Romance Me (Boxed Set)

by Susan Hatler

  One of the bachelors, looking as worried as a steer off to slaughter, bumped into Peach/Nectar/Alfalfa and she went off-balance, grabbing his arm to hold herself steady, and gazed adoringly up at him. Fame brought money, which he needed, but it also brought fans who sometimes crossed the line. He carefully removed her hand from his bicep and pulled back enough to let her know she’d crossed too far into his space.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “The music must be too loud—what did you say?”

  “It’s going great,” she exclaimed. “We just auctioned off the Fire Chief for $700. We expect you to bring in around $1,000. I told you you’re our showstopper—even my grandma came out to bid on you!”

  To Ethan’s amazement, she’d actually squeaked as she said the word “grandma.” An intense wave of relief washed over him when Theo stood up, cupped the volunteer’s elbow in his palm, whispered something in her ear, and motioned her away from Ethan. Obviously disappointed, she blew Ethan a kiss and ducked out behind the curtain.

  “I don’t usually drink much, but damn, I could use another bourbon,” Ethan said.

  Theo handed Ethan his own cocktail glass, full of clear liquor and three olives. “Here, you can have my drink. It’s a dirty martini, to match my dirty mind.” He nodded his head in the direction of the disappearing volunteer. “Cute, but I was pretty sure she wasn’t your type. I told her I’d get her your autograph later.”

  “Gee, thanks. My savior,” Ethan said dryly. He plucked an olive out of the drink and ate it, then immediately wanted another when his stomach growled.

  “What are you doing after the auction…gonna stick around to see Sadie?” Theo asked, eyeing the martini he’d handed Ethan.

  As much as he’d like to see Sadie again, she’d have to wait—he wanted to talk to the blonde first. He immediately regretted the thought. Tonight was supposed to be about supporting Sadie, after all. Besides, if he did meet the blonde, he’d have Sadie to thank.

  “I’ll make sure I say hello,” he answered. “By the way, your sister can be quite the persuader. Has anyone ever told her no?”

  Theo shook his head. “She has the tenacity of a bull when it comes to running the festival. I’ve never seen her so determined to make something work. I always knew she had it in her…it just took Sadie a while to find her own way.”

  Hungrily, Ethan pulled out another olive from the cocktail glass.

  “Didn’t you eat?” Theo asked.

  “Nope.” Ethan washed down the brine with more vodka. “After Sadie canceled dinner, I didn’t want to attract attention eating on my own in my penguin outfit”—he gestured to his tuxedo—“so I ate a few peanuts left from my flight and walked over here from my B&B.”

  Sadie had texted earlier, her words sounding stressed, letting him know she was running late and couldn’t join him for dinner as planned. It had been years since he’d seen Theo’s little sister, and he’d been disappointed to miss her before the auction. They’d had fun over the phone the last two months as she’d tried to convince him to be one of the bachelors for her fundraiser. He’d teased her, drawing his acquiescence out over the weeks. He’d agreed to meet her after the auction, although in hindsight, maybe he should have gone out without her. The peanuts had been long gone for a couple of hours now, and his hunger pains were growing. “Are you sure the food’s all gone?”

  “Stop whining. You’ve had about eight olives,” Theo said.

  Eight olives didn’t really count as food. At least, not according to his stomach. “Fine. How about another, then?” he asked, handing the now-empty martini glass to Theo.

  “We don’t have time.” Theo flashed his gaze upward to the stage entrance where another of the volunteers frantically waved in their direction. “I’m up next.”

  Ethan slumped. “No food, no cocktails, and my friend is abandoning me to willingly be a sex slave. Life sucks.” At Theo’s laugh, Ethan shoved him, just like old times.

  Theo punched him back in the arm, hard. Ethan started to flex his bicep in a show of false prowess, but hearing Theo’s name announced, he instead pulled the curtain back and shoved his friend on stage, taking long enough to scan the crowd, looking for the blonde.

  This time he found her. She stood, tall and elegant, in the middle of what could be described as either a single man’s heaven or a single man’s hell, a martini glass in one hand and an auction paddle in the other.

  He saw her look to the wings where he was standing. Their gazes connected. A strange throbbing sensation worked its way through his body, slowly at first, starting at his feet and fingers and then gathering speed on its way to his belly.

  A warm smile formed across her face. Her eyes opened wide and suddenly she was looking at him hungrily, with naked, blatant desire written all over her face. He thought he’d been hit hard by her beauty before, but now he felt like he’d been run over by a tank. The girl wasn’t simply beautiful, she was radiant, ethereal, sensual, sexy…desirable. And all woman.

  He wanted her. Without a doubt, he wanted her.

  “Win me,” he whispered. “Win me.”

  ***

  Sadie couldn’t stop smiling. Oh. My. God. It was a whisper, a prayer, coming from someplace deep. There Ethan stood, in all his gorgeous glory, a bit broader in the shoulders but otherwise just the same as twelve years ago. His black hair still had those delightful curls he used to twirl around his fingers. His nose was even the same, with the slight bend to the left caused by Theo’s elbow breaking it during a particularly lame skateboard stunt. His eyes, that hauntingly beautiful hue of deep green, had found contact with hers.

  It wasn’t just that her heart was racing or that her mouth was dry. No, this was more like having completed a sprint in the Olympics with a roll of paper towels shoved in her mouth. Heat flashed over her, along with tingles from the tips of her toes to the top of her head. The visceral reaction of her body shook her.

  With a start, she realized she’d been staring, slack-jawed, like a little kid with her eyes glued to a triple-decker ice-cream cone. Ethan’s eyes still maintained contact with hers. He mouthed something at her, but a hand shot out and pulled the curtain back.

  Damn those efficient volunteers. Having a well-organized staff meant she didn’t have to run around managing the evening and could enjoy the auction, but did they have to be so frigging proficient?

  What was that he’d tried to say to her? Win me? Had he asked her to bid on him? He certainly had been happy to see her, she could tell by his smile. Maybe he just wanted her to save him from Liz. However, standing there with her jaw on the ground wouldn’t get her anywhere.

  “C’mon, you all, let’s move closer to the stage.” Sadie handed her empty martini glass to a costumed volunteer. She grabbed Chessie by the elbow and Lia by the hand and shouldered her way to the front of the stage. In the orchestra pit, she found herself blocked by a throng of young women forming a solid barricade before her.

  Unable to get closer to the stage, she stood firm, not willing to give up her hard-earned position. With quick eyes she scanned the crowd, looking for her nemesis—Liz.

  There, in the front row, with her fake boobs smack-up against the stage, stood the very woman she dreaded seeing. Sadie watched as Liz tucked a naturally silky straight strand of deep red hair neatly behind her tiny ear and flashed a smile at the auctioneer, her straight white teeth shining like beacons.

  “That’s what wearing your retainer gets you, straight teeth that stay that way,” she mumbled under her breath, running her tongue over her crooked top incisor. “It looks like Liz is determined to get Ethan back,” she murmured in Lia’s ear.

  “That’s not going to make him happy,” Lia said. “You are going to bid on him, aren’t you? Please don’t let Liz win my brother.”

  “Hell yes!” Sadie snapped out. Liz wasn’t going to push her away from Ethan again—and certainly not tonight. Not after being away from him for twelve years, fantasizing about him each and every night. And not after all the w
ork she’d done to make this night a reality; bringing Ethan to her, in person. No way would she let Liz win.

  “Are we ready for our final bachelor?” The emcee’s voice cut through the crowd, enhanced by a microphone and several strategically placed amplifiers.

  In an instant, the sound of the crowd went from a dull roar to a volcanic eruption. Squeals, screams, and sighs all mixed in with cheers and catcalls as the auctioneer announced that Ethan would be the next and final bachelor. Sadie prayed she wouldn’t do something idiotic, like pass out, and raised her paddle high.

  ***

  Waiting in the wings for his turn to go on stage, Ethan sucked in a deep breath, steadying himself. The emcee summed up his life in a few succinct sentences: Ethan Sawyer had moved to Meadowview in the California foothills at thirteen, graduated top of his class at Harvard, starred in several Broadway productions, now a New York director…local boy done good, the way Sadie had billed him.

  When summoned, Ethan blew out the breath he’d been holding and walked as nonchalantly as he could to the middle of the stage. He put one hand in his trouser pocket and flipped his tuxedo jacket over his upstage shoulder.

  What the announcer wasn’t saying was what a tough childhood he and Lia had lived through, how he’d had to raise Lia when their mother died, what a vicious drunk their father had been, and how, despite his fame and money, he still felt the weight of perpetual guilt for not doing more for his sister.

  The auctioneer opened up with a bid for $250; immediately, a throng of women in front of him waved their auction paddles and shrieked. He turned and paced down one end of the stage, treating it like a catwalk, shifting into a pose. If he was going to do this, put himself out there so publicly for Sadie, then he’d at least do it right.

  Bidding shot quickly to $500. A flurry of activity between five bidders kept the auctioneer busy until the amount reached $1,000. Just two bidders were left, and then the bid was up to $1,500.

  Forgoing all ceremony, Ethan stopped in the middle of the stage and looked out into the audience to find the two remaining bidders. The bright stage lights blinded him, and the vapors from the dry ice swirling throughout the auditorium did nothing to help his view.

  “Damn,” he muttered under his breath. Liz, right at the edge of the stage, practically licking her lips and purring, waved her paddle hard and high and smiled at him like a vixen.

  Ethan sighed. Liz would want more than dinner, drinks, and an escort to a play, as the auction had promised. If she won him, she’d hang on tight, demanding a ring, marriage, children. Probably even a golden retriever. God, he hated those dogs.

  He turned to look at the other bidder but couldn’t see beyond the first row of women. A few steps forward brought him to the edge of the stage. He wanted—no, needed—to see if it was her, the blonde. The spotlight blinded him. He shielded his eyes from the light and looked again.

  Oh, dear God, he thought. I’ve died and gone to heaven.

  It was her, the blonde bombshell. She smiled a vaguely familiar smile, radiating heat and desire, right to him.

  “Win me,” he whispered under his breath, repeating his earlier mantra. “Win me.”

  Someone in the back called out a two thousand dollar bid. The blonde glared, then turned to look at the new bidder. Even through the haze he could see that her dress tied behind her neck, leaving her back completely exposed, black silk gliding over narrow hips and a hard, tight rear. An image of his hands sliding down that bare back, dipping lower, leaped into his mind. He imagined his hands untying the dress. He gave himself a mental kick. He’d better not be imagining her naked, not with him standing there on the stage, for all Meadowview to see. If he did, he’d have one heck of an obvious reaction.

  Liz bid again. The blonde stomped her foot, a pissed-off expression written all over her face. Better not get on the wrong side of that one. He grinned.

  Waving her auction paddle frantically to get the auctioneer’s attention, the blonde shouted, “Ten thousand dollars!”

  The crowd quieted and a thrill went up Ethan’s spine. Damn, she wanted him. For the small town of Meadowview, that was a shitload of money. The auctioneer stepped forward and asked the blonde if she was sure. She looked as if she felt perplexed by what she’d just done, but nodded.

  Ethan waited, wondering what would come next.

  “Going once,” the auctioneer barked out. The crowd remained quiet, a collective breath-holding session.

  “Going twice.”

  Ethan breathed in slowly, clenched his fist around his jacket, and glued his gaze on the blonde, willing everyone else to be silent.

  “Sold! To number sixty-five: a date with Ethan Sawyer for ten thousand dollars!”

  When the gavel pounded, the crowd went wild with cheering, whistling, and catcalls. Ethan held the blonde’s penetrating gaze. She beamed at him, a crooked top incisor added cute to sexy. Ethan beckoned her to wait for him to walk offstage to meet her.

  The enthusiastic crowd made it difficult for him to make his way toward his buyer. People stopped him to shake his hand or grab him for an unwanted hug. Even Mrs. Gregson, the elderly librarian from his youth, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. After squeezing past two rather excited women, he found himself standing in front of the woman who had paid such big bucks for one date with him. His sister and Chessie both had their arms wrapped around the gorgeous blonde’s back, smiles on their faces.

  She shot him a dazzling smile, white teeth against pink lips, luminescent skin draped in black silk, her hair flowing smooth and straight like a river of gold trickling down over her shoulders and between her full, high breasts.

  His heart skipped a beat and thrills shot through his body, reaching into his belly. Almost absently, he draped an arm over his sister’s shoulder. “Lia,” he said, tipping his head low. “Why don’t you introduce me to your friend?”

  Shocked silence followed. A look of horror slowly replaced the smile on the blonde’s face. Ethan slid his arm off Lia’s shoulders and backed up a step—two seconds ago the blonde had looked like she wanted to eat him alive, willingly. His gaze slid to his sister, who was glaring at him with intensity. Shooting a quick glance to Chessie, he could see that even her face had gone white with anger.

  What the hell?

  “What’s wrong?” he asked. “What did I do?”

  Chapter Three

  Sadie stood in stunned silence. Ethan didn’t recognize her. He didn’t even know it was her—Sadie.

  That look they’d shared earlier tonight—he’d given it to a stranger, not to her. Had she been that different twelve years ago? Sure, she’d shot up a few inches and had grown boobs, wore contacts and had straight hair now, but how could he have not recognized her at all? Suddenly she felt like she was twelve years old again—gawky, frizzy, buck-toothed, and invisible.

  Ethan took a step forward, his hand still outstretched to meet hers, a perplexed look on his face. She took a step backward. Her heart clenched and she felt her face go red.

  She should be proud that she’d grown up to be the kind of woman who’d catch Ethan Sawyer’s eye. Heck. Wasn’t that what she was going for when she’d dressed earlier this evening? Lord knows she never had caught his attention before. But instead, emotional pain now tore through her body. He hadn’t recognized her—to him, she wasn’t even Sadie. This wasn’t the reunion she’d expected, had hoped for, had dreamed of for years. He didn’t even know her.

  “I…I need to check on the volunteers. Make sure everyone’s getting the financial billings correct,” she said, completely lying. Feeling tears well up, she turned on her stiletto heels and began to push her way through the crowd. She had to get out of there before she started bawling. Behind her, she could hear Lia and Chessie berate Ethan, then his voice carried through the crowd as he called her name.

  It didn’t matter anymore. All the expectations she’d had for this night had been ruined. Whatever she’d hoped to have come out of seeing Ethan again no longer mattered.
She just wanted to go home and cry it all out, like old times.

  Blinded by tears, she shouldered her way through the crowd, choking out numerous apologies as she elbowed people out of her way. The heavy scent of perfume and stale bodies gagged her. She needed air.

  One of the winning bidders excitedly pushed past her and flung open the emergency exit door. Sadie dashed through it, grateful to escape the crowd and for the cool rush of air on her face. Like a drowning woman, she gulped down deep breaths of the night air.

  After stumbling down the steps, she stopped and stared, getting her bearings. Down the street, she could see that her car—her escape to safety—was blocked off by a tow truck. Her back went ramrod straight. A mechanic stood in the street, untangling jumper cables. Someone’s battery had died. Sadie groaned. Waiting for the road to become unblocked was simply not an option. She had to leave, and now.

  Home wasn’t far. In fact, she often walked to work, or jogged into town to grab a latte or the morning paper. No reason she couldn’t do so tonight. Decision made, she tugged off her heels, hoping the streets were clean of broken glass. The pavement of the parking lot was warm and wet under her bare feet and she hit the ground running, crossing the parking lot. In seconds, she’d reached the grassy path that followed a meandering creek through town.

  Her lungs burned, but at least the soft grass kept her feet from bruising. She had often jogged on this path but had never imagined a barefoot run through her hometown in the middle of the night. Never thought she’d be running away from her dream.

  No—her nightmare.

  Ethan not recognizing her had to be the worst living nightmare she’d ever experienced.

  A half mile later, she reached her driveway and slowed to a walk, hampered by a stitch in her side. Ahead, a light glowed on the porch of the Courant family home. A few years ago, her parents had retired from running their philanthropic organization, the Courant Foundation, and had bequeathed the family home to her. Theo had received the townhouse in San Francisco. Sadie had been eager to take over the reins of the Modern Playwright’s Festival and return to her hometown to build her career as the managing director. Although now, she wasn’t so sure coming back to Meadowview had been the right idea. Maybe she should have joined the Peace Corp after college and hidden herself away somewhere in the Amazon, digging wells. Anything other than being humiliated by Ethan Sawyer.