Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 57407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“That, and getting laid regularly,” Tripp joked.
“Yeah, he’s a lucky bastard,” Drew added with a laugh as he pulled his sweaty shirt off and replaced it with a dry one to wear home. “I already let my boss know that I’m participating in the auction and that at some point I’d need a weekend off. I just need to make the timing work.”
The agreement they’d signed once they’d committed to the auction stipulated that they’d be required to spend a Friday evening through Sunday morning with whoever won them. Drew wasn’t sure how he felt about that—it would either be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on who won the bid and what their weekend together entailed.
“Is getting a weekend off going to be a problem for you?” Tripp changed out of his T-shirt as well and tossed the sweaty one into his gym bag. “I know you’ve been working hellacious hours lately.”
“At the moment, it shouldn’t be an issue. I just wrapped up the multi-billion-dollar merger I’ve been working on for the past eight months. Of course I’ve got a few other acquisitions on my plate and the European offer from the senior partners to think about, but nothing pressing for the next few weeks. I’ll make it work. How about you?”
“I’ll make sure I’m not on call that weekend,” Tripp said.
As a pediatrician, Tripp worked in a small family practice with two other physicians who were partners together in the medical group. It worked well for them in terms of always having someone on call for the evenings and weekends.
They grabbed their car keys, cell phones, and gym bags and headed out to the parking garage. On the way, Tripp’s phone chirped, and he checked the text message that came through. The cocky grin that curved his lips told Drew that the message wasn’t work-related.
“What are you smirking about?” he asked his brother, certain it had to do with a woman. “Are you holding out on me after giving me shit about my non-existent sex life?”
“Maybe.” Tripp looked way too enthusiastic as he replied to the text, then stopped at his car.
Drew paused beside his brother, curious to know what, or who, had just lifted his brother’s mood.
“I kind of hooked up with an old flame Friday night,” Tripp admitted.
Drew couldn’t hide his surprise. “Julia?” It was the only woman Drew could think of since she was Tripp’s most recent ex.
“No.” His brother grimaced at the mention of her name and shook his head. “It’s not anyone you would know. Just someone I had a friends-with-benefits arrangement with while I was in med school.”
Tripp didn’t offer anything more, clearly not ready to share any details, so Drew let it go. Instead, he said, “Well, I guess I’ll see you at the auction next weekend.”
Tripp nodded.
After saying goodbye, they went their separate ways. As Drew drove to his apartment, his mind drifted back to Georgia. A dozen “what ifs” trailed through his head as he thought about the chemistry and attraction that had been so potent between them the night before.
What if he did ask her out on a date? What if that date led to a hot, provocative kiss? What if that kiss led to them tearing each other’s clothes off and ended up with her in his bed, moaning beneath him as he drove into her soft body? And what if—
He abruptly shut down those arousing scenarios because it wasn’t going to happen. It couldn’t happen. There was too much conflict and history with Elliott, and Elliott worked for Georgia’s father’s firm. Nothing about an affair with her would end well.
The only thing he could hope was that maybe a weekend with the random woman who won him at the auction would finally help curtail his interest in Georgia Brooks.
* * *
Georgia taped up the last of the boxes that needed to be delivered to the Meridian Hotel in the city for the charity event coming up that weekend. Most of the basic set-up of the ballroom and tables was being handled by Lauren and Skye, the hotel’s event coordinators, but the swag bags, props, banners from corporate sponsors and other branded décor had been gathering in Future Fast Track’s offices over the past few months and needed to be assembled on-site.
Once all the items finally arrived at the hotel via a delivery service tomorrow, she and Billie—Aurora’s office manager—along with the temporary staff they’d hired to help organize and arrange everything, would have three days to prepare for the gala. It would be a time-consuming task, but Georgia was excited to see their ideas and vision for the event finally come together.
Aurora walked—or rather, waddled, since she was seven months pregnant—into the office where they’d been storing things and added a stack of glossy poster boards with details about the silent auction, the bachelor auction, and information on the non-profit, on top of the pile of boxes. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, and she was dressed casually in dark-gray leggings and a pink blouse that conformed to her cute baby bump since they knew they’d be packing things up for the gala and she needed to be comfortable.