Chain Lightning (3 page)

As soon as the thunder of applause diminished, the auctioneer spoke again. Her voice had lost its bantering, teasing tone.

“This brings us to the end of our scheduled program, but not to the end of our bachelor auction. We are truly privileged to have with us tonight a man who has dedicated his life to working for Our Children’s Children. Whenever politics or war or natural disasters threaten OCC’s overseas projects, this is the man who is sent to clean up the mess and put things back into working order again. Unfortunately, not all governments have been appreciative of his efforts on behalf of the earth’s children – he has been harassed, shot, beaten and jailed. He has also received more awards, citations and jeweled medals than one man can wear. He told me earlier tonight that of the two – being harassed or being applauded – he would take the former. Nonetheless, he has volunteered himself and a truly spectacular Australian mystery vacation to some lucky and generous woman. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Damon McCarey Sutter, internationally renowned futurist and director of Our Children’s Children’s overseas projects.“

As one, the audience came to its feet in a storm of applause. Mandy was among the first to stand. Sutter might unnerve her but she, better than anyone in the audience, understood what he had done for the success of OCC’s projects in countries that most people didn’t even know existed. The three months he had just finished in Brazil had been brutal. There were few places on earth where the gap between the rich and the poor was so wide, deep and final.

Sutter walked across the stage with the same lithe stride that had served him so well in jungles, deserts and mountains. He had made too many speeches in front of too many wealthy and powerful people to be bothered by stage fright. Yet, despite his best efforts to be charitable, he knew that there was a razor edge to his smile. He knew because the auctioneer was giving him the sideways, wary glances that people usually reserve for large, fanged animals that have been carelessly left unchained.

It’s all for a good cause,
he reminded himself for the twentieth time as he sat down, hoping to end the unwanted applause. He worked for OCC because he believed in it, not because he wanted to be known as a benefactor of worthy causes.

Suddenly Sutter spotted a svelte redhead sauntering down the aisle and taking a front-row, center seat. The body was by the best personal fitness instructors. The jewels were by Tiffany. The dress was by Sharai, purchased outright rather than merely modeled for the evening. The woman was stunningly turned out, unbelievably self-centered and had been pursuing Sutter with equal parts of energy and shamelessness for more than three years.

The redhead was not noted for her charitable nature. Sutter had little doubt that she had come tonight for the sole purpose of acquiring him for a few uninterrupted weeks of intense pursuit. As his name hadn’t been on the program, there was only one way she could have discovered that he was auctioning himself off to the most generous bidder.

Damn Anthea, anyway! If that redheaded barracuda has the last bid, my so-called vacation will be undiluted hell!

Furious, Sutter reached up with outward casualness and tugged on his left ear. It was a signal of long standing between himself and his aunt. Whoever used it was calling for help in being extricated from an impossible social situation.

“Go see what the dear boy wants.“

Anthea’s unexpected purr of satisfaction at Mandy’s elbow slid easily through the crowd’s noise, making her jump. She hadn’t even seen Anthea come down from the side aisle to stand beside her.

“But – “ Mandy began.

“Quickly!“ interrupted Anthea crisply. “The auction is about to begin and then it will be too late.“

Bewildered, Mandy stepped out into the aisle, only to stop as a small, surprisingly strong hand gripped her forearm.

“Tell him if he wants me to make the last bid, he must also let me make the travel arrangements for his mysterious Australian holiday.“

Mandy gave her boss a blank look, then responded to a less-than-delicate push by hurrying down the aisle toward the stage while the audience continued its enthusiastic standing ovation for D. M. Sutter. Just as people were beginning to sit down again, Mandy walked up the stage steps in a subtle glitter of black beads and discreetly touched the auctioneer’s arm.

“Message for Sutter,“ Mandy said quietly. “Urgent.“

“It can’t wait?“

“You know how it is with hard men,“ Mandy retorted. “You take ‘em where you find them.“

The microphone picked up her words and relayed them all over the auditorium, much to the audience’s amusement. Mandy wanted to go through the floor but the boards were much too tightly fitted for that. Given no other choice, she brazened it out when Sutter hooked his index finger in an imperious, sexy gesture for her to come to him.

“It’s not that he’s rude,“ Mandy said clearly, knowing the microphone would do the rest. “It’s just that none of the five languages he speaks is English.“

Laughter echoed and reechoed through the auditorium. Sutter slanted Mandy a smile that was frankly dangerous as he crooked his finger again. Mandy knew better than to tease the tiger twice. She walked across the stage toward him, drawing on every bit of her insouciance to hide her underlying nervousness. Though the bodice of her dress was demure enough for a matron twice her age, the front slit showed glimpses of long, well-formed legs and inviting hints of thighs clad in the sheerest of black silk stockings. The rear view of Mandy was frankly breathtaking. Her back was shapely, smooth and defined by a faint shadow along her erect spine. The shadow deepened enticingly just before the fabric began again, clinging to her hips in a dark glitter of beads.

Mandy was grateful not to be presenting Sutter with the costume’s back view. Even seated and wearing evening clothes, Sutter radiated the kind of raw physical presence that sent up warning flares telling her to beware of getting close. Yet there was no help for it. She had to get quite close to Sutter or run the risk of broadcasting every word of their conversation over the auditorium’s sensitive sound system.

“You beckoned?“ she murmured, bending down until her mouth all but brushed Sutter’s ear. With each breath she took, the clean, male scent of him spread through her body, making her knees oddly weak. She swayed.

Sutter’s hands snaked out with shocking speed, holding Mandy by the waist. His grip was powerful and his fingers were so long that they met in the small of her back. Male fingertips found smooth, naked skin, drawing a gasp from Mandy. The low cut of Mandy’s dress seemed to bother Sutter not one bit. There was strength in his grip but no sensuality. He moved his head sharply, seeking Mandy’s ear beneath the silken curtain of her chin-length hair. His breath was as warm as his words were cold.

“Tell my sainted aunt that if Sissy buys me she finally will have succeeded in making me lose my temper.“

Mandy had no trouble deciding that the “she“ referred to was Anthea, not the mysterious Sissy. The icy tone of Sutter’s voice and the steel quality of his grip on her convinced Mandy that the time for teasing the tiger was long past. There was only one way she was going to get beyond the reach of his powerful, unnerving presence, and that was to gather her scattering wits and tell the man what he wanted to hear.

“I think Anthea already knows,“ Mandy murmured. “She said, quote, ‘Tell him if he wants me to make the last bid, he must also let me make the travel arrangements for his mysterious Australian holiday,’ unquote.“

What Sutter whispered next into Mandy’s ear didn’t bear translating, much less quoting to his maiden aunt.

“Is that yes or no?“ Mandy asked with a coolness that was sheer bravado.

Sutter jerked his head back from her scented, swirling hair. For the benefit of the audience he smiled, but Mandy was close enough to see his eyes. She shivered and wondered how a man whose hands were so warm could have eyes like green ice.

“Yes,“ he hissed.

Mandy nodded her understanding because she knew she would stammer if she tried to speak. She turned and walked away, but with each step she felt Sutter’s icy eyes boring into her naked back. Silently pitying whoever bought Sutter’s vacation – and his unnerving, short-tempered company – Mandy hurried across the stage.

“Is the Australian vacation still on?“ the auctioneer asked, covering the microphone before she spoke.

“You bet. The sooner the better. If I had the money, I’d buy the ticket myself and launch him with a bottle of champagne over his thick prow.“

The auctioneer smiled as she looked from Sutter’s hard, handsome face to Mandy’s flushed cheeks. “Honey, didn’t you know? The best ones always bite, and they bite in all the best places.“

Mandy looked first shocked, then intrigued despite herself. The thought of Sutter’s mouth closing on her flesh in sensual teasing made sudden heat expand deep inside her, flushing her from breast to thighs.

“Bon appitit!“
Mandy muttered, and hurried from the stage, her cheeks burning.

Laughing, the woman turned back to the audience. “Relax, ladies, the Australian outing is still up for bid. Better move fast, though. The next phone call could change things and take this elusive hunk of steamy jungle beyond your reach forever. Before the bidding begins, Mr. Sutter requested that I warn you – the three weeks will be spent in one of the most little-known resorts in the world, a place where only a severely limited number of people are permitted to stay each year. The accommodations won’t be luxurious. Leave your diamonds and designer clothes at home. You will be sleeping in a tent. You will be permitted to carry no more luggage than fits into a backpack, and that includes your purse. If these restrictions don’t discourage you, then you are just the lady to accompany D. M. Sutter on his Australian mystery vacation.“

If the women in the audience were discouraged, it didn’t show. The bidding was opened by the stunning redhead. Her bid was equally stunning.

“Five thousand dollars.“

The auctioneer picked up the bid without missing a beat and began skillfully working the audience. The next bid wasn’t long in coming, nor in being topped.

“Six thousand,“ called the redhead.

“Is that Sissy by any chance?“ Mandy asked Anthea.

Anthea’s low purr of satisfaction was the only answer.

“I gather Sutter doesn’t want to spend three weeks with her,“ Mandy said.

Anthea laughed. “The woman is a two-legged barracuda who loves nothing but her own reflection in the mirror. But even reflections have their uses.“

Mandy hesitated but knew she should warn her boss that this wasn’t the best way to fill OCC’s coffers. “Anthea, Sutter is furious. Not hot furious. Icy furious. Why did he volunteer himself if he dislikes being auctioned off so much?“

The older woman winced. “He didn’t volunteer himself. I did.“

“My God,“ Mandy said faintly, looking at her boss in disbelief. “Do you have a death wish?“

“So long as Sissy doesn’t have the last bid, everything will be fine,“ Anthea said with more determination than real self-assurance.

“The cost of keeping everything fine is seven thousand dollars,“ Mandy muttered, “and climbing fast. The women in this place must be blinded by the spotlights.

Anyone with two eyes could see that going on vacation with Sutter would be like inviting a hungry tiger to take the first bite of your hamburger.“

Then Mandy thought of what the auctioneer had said and winced.

Anthea laughed and patted Mandy on the arm. “You needn’t worry. I suspect Sutter has arranged a vacation that will keep him at arm’s length from his ‘date’ while still showing her a piece of the world that few people ever get to see. In fact I suspect he – “ Anthea broke off abruptly. “That’s it. No one is going above Sissy’s eight thousand.“ Anthea’s fingers tightened on Mandy’s arm. “Bid ten.“

“What?“

“I can hardly bid on my own nephew, can I? Do it!“

“T-ten,“ Mandy said.

“Louder!“

“Ten thousand dollars!“

There was a long pause while the audience swiveled to see the new bidder. At Anthea’s prod, Mandy held up a trembling hand.

“Eleven,“ Sissy said coolly.

Anthea’s elbow dug into Mandy’s ribs.

“Eleven five,“ Mandy said.

“Twelve.“

“Twelve five.“

“Thirteen.“

“Fifteen thousand dollars,“ shot back Mandy, not waiting for Anthea’s response.

The audience murmured. There was scattered applause.

Mandy didn’t even notice. She was looking across the footlights at Sutter’s calm face and burning green eyes. The idea of the shallow, glittering Sissy buying Sutter as though he were a designer dress irritated Mandy unreasonably. The man might be impossible in a social setting, but he was undeniably brilliant and of proven physical courage. She doubted that Sissy was interested in those particular qualities, however. No doubt the only thing Sissy burned to know was whether Sutter’s stamina extended to areas other than chopping through jungles for weeks on end.

And then Mandy heard the echo of her last bid rippling across the audience. She turned to Anthea with a stricken look. The older woman smiled and squeezed Mandy’s hand in silent reassurance.

Sissy hesitated for a dramatic moment, looked over at Mandy and the tiny woman standing next to her, then turned back to the auctioneer.

“Fifteen thousand dollars,“ the auctioneer said. “Do I hear fifteen thousand five hundred? Fifteen five, anyone?“

Sissy sat down.

“Sold for fifteen thousand dollars to Samantha Blythe!“