Nice & Naughty (22 page)

Read Nice & Naughty Online

Authors: Cat Johnson

She frowned. “What are you talking about? The cocktail party isn’t the main event?”

Ralph shook his head. “Oh, no.” He reached into his duffle bag and pulled out a calendar. “Look what I bought for you today.”

He handed it to her and she glanced down. “A fireman calendar?”

“Take a look at Mr. February.” Ralph looked positively evil as he grinned.

She flipped to the page and her eyes grew wide.

Ralph laughed. “And that’s not all. The calendar men are being auctioned off upstairs any minute. Come on. We have to get up there.”

He grabbed her arm. She pulled back. Gordy hadn’t mentioned the calendar to her. Why? And now he was being auctioned off and had kept the whole thing secret?

“What’s wrong?” Ralph paused.

She swallowed. “Um, nothing. Let’s go on up.”

From the escalator she could hear the announcer and women cheering. By the time they got near the stage Gordy was already down the runway and on his return trip.

The announcer said into the microphone, “Five hundred dollars. Do I hear six?”

Ralph grabbed her arm. “You have to buy him.”

She shook her head. It was true that with her recent inheritance she was no longer in danger of being destitute and homeless, but if Gordy had wanted her to buy him, surely he would have told her about the auction. That he didn’t made her wonder what exactly their relationship was. Two days of great sex and over a week’s worth of nightly phone calls had led her to assume they were well on their way to being a couple. But now…

“Why not?” Ralph demanded.

She shook her head again and watched as the bids rose until the announcer finally slammed the gavel against the podium. “Sold for one thousand dollars to the lovely lady in pink.”

She saw Gordy smile at the winning bidder and her heart fell. Zoey steeled her nerves and dared to look at the woman who’d made him so happy. Who was this lovely lady in pink? Zoey finally located the woman in the crowd then frowned. Gordy was guiding a frail-looking, elderly lady up the stairs. Slowly, he walked with her behind the stage.

For the first time since Ralph had told her about this auction Zoey felt she could breath again. She still didn’t know why he hadn’t told her about this whole event but one thing was clear, Gordy wasn’t cheating on her with the lovely lady in pink.

She looked up at Ralph. “I’m going in back to find Gordy.”

He nodded. “I’m going to stay up here and watch the rest of the guys get humiliated so I can tease them next time they’re in the bar.”

Leaving Ralph to his fun, she worked her way back passed the podium until she found where the men were stashed behind a few folding screens and potted plants.

Zoey knew the moment Gordy spotted her. His expression of surprise was quickly replaced with a smile. He was next to her in a few strides. She didn’t even have time to say hello because his mouth covered hers in an instant. She sunk into those big teddy bear arms of his, swearing to herself that she’d never allow him to let go.

He finally broke the kiss, smiling again. “You’re back.”

She nodded. “For good.”

His eyes opened wide. “You’re not moving and closing your business?”

Zoey shook her head and laughed. “No. I discovered country life’s not for me. I guess I’m a city girl. Besides, I don’t think Ralph would let me close up the shop even if I wanted to. I seem to have a new partner.”

“I think I might have had a little something to do with that.” Gordy cringed.

Zoey noticed the woman who’d bought Gordy trying to get their attention. “I think your new owner wants you.”

“Come meet her.” He pulled Zoey over to the woman. “Rose, this is my girlfriend Zoey. Zoey, this is my neighbor Rose.”

He’d called her his girlfriend. Zoey smiled at that and extended a hand to Rose. “Nice to meet you.”

“Very nice to finally meet you too. Gordy does nothing but talk about you. Zoey this and Zoey that. I’m glad you’re back.” Rose turned to Gordy. “I’m going to go. I’ll see you soon?”

“Yes ma’am, on my next day off. I’ll stop by the paint store with those chips you picked out.”

“Thanks, sweetie. And so nice meeting you, Zoey.” Rose said her goodbyes and left them.

“What was that about?” Zoey frowned.

Gordy grinned. “I made a deal with her. She buys me and I paint her entire apartment. She got an estimate from a painter for two grand so I’d say she got herself a bargain getting me for a thousand, and the children’s hospital gets a thousand more dollars.”

Zoey smiled at the big hunk who was the sweetest guy in the world. “I’d say she did get herself quite a deal, but why didn’t you tell me about this? I would have bought you too, you know. And not for painting either.”

He smiled. “You can have
that
for free. Besides, you had a lot on your mind lately, and I’d rather have you spending your money on things like health insurance.”

“I know, and I will, I promise. Lots of things will be different at work from now on. But right now, the best health insurance I can think of would be borrowing you from Rose and going back to my apartment.” She raised a brow.

He groaned and kissed her hard before he pulled back. “Oh, baby. I can think of nothing better. But hold on to that thought for just a few more minutes, just until we reach Mr. December. I think it’s going to be worth seeing.”

“Oh really? And what’s so special about Mr. December?”

“Well, he’s quite the Casanova. Or at least he used to be, before he got engaged. Now, he’s got his fiancé here to buy him, but there’s at least a dozen of his former flings here too.” Gordy explained his friend Troy’s sticky situation to her as the crowd of screaming women continued to bid on month after month of half naked calendar men.

Zoey laughed and for the first time in a long time didn’t feel the pressing weight of worry upon her. It felt nice.

They watched Gordy’s friend Scott, Mr. July, get snatched up by none other than Miss Lexi Cooper herself. They waited through a few more months until Gordy’s other friend Antonio, Mr. October, was purchased by a group of women who, he told her, were going to share him. Finally November was finished and Troy was up, looking like he was headed for the gallows.

His fear proved valid as the bidding went wild. Women from every corner of the room stepped forward, yelling bids at the wide-eyed announcer. The photographer stopped snapping photos and stood next to Gordy to watch, looking pretty shocked herself.

Gordy leaned closer to Zoey. “The photographer is Mr. December’s sister, Tessa.”

“Ah.” Zoey nodded, enjoying drama that had nothing to do with her for a change.

When the bids reached four thousand dollars Gordy blew out a breath. “This is bad.”

Tessa shook her head. “Worse than bad. I have to do something.”

She took off at a run and caught the attention of the announcer, saying something to him. Away from the microphone, he said something back to Tessa, who then took off in another direction as he went back to announcing the still growing bids.

Zoey glanced at the woman Gordy had pointed out as Troy’s fiancé. She’d dropped out of the bidding and was starting to look very concerned and more than a bit confused.

“Ten thousand dollars!”

The attention of everyone in the room turned to the new bidder. Zoey spotted an older woman with coal black hair and striking eyebrows standing up on a display, right next to a mini-skirt clad mannequin.

The announcer smiled at her and banged the gavel hard. “Sold! Ten thousand dollars for Mr. December. I don’t think we can do much better than that, folks. Let’s give the winning bidder a hand. Thank you to all the bidders.”

The crowd cheered, all except for the losing bidders. Mr. December shot the announcer a grateful look. He was visibly relieved as he left the stage.

Zoey frowned and turned to Gordy. “What just happened?”

Gordy laughed. “The announcer is Jason Bryant, as in the Bryant family, owners of this store and rich as you can get. He’s dating Troy’s sister and the woman who just bid is his assistant. Apparently, Jason just saved Troy’s ass and Troy owes him big time.”

Who knew a simple charity bachelor auction would contain so much intrigue? Zoey shook her head. “I’d say so. This is way too complicated. But I have to say, it’s far better than sitting in the country watching the frost on the windows melt. This is the most excitement I’ve had in a long time.”

Gordy leaned down and brushed his lips against hers in a much too brief kiss. “Let’s get out of here and I’ll see if I can beat it.”

“I know you can, especially if we stop by my shop on the way and pick up some whipped cream.”

He raised a brow. “And chocolate sauce?”

She laughed. “Sure, as long as there’s no penis cookies.”

“Hey, I hold a very special place in my heart for penis cookies. They brought us together, remember?”

“Yes, I do remember.” Fate worked in strange ways.

Gordy wrapped one arm around Zoey. “Do you think your aunt made penis cookies for her cookie company in Connecticut?”

Zoey considered. You never knew with Aunt Zoe. “I honestly don’t know. I’ll have to ask the aunts. I wish you could have met her. I think she would have loved you, Gordy, as much as I do.”

Crap. Zoey hadn’t meant to use that word—the L-word—but there it was, hanging in the air. She glanced at him.

Gordy turned toward her. He cupped her chin in one hand and kissed her hard and deep, right there in the middle of Bryant’s Department Store as women leaving the auction streamed passed them.

When he finally leaned back, she saw the emotion in his eyes. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

At that moment it didn’t matter where they were or whom they were with, or even that Gordy was wearing nothing more than fireman pants. They were together and all was right with the world.

THE END

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ABOUT CAT JOHNSON

A
New York Times
&
USA Today
bestselling author, Cat Johnson writes contemporary romance featuring sexy alpha heroes, men in uniform, and cowboys. Known for her unique marketing and research practices, she has sponsored pro bull riders, owns a collection of camouflage and western wear for book signings, and a fair number of her friends/book consultants wear combat or cowboy boots for a living. She writes both full length and shorter works and is contracted with Kensington and Samhain.

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