Underneath It All Read online

  Raising her hand, Nicole took over the bid once more, but this time less intently. She didn’t care about the money, but the sudden flash that something here might be foul.

  It was all too perfect, her attraction to this stranger, more hot and fiery than anything she’d felt before, all brought on by this undersea Eden set up to breed passion in everyone who entered. There was romance in the air, from the oysters on the half shell to the champagne to the plates of chocolate hearts on the tables.

  And to find this instant connection with someone who gave her every signal he felt the very same way? How likely was that to happen? How much of this was simply the act of being swept up into the evening?

  In a serious wave of doubt, her mind began spinning backward, rewinding to the first glance, her first impression, trying to recall what started all this and how she got caught up into it. Was this man sending her genuine signals or was he just trying to win the bet against his brother?

  “Going once,” she heard.

  Penny jabbed her in the ribs. “What are you doing? Don’t stop now.”

  With a quick jerk, she raised her hand and took the bid again, now unsure exactly how high it was. Then she tried to shake the clouds from her thoughts.

  This was silly, these doubts. If the man was trying to set up the bidding, he would have arranged it ahead of time, maybe with women he already knew. Not once had he approached her. In fact, he hadn’t approached any of the women here tonight. While all the other men were making contacts and getting to know the prospective buyers, he’d stood at the bar casually watching the room.

  No, she thought. This was real. There was real heat here. Real attraction and she really wanted this date.

  “What are you doing?” Penny asked. “You almost lost it.”

  “She’s regaining her senses,” Eve said. “Nicky, don’t get carried away. Like you said before, you have the man’s phone number. You can always call him after the auction.”

  “No,” said Nicole. “I want this.”

  Up flew her hand to take over the bid again, the brunette still going on as if she could do this all night. And Devon still held his eyes on Nicole—that intense stare focused directly on her, the smile telling her she won’t be sorry, and that brush of his thumb caressing back and forth, prompting her to keep bidding.

  To keep driving the price up so he can win the bet.

  Damn, that voice of doubt. It was the same voice that had been paralyzing her for too many months now.

  This was all about her parents and the situation that had stripped away her trust in everything pure and honest. And who could blame her? When the two people she should have believed in most handed her the greatest betrayal, how was she expected to have faith in a stranger in a bar? Maybe a year ago, she would have played into this without thinking twice. She would have taken everything at surface value, never considering that Devon and Cruella were conspiring to win this wager from his brother.

  But when her parents were forced to admit they’d lied to her about her birth, her basic trust in human beings was destroyed.

  It wasn’t even finding out that she was adopted that hurt the most. Millions of children are adopted and grow up with a solid sense of self. It was that her parents had never intended to tell her. That she’d always been led to believe that she was their natural child, that their heritage was her heritage, their culture her culture.

  That she was a Reavis, and Reavis’s were doers and go-getters and survivors. It was in her blood, who she was.

  And only when her mother became ill and the truth leaked out were her parents forced to confess the family secret.

  Everything she had, everything she was had been a lie. And Nicole hadn’t been the same person since learning the truth.

  “What are you doing?” Penny pleaded. “You’re going to lose!”

  “Going once,” the announcer said.

  “She’s wising up. This is too much money,” Eve said.

  And in the midst of it all, Nicole’s mind went blank with confusion, halting her from taking action or knowing which way to turn. The same way it had every time she tried to make a move with her life or to find the answers she’d been seeking.

  Perpetual limbo. Handed down by Don and Betty Reavis to their grown daughter.

  “Going twice,” the announcer said.

  “Come on,” Penny urged. “You’re going to be a millionaire. Who cares about the price? Get the guy, already!”

  “I don’t…”

  Nicole didn’t know what to do. Fixing her eyes on Devon’s she saw a mist of disappointment. A gentleman, he tried to hide it for the audience, but she could see the falseness in his smile. It wasn’t the same smile of expectation he had a moment ago, and she wondered if it had turned because she wouldn’t end up as his date or because the price hadn’t gone as high as he’d hoped.

  Closing her eyes, she fumed. This was silly. Ten seconds ago, she was having a great time, anticipating a romantic date with the first man to warm up her insides in as long as she could remember. The chemistry was real. So why was she standing here doubting it all?

  What happened to the old Nicole who went for what she wanted, reached out and grabbed the brass ring without worrying whether or not it was just worthless plated steel?

  What happened to the doer, the go-getter, the woman who made things happen?

  “Sold for three-thousand-five-hundred dollars!” the announcer said.

  Sold to another woman, Nicole conceded, pulling her gaze away from Devon and turning from the stage.

  “I can’t believe you let him go!” Penny cried.

  She looked to Eve and Penny. Only Eve knew the truth about why she’d come to Atlanta, but even so, she still couldn’t explain why she could be confident one moment then a pile of hesitation the next.

  Heck, even she didn’t get it. So instead, she lied.

  Sticking up her chin, she pasted on a smile. “Eve was right. The price got too high.”

  “But—” Penny started.

  Nicole held up the crinkled pages in her hand. “I’ve got his phone number right here, remember? Let the woman have her date. I’ll catch him on the rebound.”

  3

  NICOLE PULLED THE PEN and notepad from her purse and recorded Devon’s auction result as she had the others. On stage, his brother, Todd, was selling the crowd on his date, and when the bidding kicked off, a flurry of hands went up promising that the wager between siblings could be a very tight race.

  Next to him, Devon stood by idly watching the proceedings. A few times he’d glanced over, winked or smiled in a no-hard-feelings kind of way, but aside from that he’d kept his attention on the show. He’d moved on, his focus back to his brother and the auction and no doubt the woman who’d be enjoying his fantasy date.

  And the longer Nicole stood there the more foolish she felt for backing out the way she had. She’d been having a good time doing something wild and spontaneous. She’d seen something she wanted and had decided to go for it.

  For that moment, she’d been her old self again, and it felt good. She shouldn’t be standing here noting the fact that another woman would go home with her prize. She should be standing by the stage waiting for Mr. Delicious to come down and take her hand.

  “There’s three thousand, do I have three thousand one hundred?” the auctioneer announced.

  Two women held up hands leaving Nicole all but certain Todd would win. The auction hadn’t even slowed and already the price had neared the thirty-five hundred Devon went for.

  “I’m sorry, but no date is worth that kind of money,” Eve said.

  “Tell me about it,” Nicole murmured then vowed to believe it.

  Eve was right. She shouldn’t be making such a big deal out of this. It was just a stupid date that would have cost her more money than she had at the moment. Instead of complaining she should be pleased she’d come to her senses when she had.

  “I’ll throw in a dozen roses,” Todd said when the bid hit Dev
on’s, and when one woman raised her hand and made Todd the winner, the crowd erupted. With the bidding still going, he raised his arms in victory and did a happy dance on stage, leaving Devon rolling his eyes on the sidelines. A few more bids widened the margin before Todd’s date finally sold for three thousand eight hundred, relieving the two brothers from their presence on stage.

  And of course, waiting by the stairs to be the first to claim her trophy was Ms. Cruella Skin-And-Bones. Nicole turned her attention to her notes, not interested in standing witness to the grand induction.

  “Well, that was exciting,” Nicole said, trying to shake off her disappointment and move on with the evening. “They’ve raised over twelve thousand dollars so far and they’re only halfway through their list of bachelors.”

  “I wonder if they’ve got any more dueling brothers,” Penny said. “That was amazing. If I wasn’t so broke, I would have gone after Todd. He’s almost as adorable as his brother.”

  “Hopefully, we’ll get a lot of responses on the flyers the organizers are passing out to the winning bidders,” Nicole said, again trying to yank the discussion off Devon and onto something more pleasant.

  “We should. Most people love the idea of getting on TV,” Eve said. “It wouldn’t surprise me to show up at the station Monday with a dozen voice mail messages.”

  “I wonder how many people end up seriously involved after these dates. You know? Like, how many marriages come out of bachelor auctions,” Penny speculated.

  The image of Devon and Cruella at the altar flashed in Nicole’s mind, making her seriously wish she’d left Penny at home tonight.

  “Probably not many,” Penny added. “But I’ll bet the bulk of them end up at least doing it. I mean, you have to consider the odds and—”

  “Can we stop talking about this, please?” Nicole took a breath, hoping to calm her aggravation when a familiar voice sounded behind them.

  “I’m disappointed in you, Nicole. I thought I had my lead story for tomorrow’s broadcast.”

  It was Stella Graves, The Grave Digger, as the crew at CATL-TV called her. Stella was the entertainment reporter for their rival television station, WTVU. Nicole should have known she’d be sniffing around at this auction tonight. The woman had managed to make a local celebrity of herself by nosing about town speculating on the comings and goings of prominent people in the city. Until recently, only Eve had been notable enough to get an occasional mention in Stella’s nightly gossip segments, and even then it was rare, most likely because WTVU wasn’t keen on giving publicity to its competitors.

  But the lottery changed all that. If the win itself hadn’t been big enough news, the scandal created by Liza’s return made them all ripe pickings for anyone looking for a story. And Stella Graves had been right at the front of the pack.

  “Granted,” Stella continued, “the friendly wager between the Bradshaw brothers might be a fun mention, but I’d been rooting for you to win. Atlanta would love to know their favorite lottery winners were spending their fortunes buying bachelors.”

  Forcing a stiff smile, Nicole replied, “Sorry I couldn’t help you, Stella.”

  The woman turned back to the stage and sighed from under the brim of her black felt hat. Part of Stella’s image was to look as though she’d just flown out from Hollywood, though Nicole had been there enough times to know few Hollywood locals actually dressed like her. In California, the wide-brimmed hats and rhinestones were more commonly found on drag queens and stage performers, though in all irony, Stella somehow made it work, coming across as more eccentric than foolish.

  And be damned if Atlanta didn’t love her, which made the subjects of her nightly segments all that more annoyed.

  Stella spoke through a huff and glanced toward Devon and Cruella. “That Abbey Westlaw certainly isn’t news. If I devoted my segments to all the men she dates, I wouldn’t have time to report on anything else.” She raised a brow and added, “Looks like your Devon will be the next notch on her bedpost, if he’s not there already. They do look as though they already know each other, wouldn’t you say?”

  Nicole gritted her teeth and eyed Eve who shot a look that said let it go. They’d all dealt with Stella enough to know this was how she incited news for her segments. Push a few buttons and people were likely to say all kinds of things they’d find repeated on the next day’s taping.

  “So,” Stella added. “Have you got your eye on a consolation prize?” She motioned toward a tall blonde near the stage. “That hunk over there looks appetizing. They say he owns a construction company. He’s not quite as handsome as Devon Bradshaw, but he could certainly build you your dream house.”

  “Actually,” Nicole replied. “I’m done bidding.” She shoved the notepad at Penny. “Keep track of the auction for me. I’m getting a drink.”

  She didn’t ask Eve to join her, needing instead to get away from everyone and clear the garbage from her mind. This whole situation was ridiculous at best. It was bad enough moping over losing a date with Devon. Allowing a local gossipmonger to make her feel even worse tipped the scale to absurd.

  Since when had men become such a prized commodity anyway? They came a dime a dozen and she could get any one she wanted without having to fork out thousands of dollars. So she’d come across a guy she found attractive. Big whoop. It wasn’t the first time, it wouldn’t be the last.

  And as soon as she convinced herself of all that, she’d be fine.

  She found one seat available at the bar, slid into it and calmed herself while the bartender finished with his other orders and came down toward her end.

  He slid a cocktail napkin in front of her. “What can I get you?”

  “I’ll have a glass of chardonnay.”

  Nodding, the man turned, poured her glass and set it on the napkin. “That’s eight-fifty.”

  She reached into her purse, but before she could pull out her wallet, a familiar low drawl sounded over her shoulder.

  “It’s on me.”

  One masculine hand slid a twenty across the bar, and when she followed it up to the man attached, she found herself staring squarely at two stunning blue eyes.

  Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. If Devon Bradshaw had been handsome from across the room, he was doubly attractive just inches from her nose. His broad chest was wider than she’d noted before, the dimple in his cheek deeper, and the blue of his eyes so vivid they were nearly violet. He leaned against the bar, the motion stretching the dress shirt under his opened suit jacket and relieving any doubt that what lay underneath was one solid mass of chiseled joy.

  She fought a gut instinct to reach out and touch him, opting instead to take a breath, and what she got was a lungful of fresh, woodsy aftershave that drugged her thoughts of everything but him…naked.

  “Thank you” was all she could say, and even that came out slightly hoarse.

  His smile broadened. “Considering what you almost paid for a date, this is the least I could do.”

  Clearing her throat, she took a sip of her wine, then managed to utter, “Almost.”

  He slid his empty glass across the bar and motioned to the bartender for another. “Well, it’s better you didn’t win the bid. I’d rather take you on a date free of charge.”

  She blinked then blinked again. “Take me on a date?”

  “If you’ll let me.”

  The way he flashed that smile, that eager boyish grin, she doubted any woman could turn down his request—doubted any of them had.

  He held out a hand. “I’m Devon Bradshaw.”

  Taking it in hers, the warmth of his grasp sent a spray of tingles over her skin, and she now realized for certain that all the silly doubts she’d had about him during the auction amounted to nothing more than her own paranoia. His manner was too genuine, the heat too temperate.

  She had, for certain, blown the opportunity to take the date she wanted, the date that should have been hers. It was a mistake she wouldn’t make a second time.

  “Nico
le Reavis.”

  “Nicole,” he repeated, letting the word roll over his tongue as if he was trying it on for size. “It’s a pleasure.”

  “Um,” she started, getting back to the subject at hand. “I thought you already had a date.” She scanned the room for Cruella. The woman had just forked out three grand for the man. Wasn’t it somewhat rude for him to be here buying her drinks?

  Devon jerked his thumb toward the auction. “She’s moved on to her next acquisition.”

  Nicole gaped. “She’s bidding on someone else?”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Abbey’s an old…friend, a real estate broker with some strange ideas on how to drum up new business.”

  Nicole searched the crowd and sure enough, Cru—er, Abbey, was back at the auction bidding on the next guy.

  “So she’s—”

  “Nothing more than a friend,” Devon said. “What I’d really like to do is get out of this fish tank and spend my evening with the woman I am interested in.” Taking her hand, he brushed his thumb over the back of her fingers. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  She glanced at the crowd and at Eve and Penny, who’d somehow managed to ditch Stella Graves. She really shouldn’t leave them here to deal with work alone. Although, on the other hand, they’d already accomplished what they’d come for and that was to meet with the organizers and get a sense of the auction. Even taking notes on the bidding results had been overkill since she probably could obtain the information from the organizers. They’d been so excited about the additional publicity of being on Eve’s show, they were willing to hand over anything they needed.

  But still, the three women were here together, and though they’d taken separate cars—

  She stopped.

  She took a breath then wondered what the hell she was doing. Had she learned nothing tonight?

  Closing her eyes briefly, she vowed that for the rest of the evening, there would be no more doubts, no more suspicions and no more questioning every turn she made. Her sexy bachelor was offering her the second chance to let her hair down and have a good time.