Bidding on the Billionaire (20 page)

To my agent, Dawn Dowdle, of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Thanks for believing in me and for your unending support, especially on those days when I need it most.

To my critique partner, Sharon Struth, for the wonderful support, for always lending an ear and for challenging me to be a better writer in the kindest way possible. Thank you.

To my husband, Chris, who doesn't read and still jokingly calls my work “smut,” but who listens to me complain and encourages me anyway. He'll probably never see this, but he somehow manages to make me laugh when I really want to scream and I love him for it.

And special thanks to the wonderful ladies of my street team, Jo's Jewels, as well. Thanks for always being there with encouragement and support.

C
hristina McKenzie tried to close her mouth, to force herself to blink. Common courtesy said she ought to at least turn around. She needed to do something other than stare. Staring was rude. So was drooling. She was pretty sure she was doing both. Her limbs, however, refused to obey. The sight before her had her Jimmy Choo's glued to the hardwood flooring beneath her feet. The heat in the private vestibule she stood ramped up a thousand degrees and perspiration prickled along her skin.

God Almighty. Since she was fifteen she'd fantasized about this. On the other side of the threshold, Sebastian Blake stood with his arms folded, wearing a pair of stark white, snug-fitting boxers.

And nothing else.

It didn't help that his dark brown hair stuck up at odd angles. He looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, completing the fantasy running a loop in her head. The one starring him, having just rolled out of
her
bed.

She'd known Sebastian for more than twenty years, since that fateful day on the playground in first grade. He and her twin brother, Caden, had been joined at the hip ever since. Oh, she'd seen him with his shirt off plenty of times over the years. She'd never seen him quite like this, however, one tiny little scrap of fabric from being stark naked, and her imagination filled in the gaps fine, thank you very much.

She bit her bottom lip. God bless America. “Baz,” as she'd been calling him since somewhere around second grade, had to be the finest specimen of the masculine form she'd ever seen. Six-foot-four inches of lean, sculpted muscle. A broad chest and wide shoulders that tapered to lean hips and long legs. Every inch of him toned to perfection. She knew from experience that he worked out religiously, because she went running with him on occasion. Sebastian lived by his routines. Standing there, soaking in every luscious inch of him, she was suddenly grateful for it. The man had well-defined pecs and a washboard stomach she ached to smooth her hands over.

“For the love of all that's holy, Tina, did you have to come over so damn early?” Sebastian folded his arms and leaned on the doorframe.

The deep scowl etched into his forehead snapped the fantasy shut like the recoil of a rubber band, yanking her back to reality. One where hell would freeze over before he ever looked at her with anything more than feigned tolerance. Never mind that she and Caden were fraternal twins or, technically, she was older than both of them. Caden by thirteen minutes, and Sebastian by four months. Sebastian tended to treat her like an annoying kid sister.

Soft fur brushed her ankle, announcing the presence of Spike, Sebastian's three-year-old tabby. Using Spike as an excuse to distract herself, she bent down and scooped him off the floor. “Well, at least someone's happy to see me.”

Purring loudly, Spike rubbed his face against her chin, and she stroked his head, pretending nonchalance as she turned her back to the door. If she didn't at least feign decorum, she'd lean over and lick Sebastian. God, how she longed to follow the trail of soft, dark hair straight into those boxers.

Desperate to save face, she shot a scowl over her shoulder. “It's nine a.m., Baz. You're usually up by now, and you could at least put pants on before answering the door. Where's Lupe?”

Lupe was Sebastian's housekeeper. She was a round little woman with a sharp mind and a soft heart. She was also the only person who could tolerate Sebastian's surly mood in the morning. Baz had had four housekeepers quit in the last two years alone. His crankiness, though, didn't seem to faze Lupe.

“I gave her the day off, and you're lucky I put anything on at all. It's been a long damn night. I've only been asleep for about an hour. I hadn't intended to leave my bed until I had to get up for work tomorrow.” He released a heavy breath. “Look, I'm exhausted. Is there something I can do for you?”

In two seconds flat, the meaning in his not-so-subtle words sank into her. Either Sebastian slept naked or he had a date, neither of which was a pleasing possibility. The former did nothing for the dry state of her panties, and the latter made her chest ache for all the things she'd never have with him. Having spent most of his time at her parents' estate in Redmond, he was essentially family. Like another brother. She'd never gotten used to seeing him with other women, however, and her heart couldn't seem to accept he'd never see
her
as a woman.

She swallowed past a desert-dry throat and feigned indifference. “Hot date?”

Whatever good mood she'd started with this morning evaporated on the breath she released. The reaction rose every time she ran across Sebastian and one of his “groupies.” Sebastian was a sworn bachelor, and his relationships were little more than a series of meaningless flings. His smile could charm the pants off a hobo. Women flocked to him like seagulls around a piece of stale bread.

Christina bit her lower lip. Was one of those women still asleep in his bed? Was that the reason he'd answered the door in his underwear? What she wouldn't have given once upon a time for him to look at
her
the way he looked at one of his groupies. A part of her still did.

“Work, Tina. I work for a living. It's the beginning of May. Summer is the busiest time of year for the resorts. The new couple's resort we opened in Italy isn't going according to plan, and it's been a really bad last few days. Is there a reason you're on my doorstep this early in the morning, or do you just enjoy coming over to annoy me?”

Tina
. Nobody but Sebastian called her that. Caden called her Chris. Her parents called her by her given name. Sebastian had always called her Tina. When they were kids, he'd taunted her with the name, used it as a weapon. Now, every time he called her Tina, her heart ached. She longed for him to see her as a woman, to whisper the nickname in her ear like a sweet nothing.

Annoyed by how easily he had gotten to her, she shot a glare over her shoulder. “Pants, Sebastian.”

He released an exasperated breath filled with barely contained restraint. “Fine. I'll protect your
delicate sensibilities
and go find some pants, if you'll make me coffee.”

The soft tap of his bare feet on the hardwood floors moved away from her, and Christina turned. He strode with casual ease farther into the condo, and Christina's gaze set on the flexing of his ass as he walked away. God, he had the finest backside she'd ever seen, firm and round, and his boxers did nothing but showcase the length of his muscular legs.

She sighed and stepped across the threshold, closed the door behind her, then set Spike on the floor. He brushed her ankle again before setting off after Sebastian, and Christina followed him inside. “You really need to learn how to make your own coffee, Baz.”

The short entry hall she emerged from opened up into the main room, and she headed off to the kitchen on the left. Sebastian owned a two-bedroom in Escala, a premier condominium tower in downtown Seattle. The place was beautiful, modern extravagance without being overly flashy. Dark gray marble countertops and polished hardwood flooring. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the far wall, allowing for a spectacular view of the city, and a gorgeous stone fireplace separated the living room from the dining room.

“Why? I've got people who do it for me.” He shrugged in a half-hearted fashion, moving with the long, smooth strides of a lanky cat as he strode toward the back of the condo.

To distract herself, Christina moved to the coffeepot on the far counter and set about brewing the coffee. By the time the hot liquid sputtered into the glass pot and the earthy aroma filled the air, Sebastian had emerged from his bedroom. He now wore a pair of dark gray pajama bottoms that hung low on his hips. He hadn't put on a shirt, though, leaving her with a view of his spectacular chest.

She still had an insane desire to lick him, but distracted herself with pouring him a steaming cup. She set the mug on the center island counter as he entered the kitchen.

Hair still sticking out at odd angles, he lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip before meeting her gaze with a weary sigh. “What do you need from me?”

Remembering the reason she'd come over in the first place, Christina put on her sweetest smile. She clasped her hands together and prayed the city's favorite bachelor would come through for her again this year. “The bachelor auction's next month.”

As head of a local charity foundation for breast cancer research, the high-end auction was her baby. Having lost more than a couple of members to the disease, their family invested every year. Three years ago, she'd decided to try a fund-raiser a bit off the beaten path, something fun that would be sure to draw a crowd. What better way than gathering Seattle's hottest bachelors? The first year the auction ran, she'd invited friends, well-to-do women she knew liked to have a little fun. The evening turned out to be a huge success and the event had taken on a life of its own. More often than not these days the women called wanting to know when the next one was. It was a fun night for everyone, and the results were usually fantastic.

Baz was an auction favorite. As CEO and minority owner of Blake Hotels and Resorts—a family-owned company catering to relaxing, but affordable, vacations—he'd been labeled one of Seattle's most eligible bachelors three years in a row. A local celebrity magazine did a spread ever year and had nominated him. The article was what had spurred the idea for the auction, and Baz had participated since its inception. The women looked forward to him. His bid alone brought in two million dollars last year. Christina was already getting calls from people asking if he'd be participating this year.

“Of course it is.” Sebastian rolled his eyes, irritation crossing his features. Brow furrowed, he pushed away from the counter and rounded the breakfast bar, taking his coffee with him as he crossed to the windows lining the far wall.

She blinked, surprised by his reaction. He usually agreed with a pleasant smile and an
of course
. “Are you busy?”

“I'm always busy.” He waved a flippant hand over his shoulder, but his voice held little enthusiasm. “Whatever. I'll make time.”

The odd, dispassionate tone of his voice nudged her. Something was definitely off. This was cranky even for him. “If you're busy, I can find someone else…”

He spun to face her, eyes blazing. “I said I'd participate, all right? Are we done? I'm exhausted, my head is pounding, and I'd really like to go back to bed.”

His harsh words hit that painful place inside, the one where she relegated all those things she shouldn't be feeling for him anyway. The longing, the hurt…and the hopeless, unrequited love she couldn't let go of. Deep down, Sebastian was a good man. He worked hard. The resorts he and his father owned were the success they were because of him. He could always be counted on whenever she or Caden needed something.

Once again, though, he'd relegated her to the position of annoying kid sister. She wanted to scream at him. Or kiss him. Or take his hands and put them on her breasts. Maybe then he'd finally see her as a woman, as flesh and blood, and real. God damn it.

She furrowed her brow and shook her head. “You know what? This is cranky even for you. Whatever the hell your problem is, take your bad mood out on someone else. I'm not your punching bag. Forget I asked. I'll find someone else. Grayson Lockwood owes me a favor anyway, for saving his servers. Go back to whichever whore is waiting in your bed. If you had company you could have simply said so.”

Of course, she was rambling. He'd unseated her, the way he always did, and mentioning Grayson was a cheap blow. She'd known Grayson Lockwood since high school, when his adoptive father enrolled him in the private school she, Caden, and Sebastian had all attended. He was the CEO of a mid-sized publishing company on the rise, taking his father's tiny little venture and making it a swinging success. So far, Grayson was elusive. She'd been trying to get him to participate in the auction since its start, but so far, he'd turned her down every year. More to the point, Grayson had had a thing for her in high school, and Sebastian had never liked him.

She snatched her purse off the counter, pivoted and stalked out of the kitchen. Aside from Caden and her father, Sebastian was the only man who held enough of her to break her heart. Damned if she'd let him. No, she'd played the fool once, four years ago when Craig Lawson left her standing in that Las Vegas wedding chapel. That was a mistake she would not be repeating. She was done wearing her heart on her sleeve. Sebastian held too much of her already.

Sebastian let out a heavy sigh behind her. “Tina, I'm too damned tired for this. Jesus. Do you think just once you could visit without needing something from me? If you must know, I spent last night in the hospital in Everett and most of the morning with my father's lawyer. I only got home about an hour ago, and I haven't slept since sometime yesterday.”

His words stopped her cold halfway to the entry hall. His father lived in Everett. Alarm skittering up her spine, she spun to face him. He stood at the edge of the kitchen, free hand in his hair, holding the long bangs back off his forehead. His eyes, which she only now realized were red-rimmed and bloodshot, were filled with pained accusation and something resembling grief. She knew that look. Sebastian's walls were crumbling.

“Something happened.” Her heart seemed to stutter, her mind already racing forward to try to figure out what he wasn't telling her.

He dropped his arm to his side. “My father had a massive heart attack Sunday night. We hoped he'd recover, but he didn't. He passed away early this morning. So, whatever you need, add it to the list and go home. I'm not in the mood to fight with you. My only goal for today is to sleep.”

Her chest clenched in pain for him. Suddenly his bad mood made all the sense in the world. He could be surly when he wasn't feeling well. If he was fighting grief on top of exhaustion…