Bachelor Auction Read Free

one way to find out,” he muttered and
    forced himself down the hall.
    He entered the ballroom behind Spencer and
    Melody, and a flurry of commotion on the other side
    of the dance floor caught his attention. There in the
    middle of it all was Charlotte. He’d recognize that
    silvery blonde hair anywhere. And, as usual, every
    male in the building, young and old, flocked to her
    side.
    He made his way around the crowded dance
    floor, his feet heavy and dragging. He hated the idea
    of vying for her attention, of giving her the
    satisfaction. Yet a promise was a promise and the
    sooner he fulfilled it the better.
    One dance, one apology, then he was done.
    Ten feet from the pack of wolves drooling at her
    feet, Marcus heard her laugh. His stomach tightened
    at the husky sound. He’d forgotten how her laughter
    carried a sensual quality that made him long to be
    the lucky man she favored with a smile. A smile he
    knew came with a price.
    His feet stopped of their own accord. He couldn’t
    do this.
    No, what he couldn’t do was let the entourage
    surrounding Charlotte sway him from his purpose.
    After all, he only wanted a few words with her. He’d
    simply walk up, ask for a moment of her time, and
    get it over with. Forget the dance.
    Once again he forced one foot in front of the
    other with dogged resignation, and once again he
    stumbled to a halt as the crowd around her shifted.
    He’d been right. Not only were her defenses up,
    but she’d donned full body armor in the form of a
    gold pantsuit that would have been conservative on
    anyone else. On Charlotte, who, to his everlasting
    regret, wore the long-sleeved jacket with nothing
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    Bachelor Auction

    beneath, the suit screamed sensuality.
    Imagination and a single button at her waist
    held
    the
    damned
    thing
    together,
    revealing
    provocative swells barely concealed behind wide
    lapels. Low-rise matching pants gave him a glimpse
    of the smooth skin of her belly and accentuated the
    slender length of her legs. Gold high-heeled sandals
    adorned perfect feet, and Marcus knew from
    experience they would bring her already five-foot
    ten-inch frame closer to his own six-foot-three.
    He had often wondered if her choice of clothing
    was Charlotte’s way of arming herself against his
    attentions. As if she knew her insufficient attire
    bothered him and wore it specifically to deter him.
    Of course, that was his ego talking and he’d never
    allowed himself to believe it. But if that had been
    her goal, she had accomplished it with flying colors.
    Until tonight.
    Marcus let his gaze travel up her svelte frame,
    pausing once again at her breasts before moving on.
    Her sparkling blue eyes met his, and her glossy red
    lips, wet from champagne, parted in a come-hither
    smile that sent a rush of heat to his groin. Again not
    something he hadn’t felt a thousand other times. But
    somehow the irritation he usually felt at the way she
    flaunted herself in seductive clothing failed to
    surface, leaving him to deal with his lust.
    He tried to appear unaffected as he returned her
    sultry stare. What little blood remained above his
    waist roared in his ears, drowning out the music and
    chatter of the crowd. If he inhaled deeply, he
    imagined he could smell the scent of her trademark
    perfume. Exotic, spicy, mysterious. Enough to lure a
    man...
    Hell, he was losing his mind. And his control.
    Marcus dragged his gaze from her and caught
    sight of Mitch in the crowd to his right, chatting
    with Natalie Weaver, their ranch foreman’s
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    Darah Lace

    daughter. He turned and headed that way.
    His apology to Charlotte would have to wait for
    another time when the armor she wore served its
    purpose and deflected his interest as it had in the
    past. For a time when he’d mastered the desire to
    take what she so blatantly offered.
    The thought of doing so had crossed his mind
    more than a few times over the years. It would have
    been so easy to act on his unexplainable and very
    much unwanted