Sold Read Online Free

bidders.”
She returned her gaze to Zach. “I only met a couple of men. I
didn’t think they would start so quickly.”
    “I arrived early and talked with a lot of
people,” he said. “Interesting what you can learn about people in
just a short conversation with them.”
    “That’s true,” she said before looking toward
the door leading into the ballroom.
    The low murmur of the crowd grew a little
louder as everyone migrated. Her stomach twisted. She had to face
the fact that she might end up being with Henry at a resort for a
whole forty-eight hours. Even though she would have her own room,
she wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to push himself on her for
more than just a weekend in each other’s company. It would not be
pretty if he tried.
    Would those other two men bid on her? Would
they be willing to bid more than whatever Henry had planned?
    Unless Zach would bid on her…but he didn’t
have on a boutonniere She would be happy to give him whatever it
cost, although it could possibly break the bank.
    She turned to face him with a proposition on
her tongue.
    He was gone.
     
     

Chapter 3
     
     
    Christy’s heart pounded as she waited to be
called on stage, her escort at her side. She was the last one to be
auctioned off and the crowd had started to thin. Habit and her
nerves had her twirling a lock of hair with her finger.
    Earlier, Leslie had won the bidding for the
Navy SEAL and was nowhere to be seen. Roni had been snagged by a
man who looked sexy in a primal way…almost dangerously so. Christy
only hoped her friend wasn’t getting in over her head and would be
safe. But then Roni had told her that this was a safe, vetted
crowd.
    She peeked through the draperies and saw
Henry in the first row wearing a smug expression. She did groan out
loud this time.
    One of the two men she’d met earlier, Jeff,
sat in the third row. She had kept an eye on him and Larry, hoping
one of them would outbid Henry. Larry was out of the picture now
since he had already left with a stunning model-beautiful blonde.
The fact that he hadn’t waited for her and had chosen someone
gorgeous, hadn’t surprised Christy in the least.
    She wished in the worst way that Zach was a
bidder, but since he wasn’t wearing a white boutonniere, she knew
he wasn’t. It was a small consolation that he hadn’t had a red
carnation pinned to his chest that would tell the women that he was
up for auction.
    But if he wasn’t a bidder, and he was wearing
a gold pin, what was he doing here? Maybe he was a
bidder.
    She looked around for him but couldn’t see
him.
    Even if he wasn’t a bidder, he was the one
she wanted. It was a weekend only with one of these guys. She
wanted more than a weekend with Zach.
    Earlier Zach had been in the third row from
the back. Throughout the night she had watched people in the
audience and mentally notated which individuals purchased a
bachelorette or a bachelor.
    “Christy Clarkson!”
    Her stomach pitched as she fixed a smile on
her face and stepped onto the stage. Her escort led her toward
center stage and she waved to the audience—what was left of it—and
continued to where the MC waited.
    “Christy is the owner of Baubles and Beads, a
boutique in downtown Baltimore.” The MC made a circle with his
finger, Christy’s cue to turn around. “One of you lucky men will
spend a weekend with Christy at an Arizona resort.”
    Light applause was followed by the MC
stepping back and the auctioneer saying, “Take home Christy. Let’s
start the bidding at fifteen hundred dollars.”
    Surprise almost made her drop her jaw but she
managed to remain poised. He had started the bidding out higher
than what he had for everyone before her, which was the minimum bid
of one thousand.
    It was no surprise, however, when Henry
raised his hand, indicating his bid. To her relief, Jeff
immediately bid against Henry.
    She bit the inside of her lip as the biding
went back and forth and her eyes widened the higher it went