Highest Bidder Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Highest Bidder

  Fanboys, Book Two

  By Marie Johnston

  Highest Bidder

  Copyright 2018 by Lisa Elijah

  Developmental and copyediting by Razor Sharp Editing

  Proofing by HME Editing

  Cover by The Killion Group

  The characters, places, and events in this story are fictional. Any similarities to real people, places, or events are coincidental and unintentional.

  Her hero is up for bid…and she has a pocketful of cash.

  As a millionaire, a workaholic, and one of the Twin Cities’ most eligible bachelors, Flynn Halstengard is happy to let his friends auction him off for charity. If the lucky lady who wins him wants a little action on the side, well, any sex is better than no sex, right? Unless the lady in question is the girl from high school he dubbed “Crazy J.”

  For her first vacation ever, Tilly Johnson has spent her life savings on a good cause, a deluxe lakeside cabin, and the superhero from her high school years. Flynn is looking better than ever, and Tilly’s not the same damsel in distress he rescued years ago. But a girl can only outrun her past so long before she’s back to being Crazy J.

  All Flynn wants is to ignore her—and the ugly past he left behind. But after a week together, the millionaire business owner and the special ed teacher realize they’ve got more in common than just bad memories. Like raging lust, a love of comic-book geekery…and some unfortunate mutual acquaintances. When a villain steps into the frame to accuse Tilly of a horrible crime, Flynn will have to risk everything he’s built for the woman he was only too happy to escape once before.

  To my fanboy in training, the one who’s infiltrating date nights because there’s a new superhero movie.

  For new release updates and chapter sneak peeks, sign up for Marie’s newsletter via instaFreebie and receive a FREE novella from my Fleet Romance series.

  Chapter One

  Flynn whistled as he maneuvered his extended-cab Chevy pickup into a parking spot at the edge of the lot. He killed the engine and jumped out. His gaze snagged on his black wing tips and the yellow lines on the pavement a few feet away. He might have taken up three, maybe four, parking spots with his crooked parking job. He briefly considered getting back in and rearranging it, but less chance at door dings this way and… With a shrug, he strode toward the comic book store.

  If Flynn wanted to hang out with his best friend Wes, he had to kick it with the fanboys who flocked to Arcadia. Wes’s wife, Mara, owned the comic book and gaming shop, and Arcadia had become a second home to Flynn. But browsing through the latest releases wasn’t what he was here for today. Mara was sponsoring the first annual Bachelors for Dollars fund-raiser, and Flynn had been the first recruit.

  He reached the glass door and held it open for an attractive woman breezing out. She was in the middle of putting on her sunglasses and paused when she caught sight of him. He flashed her a grin. She flushed and rushed out with a quick “thanks.”

  He eyed the sashay of her hips in the gauzy dress she wore. Day-um. If that was the type of woman who would be bidding on him, well…maybe Wes wouldn’t owe him as much as Flynn had let on. Next year they might have bachelorettes. Then he’d have to sit out and do some bidding—for charity’s sake, of course.

  Inside the store, his eyes didn’t need any time to adjust. The floor-to-ceiling windows of the store kept the space bright and airy, giving it the illusion of way more square footage than it really had. But the size was still admirable, enough to organize comic books, host gaming days, and even hold small conventions. He should know. He’d built it, had been involved in its construction since its inception.

  Scanning the place, he spotted Mara in the corner chatting with a woman a few inches taller than her with sandy-brown hair in double ponytails and jean shorts hitched up by suspenders. A gaudy tote hung off her shoulder.

  She had a nice ass. His gaze lingered a moment before the giant Ws on her tote grabbed his attention. A Wonder Woman fan. He could respect her taste. Aside from her atrocious style, he envied her clothing. The mercury crawled higher each day as they headed into summer, and while his suit was the best money could buy, a suit jacket was never his first choice once the snow melted.

  But clients expected this level of professionalism before entrusting him with millions of dollars. Because they sure didn’t expect Flynn to be the one swinging the hammer, the jackets, ties, and uncomfortable shoes were there to stay. Only four more days until the weekend—and clothes he wouldn’t sweat in. He needed it to be Friday already.

  He found Wes restocking the newest Doctor Strange comics. “What the hell, dude? Doesn’t Mara hire people to do that?” No one would know that a guy worth a cool billion was sorting their comics.

  Wes arched a dark brow. “Mara asked me to pull your order, fucker. I figured it’d be just as easy to put the whole box out while I was at it. Besides, she’s busy with the lady she’s organizing the fundraiser with, so it’s either this or stand around looking like a creeper.”

  Flynn snickered. Wes couldn’t creep if he tried. He was more likely to get asked for an autograph again by little kids who thought he was Clark Kent. No glasses, but Wes’s slicked black hair and piercing blue eyes were straight out of the DC universe.

  Flynn sorted through the pile of comics. “So, did you get my pulls? Doctor Strange and Justice League?”

  Wes slapped his hand away. “Yes. Perks of being friends with the boss. Your stack is in the back and I already charged your card.”

  Sweet. At least he’d have some reading material until a generous lady bought him for the week. Hitting the clubs wasn’t the same without his wingman. Without Wes to BS with until he caught a sexy woman’s eye, sitting around Wes’s club, Canon—or, hell, any club—smacked of lonely desperation. But it edged out sitting at home and listening to not a damn thing.

  The downfall of having built his own house: there wasn’t anything to do but watch HGTV. No projects, nothing to maintain. He’d built a top-of-the-line, luxurious home. Working with his hands and building shit was all he knew how to do. He’d even trolled a few rummage sales and thrift stores, looking for furniture to flip.

  Then what? Have the most junkyard-chic house to show all of no one?

  Nah. He’d rather get laid instead of sitting at home, watching his superhero movie marathons. Which were happening more and more often lately… Last weekend, he’d even abandoned his efforts to find a willing partner and gone home for a Thor marathon.

  He’d had a headache. That was it. It’d been low-grade, hadn’t even needed a Tylenol, but, well, he was the boss. He didn’t get sick days. If he didn’t bring money in, no one else would get paid.

  The woman talking to Mara guffawed, her head thrown back, ponytails swinging. At least she had personality going for her, whoever she was. And a joyous laugh that almost made him smile for no reason.

  He jutted his chin toward the women. “Is it okay to interrupt? Mara wanted my picture with some merchandise for the auction flier.”

  “They’re waiting for you, actually. Tilly wanted to be here when we took the photos. It means a lot to her that people are willing to do the auction.”
r />   “That’s the abused adult lady?”

  Wes gave him a droll look. “Tilly Johnson is a teacher, but yes, she and Mara are raising funds for the abused adult resource center. For the kids there, more specifically. The money will go to clothing and school supplies, even basic medical care.”

  Flynn shoved his hands in the pockets of his slacks and adjusted his shoulders to loosen the tightness in his chest. A woman who gave a shit about kids. Of course people cared about kids, but he couldn’t help but admire those who went out of their way to help them.

  He mentally shook off the warm fuzzies. This Tilly Johnson was a better person than him, but that didn’t mean he had to let the same old feelings haunt him. He had the best of both worlds: helping an organization that helped disadvantaged kids without people wondering why he was doing it. He usually stuck to sponsorships of sports teams so he could plaster his company’s name, Halstengard Industries, everywhere. He would straight-up donate, but with the amounts he gave, charities sometimes tracked him down, and the last thing he wanted to do was explain why he supported their cause—or worse, have people investigate his personal life. But this was a bachelor auction. He was rich and single. There was no need to explain why he was helping.

  “Come on. Mara set up a little corner for the photos.” Wes tucked the empty box under his arm, looking completely out of place in a suit like the one Flynn was wearing, only Wes had taken his jacket and tie off. Flynn couldn’t wait to shed his navy blue pinstriped suit. He hadn’t so much as loosened his tie yet.

  Flynn followed him to a bench surrounded by action figures and posters, the backdrop for a photo that would be handed out to prospective bidders on Friday night. “Why didn’t we do this earlier? Might’ve been good for promo.”

  “Yeah. They put this thing together pretty quickly. Tilly works through the summer but had a little time between school letting out and…whatever work she’s doing for the next couple of months. We figured we’d give it a shot and if it’s successful, we can organize and promote a bigger event for next year. We only recruited five people to auction off. Best to keep it small in case it’s an epic fail.”

  Instead of perching on the bench, Flynn set one foot on it and leaned on his knee. Wes smirked but picked up the camera.

  “Between you and me,” Flynn said, “I got a cabin with two bedrooms just in case my highest bidder is…you know.”

  Wes sighed, then chuckled. “Is that your new form of safe sex?”

  Flynn shrugged. “We’ll see. Who knows? Sometimes any sex is better than no sex, but I wanted an out just in case.”

  “So sure the woman will be ready to jump you?”

  “You don’t drop a few grand on this,” Flynn swept his hands down the body he shaped with brutal workout sessions, “and not want some. But seriously, it’s a bachelor auction. I’d be naïve not to plan for either scenario.”

  “No matter how it turns out, I appreciate you supporting Mara like this.”

  Flynn lifted his chin in a bro-nod. Better than getting choked up with emotion.

  The auction fit his carefree persona and maybe he’d end up with a hot chick dying to spend a fun week at the lake with him. Then they could part ways with the built-in excuse that hey, the deal was just for a vacay.

  “Flynn Halstengard?” a shrill female voice rang out. “Oh. My. God. It’s really you!”

  Flynn froze. The woman Mara had been talking to was charging toward him. His eyes went wide. Fuuuuck.

  “Tulip?” he squeaked.

  A look of alarm passed over her expression before her smile returned. “Um, no. It’s just Tilly now.”

  Tilly Johnson was Crazy J from high school? How— What— Now her clothing made sense. Tulip had never had any fashion sense. The knee-high white socks, athletic shoes, and too-short jean shorts fit Tulip Johnson perfectly.

  She’d moved away their senior year, and only then had he found peace after the three long years she’d dogged his footsteps, pining for him in her bat-shit crazy way.

  He must’ve been gaping like a beached walleye because Mara’s gaze darted from him to Wes, finally settling on Wes to beg him to think of something. Flynn couldn’t speak. He’d been teased mercilessly over the antics Tulip had pulled trying to get his attention in high school. And those were just her actions toward him. She’d done enough cringe-worthy things to wreak havoc with her reputation. Her one-woman sit-in at the local animal pound that euthanized unclaimed cats and dogs had gotten her mercilessly teased. That was the incident that had seemed to garner the worst attention. The reigning mean girl had been throwing kitty litter at a sobbing Tulip in the girls’ locker room. Crazy J’s cries could be heard from the boys’ locker room. He’d barged in, seen what was happening, and dumped the bag on the queen bee’s head. Crazy J had crushed on him hard after that.

  Before graduation, he’d landed in the mean girl’s bed for a round or two. What was her name? As forgettable as the sex, apparently. But he’d never forgotten Crazy J—unfortunately. And here she was.

  Tulip—Tilly—gasped as her wide, steel-blue eyes took him and his surroundings in, then the camera Wes held as his traitorous friend stood with a perplexed and morbidly curious expression. She clapped her hands. “Are you one of the bachelors? Seriously?”

  “Y-yes,” Flynn stammered. Get it together, dude. This girl still left him floundering.

  She shrieked a giggle and he winced. Yep, same laugh. “Looks like I know who I’m bidding on.”

  Flynn’s face went cold as all the blood drained from it. No. Just no. He couldn’t spend an entire week with Crazy J.

  She could so spend a week with Flynn!

  Gawd. He looked better than ever, like he’d just stepped out of a catalog. His face had matured from hot teen to muscular man in full possession of his smolder.

  Now she knew what had possessed her that day a year ago when she’d come to Arcadia looking for some classroom items. The kids she taught didn’t learn in the traditional manner, and graphic novels were easier and more interesting to read than standard kids’ books. She and Mara had struck up a friendship and Tilly had kept coming back. Her students loved the items she brought back to class, and Tilly loved being able to claim a friend, albeit one kept at arm’s length.

  Then she’d rattled on about her idea for a bachelor auction and Mara and her uber-sexy husband had rounded up willing participants.

  It was fate. Tilly had savings to donate but hadn’t thought of bidding—but to finally get a date with Flynn Halstengard? Heck, yeah!

  Her knight with platinum hair as bright as shining armor was finally attainable.

  Wow. She couldn’t quit ogling him, but then she’d never thought they’d cross paths again. Her line of failed relationships wasn’t his fault, of course, but she couldn’t help but wonder how the lame sex with them would compare to sex with Flynn. He had to be dynamite in bed and she could use some sparks between the sheets that didn’t include her vibrator shorting out.

  Her cheeks were starting to hurt from grinning. Flynn stared at her like he was dumbfounded. She had no idea why— Oh.

  Of all the days. It was Wacky Monday at school and she’d done it up good. She kept a pack of men’s socks just for these days and her mom-jeans-turned-shorts were pulled up so high her nethers were numb. All sorts of buttons she’d collected over the years were pinned to her suspenders, but at least she’d left her tiara in her car. It was one of thirty. Because a girl could never have too many tiaras.

  “I’m totally going to bid on you,” she burst out. How awesome. She could donate and have a chance with Flynn, too! One week with him would see her through another long summer until school started again.

  “Y-you don’t have to.” Flynn’s stammer was just as adorable as she remembered.

  She could’ve done without him calling her Tulip, though. He hadn’t stuttered over that. That name brought back too many memories. She even hated the flower.

  His gaze swept down to her scuffed shoes and she
wanted to groan, to tell him that she didn’t normally dress like this, but that would be a lie. Her students responded well to her outfits so she kept up her zany appearance. Lord knew, there was no other reason in her life to dress up. Except for this Friday night. Her grin broadened.

  Her phone pinged inside of the large Wonder Woman tote draped over her shoulder. “Oh!”

  Flynn jumped, and she wanted to sigh. Why was he always so nervous around her? He had smooth-talked teachers and other students. His pals had followed his lead; he had been the jock at the head of the pack. As an adult, he probably killed it. Yet with her, he withdrew into a nervous shell.

  But then, she kinda had that effect on other adults. Mara seemed genuinely entertained, and Wes was the only guy who talked to her like she was another human being and not an alien from the planet Moron. Even her students’ parents could be patronizing or dismissive. But still better than what she’d grown up with, so she couldn’t complain. No, she wouldn’t complain. She’d been given a new lease on life and she wasn’t going to squander it.

  Digging her phone out, she checked the time. Yep, her alarm had gone off.

  “I have a tutoring session.” She turned to Mara for a quick hug. “Thank you so much for making this happen.” Then she met Flynn’s green gaze, her kryptonite. “And I’ll see you on Friday night.”

  He didn’t smile, but his eyes got wider. Wasn’t he relieved to at least know who was going to win him? Because she was so going to win him! Better her than a stranger, right?

  As she walked out of the store, she pondered his reaction. He’d be okay spending the week with her, wouldn’t he? It’s not like she wanted him to profess his undying love, sweep her off her feet, and make love to her for her happily ever after.

  She hadn’t dreamt that at all for the last…decade…and a half. Not at all.