Wild for You (24 page)
Authors: Sophia Knightly
"I don't know, but Gabriela looks damn sexy tonight. Two thousand dollars!" Alex called out, upping the amount from a thousand.
"Quit bidding on her," Marcos muttered, raising his paddle when the auctioneer called for two thousand, five hundred.
"I can't help it. Who woulda known she was hiding a body like that? Those curves—"
"Knock it off. I need to win," Marcos retorted.
"Five thousand," another bidder called out.
Marcos' head swiveled around to find an older gentleman holding up his paddle with a determined look on his face.
"Who the hell is that?" Marcos asked Alex.
"Ruben Ball, self-made millionaire. He must want a piece of her, too."
"Well, he's not getting any. She's mine. I need her for the weekend."
Alex chuckled. "I don't blame you. Okay, I'm out. She's all yours."
Marcos lifted his card and raised the bid to ten thousand, ignoring the mocking grin on Alex's face as he concentrated on outbidding his other opponent.
"Ten thousand dollars," the auctioneer repeated. "Do I see ten thousand five?"
Marcos leveled a fierce look at his opponent.
Undeterred, Ruben raised his paddle.
"Ten thousand five. Do I see a bid for eleven for this gorgeous creature?" the auctioneer called out, revving up the audience's interest with a meaningful look.
"Fifteen thousand!" Marcos shouted, ignoring Gabriela's glower when they locked eyes.
"Fifteen thousand! Do I see fifteen five?" the auctioneer asked, his keen gaze scanning the audience.
Ruben took a moment to ponder it and then shook his head ruefully, signaling he was out of the running. Marcos flashed a victorious smile and winked at Gabriela.
"Fifteen thousand once, fifteen thousand twice. Done! The weekend date with Gabriela Morales goes to Dr. Marcos Calderon for fifteen thousand dollars!" the auctioneer announced gleefully. "This concludes our bachelorette auction. Gentlemen, please adjourn to the Vanderbilt Ballroom with your dates."
Gabriela barely made it off the stage without openly glaring at that arrogant Dr. Calderon, who'd had the nerve to wink at her when their eyes met. How dare he ruin everything!
What happened to Ruben Ball, the shy widowed lawyer, who was supposed to bid higher than everyone else for a weekend date with her?
Why would arrogant Dr. Calderon be willing to divest himself of so much money for a date with her when most of the women at the hospital were throwing themselves at him? she wondered uneasily. From what she'd seen, his tastes ran more toward cool blondes.
Once she was safely inside the dressing room, Gabriela was glad the other women had already gone into the audience to meet their respective dates. She stared at the unfamiliar seductive woman in the mirror returning her gaze. She had never worn so much makeup in her life. Her green eyes smoldered with smoky eye shadow and black eyeliner, her mouth looked like a swollen cherry, thanks to Sabrina's vivid red lip gloss, and her cheeks glowed hot pink, a combination of cream blush and being upset over her predicament.
She did
not
want have a date with Dr. Calderon, but she was stuck and it was her own fault. She had come up with the idea for a charity fashion show, and then approached Sabrina Munson, renowned for her organizational skills and contacts in the community, to chair it. Unfortunately, Sabrina had taken it a step further, urging her to combine the fashion show with a bachelorette auction. Gabriela had agreed when she realized how much money could be made off the wealthiest bachelors in Naples, especially in December, the beginning of the snowbird tourist season.
The only good thing that would come of this date was the whopping fifteen thousand dollars Dr. Calderon had pledged to the Fresh Start center for unwed mothers.
Let him spend his wealth on something worthwhile.
He had probably never known a moment of hunger or a bout of struggle in his privileged life. And if that wasn't bad enough, he was stubborn and bossy and too handsome for his own good!
Gabriela studied her bountiful cleavage in the mirror. Thanks to the provocative gown Sabrina had chosen for her, her breasts were pushed upward like an offering of cupcakes. After he got an eyeful of that display, Dr. Calderon would surely expect more than companionship during their weekend date.
With a sigh, she gathered her long hair into a heavy knot at the back of her neck, anchoring it with the tortoiseshell clip she always used to tame it. A sly smile played at the corners of her mouth as a plan began to brew in her mind. If Dr. Calderon thought she had transformed her conservative image to bait a well-to-do bachelor, he had another thing coming.
The cocky doctor was in for a little surprise.
Sophia Knightly enjoys writing in many genres: romantic suspense, romantic comedy and chick lit, creating fun and sexy contemporary romances. A two-time Maggie award finalist, she believes in love-at-first sight and happy endings, and she always enjoys a good laugh. Her stories are enriched by travels and previous experience as an actress, model, airline reservations agent and mom of two beautiful daughters. When not writing or reading, she finds pleasure in walking the beach, exploring museums, enjoying good food, and watching movies. One of her favorite pastimes remains simply watching people, especially those in love!
You can write to her at [email protected] and access her web site at
www.sophiaknightly.com