First to Bid: A Bachelor Auction Romance (Unraveled Book 2) Read online

  First to Bid

  Unraveled, Book 2

  Marie Johnston

  LE Publishing

  First to Bid

  Copyright 2018 as Highest Bidder by Marie Johnston

  Editing by Razor Sharp Editing

  Cover Art by Secret Identity Graphics

  2nd Edition proofing by My Brother’s Editor and Double Author Services

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

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Marie Johnston

  Chapter 1

  Flynn

  I whistled as I maneuvered my extended-cab Chevy pickup into a parking spot at the edge of the lot. I killed the engine and jumped out. My gaze snagged on my black wingtips and the yellow lines on the pavement a few feet away. I might have taken up three, maybe four, parking spots with my crooked parking job. I briefly considered getting back in and rearranging it, but less chance at door dings this way, and I was parked at the end. Fewer chances of making it difficult for other drivers to maneuver around me and this lot was only full around Christmas and during special promotional events. It’d be fine, but people might assume I’m a dick for the park job.

  With a shrug, I strode toward the comic book store.

  If I wanted to hang out with my best friend Wes, I 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 me. But browsing through the latest releases wasn’t what I was here for today. Mara was sponsoring the first annual Bachelors for Dollars fundraiser, and I had been the first recruit.

  I 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 me. I flashed her a grin. She flushed and rushed out with a quick “thanks.”

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

  Inside the store, my 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 had. But the size was still admirable, enough to organize comic books, host gaming days, and even hold small conventions. I should know. I’d built it, had been involved in its construction since its inception.

  Scanning the place, I 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.

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

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

  “Hey, Flynn.” Chris, the co-owner of the store, stocked a wall of dice in all different shapes and colors. Just like I dress to impress future clients, Chris dressed for his job—a Batman shirt and worn blue jeans. His hair was a half-inch short of being shaggy and he looked like he was barely thirty, but Mara said he has a kid who’s a teenager.

  “Chris, how’s the building holding up?” I asked him the same thing every time. Every structure I build had an unspoken warranty. Any work attributed to me and my firm got my full backing.

  “Great. That little leak you repaired in the sunroof last week never stood a chance.”

  “Thanks for telling me.”

  Chris gave me a knowing nod. Mara would’ve hired someone to take care of the problem. She thought she was taking advantage of me. She was wrong. Getting my hands dirty was like a special treat.

  I 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.”

  I 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.

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

  Wes slapped my 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 I’d have some reading material until a generous lady bought me for the week. Hitting the clubs wasn’t the same without my wingman. Without Wes to BS with until I 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 my own house—there wasn’t anything to do but watch HGTV. No projects, nothing to maintain. I’d built a top-of-the-line, luxurious home. Working with my hands and building shit was all I knew how to do. I’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. I’d rather get laid instead of sitting at home, watching my superhero movie marathons. Which were happening more and more often lately… Last weekend, I’d even abandoned my efforts to find a willing partner and gone home for a Thor marathon.

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

  The woman talking to Mara guffawed, her head thrown back, ponytails swinging, the sound infectious. A joyous laugh that almost made me smile for no reason.

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

  “They’re waiting for you. Tilly wanted to be here when we took the photos. It means a lot to her that people are willing to do the auction.”

  “That’s the abused adult center lady?”

  Wes gave me 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, mo
re specifically. The money will go towards clothing and school supplies, even basic medical care.”

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

  I mentally shook down the rise of unwanted memories. This Tilly Johnson was a better person than me, but that didn’t mean I had to let the same old feelings haunt me. I had the best of both worlds—helping an organization that helped disadvantaged kids but without people wondering why I was doing it. I usually stuck to sponsorships of sports teams so I could plaster my company’s name, Halstengard Industries, everywhere. I would straight-up donate, but with the amounts I gave, charities sometimes tracked me down, and the last thing I wanted to do was explain why I supported their cause—or worse, have people investigate my personal life. But this was a bachelor auction. I was rich and single. There was no need to explain why I 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 I was wearing, only Wes had taken his jacket and tie off. I couldn’t wait to shed my navy blue pinstriped suit. I hadn’t so much as loosened my tie yet.

  I 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, I set one foot on it and leaned on my knee. Wes smirked but picked up the camera.

  “Between you and me,” I 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?”

  I 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,” I swept my hands down the body I 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.”

  I lifted my chin in a bro-nod. Better than getting choked up with emotion.

  The auction fit my carefree persona and maybe I’d end up with a hot chick dying to spend a fun week at the lake with me. Then we could part ways with the built-in excuse that hey, the deal was just for a vacay. I’d never want a woman willing to buy me for charity to feel pressured into putting out.

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

  I froze. The woman Mara had been talking to was charging toward me. My eyes went wide. Fuuuuck. I know her.

  “Tulip?” I 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 our senior year, and only then had I found peace after the three long years she’d dogged my footsteps, pining for me in her bat-shit crazy way.

  I must’ve been gaping like a beached walleye because Mara’s gaze darted from me to Wes, finally settling on Wes to beg him to think of something. I couldn’t speak. I’d been teased mercilessly over the antics Tulip had pulled trying to get my attention in high school. And those were just her actions toward me. 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. I’d barged in, seen what was happening, and dumped the bag on the queen bee’s head. Crazy J had crushed on me hard after that.

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

  Tulip—Tilly—gasped as her wide, steel-blue eyes took me and my 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,” I stammered. Get it together, dude. This girl still left me floundering.

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

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

  Tilly

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

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

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

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

  Wow. I couldn’t quit ogling him, but then I’d never thought we’d cross paths again. My line of failed relationships wasn’t his fault, of course, but I 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 I could use some sparks between the sheets that didn’t include my vibrator shorting out.

  My cheeks were starting to hurt from grinning. Flynn stared at me like he was dumbfounded. I had no idea why— Oh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Flynn jumped, and I wanted to sigh. Why was he always so nervous around me? 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 me, he withdrew into a nervous shell.

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

  Digging my phone out, I checked the time. Yep, my alarm had gone off.

  “I have a tutoring session.” I turned to Mara for a quick hug. “Thank you so much for making this happen.” Then I met Flynn’s green gaze, my 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 I was so going to win him! Better me than a stranger, right?

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

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

  Tearing my hair out of its ponytails, I slid into the driver’s seat of my car. I shook my hair out and twisted it into a bun. With an eye on the time, I dug bobby pins out of my cup holder and stabbed them into my hair. Next, the suspenders came off and I dug through my tote for a lacy cardigan to go over my T-shirt. After I shrugged that on, I toed off my shoes and rolled off my socks. I sighed in relief as cool air blew across my legs. I put on the sandals I produced from my tote and fired up the engine.