Bidding On The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 8) (13 page)

“He’ll either charm you into helping him further his agenda or he’ll use you for a few nights of sex. Either way, once he gets what he wants, he’ll toss you aside and never think about you again.”

Brooklyn bit her cheek to keep from laughing at her dad’s comment about Derek using her for sex. Not once in the decade they’d known each other had Derek even kissed her until tonight, so he’d never be turning to her for sex. Besides, he never needed to use her or anyone else for his own sexual pleasure. He charmed women without even trying. All he had to do was smile and a beautiful woman latched herself onto his arm. Although he never went out of his way to attract women, like some men she’d met, there were plenty of women around for the taking if he so desired.

Her dad’s other accusation hit a little too close to home, and she spoke before considering her words. “And you’re not doing the same thing by asking me to date Trevor? If his grandfather didn’t hold the key to Atlantic Coast Marketing, you wouldn’t care if I ever spoke to him again. You wouldn’t be standing here in the middle of the night insulting me and Derek.”

The color drained out of her mom’s face and seeped into her dad’s. Only on rare occasions did he lose his temper, but when he did, it was like watching Krakatau erupt. She hoped she hadn’t pushed him quite that far now.

“Will a relationship between you and Trevor benefit me? Absolutely. But let’s be honest, you don’t have a line of men beating down your door. A relationship with him will benefit you too. Not all marriages can be based on love and mutual attraction, Brooklyn. Trevor’s educated, well established, and he wants a family. What more could you want?” Donovan all but shouted the last word at her.

Love, mutual attraction, and a whole list of other things
. “And maybe it’ll work out between us. But I promised to spend time with him and see where it went. I never promised you I’d marry him, Dad.”

Donovan’s lips formed a straight line and the muscle in his jaw twitched. He wanted to make a counterargument, but couldn’t because she spoke the truth and he knew it. “You’re right, and if you have been meeting him for coffee and talking on the phone, you’re keeping your word. But what the hell were you thinking tonight?” He turned, stalked away, and then turned back around. “I’ve never understood or approved of this friendship you have with Derek. He’s an ass just like his father, not to mention a womanizer like his eldest brother and cousin.”

In the past, her dad had made it clear he didn’t care for Derek, but he’d never outright insulted him or his family.

“What the hell do you expect to accomplish by your ridiculous stunt tonight?” He closed more of the space between them. “Are you looking to buy a husband in case things don’t work between you and Trevor? Sherbrooke will never marry you. And he’d never be welcomed into our family.”

Why did he think she was so concerned about getting married? She had no issues with being single. “I don’t expect anything. We’re friends.”

“It didn’t look that way on stage.” So far, her mom had stayed out of the conversation. Brooklyn would’ve preferred she kept silent for the rest of their visit. “But if so, why did you take part tonight?”

She’d hoped both her parents would remain annoyed enough with her not to ask such a question. “Because it was for a good cause. And I wasn’t the only one in our family to get involved. Milan won a bachelor too, remember? Or have you forgotten about the goliath who sat with us, Mom?”

“But it’s good PR for her. You have no excuse.”

Since it cast her older sister in a good light and perhaps gave her already fabulous modeling career a boost, it was okay for Milan but not her.
Typical.

“Besides, there were a lot of other eligible men up there tonight. You didn’t show interest in any of them. ”

Unfortunately, her mom had a point. If she’d participated solely because it was for a good cause, she could have picked anyone. “Derek was the only one up there I’d feel comfortable spending time with.”
Not bad as far as lies go.
Brooklyn gave herself a mental pat on the back for coming up with such an excuse.

“If you wanted to support the foundation, you should’ve made a monetary contribution instead.” Judging by his voice, her dad had his jaw clenched tight enough to break a few of his perfect teeth.

“Maybe you’re right.” Agreeing with him might get them to leave before he decided to voice any more of his opinions. Something she wasn’t up to hearing tonight.

“No
maybe
about it. At least you won’t be spending any more time with him outside of work.”

Had her mom failed to give him all the details about what winning him meant? If so, she didn’t plan on filling him in.

“Since you’re friends, you’ll explain the situation and put an end to your association, at least for the time being.”

The redness in his cheeks had dissipated, a good indication his anger was subsiding. Telling him the truth would only set him off again. Besides, soon enough he’d know the truth when the media printed pictures of them together on whatever dates Derek had planned. Even better, by then he’d be back home in Connecticut rather than in her home.

“It’s late, and I’m beat.” Brooklyn faked a yawn for emphasis. “Are we still meeting tomorrow night?”

Scarlet shook her head. “Seth asked Paris to fly back early. She’s leaving in the morning. And Lawrence called and invited your dad to play a round with him tomorrow afternoon, so we’re leaving right after we get up.”

Trevor’s grandfather and her dad seemed to be meeting up at the country club a lot these days. Brooklyn didn’t know if she should be happy or scared. Maybe they were working on a deal that would merge the two companies regardless of what happened between her and Trevor. Of course, they could also be meeting so much because they were already planning her and Trevor’s wedding.

“Oh, okay. Well, have a safe drive home.” She smiled and started toward the door, hoping her parents would get the hint.

Either they understood her gesture or they’d grown tired of telling her what to do, at least for the moment, because a few minutes later, she closed and locked the door behind them.

Leaning back against the door, she shut her eyes and let out a deep breath. The throb that had started above her left eyebrow now encompassed her entire head. “I could strangle you right now, Derek, for this mess.”

She pictured him up on stage tonight dressed in a tuxedo, looking sexier than any man had a right to.
Or kiss you.
The unwanted thought popped up and she forced it back into the deep dark places of her brain. No, the next time she saw him, she’d be giving him a piece of her mind, not kissing him. What if he tried to kiss her again?

“That won’t happen.”
Unless there’s media around
. If a photographer spotted them together now, they’d want a good picture to print. “Ugh. You created one gigantic mess for me, Derek.”

***

She’d told him she didn’t want to talk tonight and to call this weekend. Still, Derek had expected to corner her before she either left the hotel or her mother trapped her in a conversation.

Instead, she’d ducked out on him and everyone else. A very un-Brooklyn-like maneuver, but the only reasonable conclusion, because he’d searched the lobby area for her once he finished talking to Courtney. When he didn’t locate her, he’d returned to the ballroom, assuming she’d settled her financial obligation and then returned to her mom’s table so they could finish whatever discussion they’d started. Surprisingly, she hadn’t been there either. He’d stuck around the Bellevue for another thirty minutes, assuming at some point she’d show up again. She never did. Eventually her family left as well, forcing him to accept Brooklyn had left without telling anyone.

Derek considered stopping by her place before he returned home. He’d even gone so far as to head for the Hillcrest. Before he’d reached the street, he’d changed his mind and hopped on the highway instead. His instincts told him she’d be getting an unwelcome visit from either one or both parents tonight, and he’d prefer to avoid them. Scarlet’s expression when they came offstage told him what she thought about Brooklyn’s actions better than any words. And he already knew Donovan didn’t care for him, although he’d never figured out why. Tonight’s auction wouldn’t help the situation, especially if Donovan assumed it would kill his chances of getting Trevor and Brooklyn together. Not that any relationship would ever develop anyway. Even if there had been a remote possibility before tonight, there wasn’t any longer. Not after what happened between them.

Derek shook his head as he poured a glass of lemonade. He’d done nothing but analyze those few moments up on stage since he arrived home. Still, they blew his mind.

From backstage, he’d watched every bachelor, starting with Colton and ending with Evan, the man who’d gone on right before him, kiss the winning bidder when she joined him on stage. In order to maintain the charade, he’d known he would have to do the same when Brooklyn joined him. He hadn’t considered it a big deal. He’d assumed he’d give her a friendly kiss, not quite as friendly as the one Milan and Ryan shared but certainly more memorable than the one Henry had given Vanessa Mitchell. Once the photographer snapped a picture or two, they’d walk off together, him safely away from Tasha and the fundraiser a big success for the foundation.

When their lips touched, something inside his brain switched on, and it was as if every cell in his body was telling him he’d been waiting forever for this single moment. Keeping it a polite, friendly kiss became impossible. He’d pulled her closer, losing himself in the feel of her pressed against him and loving the weight of her arms around his neck. Slipping his tongue inside Brooklyn’s mouth to taste her had consumed his thoughts.

Derek absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck. He’d known Brooklyn for a long time. They’d discussed everything from law and politics to family. He’d even discussed his past relationships with her. Never had he entertained the idea of kissing her or being with her. Now it was the only thing he could think about.

Was it possible what he’d experienced on stage had been a bizarre one-time thing? One of those in-the-heat-of-the-moment occurrences?

No friggin’ way.
He’d kissed his fair share of women. Never had he experienced anything remotely close to what happened tonight.

What had she felt? A nice pink blush had covered Brooklyn’s face when they’d broken apart, a clear indication of her embarrassment, but otherwise her expression remained neutral. Her breathing, however, told another story. She’d appeared as out of breath as him. Was it a side effect of kissing in front of so many, or a sign of something else? He doubted standing on stage would bother her. While she didn’t like to intentionally draw attention to herself, he’d witnessed her in a courtroom full of people. Like a pro, she kept her cool and never let anything unnerve her. She’d been anything but cool up there tonight.

A smiled formed. Yeah, if he hadn’t tried for more, she would’ve let him kiss her all night. He’d moved a little too fast for her. Next time he’d have to take things slower. And there’d be a next time. Several next times.

From his deck, he watched the sun rise above the Atlantic, a clear signal he’d been out there a long time. He’d climbed into bed not long after he arrived home. However, when all he did was toss and turn, he’d given up on sleep and headed outside instead. Seated in one of the Adirondack chairs, he’d looked up at the black star-filled sky and listened to the crashing waves. Now a light shade of pink coated the sky, reminding him of Brooklyn’s face after their kiss, and the stars had disappeared, replaced by the rising sun.

Climbing to his feet, he inhaled the ocean air. There was nothing like it in the world. Part of him was tempted to toss on his swimsuit, grab some food, and head out on the
Affinity
for the day. The weather forecast called for a picture-perfect June afternoon. Spending such a day on the water ranked up there as an ideal Saturday. There’d be other great summer days ahead though. Today he had something more important to do. Or more specifically, someone more important to see.

It’d taken a lot of willpower, but he’d managed to not call her during the time he sat outside. The lateness of the hour had been the only thing to stop him from punching in her number. Brooklyn needed some sleep. Especially since when they talked, he wanted her full attention.

Derek allowed himself another moment to enjoy the view before he turned and went inside. His watch read five twenty, way too early to visit anyone, especially unannounced. After entering the kitchen, he made a cup of coffee. He’d get his first dose of caffeine and then a quick swim to kill some time. Afterward, he’d shower and eat breakfast. When he finished, it should be late enough to drive into Providence and see Brooklyn before she went out for the day.

He dropped in on Brooklyn without calling first all the time. While he normally did it during the week after work, he’d done it on the weekends too. Never had he worried about the reception he’d get from her. This morning it plagued him throughout the drive to the Hillcrest. To start, he had no idea if she’d be up or not yet. In college she hadn’t been a late sleeper. She’d preferred to take the eight o’clock classes and get her day started early. And he knew she was often one of the first attorneys into the office. Today was Saturday though, and she’d had a late night. She might have no plans of getting up before noon today.

He’d lose his mind if he waited until this afternoon to confront her. As it was, he couldn’t think about much except their kiss. In fact, he was so distracted he’d actually started his coffee without putting a mug under the machine. He’d only noticed when he heard the liquid dripping off the counter and hitting the tile floor. If he put off his visit until later, who knew what other disasters might come his way.

Gus, another familiar security guard, manned the desk when Derek walked in the building. He sent the man a wave and a brief hello before he hit the Up button near the elevators. Right away a set of doors opened, beckoning him to enter. Rather than jump right in, he paused.