
significantly more than that in the past. Her father’s
imprisonment hadn’t touched her financially. She
thanked her lucky stars every day that she and her
mother had their own money from her maternal
grandmother’s estate.
What niggled at her self-assurance was that she
would end up with a bachelor she didn’t want, a man
who thought she’d bid an exorbitant amount for him
and would now have an overblown ego as well as
misplaced expectations.
Henry pulled a fur coat identical to the one
draped over his arm from the rack and at Lilly’s nod,
made the exchange. “Hope he’s got the stamina.”
“That man has ‘go-the-distance’ written all over
him. If I was twenty years younger and fifty pounds
lighter, I’d give Charlotte a run for her money.”
Charlotte perked up, ignoring Marcus’s fingers
43
Darah Lace
as they dug into her waist. She leaned forward to
hear the name of this sex god. Damn, she wished
she’d paid more attention to the names on the top of
the bidding sheets. Of course, Lilly’s idea of a real
man could vary a great deal from hers. He could be
anyone.
“Why, Lilly, I’m wounded.”
“Oh, like you wouldn’t gladly volunteer every
year if you thought one of those young tarts would
bid on you.”
Henry chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind walking in
this particular bachelor’s shoes. Charlotte is one fine
woman.”
Lilly took her coat from Henry and turned
toward the door. “You used to say that about me.”
“Still do, darlin’,” he said and swatted Lilly’s
well-padded backside.
Charlotte rolled her eyes, wishing they would
hurry and leave. She was eager to find out what was
going on and if there was any possible way out of it.
“So,” Lilly paused at the door, “will you give me
five minutes to see if Charlotte gets her man? You
know you’re as curious as I am.”
“All right,” Henry grumbled as if trying to
convince his wife he wasn’t at all interested. Then he
sighed. “Yep, that Marcus Preston is one hell of a
lucky man.”
****
Shock surged through Marcus, holding him
motionless, speechless as the McAfees exited the
closet. It wasn’t until Charlotte thrust the coats
aside and rushed forward that he was propelled into
action.
He snagged the sleeve of her jacket in a tight
grip. She had some explaining to do. “Where the hell
do you think you’re going?”
She tried to pry his fingers loose. “Let go of me.”
When he held tighter, she tugged her arm. “I’ve...”
44
Bachelor Auction
tug “got to...” tug—tug “stop this.”
She gave one final jerk, and the momentum
yanked Marcus forward. His hold on her sleeve
broke as his forehead collided with the cross pole,
causing him to bounce backward and lose his
balance. He grasped the coats nearest, but they only
slipped from their hangers, and his
opinion mattered. Not when she’d convinced him it
42
Bachelor Auction
didn’t and that she would gladly live up to her
reputation.
Lilly shook her head vigorously, obviously
warming to the topic. “I told Fern that Charlotte’s
probably just protecting her interest. There must be
a little hanky panky already going on between those
two and she doesn’t want anyone else interfering.”
“Fifty grand buys a whole lot of hanky panky.”
Marcus’s grip on her waist tightened, but
Charlotte was too stunned to care. Fifty grand? Did
he say fifty grand ? No, no way. It had to be a
mistake. Or gossip. Yes, that’s it. She slumped
against Marcus, relief flooding her. The chain
reaction of the rumor mill could distort the most
innocent circumstances. She knew that first hand. It
stood to reason her five hundred dollar bid for the
poor schmuck who’d been blackballed could have
been inflated to... fifty thousand . Couldn’t it?
Charlotte’s small moment of relief gave way to
doubt, and doubt to agitation. Not that she minded
shelling out that much money. She’d donated
significantly more than that in the past. Her father’s
imprisonment hadn’t touched her financially. She
thanked her lucky stars every day that she and her
mother had their own money from her maternal
grandmother’s estate.
What niggled at her self-assurance was that she
would end up with a bachelor she didn’t want, a man
who thought she’d bid an exorbitant amount for him
and would now have an overblown ego as well as
misplaced expectations.
Henry pulled a fur coat identical to the one
draped over his arm from the rack and at Lilly’s nod,
made the exchange. “Hope he’s got the stamina.”
“That man has ‘go-the-distance’ written all over
him. If I was twenty years younger and fifty pounds
lighter, I’d give Charlotte a run for her money.”
Charlotte perked up, ignoring Marcus’s fingers
43
Darah Lace
as they dug into her waist. She leaned forward to
hear the name of this sex god. Damn, she wished
she’d paid more attention to the names on the top of
the bidding sheets. Of course, Lilly’s idea of a real
man could vary a great deal from hers. He could be
anyone.
“Why, Lilly, I’m wounded.”
“Oh, like you wouldn’t gladly volunteer every
year if you thought one of those young tarts would
bid on you.”
Henry chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind walking in
this particular bachelor’s shoes. Charlotte is one fine
woman.”
Lilly took her coat from Henry and turned
toward the door. “You used to say that about me.”
“Still do, darlin’,” he said and swatted Lilly’s
well-padded backside.
Charlotte rolled her eyes, wishing they would
hurry and leave. She was eager to find out what was
going on and if there was any possible way out of it.
“So,” Lilly paused at the door, “will you give me
five minutes to see if Charlotte gets her man? You
know you’re as curious as I am.”
“All right,” Henry grumbled as if trying to
convince his wife he wasn’t at all interested. Then he
sighed. “Yep, that Marcus Preston is one hell of a
lucky man.”
****
Shock surged through Marcus, holding him
motionless, speechless as the McAfees exited the
closet. It wasn’t until Charlotte thrust the coats
aside and rushed forward that he was propelled into
action.
He snagged the sleeve of her jacket in a tight
grip. She had some explaining to do. “Where the hell
do you think you’re going?”
She tried to pry his fingers loose. “Let go of me.”
When he held tighter, she tugged her arm. “I’ve...”
44
Bachelor Auction
tug “got to...” tug—tug “stop this.”
She gave one final jerk, and the momentum
yanked Marcus forward. His hold on her sleeve
broke as his forehead collided with the cross pole,
causing him to bounce backward and lose his
balance. He grasped the coats nearest, but they only
slipped from their hangers, and his
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