Engaging the Bachelor (Pulse) Read Free Page B

thousand toward your charity?”
    “Hell, no,” Andy blurted out.
    “Andy,” Gemma warned. Carson’s deep, sexy voice reverberated through her and sent her pulse racing. In no way was this about the charity. This was about the two of them and some unfinished business he thought they had.
    “You want me to keep going?” He cocked a brow. “We can do this all night, Gemma.”
    She stared at him. Some juvenile part of her wanted to see how high he’d go—what the girl from the wrong side of the tracks was worth to him—but there was another part that just wanted to put an end to this.
    “Three thousand,” he called out.
    “Gemma,” Andy said, jumping back and forth from one foot to the other, like she was about to explode from excitement. “That’s a lot of freaking money.”
    “And I’m not for sale.” She glared at Carson and tipped her chin up. “Besides I have a date tonight.”
    “Break it.”
    “I can’t—”
    “Doctor’s orders.”
    “You’re not my doctor,” she argued.
    A ghost of a smile played on his lips. “Not yet.”
    She laughed, despite the situation. “Are you seriously saying you want to play doctor with me, Sailor Boy?”
    “Four thousand,” he said, the outrageous amount showing her just how serious he was. “I’m not leaving here until you agree to a date.”
    “Do you always get what you want?”
    “Yes.”
    Honest to God, she’d imagined he was different. Thought he wasn’t the kind to throw money around to get what he wanted. But maybe she’d been wrong about him, had based that idea on limited information. Maybe he was just like every other rich guy she’d come across. He’d certainly seemed different back in the day, caring, sincere. But then again, she hadn’t really known him, and time changed everyone. Heck, for all she knew, he’d switched career paths for the money and stature. Maybe he was the kind of guy who had a God complex and needed to feed his ego.
    He opened his mouth to speak, but she put her hand up to stop him. Okay, this had gone on long enough. Four thousand dollars was way more than she had in the bank—the beat-up car she drove around was proof of that. Soon enough everyone would start to question what was really going on. Sure she was from the wrong side of the tracks, but she had a delicate relationship with the women in this bar, this town. They weren’t friends—her reputation prevented that—but they appreciated her jewelry, and a few even carried it in their specialty boutiques. She didn’t want to raise suspicions or do anything to jeopardize her business, or her relationship with this close-knit community.
    She plastered on a smile and infused her voice with a lightness she didn’t feel. “Looks like we have a hot one tonight. What do you say ladies? Should I accept Dr. Reynolds generous charitable offer?” she asked, freezing him out with formalities and reminding everyone this was about the charity, not her.
    “So, that’s a yes?” Andy asked, her big eyes wide and hopeful.
    Gemma gave a curt nod, and Andy tapped the microphone and said, “Sold.” She gestured toward the staff. “Let’s take a short break and refill our drinks.”
    The noise level reached a new high as the waitresses made their rounds, taking drink and food orders. Thankful the attention was off her, Gemma reached into her pocket for the key to the handcuffs.
    “What do you think you’re doing?” Carson asked.
    She worked to insert the key, but her hands were shaking so hard she couldn’t get it into the lock. “Getting us out of these things.”
    “Maybe I’m not ready to set you free.”
    “Too bad.”
    The key slipped from her hand, and they both bent down and reached for it at the same time. Fingers brushed—intimate, soft—lingering a moment too long. She drew back like she’d been burned, but not before she caught the clean scent of his skin again, a beautiful reminder of the night that was permanently etched in her memory. Desire