The Millionaire's Intriguing Offer

Just a Kiss

Halfway through the bidding Jonathon had noticed Mitsy Hamilton was one of the bidders. And wondered what Trip's wife was up to. His interest was definitely caught when Mitsy won the bidding and the woman sitting next to her got up somewhat reluctantly and walked toward the stage to claim him as her prize.

Reluctance was not something he was accustomed to when dealing with the opposite sex. Women orchestrated elaborate "accidental" meetings in the hopes of dating him, and lied about their pasts to try to interest him. When you were not only a successful and sometimes controversial trial lawyer but also hailed from one of the wealthiest families in New England, interesting propositions from women came with the territory. But he couldn't recall any of them ever approaching him looking like the thought of a date with him was making them physically ill.

She gave her name to the MC as he took her hand to assist her onto the stage, then she was standing there in front of Jonathon, looking up at him coolly. There was something both forced and tentative about her smile, though, and he wondered why she'd allowed her friend to place bids on her behalf when apparently she'd rather be just about anywhere else than standing there on the stage with him.

Her dress – obviously a couture original – hugged the slim curve of her body perfectly. But it was her eyes that caught and held his attention. Golden brown, the color of light amber, and as clear as a precious stone. He'd known someone with eyes like that once, a very long time ago. Whatever had become of her, it was a sure bet that she hadn't ended up wearing a ten thousand dollar dress and going to a bachelor auction in Miami. He smiled. This evening was everything Sparrow would have hated. And he found himself hoping that wherever she'd ended up, she hadn't changed. But the quick memory made him look a little more indulgently at the golden-eyed beauty standing uncertainly in front of him.

"All right, everyone," the MC said, "let's give it up for Bailey Reid, the winner of a Date of a Lifetime with prominent local attorney Jonathon Berrington!"

Jonathon took her hand and turned them both to face the audience. She looked so damned uncomfortable that, on impulse he put a hand around her waist and pulled her toward him, dipping her dramatically and kissing her, to the loud delight of the crowd.

"Well, well, let's keep this G-rated," the MC said, laughing. But for a few second the crowds disappeared, the sounds of the audience and the auctioneer fading to white noise, as Jonathon felt her startled lips part under his. What he'd meant as a playful gesture, playing to the crowd and maybe getting his nervous date to relax and lighten up a bit, shot through his system like a bolt of electricity. Fascinated and a more than a surprised, he dipped her lower, lingered a little longer sampling the taste of her before setting her back on her feet and grinning sheepishly at the crowd.

Judging by the stunned look on her face, she'd been as affected as he was. And he was starting to think of this whole Date of a Lifetime thing as less of a chore and more of an intriguing interlude that he might actually enjoy.

* * *

Mitsy gleefully dragged Bailey into her closet. "I know just exactly what outfits you should pack for your date."

"I can't believe you talked me into going through with this. Besides, I'm just going to wear my own clothes."

"Oh really?" Mitsy stood, hands on her hips in the center of a walk-in closet that could have swallowed whole Bailey's entire bedroom in her apartment in Boston. "So, you're telling me you packed clothes suitable to go sailing to Bimini? To snorkel in the Florida Keys?"

"Hey, I brought a bathing suit."

"You're going to need more than just a bathing suit." Mitsy's eyes glinted wickedly. "Unless your plan is to just skip clothes altogether. " She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "I heard a rumor that he has black satin sheets on his bed on the sailboat. And a really firm king-size mattress. There might even be a mirror over the bed."