by Amy Brent
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
EPILOGUE
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Table of Contents
Auctioned on Valentine's Day
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
EPILOGUE
Club Desire
Pretend Daddy
Teachers’ Pet
Exclusive Romance - Booty Call
My Best Friend’s Brother
EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK – Knocked Up on Valentine’s Day
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Copyright © 2018 Amy Brent – All Rights Reserved
Auctioned on Valentine’s Day
A Second Chance Stepbrother Romance
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CHAPTER ONE
Sebastian
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked my best friend Donovan, taking a seat at the bar as I nodded to the bartender.
“Come on, Bast. You’ve had enough women that it’s been a while since you broke one in. This auction is perfect for us. We drop some cash for charity-not a problem for us-and have a night with a girl that’s never been with anyone.” He grinned and sipped his beer with a sparkle in his green eyes. “It’s a win-win.”
“We don’t need to do that.” We were equally attractive men living in New York. He was the lighter of the two of us with sandy blonde hair, tan skin, and eyes that women swore reminded them of emeralds. I was the taller of us with dark hair and dark blue eyes that seemed to make women drop their panties at any time that I hinted to it. We both worked out several times a week and were in excellent shape. We had no issues with women and thinking back, I had no idea how many I’d slept with at this point.
“Of course not. I just think it would be fun to go have a drink and check out some women that we owe nothing to. We pay, and they fuck without the title of prostitution. It’s taboo and exciting and all for charity. That can be a tax write off, right?”
“Jesus fucking Christ. You’re insane Van.” I laughed as the pretty bartender slipped my beer across the wood to me with a slight blush to her cheeks. I couldn’t remember if I’d had her before, but this was a new bar, closer to Donovan’s new job as an attorney at one of the top firms in the city. I met them everywhere. “When is it?”
“Valentine’s Day,” he replied as I nearly choked on my drink.
“Are you shitting me? That’s a hell of a night to give something like that up,” I chuckled as I considered the idea. It wasn’t like we had anything regular that involved flowers and dinner. I stayed as far away from that as possible since I was only twenty-five. I worked at one of the best ad companies in the world and had my whole life ahead of me. I was already right from a trust fund that my late grandfather left me when he died some years ago. The job only put me into the billionaire category, but I loved a good challenge. “Do you think it’s a sure thing?”
“It’s not being advertised as such but sure. You’re bidding on a date and what else would that be? They fuck on TV all the time without actually showing it.” He shrugged casually, and I laughed. “It’s just different and we have the money.” Donovan was a trust fund baby as well. I was pretty sure we were head-to-head on what we were worth, as well as two of the hottest bachelors in New York. He had a point. “Maybe they just want to get it over with. They’re legal, right?”
“I hope so.” We both laughed and started talking about our upcoming seats at a hockey game as I kept considering the auction. We had access to seats at any every that we wanted to attend since my father was the head of a record company here in New York. That job came with a lot of perks and Crane Industries enjoyed all of them, along with their families. My sister Lola and I had been to countless games, concerts and Broadway plays over the years. We’d traveled all over the world with our parents. I considered myself very lucky. I killed a few hours with Donovan before he headed out with a statuesque blonde woman. I’d noticed a pretty hot brunette across the bar making eyes at me, but I had an early day at the office tomorrow. I worked weekends a lot since it made the money and I always wanted more. I didn’t set limits on myself. I handed the bartender a few bills with a wink and headed out of the front door onto the busy sidewalk of Manhattan.
I could call my driver and have him pick me up, given that my brownstone was several blocks away. There was a nice Spring breeze out that I should take advantage of for at least part of the way. I turned left and headed down the block as my day played through my mind. Everything was normal apart from the idea of the auction in a week. I thought that Donovan was crazy for bringing it up at all, but it might be fun.
By the end of the weekend, Donovan had us registered for the auction. The girls were anonymous and anything they told us was up to them. I was bachelor number ten, but I was certain I’d be recognized by someone. That happened daily.
I ended up walking all the way home, ignoring a lot of texts and calls on my phone. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. I spent a lot of time partying and charming the crowd around me as they virtually dropped to my feet. I needed to decompress tonight, have a beer, and just relax in my large apartment. I walked up the steps to my lobby and greeted the doorman as he nodded at me. Then I headed to the steps to go to my spread out three-bedroom apartment that only shared the second floor with three other places. It offered a great view of the park and was luxurious. It was too big for a single man but fuck it. I had the money.
I grabbed a beer from the fridge and dropped my light jacket over the dining room chair before dropping to the couch. I turned on the massive flat screen on the wall, finding some scores as I tugged my phone out of the pocket of my slacks. There were several texts from some of my past hookups that I was foolish enough to give my number to after too many drinks, all of whom I ignored. There was nothing from Donovan, but I knew he was busy. I’d hear from him tomorrow. I dropped the phone beside me and reached for my laptop to check out the auction site.
I read it and smirked at the way they kept sex out of the description. It was advertised as a fun event to raise money for battered women and children, which I couldn’t argue with. That was a charity that needed donations, making me think of my aunt. She had an abusive boyfriend for a few years and my mom struggled to help her, offering her money and a place to stay. It finally helped, and I blinked as I kept reading. I saw how much it cost to register and some events that were supposed to happen, but it was a vague description.
I woke up in the early morning on the couch,
rubbing my eyes. It was Saturday, and I had no plans since I was taking the day off for a change. I drank a few more beers that usual along with shots and even though I was young, it took a lot out of me. I rose and headed to bed, glancing at the clock above the stove to see that it was just past five. I needed to get some more sleep.
I heard from Dad later that day. He was living in Boston with his new wife that I hadn’t had the chance to meet yet. I worked a lot, and it was an impromptu ceremony while they vacationed somewhere tropical. I didn’t know too much about the woman apart from the fact that she didn’t come from money and she wasn’t Mom. My mom died when I was fifteen and the loss still hurt every day. I didn’t hold it against my father that he chose to date after her death nor was I eager to meet any of them. I suppose there was a thin layer of resentment for him, but I tried to keep a relationship. He was all that I had. We planned on my visiting for a weekend in two weeks to meet his new family and killed the call before Donovan called me. He told me all about the woman from the night before and mentioned that she had a friend that she was bringing along tonight to another bar.
I agreed to meet them at ten and ended that call to take a shower and run some errands on a rare Saturday off. It didn’t feel natural but also not bad. I enjoyed a late lunch and some time in the city before heading back home to watch a hockey game and get ready for the club.
CHAPTER TWO
Emery
“You did it.” Mollie told me as she sat across from me at the deli. “You signed up for the auction!”
“Yeah,” I told her, tucking a loose honey colored curl behind my ear. “Did I do the right thing?”
“Of course. It is a great cause, Em.” Her smile was bright and assured me of my choice and I blushed. I was the only twenty-two-year-old woman that was still a virgin in New York, if not the world. I knew that in part that was because my only serious boyfriend had been an abusive asshole that tried to force me into that choice. I wasn’t ready, and we were only four months into the relationship. I fought him off and told him to leave me the fuck alone. That was six months ago, and I was ready to be free of my virginity and when Mollie mentioned the auction, it struck home with me. It was a cause for battered women and children and I’d rather give it up for that then for some guy that I met in a bar. “It will be okay. These guys are trillionaires and probably gorgeous. You don’t technically have to have sex, you know that. I am sure they’ll take you out for a good dinner and maybe dancing. How often does any of the guys that we meet here do that? It will be fun.”
“Yeah, sure. The auction advertises virgins in vague terms, Mollie.” I smiled ruefully and reached for my diet coke. I was struggling with twenty pounds that I could not get rid of, give or take. I knew the drink helped but the fries that I’d ordered with my cheeseburger probably didn’t. “Do you think anyone will want me?”
“Fuck Ned for making you think that you’re not enough. You are gorgeous, Emery.” Her blue eyes narrowed angrily as I rested my chin in my hands. “Not everyone is stick thin and they’re not meant to be. If a guy wants that, he’s an asshole.”
“They will see me before they choose. There is that.” The auction was providing us with large masquerade masks in colors matching our dresses to give the bidders an idea of what we were like without revealing our faces right away. We were all going to be a number until it came time to meet the bachelor, at which point it was up to me to tell him what I wanted. I wasn’t too worried because New York was a huge city and I was moving to Massachusetts in a couple of weeks.
“They will all want you. You’ll bring in the most money of all the ten girls and the rich boy will rock your world. Just wait.” Mollie reached for a fry, chewing it as she watched me closely. I knew that she was telling me to eat the cooling food with that strong look and I gave in. “Eat. We’ll go to yoga this week and you’ll feel better.”
I knew that I needed a violet dress for the auction. They got pictures of all of us and decided what complimented us the most. It was my decision how skimpy it was, but they strongly suggested that it be a sexy frock. Mollie was looking forward to going with me and we left the diner and headed to some stores with my credit card in hand. I didn’t go to the most expensive stores because I was trying to save money until I started my job in two weeks. I hit some department stores and didn’t find anything, but Mollie suggested a store that specialized in vintage clothing and we stepped inside to the sound of Amy Winehouse singing about going black. I hummed along as I glanced around and searched for my assigned color.
“Is violet only that one shade or does purple count?” I mused aloud as I saw something in the back. “They can’t be giving us similar colors, can they?”
“I wouldn’t think so.” Mollie replied as she headed right to the dress that I was looking at. The store was filled with gorgeous clothes and I looked around as I followed her, wondering if I could pull off this style. I worked in physical therapy right now and mostly wore leggings and random shirts. I knew that my style was stale. “Look at this.” Mollie held up the dress, and I took in the thin straps and fitted bodice that ended with a flirty skirt that would swing around my thick thighs.
“What size is it?” I asked softly, not wanting to love it yet. Mollie glanced at the tag in the back and grinned as she held it out to me. I squealed and hurried to the dressing room to slip it on, padding out barefoot to show Mollie. It was tight but in a good way, showing off my curves as I spun around and looked in the mirror.
“That is so hot. It fits so well and the skirt dances around your legs. It’s so violet, too.” She clapped her hands and smiled at me. “We need shoes. Accessories. I am going to book Linda for hair and makeup because she’s the best.”
“They’re doing all that,” I reminded Mollie shook her head, and I turned to change into my street clothes. I held the dress over my arm as I walked out into the store and asked if I could look around. Mollie carried the dress to the counter where the associate held it for me. I searched through racks, having a great time as I held onto some other clothes to try on. I shouldn’t do a big shopping trip and this place was far from thrifty, but I could make it up with my new job.
I left with a bag of clothes; including the dress, some shirts, and skirts. I was excited to wear them out once I figured that I’d go out with Mollie before I moved a few times and I’d settle into my new life within a few weeks. I would be okay.
We went to buy some shoes, and I chose some heels that had straps around the ankles. They were sleek and matched the fun dress to perfection. Mollie told me that she had a lot of jewelry at home that I could look at. She was a model and often got to keep a lot of the stuff from shoots on tops of the gifts that companies and fans sent her. We took a car to her Brooklyn apartment and went inside with some take out from the local Thai restaurant.
I sat down at her bistro table and opened the bag. Mollie dropped her cell to the table and went to get some waters for us before settling across from me. “So, we won’t know who the bidders are until the deal is made. Just like they won’t know who I am.” I said as I picked up my fork to stab a piece of chicken.
“Nope. It is anonymous until you decide how much you want to reveal. You’ll see one another and talk but just give him the info you want. You might just go right to a hotel.” I laughed and reached for my water.
“I doubt that. I have never done it to begin with, not to mention that it would have been a while if I had. It would be nice to want to erase the memory of Ned with some hot guy, but I think I’ll be too nervous.” I pressed my lips together and glanced at the bag of clothes with the dress bag draped over it.
“Just take it for what it is. Nothing needs to happen that you don’t want.”
“Yes.” I took another bite of my chicken and chewed slowly. I had a place around the corner near my current job, but I’d been friends with Mollie since elementary school. I slept over here more than I did my own place and we stayed up talking and watching movies. I hated the thought of movi
ng but I wanted to be closer to my mom. She’d left the city for good and since losing my dad ten years ago, I needed her. “I am going to miss you so much, Mol.”
“It’s not that far. We’ll travel back and forth and make the next few weeks count. I could always model there as well.” She smiled as we cleaned up and moved to the couch.
“You’d do that?” I asked as she shrugged.
“Models travel. It isn’t like I’d be moving to a small town.”
“Awww,” I said as I reached over to hug her. We made our way to the couch and turned on Hope Floats. Despite being city girls, we loved a cheesy small-town romance. We drank wine and talked about the auction, laughing about the crazy scenarios that could happen. We wondered about the other women and how there were possibly nine other women that were virgins. “Maybe they’re just saying that to get a rich guy. Is that possible? They don’t check or anything.” I sat up and stared at my blonde best friend, who was laughing into her hand.
“Do you want the full exam? I doubt it! Who cares if they are faking it? It all goes to a great cause.” She defended my statement, and I sank back into the cushions as I gripped my glass.
“You’re right. I’m just over thinking things. I suppose that’s normal.” I smiled as Sandra and Harry danced together, wishing it was all that simple. My mom found love, but he wasn’t my father. He was kind and had the cash to treat her like a queen, but I wasn’t as willing to take that. I was taking a job at one of his clinics, so I could be closer to mom. I was taking a small amount of cash from the auction since it was required but I wasn’t doing it for the money and they could never know. Mom would kill me, and Blake would be disgusted by it. I just needed this part of my life to be over, so I could move on.