Bidding on the Billionaire (Bad Boys Billionaire Bachelors Club)

Bidding
on the Billionaire

Bad Boys Billionaire
Bachelors Club

Rachel
Angel

Bidding on the Billionaire

Published by Rachel Angel

Copyright © 2012 Rachel Angel

All Rights Reserved. No part of
this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
graphic, electronic, or  mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping
or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the permission in
writing from the publisher except in case of brief quotations embodied in
critical articles and reviews.

For my mom.

Chapter 1

O
wning an art gallery was never on the list of
accomplishments that Amanda Perkins had for her life, or her career.  That had
been her mother’s dream, and her mother was brilliant at it with her fine eye
for art, and creative abilities.  Yet, after her mom had lost her fight with
breast cancer Amanda found that she’d inherited the Melinda Perkins Fine Art
Gallery, and all that came with running such a business.

Another
day was nearing an end, and quite frankly, Amanda was exhausted.  The
temptations of the active New York City night life were easy for her to resist
in lieu of a good story and a glass of wine by the time her work day came to an
end.  She knew that she should consider selling the gallery to someone who was
more passionate about art than her, but every time someone offered to buy it
she’d find a reason to back out of it. That gallery represented the life of her
mother, and was the last connection she had to her since her death.  If she sold
it she’d have to truly acknowledge that she was all alone in this world, and
really would have to pursue the dreams that she’d put on the backburner,
including an actual social life that involved dating, and perhaps finding
the
one.

As
Amanda finished picking up her office she heard the buzzer of the front door of
the gallery.  She rolled her eyes, hoping that it would not be a customer who
wanted to have a detailed discussion about anything, or share their
perspectives on every piece of art in the gallery.

“Mandi,
where are you?” A voice called out, and she breathed a sigh of relief.  It was
Sophia, her best friend and by far one of the most energetic people she’d ever
known in her life.  She was non-stop.

“Sophia,
how’s it going?  I haven’t seen you for at least a month.  It’s great to see
you.”  Mandi went up and hugged her best friend and ex-college roommate.  She
looked impeccable as always, perfectly coiffed blonde hair that accented her
lovely face, petite frame, and sparkling blue eyes. 

“I
am here to take you out to my charity auction tonight.  It’s to benefit the
children’s hospital, and I know you’ll have a blast.”

“Really?”
Mandi asked.  She tossed around the debate between kicking back in her lounging
clothes, and getting dressed up to go to an event.  One thing was for certain,
any event that Sophia threw together was never casual.  It was extravagant and
most likely black tie too.

“You
need to get out and live a little.  This is the perfect event for you.  There
are going to be some gorgeous available men there, including Sergio and some of
his friends.” 

That
caught Mandi’s attention. Sophia’s brother Sergio was one of those guys who
were so good looking that it made you become way too easily distracted.
Sophia’s brother or not, he was hot. He exuded a dark sensuality and intensity
that made him mysterious still yet a familiarity and ease that made him
approachable. His mannerisms and cocky charm had always brought out quite the
combination of emotions in Mandi when she was still in college and had first
met him.  At times she thought he was like the dream guy, the one who lived an
exciting life and could take her out of her shell, and she welcomed the
thought.  Then there were the times when Mandi would suddenly feel like being
in a relationship with such a dynamic person would be overwhelming, and it
would be impossible to do anything without drawing lots of attention.  Of
course, these were all thoughts that Mandi kept hidden in her mind because
she’d never be so bold as to assume that she’d have a chance with Sergio.  He
was about five years older than her, and really had his choice of just about
any woman out there.  Besides having one of the hottest bodies and gorgeous
faces she’d seen, he was brilliant and smart, a self-made young billionaire in
a world of high-fashion and glamour. Why would he choose her?  And then, of
course, there was the fact that Sergio was her best friend’s brother. 
Well,
it was still a nice fantasy. A girl can dream, can’t she?

“We
have one hour to get you ready, Mandi,” Sophia continued, not noticing that she
hadn’t responded to her last statement.  “Let’s go.”

Five
minutes later, the gallery was locked up and Mandi was sitting in the passenger
seat of Sophia’s new Beamer convertible, and they were making their way to
Mandi’s loft.  The ride was enjoyable, and it was still early enough that the
traffic was fairly light, considering how busy 5
^th
Avenue was most
all the time.

“Where’s
the benefit at?”

“At
The Glass Houses, and let me tell you—it looks phenomenal.  The committee
really busted their tails to help me out.”

Mandi
smiled.  Sophia didn’t hold anything back, and leave it to her to pull off
booking such an in demand place at the last minute.  I guess that was a perk
that came with being ultra-wealthy, not to mention ultra-persuasive.

Sophia
and Mandi went into her loft.  For Mandi, it was one of her most favorite
places.  She’d been able to buy it with the inheritance from her mother, and
work on it over time.  Naturally she already had the source of artwork for
decorating it covered through the gallery, but she’d also enjoyed putting it
all together to represent her a little more.  Despite her not having a big
social life, Mandi had a colorful and vibrant personality, one that drew
attention even when she wasn’t trying to.  It showed in the modern eclectic
elements of her loft, and she felt very relaxed whenever she was at home.

“Okay,
let’s go look in my closet and see if I have anything to wear to your big gala,
Sophia.  It may be challenging.”

“Give
me a break.  You look gorgeous in anything, and one thing I know for certain is
that you have fantastic taste with the things you buy.  I’m sure you’ll have
something.”

“On
second thought, why don’t you go look through the closet while I freshen up,
and do something with this hair.  Mandi held out the end of her French
ponytail, which she’d worn that day.  Her dark hair showed its smooth perfection,
not even having one dry or split end on it.

“Sounds
good.”

Within
a very short period of time, Sophia was standing outside the bathroom and
holding up an outfit that she thought would be perfect.  “Try this.”

Mandi
looked.  The dress was among the skimpiest that Mandi owned and was more
dressed up than anything she’d worn in about a year when she’d gone to the New
Year’s Eve party that Sophia’s parents had hosted.  “Okay.  Give me ten.”

True
to her word, Mandi came out ten minutes later a transformed person.  Her hair
was now hanging down with loose curls in the end, and a beautiful barrette
loosely pulling it back out of her face.  That was something Mandi usually did
when she was going out because she had a nervous habit of tucking her hair
behind her ears on occasion.  Her light make-up made her bright green eyes look
stunning, almost mesmerizing too. She was the picture of class, sophistication,
and approachability all wrapped up in one beautiful package.

“Ooh
la la,” Sophia said, whistling at Mandi.  She was wearing a black form fitting
dress with a slight flair just above the knees.  The neckline was plunging and
showed her very attractive curves, and long legs off nicely.  “Oh my gosh,
those gold heels are the perfect accent.  You look fantastic, and you’ll be
perfect if one of my bachelor’s doesn’t show up.”

“What
are you talking about?” Mandi asked, not liking the premise of Sophia’s
question.

“Well,
the gala is to raise money for children, and we are doing that by having a
bachelor auction.  They’re all boys from the Bad Boys Billionaire Bachelors
Club, thanks to Sergio agreeing to help me out.  It would be great to have one
bachelorette in there if it was necessary, and you definitely fit that bill. 
You are stunning, and I know that you’d draw a great price.”

“And
let me guess…you are the one who will be doing the describing of the goods up
for auction.”

“Who else could
describe you and the others better than me?  There is a professional auctioneer
for the actual bidding though—just for a bit of fun.”

“I
sure hope that guy shows up,” Mandi commented.  The thought of standing up
there in front of everyone and getting auctioned off was slightly
overwhelming.  It would be fun to watch the guys though, and who knows, maybe
she’d even bid on one.  After all, this was all for children.

“You’ll
be just fine either way.  Now let’s go.  It wouldn’t be very good if the
hostess was late, would it?”

“Definitely
not.  By the way, Sophia, are there going to be any guys there who you are
interested in?”

“Maybe,”
Sophia replied, winking mischievously.  “That’s probably a battle best served
for a different day.  It’ll be a busy night.” 

Mandi
smiled at her friend.  She was so casual and assured that she would eventually
find the one—that guy that finally clicked with her, and she could create a
future with.  She was inspiring, and gave all girls hope that love would always
prosper in the end.

Chapter 2

T
he first person to greet Mandi and Sophia when
they entered the ballroom was Sergio.  Mandi tried not to act too obvious, but
she was immediately drawn to how gorgeous and sophisticated he looked.  His
black Armani tux, black bowtie, and sapphire studded cufflinks and studs
sparkled in the glimmering light, and were only offset by an amazing smile that
definitely showed he was still a heartbreaker.  He was better looking than
she’d recalled since seeing him last a few years ago, more sophisticated and
intense.

“Mandi,
it’s so great to see you,” Sergio said, leaning in to hug her, making Mandi
instantly tingle from the feel of his muscular physique. 

“And
I’m so glad to see you.  You’re looking very dapper, Sergio.  You should bring a
good price at Sophia’s latest fundraising efforts.”

“You’re
too kind, Mandi.”

There
was a brief pause when Mandi and Sergio looked at each other appreciatively. 
Sergio couldn’t believe how much Mandi had matured, and had transformed from a pretty
college girl to a stunning sexy woman. She was gorgeous with that thick shining
long hair that he can imagine grabbing a handful of, green eyes that can
captivate any man, smooth kissable skin, and lips luscious enough to suck on.  Mandi
was definitely a woman he wanted to explore a little more. The only problem
was, she was Sophia’s best friend, whom he practically knew since she was a
young freshman in college.  Boy has she grown up!

Despite
how gorgeous she was, Sergio could tell in an instant that she wasn’t like
other women who knew they were sexy and smart.  She didn’t have an angle, and
everything she did was from the heart. 

Mandi,
on the other hand, thought Sergio was possibly the most handsome man she’d ever
seen. Unlike Sophia, Sergio had black hair that was slightly wavy and fell just
to his shoulders, and the most entrancing amber colored eyes that looked
mysterious yet dangerous at the same time.  His build was all muscle, and you
could just sense how each one rippled when he did even a simple motion like
raising his arm. Not to mention from having known him a while through Sophia,
Sergio was smart, wildly successful, and had so much infectious energy about
him. He always had a strong presence about him. She also realized that he was a
very well noted playboy, and she’d have to be careful not to fall into that
trap even if certain parts of her were ready to throw caution into the wind. 

Sophia
looked from Sergio to Mandi and smiled.  Did she see something there?  She was
very perceptive, and suspected that she did.  Interesting.  “Well, if you two
will excuse me, I have to go make sure everything is set for the auction, and
that all my bachelor’s are here.” 

“Are
all of the guys in the auction from your club?” Mandi asked Sergio.  She was
trying to start some small talk, and get over the tingling sensation she had
from standing next to him.    

“Yes,
all the guys were glad to be a part of this event.  Sophia made a rather
irresistible offer, and something like this is, well…fun.”

“If
I were you I’d be so nervous.  The thought of being up there makes me cringe. 
I can just imagine me standing there and the room immediately falls silent, and
then stays that way.”  Mandi laughed and found herself wanting to tuck her hair
behind her ear, but she couldn’t because of the barrette. 

Sergio
smiled, oddly attracted to the way Mandi discredited herself.  There was
nothing about her, at least from what Sergio could see, that wasn’t alluring. 
He said, “That would be impossible.  Trust me; I’ve seen some very appreciative
looks delivered your way.  I’d consider bidding on you.”

“That’s
good to know,” Mandi laughed.
Sweet Heavens. He’d bid on me.

For
the next ten minutes or so Mandi and Sergio talked casually, with his friends
coming up for introductions on occasion.  They discussed the gallery, Sergio’s
businesses, and a wide variety of other things.  Mandi really enjoyed hearing
about Sergio’s work because she found it interesting, and really enjoyed
business in general.  That was what her degree was in, and she looked forward
to eventually going into it as a career instead of the gallery when the time
was right.  She was particularly interested in marketing, and corporate
identity strategies.  It was the perfect blend of her creative side and natural
business mind.

“Okay,
exciting news,” Sophia interrupted.

“What?”
Mandi asked.

“You
are going to be in the auction after all.”

“Why,
didn’t the one guy show up?”

“He
did, but I think it would be very fun to see you and Sergio go head to head in
the auction.  It’d be interesting to see who draws the largest response. 
Gorgeous gallery girl versus prominent play boy.”

“That
doesn’t sound like much of a challenge for Sergio,” Mandi rebutted.

“It
sounds like a most intriguing challenge,” Sergio added.  “I look forward to battling
with the brunette beauty of the art world.”

“I
knew you would,” Sophia said to Sergio.  “In five minutes I need you both in
the back room for instructions.  Sergio, you’re going to be second to last
now.  Mandi is going to be the last one.  I wish you could be the one bidding
wildly on her, but one of the rules is that that my bachelor’s cannot do
bidding.”

“Let
me guess…I’m to be immediately enamored by the lovely young lady who chooses
me,” Sergio teased.

“Don’t
forget, there are plenty of exciting older ladies here too, not just young
ones.”

“Fantastic.”

“Yup,
I’ve been seeing the elderly Mrs. Finnigan eyeing you up for quite a spell
now.  As for Mandi, she’s been the subject of inspection by quite a few eyes
thus far, including all your buds in the BBBBC.”  Sophia looked at Mandi, a
hidden joke behind her smile. The BBBBC was Sophia’s term for Sergio’s
gentleman club with his friends…generally young men who happened to be the most
eligible bachelors in the world.  Handsome, successful, bachelors, and
billionaires.  Sophia casually refer to the group as the Bad Boys Billionaire
Bachelors Club or the BBBBC, as women in the know knew them to be. Bad boys -
because all the members were notorious for dating beautiful women in droves,
breaking hearts, and being bad in one way or another. No choir boy in this
group. Billionaires - because they were – either self-made with a drive as
insatiable as their sex drive, or inherited or soon-to-be inherited. Bachelors
because they were happily unattached, living a lifestyle where it was more
gratifying being a confirmed bachelor. Club - because it was as exclusive
members only as it can get. Leave it to Sophia to not miss out on a single
thing.

As
fast as she showed up Sophia was gone again, leaving Mandi wondering what she’d
just agreed to.  It was an absolutely crazy idea, and she couldn’t even begin
to process what it would feel like being up on that stage with a spotlight on
her, waiting to find out who was all going to bid on her. 

“I
think I’d better go get a quick bite to eat,” Mandi said.  Her stomach was
growling and that was the last thing she wanted to have happen to her up on
stage. 

“Well,
I’ll see you back stage then.  Let the battle begin.”  Sergio smiled and
touched her elbow gently.

“I
look forward to it,” Mandi said.  She made her way to the appetizers and found
a few that looked like a good choice to hold her over.  A few people came over
to her to make small talk; including one guy that was not all too smooth in his
approach to showing Mandi that he thought she was a very attractive woman.  She
smiled, nodding politely, but kept hoping that he would not be the winning bid
on her that evening when he found out she was a part of the auction.  Anyone
but him.  She was open to anyone really, but when it came down to it, she
really wished Sergio could bid on her. Why couldn’t it be Sergio though?