Pregnant by the Maverick Millionaire by Joss Wood Page A

didn’t want the room to know they wanted to use a matchmaker.
    â€œFour.” Rory waved her paddle in the air.
    Four grand? Wow, not bad. The audience obviously loved the notion of being professionally set up.
    The bids climbed and Rory matched every one. As the bids went higher, Quinn’s face darkened. Oh, yeah, he knew exactly what she was up to. She was buying Brodie’s services to find Quinn a woman who would stick around for more than a nanosecond. She was playing with fire, Kade thought, but he couldn’t help admiring her moxie.
    â€œRory,” Quinn warned after her bid topped five thousand dollars.
    â€œQuinn,” Rory drawled and added another hundred dollars onto her bid.
    â€œYou can’t bid against yourself,” Quinn snapped.
    â€œI just did.” Rory’s face was alight with laughter. “Oh, I am so going to enjoy this, Rayne. And so will you. So, be a darling. Bang your gavel and tell me I’ve won.”
    Quinn looked at Mac. “Doesn’t she drive you crazy?”
    Mac dropped a kiss on Rory’s temple and smiled. “All the time.”
    Quinn smacked the gavel and told her she’d won the bid before pointing the gavel in her direction. “I won’t use it. You can’t blackmail me into doing this, Rory.”
    Rory placed her hand on her heart and batted her eyelashes in his direction. “Quinn, you wound me. I would never dare to set you up.” Kade, along with the rest of the guests, leaned forward in their chairs, eager to hear more. “You keep telling me you’re not ready for a relationship and I respect that. I do. Besides, wait your turn.”
    Huh? If this wasn’t for Quinn who was she setting up?
    â€œIt won’t be my turn. Ever .” Quinn looked relieved and perplexed at the same time. “So then, pray tell, who is the sacrificial lamb to be led to slaughter?”
    Kade smiled at his description as Rory stood up and walked around the table to his side. Oh, crap, oh double crap, he thought as she placed a hand on his shoulder. Kade felt his teeth slam together.
    She wouldn’t dare. She wasn’t that brave.
    â€œWhy, who else but one of my favorite people in the whole world? I bought this for my very good friend, Kade Webb.” Rory sent Kade a huge smile. As if she could charm him into changing his mind about tossing her from the nearest balcony.
    â€œI just know Brodie will find Kade a stunning woman. I’m counting on her to find someone who’ll make him supremely happy.”
    Dammit, hell, crap.
    The room erupted into hoots of laughter and excited chatter. Dammit, hell, crap multiplied.
    Kade met Mac’s eyes and scowled when his friend raised his glass in a mocking toast. “Welcome to my crazy world, dude.”
    * * *
    Kade really liked his best friend’s fiancée and thought it wonderful they were having a baby, but his anger over her stunt hadn’t disappeared.
    What the hell was she thinking? Had she been thinking at all? He didn’t need anyone to find him a woman! And he certainly didn’t need his current lover to find him a new love!
    If he could get past Mac, he had very strong words for Rory. He didn’t allow anyone to play fast and loose with his life and he allowed no interference when it came to his sex life. Rory hadn’t just stepped over the line, she’d eradicated it.
    From his seat in his low-slung German sports car Kade stared at the still dark windows of Brodie’s apartment and ran a hand over his jaw. It had taken all his acting skills to breeze through the rest of the evening, to bat away the wisecracks, to laugh at the admittedly good-hearted banter. Well, everyone’s banter except his partners’ had been good-natured. Mac and Quinn had teased him mercilessly.
    For that they would pay...
    Kade was perfectly capable of finding his own woman and he didn’t want to be in a relationship. Damned women and