A Bid For Love Page 2

  “Jackson said you would refuse. I told him you were smarter than that. I want you to be there, and I’m not taking no for an answer.”

  Anthony tapped the stiff paper against his palm, contemplating. “Fine. Who knows? Maybe I’ll meet my dream man there,” he joked, trying to ignore the queasy sensation brought on by even contemplating the prospect.

  “Perhaps you will,” Jagger replied with a wink.

  ***

  “He took the invitation.” Eve’s pleased tone came through the speakerphone in Jackson’s office, Jagger’s temporary—and extremely comfortable—workspace.

  “It took a little work on my end, but he did exactly what you thought he would do.” Perhaps I should have Jackson’s designer redo my office….

  “Ah, my boy, this pleases me immensely.”

  He smiled, drawn back to the conversation by Eve’s enthusiasm. “Let’s hope one of Jackson’s favorite graphic designers will do his part. How did he take the news when you told him he’d be auctioned off during the event?

  “The young man seemed pleased in his email. At first, he worried Anthony could be hurt by the charade, but he’s tired of waiting around for him to make a move.”

  “If Anthony finds out what we’ve done, he’ll never forgive me.”

  “You worry too much about your bashful friend. Trust me, all will work out with the boys.”

  He chuckled. “Boys?”

  “When you’ve been around as long as I have, all men are boys.”

  “You can’t be much older than I am. Dare I ask what—”

  “A gentleman never asks a lady’s age. Suffice to say, in my years of experience, I’ve seen too many lonely hearts.”

  “Let’s hope these two lonely hearts finally hook up.”

  “And now that Reece knows you and Anthony are only good friends, he’ll claim him as his own.”

  He lifted his brow. “He talked to you about this?”

  Eve’s laughter came over the line. “No. He didn’t have to.”

  “Yes, how can I forget? You’re the fairy godmother of love.” Jagger smiled, thinking about those who’d happily succumbed to Eve’s matchmaking skills, himself included.

  “I sprinkle my fairy dust wherever I go.” She sounded so serious he didn’t dare argue with her. Sometimes she took her own masquerade too far. A fairy indeed….

  When she chortled, he wished her well and ended the call before she inquired how things were progressing with his boyfriend. She didn’t really need to ask; sometimes she seemed to know his very thoughts.

  Chapter Three

  The mask he held would cover the upper half of his face, leaving his mouth and chin exposed. Reece hoped Tony wouldn’t recognize him when he displayed his wares.

  “I can’t believe I agreed to this,” he groused, glancing through the curtain to the ballroom where well-dressed guests waited for the auction to start.

  “Don’t sweat it. Just pretend everyone is naked and you’ll do fine.” Maxwell tugged on the collar of his shirt and popped a piece of chewing gum into his mouth.

  “Easy for you to say. You love showing off.” The bald, dark-skinned director of human resources had past experience with the auction, participating for the third time. “I like working behind the scenes. Big crowds like this aren’t my thing.” Reece combed his fingers through his slicked back hair to keep himself from adjusting the waistband of his pants. He couldn’t wait to take the monkey suit off in front of Tony, the one he wanted to spend the night with—naked.

  Maxwell draped an arm around his shoulders. “Think of how this will make you look with the boss. I bet your year-end bonus will be more than generous.”

  When Jackson came to him before he left on his vacation and offered help with his problem, he was taken aback his boss knew so much damn office gossip but decided to trust him and see if he could deliver. Explaining his interest in Tony to the mysterious Madame Eve in a long, heartfelt email wasn’t too hard, but when Eve explained the arrangement, he panicked. Could he take such an extreme step—put himself out in front of a room full of eager bidders like that? Then Tony’s image swam in his mind, and he decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it. He was sick and tired of waiting and wanted him not only as his lover, but in his life—permanently.

  And finally make use of the 24/7 hard-on I’ve had since I met the guy.

  “I hope Tony places the highest bid.”

  Maxwell popped a bubble. “That’s the neighbor you’ve been lusting after for years, the financial guru, right?”

  His cheeks heated. “Do I talk about him that much?”

  A slight shrug told him he did.

  As he pondered the night to come, a woman wearing a long, dark blue slip dress and holding a clipboard arrived backstage and headed toward them. Maxwell let out a low whistle and whispered, “Wow, look at the angel.”

  Studying the woman with her almond eyes and glossy, ebony pageboy, he glanced back at Maxwell. He grinned at the glassy-eyed stare the other man gave her.

  The woman pursed her lips and consulted her clipboard. “We’re ready to begin. After your number is called, walk onstage. Work the audience, do some poses, and most importantly, have fun. Any questions?”

  Maxwell raised his hand. When she nodded, he took a step near her and spoke softly in her ear.

  The woman turned bright red, twisted on her heel, and darted away. Maxwell chuckled, blatantly ogling the woman’s lush ass. Reece joined in with him, about to ask what sweet nothings he’d whispered, when the chattering voices on the other side of the curtain quieted and loud party music played. A cheerful emcee told a few jokes and urged the guests to bid enough money to break the previous year’s record. A moment later, the auctioneer took the stage and called the first number.

  “It’s showtime. Wait until the ladies get a load of me,” Maxwell strode out from behind the curtains to strut down the runway.

  Reece swallowed hard, hoping he didn’t make a fool of himself when his turn came to parade under the spotlights. Scanning the ballroom through an opening in the curtain, he broke into a big smile at the sight of Tony sipping a beer to the left of the stage. He wore a nicely tailored, dark brown suit, not a tux like the majority of the men in the room. His cock twitched. If all went according to plan, they’d soon be sharing a night of hot passion.

  Lost in his fantasy of sucking his sexy neighbor off, he jumped at a pat on his back—he was up next. Taking one last, deep breath, he pulled on his mask. The auctioneer announced his number and, pushing apart the curtains, he walked out to the middle of the stage and stared right at Tony, who lowered his bottle and widened his eyes at him in unrestrained hunger.

  Jealousy hit him low in the gut and he held back a growl. He’d better not think he’s found some run of the mill hottie he can use. You’re mine, Mr. Conlin! He twisted his lips into a smile at the man he’d been wanting for so long.

  The crowd went wild when he cocked his hands on his hips, waiting for the auctioneer to start the bidding. The way Tony licked his lips, Reece knew the first bid would come from him.

  ***

  “Ten thousand dollars!”

  Anthony raised his paddle. He couldn’t believe his daring. It had to be the number of beers he’d been drinking. Face hidden by a partial mask, the man on stage oozed sex, making his balls tighten in need. For a moment, he thought Reece stood up there. But how could that be? Only Castillo employees were auctioned off, and Reece worked from home as a freelance graphic artist.

  “I have twenty thousand, do I hear twenty-five?”

  An older, silver-haired man waved wildly.

  He wiped a palm over his mouth, analyzing how high a price he’d be willing to pay for twenty-four hours with the fine male specimen who’d aroused his lust when he stepped from behind the curtain. He took a swig of his beer as the bids rose at an alarming rate. His fingers wrapped around the bottle in front of him. He should go for it, lose himself in a stranger’s arms for a night to forget the man
he had fallen in—

  “Eighty thousand dollars from an anonymous bidder!” The auctioneer folded the slip of paper one of the helpers had passed her and gasps filtered through the crowd.

  “That’s the highest ever bid at this event,” a man to his right murmured.

  He slammed his bottle down. I need to act, and fast.

  When the masked man turned his head and appeared to look right at him, he lifted his hand. “One hundred thousand dollars.”

  People patted him on the back. The current object of his desire nodded in his direction. He didn’t believe for a minute he was coveted by the man. The charmer's apparent interest was an act to get a rise out of the audience.

  Wincing, he hoped no one else called out a higher bid. The auctioneer asked for more. The crowd buzzed with speculation.

  “Do we have any more bids? I have a very generous one hundred thousand dollars for dinner with our masked gentleman and an overnight stay in an exclusive penthouse suite here at the Castillo Hotel.”

  Anthony wiped away the sweat dripping down the side of his face. He closed his eyes….

  “Going once….”

  He held his breath.

  “One hundred twenty-five thousand dollars!”

  He recoiled and landed on the stool behind him. A million eyes watched to see if he would place another bid.

  He didn’t. Even if he wanted to, he didn’t have that much cash on him or readily available in his bank account.

  Deflated, he opened his eyes and shrugged his shoulders in apology. “Too rich for my blood,” he said, trying to conceal his disappointment with casual words.

  While he waited for the auctioneer to say sold, a man marched up on stage behind the announcer and handed her a cell phone. She held it against her ear and nodded a few times. After a beat, her jaw dropped, and she ended the call with a huge smile.

  “Another bid has come in, making this the most we’ve ever raised for one person at this auction. The bid is now at two hundred twenty-five thousand dollars!”

  The crowd shouted for more. Anthony made his way through the cheering throng. He’d given it his best shot.

  Jagger, who had been standing off to the side of the stage throughout the proceedings, had cornered the man who had passed the phone to the auctioneer and he didn’t feel like interrupting. Instead, he headed toward the exit, pausing when he heard the gavel slam down and the word sold. Applause thundering around him, he turned to observe the masked man bow and clap, searching the room.

  He smiled sadly and left without saying his good-byes to his host. Rude behavior on his part, but he felt too raw and exposed to answer the inevitable questions. What had come over him to bid such an insane amount of money? And why was he so disappointed that he had been saved the expense?

  The drive home allowed him time to come to a decision, and when he reached his floor, he straightened his shoulders and marched up to Reece’s door. Losing tonight was the last straw. He was sick of beating himself up. Time to grow a pair and take what he wanted.

  He raised his hand and knocked, adrenaline running through his veins.

  No answer.

  He knocked again. Same result.

  “Just my luck.” He kicked the door with his soft, leather loafer and sighed, striking out again. He would never know how the night might have ended if Reece had been home.

  Later, in his bed with his fist around his cock, he fantasized not only about Reece making love to him, but also the alluring, masked man whose eyes had blazed upon him with unadulterated lust.

  Chapter Four

  Reece had been in a piss-poor mood all week. He had no idea who “purchased” him during the auction, even after leaving several emails for Madame Eve. But during a phone call on behalf of the buyer from an auction volunteer, he received instructions to meet his date in the first floor casino bar near the craps tables at six o’clock sharp on Friday night. He asked, to no avail, who he’d be meeting. His date’s identity would be revealed to him at that time.

  He sat at the bar drinking a rum and coke, waiting for the mysterious person. When Tony had failed to place the winning bid, his heart had broken over the dejected expression the older man wore. He wanted to jump off the stage, pull off his mask, and tell Tony he belonged with him…to him…but had to continue playing the part. Plus, he couldn’t just walk away from such an enormous amount of money spent on him—for charity, no less.

  Sighing, he finished his drink and checked his watch. Whoever this rich snob was, he or she was ten minutes late. Please God, not some old, balding businessman or bored, hoity-toity housewife who thought she’d end up rolling around with him in the penthouse suite’s king-size bed forty stories up.

  He planned to eat, make polite conversation, and leave right after dinner. Then he was going to march up to Tony’s door and grab him by the face, kissing him as he’d wanted to do for far too long.

  A reserved-looking, bearded man in a black suit approached him. “Excuse me, are you Reece Whitmore?”

  “Yes, why do you ask?”

  “I’m Blake, assistant manager here at the hotel. Mr. Castillo asked me to give you this.” He held out a cream-colored envelope. “When you’re finished reading, please follow me into the restaurant where your guest is waiting.”

  He pulled out a single sheet and scanned the page. A laugh escaped him. He slipped the paper inside his jacket pocket. “Shall we?”

  “I’d be honored to show you to your table, sir.”

  He tugged on the cuffs of his shirt and rolled his shoulders back. Excitement bubbled in his stomach. The night had changed for the better. “Lead the way.”

  With a spring in his step, he accompanied Blake to his dinner guest, whose identity was no longer a mystery.

  ***

  Anthony tapped his fork on the tabletop. He sat alone, waiting for Jagger and his colleague to arrive, second-guessing himself. He had fallen one too many times for Jagger’s ploy of inviting one of his friends and then being called away for the remainder of the evening, leaving him with a stranger who eventually grew bored. Perhaps, sick of mooning over someone he couldn’t have, he’d just wanted to go out, drink himself into oblivion, and perhaps have a fling with whomever Jagger brought with him this time.

  A petite server arrived at his side. “Mr. Castillo regrettably has to deal with a sudden emergency. He won’t be able to join you for dinner.” He fought the rising tide of irritation. Even for Jagger, this was pushing it. “But dinner is on him, and you’re more than welcome to have whatever you’d like from the menu.”

  He slapped his napkin down on the table. “I guess I’ll be eating alone tonight.”

  She gave him a confused look. “Not at all. Mr. Castillo asked me to let you know your other dinner companion will be arriving shortly.”

  “Really?” He decided to leave, not in the mood to entertain a stranger. He shoved his chair back and stood, ready to make his own excuses, when an electric shock went down his spine. Entering the restaurant, wearing a suit that made him look good enough to eat…. “Re-Reece,” he croaked.

  “Hey, Tony, it’s great to have the chance to finally sit down and share a meal with you.”

  He stared at Reece’s extended hand without lifting his own. “You’re having dinner with me?”

  “Apparently so.”

  “Uh…Jagger invited me here tonight and mentioned an associate of his would join us. It’s his irritating way of setting me up on a blind date.”

  He almost fell back into his chair when Reece took hold of his hand and gave it a slight squeeze. “He told me the same thing.” He continued holding his hand, in no apparent rush to let go. He had no idea what to think about this latest bombshell.

  When Reece finally released him and dropped into the opposite chair, wearing a huge grin, he sat, too. “I had no idea you knew Jagger personally.” He grabbed his glass and gulped water. Please don’t let me make a jackass of myself.

  He focused on the light dusting of dark hair co
vering the tops of Reece’s hands, which rested on the table. His long fingers would feel incredible rubbing my nipples or stroking my cock. He shook his head, yanked out of his fantasy when Reece spoke. “Sorry, come again?” He wanted to slap his forehead. Old and losing my hearing. Perfect.

  Reece didn’t act insulted, but continued smiling, his eyes sparkling.

  He bit down on the inside of his cheek, wondering if he found him weird for the way he acted.

  “Actually, I met Jagger when he interviewed me for some part-time consulting work. He invited me to dinner tonight to check out the restaurant and the casino. I’m spending the night in a penthouse suite for research.”

  “What type of work will you be doing for the Castillos?” he asked in fascination.

  “He wants me to revamp the hotel’s website and create posters and billboards to promote the casino.” Reece pushed aside his bangs and a slight blush stained his cheeks. “But enough with business. I don’t want to bore you with computer codes and graphic design mumbo jumbo. Why don’t we have a nice dinner and enjoy each other’s company?”

  He nodded wordlessly as the server came back to their table. Before he could think of a drink he wanted, Reece ordered a bottle of their best champagne.

  “Celebrating already? You haven’t gotten the job yet.”

  Reece settled back in his chair with his hands over his taut stomach. His cock jerked abruptly, breath accelerating when a hard knee bumped his own.

  “Perhaps I’m celebrating something completely different,” Reece said softly, giving him a confident grin.

  What does he mean by that? Their champagne arrived before he could ask and they tasted the vintage and listened to the recital of the night’s specials. He tried his best to pay attention, but his concentration was shot to hell as Reece rubbed his calf with his foot while keeping probing eyes on him the entire time.