by Crissy Smith
A Total-E-Bound Publication
www.total-e-bound.com
Bid High
ISBN # 978-0-85715-133-9
©Copyright Crissy Smith 2010
Cover Art by Natalie Winters ©Copyright April 2010
Edited by Jess Bimberg
Total-E-Bound Publishing
This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photocopying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher, Total-E-Bound Publishing.
Applications should be addressed in the first instance, in writing, to Total-E-Bound Publishing. Unauthorised or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.
The author and illustrator have asserted their respective rights under the Copyright Designs and Patents Acts 1988 (as amended) to be identified as the author of this book and illustrator of the artwork.
Published in 2010 by Total-E-Bound Publishing, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln, LN6 7FL, United Kingdom
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Warning: This book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers. This story has been rated Total-e-burning.
BID HIGH
Crissy Smith
Dedication
Love is not always conventional, and here is to all who celebrate and accept that fact.
Chapter One
“You didn’t!” Amber Wilson was shocked. In disbelief, she stared at her two best friends.
Trish nodded. “I did!”
Jessica laughed with Trish. “It wasn’t easy either. The auction has been sold out for months.”
“I’m not going!” Amber argued. They really expected her to go to an auction, bid on a stranger and have sex with him? Her best friends should know her better than that.
“You’re going,” Trish told her sternly. Then Amber watched with horror as Trish took the tickets from her purse.
Amber tried a different angle. “You can’t afford those!” She was not going.
“Actually I didn’t. They were…a gift. And you two are my dates.”
Jessica stirred her coffee. “We don’t need dates. We buy them there.” She giggled.
Taking a drink of her coffee, Amber tried to come up with another excuse. “I can’t afford the men there.”
Her two friends exchanged amused smiles. “It’s for charity. A very good charity. And we all know you’re loaded anyway.”
Amber sighed, knowing no excuse would be good enough. “I’d be so embarrassed.”
Reaching out a hand, Jessica patted her arm. “We’ll be there for support. I’m sorry we had to do it this way but you need to get out there again.”
“It’s been three years, honey,” Trish added.
“I know how long it’s been,” she snapped, not wanting to dwell too much on why it had been three years. “And it’s not that I’m not ready, I just haven’t met anyone I find…interesting.”
“Maybe Friday night you will,” Trish pointed out gently.
Amber knew she was lucky to have such good friends. They’d been friends since college and had witnessed her meltdown after Dan. Just the thought of that man had Amber’s stomach turning. They had been together five years, and just eight weeks from getting married, when she’d found out he was with her because of a deal with her father. Marrying her would have given him control of her father’s company. If that hadn’t been bad enough, he’d been running around on her. And it seemed everyone had known but her.
Shaking those horrid thoughts from her mind, Amber gave serious thought about her current situation. She knew what happened at the auctions. Her friends had been telling her stories for years. She just couldn’t see herself doing it.
“I don’t know,” she finally said, knowing she was giving in. There had never been any chance she wouldn’t go. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. She didn’t have to bid. She could just enjoy a night out with the girls. That didn’t sound too terrible once she really thought about it.
“Don’t worry,” Jessica encouraged. “We’ll be there with you.”
Amber didn’t feel better. Her friends could get crazy.
Looking around her bookstore, Amber tried to see herself being as outrageous as they were. She’d never been one to party or have one-night stands.
She liked books. The fictional characters knew how to live and love. Lost in a book, she could be anyone—the seductive co-ed, the naughty librarian, the sexy secretary—but in real life, she was just Amber.
“Say yes,” Trish pleaded, and Amber felt the first stirrings of excitement.
Hadn’t she been complaining that she was bored? That she wanted something more than going home at night, alone? Well, this was her chance. She could check out the auction. It didn’t mean she had to bid.
“I’ll go.”
“And bid,” Trish finished for her.
“I’ve got to get to work.” Jessica said, glancing at her watch and standing.
Trish also looked at her watch and groaned. “Me too. Maybe today someone will rob the bank and give me some excitement.”
Amber laughed. That’s what she loved about her friends. They were never boring. And under the humour, they had hearts of gold.
Picking up the empty mugs, Amber walked over to the sink hidden off to the side away from customers and set them inside. “I don’t know what to wear.” Friday was only four days away.
“We’ll go shopping!” Jessica squealed.
Amber cringed. Shopping with Jessica always took hours.
“Tonight! We’ll meet here after work,” Jessica continued, not noticing her reaction.
Amber looked over at Trish who only shrugged. “Fine. If I’m going to do this, I might as well do it right.”
“You won’t be sorry,” Jessica told her before kissing her cheek and heading for the door.
Trish waited until Jessica left before speaking. “You really won’t. This is going to be great. The Bachelor Auction is always the biggest fundraiser of the year.”
“Yeah, well, I’ll probably end up with an accountant who talks about stuff I don’t have a clue about all night.”
Trish smiled back at her. “I can promise you that is not going to happen.” She picked up the tickets from the table. “I’ll just hold on to these to make sure they’re safe.”
Amber laughed. Trish was always one step in front of her.
“See you tonight. We’ll get you the sexiest dress they have.” Trish winked. “You’ll see.”
Amber wasn’t so sure, but she didn’t really have much choice. Her friends had gone through a lot of trouble for her.
Amber was still thinking about the auction when the bell on her front door jingled two hours later. She looked up and almost bit her tongue.
Dear Lord! Thomas Baldwin. The six-foot-two hunk of man smiled as he approached.
“Ms. Wilson,” he greeted with that sexy and low voice that made her panties wet.
“Mr. Baldwin, what a surprise,” Amber replied then wanted to kick herself. She sounded so stupid. He was her landlord; he could come by anytime. He often dropped by to share a cup of coffee or pick up a book. In the last few months, he’d been in at least once a week.
He continued to smile and nodded. “Sorry to interrupt your day, but I wanted to let you know that we’re having a problem with the water line in the alley.”
“Oh,” she replied stupidly. Damn, she wished she could think of something else to say. Anything else.
“The alley will probably be blocked for
most of the day. I hope that’s okay,” he said.
“Of course. No…no problem,” Amber stumbled over her words. She took several deep breaths and tried to gain her composure. She was a single adult woman. She should be able to talk to an attractive man.
“Great. I have two crews working to take care of it, to ensure we don’t inconvenience you too badly.”
“No inconvenience, Mr. Baldwin. I don’t have a delivery until Thursday so I won’t be using the alley,” she hurriedly assured him.
He nodded again and they stood in silence. Amber tried to think of something to say, but her mind was blank. He leaned a hip against the counter, confidence radiating from him.
Amber couldn’t help but admire the suit he wore. Dark grey material fit perfectly on his broad shoulders, the pants showed off his muscular thighs and a bright white button down shirt spread wide over his chest. Her father wore suits like it, but he never looked as good as Thomas did. Each time he visited her store, he was always dressed professionally. She wondered what he would look like in jeans or maybe naked. Yes, naked and sprawled on her bed while she dragged her tongue up and down…
Realising she was staring at him and neither was speaking, Amber looked up. He was watching her and she could feel a blush stain her cheeks.
What must he think? Her staring at him like some schoolgirl. Rubbing her damp hands on her pants, she offered a tentative smile. “Can I get you a cup of coffee, Mr. Baldwin?”
He shook his head. “I should go. I only wanted to explain about the alley.”
Amber tried to hide the disappointment. “All right. Well, thank you for telling me.” Amber stayed where she was, waiting for him to leave.
He opened his mouth but then firmly closed it again without speaking. Nodding once, he turned to leave.
Amber felt the unbelievable urge to call out to him. To get him to stay and have a cup of coffee or anything to keep him in her presence longer.
But she didn’t. Coward she was, she only watched him walk away, eyes on his fine rear end.
He stopped at the door and Amber raised her gaze to meet his. Amusement was evident in his eyes. Before he could reach for the doorknob, the door opened. Amber was surprised when he remained where he was instead of stepping aside and letting whoever was at the door enter.
When he started to speak in a hushed voice, she strained to hear. Unable to make out the words or see who was there, she waited. Disappointment swept through her when Thomas followed the other person out the door.
For a moment, she had thought, and hoped, it was Thomas’s business partner Jake Grant.
Jake was another male who made Amber wish she was the type of woman who chased after men. He was just as tall as Thomas but had longer hair and wild blue eyes. He had ‘bad boy’ written all over him. She’d never been attracted to the bad boy type but Jake had something about him that had Amber’s body aching for release.
Amber fantasised about him as much as Thomas. The two men owned every wet dream she had these days. She’d seen them several months before in a restaurant and the looks that they sent back and forth over the table had made her hot enough that she’d used her vibrator that night until she’d ran the batteries down.
She’d often wondered what exactly their relationship was. Was it more than business? While it would be a shame for every woman alive if the two of them were an item romantically, she also though it would be hot as hell!
The night she’d seen them eating dinner they’d come over to the table she and Trish had been at. They’d even joined them for an after-dinner drink.
Amber hadn’t felt as comfortable with anyone as she’d been with them that night. It might have been the wine or the fact that Trish had been there to run interference if she made some stupid comment, but Amber had enjoyed the two men’s company.
The fantasies had started that night and had continued until she was almost so desperate for them that she couldn’t stand to be alone in the same room.
It was also after that that both Thomas and Jake had become regular customers. While Thomas enjoyed true crime novels like Amber, Jake was all about fiction. Heavy on action and suspense. Their choices of books matched what she thought about them. And she thought about them often.
Lifting her hair off her neck, she used her free hand to fan herself. She had customers who would arrive soon and they didn’t need to see her all hot and bothered.
Chapter Two
Amber stood in front of her full-length mirror. What had she been thinking when she let Jessica talk her into this dress? She’d never owned anything so revealing before. She hardly recognised herself.
The dress was one of the most beautiful she’d ever seen. The silk green garment went all the way to the floor, had little thin straps and a bare back. She couldn’t wear a bra in it and had bought an itsy bitsy g-string for underneath. The black heels she’d bought ensured she’d break her neck before the night was through.
She’d curled her long brown hair and left it to cascade over her shoulders. Her minimal make-up was just enough to enhance her features. As she leant in to get a better look, she stared at a stranger.
Though she had to admit she looked good, great even. She looked like a confident woman who always got what she wanted. Turning to see from every direction, she wondered if she could pull this off. For one night, could she set her inhibitions aside and just have fun? She wasn’t sure she could, but she was going to try.
A car horn honked and she smiled at her reflection. “Time to go,” she whispered
Trish and Jessica oohed and aahed as Amber got in the car. Amber appreciated them but could tell they were slightly surprised by her appearance as well. The entire drive to the hotel where the auction was being held Jessica kept glancing at the rear view mirror with a huge smile.
Amber looked out the window as they pulled up to the valet of the hotel. The Crest Fall Hotel was the best in the city. One she’d never stayed at but had heard wonderful reviews about. Of course the auction would be held here. Some of the men on the block were the richest and most powerful in the city.
Her stomach was filled with butterflies as she stepped from her car. Trish hooked arms with her and pulled her forward. They followed other elegantly dressed people until they reached the ballroom.
Trish let go of her arm and dug in her purse for the tickets. They were handed three paddles to bid with, told to have a good time and reminded the bid was for charity.
The ballroom was marvellous with round tables covered with white tablecloths. Candles and flowers were placed in the middle of the tables. Red and pink balloons and streamers were placed around the room attractively. The lights were on as everyone found their assigned tables.
Jessica grabbed champagne glasses from a passing waiter and handed them out. “Let’s find our table. I can’t wait to see where our seats are.”
Trish rolled her eyes but smiled.
Amber followed at a slower pace, taking in the whole experience. She’d never been to one of these fundraisers before. She usually just mailed a cheque for any charity she wished to help. This…this was all so much.
She noticed they were walking deep into the crowd and looked ahead for Jessica. Her friend had stopped at a table right in front of the stage.
“This can’t be our table,” Amber said, her voice low, when she reached her friend.
“It is,” Jessica responded, happily picking up her nametag. Amber looked down and saw her name.
“Just where did you get the tickets?” she asked Trish.
Trish just shrugged. “I told you they were a gift.”
Amber narrowed her eyes at her friend, but Trish just took a sip of her champagne and smiled.
Amber sighed and took her seat. It didn’t look like she was going to get more than that from her friend. Jessica and Trish took seats on either side of her. Amber tasted her drink for the first time. It was chilled and went down like liquid gold—the good stuff.
She almost laughed at the though
t. Of course it was. She’d seen the mayor’s wife here. As well as many other women who were just as notable. Feelings of not belonging with this crowd made her nervous. Even growing up with a lot of these women, Amber felt like an outsider.
“You brought your chequebook, right?” Jessica asked, elbowing her.
Amber nodded and drank more of her champagne.
“I have a feeling tonight,” Jessica whispered.
“Yeah me too.” Amber responded lowly. Only Amber was sure her feeling wasn’t as good as her friends.
The lights flickered, signalling everyone to take their seats. Jessica motioned to the waiter for more drinks. Amber gratefully finished hers and exchanged it for a new one. At least there was good booze.
The auction started with a welcome from the mayor’s wife and a speech from a board member of the children’s hospital that would benefit from the auction.
Both women told the crowd to bid big. It was for the children, after all.
Jessica was downright excited as the bidding got under way. She bid on the first two bachelors, not winning either one.
“I think you’re going to have to go higher if you want to win,” Amber commented dryly.
Jessica threw her head back and laughed. “Oh dear, this is just practice. I’ll get my man by the end of the night.”
Amber laughed and looked over at Trish. Trish just waved her paddle at them. “I’m saving myself for the right man.”
Surprised she was having fun, Amber settled in to be entertained. The next two bachelors went for even higher prices and had both Jessica and Trish bidding. The three friends laughed when Trish was outbid at the last minute.
Jessica kept the waiter close by, and with her fourth glass, Amber was getting in the spirit. She bid a couple of of times but her friends wouldn’t let her go higher.
“I thought I was supposed to win!” Amber teased.