CHAPTER ONE

Sebastian

“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked my best friend Donovan, taking a seat at the bar as I nodded to the bartender.

“Come on, Bast. You’ve had enough women that it’s been a while since you broke one in. This auction is perfect for us. We drop some cash for charity-not a problem for us-and have a night with a girl that’s never been with anyone.” He grinned and sipped his beer with a sparkle in his green eyes. “It’s a win-win.”

“We don’t need to do that.” We were equally attractive men living in New York. He was the lighter of the two of us with sandy blonde hair, tan skin, and eyes that women swore reminded them of emeralds. I was the taller of us with dark hair and dark blue eyes that seemed to make women drop their panties at any time that I hinted to it. We both worked out several times a week and were in excellent shape. We had no issues with women and thinking back, I had no idea how many I’d slept with at this point.

“Of course not. I just think it would be fun to go have a drink and check out some women that we owe nothing to. We pay, and they fuck without the title of prostitution. It’s taboo and exciting and all for charity. That can be a tax write off, right?”

“Jesus fucking Christ. You’re insane Van.” I laughed as the pretty bartender slipped my beer across the wood to me with a slight blush to her cheeks. I couldn’t remember if I’d had her before, but this was a new bar, closer to Donovan’s new job as an attorney at one of the top firms in the city. I met them everywhere. “When is it?”

“Valentine’s Day,” he replied as I nearly choked on my drink.

“Are you shitting me? That’s a hell of a night to give something like that up,” I chuckled as I considered the idea. It wasn’t like we had anything regular that involved flowers and dinner. I stayed as far away from that as possible since I was only twenty-five. I worked at one of the best ad companies in the world and had my whole life ahead of me. I was already right from a trust fund that my late grandfather left me when he died some years ago. The job only put me into the billionaire category, but I loved a good challenge. “Do you think it’s a sure thing?”

“It’s not being advertised as such but sure. You’re bidding on a date and what else would that be? They fuck on TV all the time without actually showing it.” He shrugged casually, and I laughed. “It’s just different and we have the money.” Donovan was a trust fund baby as well. I was pretty sure we were head-to-head on what we were worth, as well as two of the hottest bachelors in New York. He had a point. “Maybe they just want to get it over with. They’re legal, right?”

“I hope so.” We both laughed and started talking about our upcoming seats at a hockey game as I kept considering the auction. We had access to seats at any every that we wanted to attend since my father was the head of a record company here in New York. That job came with a lot of perks and Crane Industries enjoyed all of them, along with their families. My sister Lola and I had been to countless games, concerts and Broadway plays over the years. We’d traveled all over the world with our parents. I considered myself very lucky. I killed a few hours with Donovan before he headed out with a statuesque blonde woman. I’d noticed a pretty hot brunette across the bar making eyes at me, but I had an early day at the office tomorrow. I worked weekends a lot since it made the money and I always wanted more. I didn’t set limits on myself. I handed the bartender a few bills with a wink and headed out of the front door onto the busy sidewalk of Manhattan.

I could call my driver and have him pick me up, given that my brownstone was several blocks away. There was a nice Spring breeze out that I should take advantage of for at least part of the way. I turned left and headed down the block as my day played through my mind. Everything was normal apart from the idea of the auction in a week. I thought that Donovan was crazy for bringing it up at all, but it might be fun.

By the end of the weekend, Donovan had us registered for the auction. The girls were anonymous and anything they told us was up to them. I was bachelor number ten, but I was certain I’d be recognized by someone. That happened daily.

I ended up walking all the way home, ignoring a lot of texts and calls on my phone. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. I spent a lot of time partying and charming the crowd around me as they virtually dropped to my feet. I needed to decompress tonight, have a beer, and just relax in my large apartment. I walked up the steps to my lobby and greeted the doorman as he nodded at me. Then I headed to the steps to go to my spread out three-bedroom apartment that only shared the second floor with three other places. It offered a great view of the park and was luxurious. It was too big for a single man but fuck it. I had the money.

I grabbed a beer from the fridge and dropped my light jacket over the dining room chair before dropping to the couch. I turned on the massive flat screen on the wall, finding some scores as I tugged my phone out of the pocket of my slacks. There were several texts from some of my past hookups that I was foolish enough to give my number to after too many drinks, all of whom I ignored. There was nothing from Donovan, but I knew he was busy. I’d hear from him tomorrow. I dropped the phone beside me and reached for my laptop to check out the auction site.

I read it and smirked at the way they kept sex out of the description. It was advertised as a fun event to raise money for battered women and children, which I couldn’t argue with. That was a charity that needed donations, making me think of my aunt. She had an abusive boyfriend for a few years and my mom struggled to help her, offering her money and a place to stay. It finally helped, and I blinked as I kept reading. I saw how much it cost to register and some events that were supposed to happen, but it was a vague description.

I woke up in the early morning on the couch, rubbing my eyes. It was Saturday, and I had no plans since I was taking the day off for a change. I drank a few more beers that usual along with shots and even though I was young, it took a lot out of me. I rose and headed to bed, glancing at the clock above the stove to see that it was just past five. I needed to get some more sleep.

I heard from Dad later that day. He was living in Boston with his new wife that I hadn’t had the chance to meet yet. I worked a lot, and it was an impromptu ceremony while they vacationed somewhere tropical. I didn’t know too much about the woman apart from the fact that she didn’t come from money and she wasn’t Mom. My mom died when I was fifteen and the loss still hurt every day. I didn’t hold it against my father that he chose to date after her death nor was I eager to meet any of them. I suppose there was a thin layer of resentment for him, but I tried to keep a relationship. He was all that I had. We planned on my visiting for a weekend in two weeks to meet his new family and killed the call before Donovan called me. He told me all about the woman from the night before and mentioned that she had a friend that she was bringing along tonight to another bar.

I agreed to meet them at ten and ended that call to take a shower and run some errands on a rare Saturday off. It didn’t feel natural but also not bad. I enjoyed a late lunch and some time in the city before heading back home to watch a hockey game and get ready for the club.