Desiree Holt - Caught in the Middle

Not a masochist, he was about to give up on her. Self-flagellation wasn’t his thing. He had a roomful of panting women dying to buy him for a night so why should he hold out for one who didn’t want him?

The thought creeped him out. Was it his fault if women chased him and slipped their room keys and panties into his pockets? He needed to hire a bodyguard to keep them at bay.

But tonight was different. He was here for the kids, kids like his little sister Debbie who had died of cancer shortly before a cure had been found. Tears threatened to spill from his eyes and ruin his macho act, so he banished the gloomy thoughts.

Instead, he snuck a glance at the buxom brunette who starred in his nightly dreams, but now glared at him with daggers in her eyes. Their gazes locked, and Char’s narrowed to mere slits, cold as glaciers.

A chill coursed through him, but he forced back his shudders. If that wouldn’t ruin his rep…

Amy fanned herself and sidled up to him. “Can this man ever kiss! Whew! He’s worth every penny and more, ladies. Do I hear five hundred dollars to start?”

Dex nearly swallowed his tongue. When almost every female hand in the room frantically waved, he did a double take. Keys and panties were one thing, but so much money?

He tamped down his shyness. Making his voice husky as possible he said, “It’s for the kids. And I promise you a night you’ll never forget.”

Catcalls echoed from the rafters. Stomping shook the building. “How far will you go, Dr. Hottie? Second base? Home plate?”

“Is the SWAT team on call?” he whispered to Amy. He hoped so. This group could turn into an angry, ugly mob in a snap.

Amy clamped his arm tighter to her side. “Don’t worry so much. I’ll fire anyone who steps out of line, and they know it.”

Dex thought about that, and knowing she was right, his heart resumed its normal beat. He smiled at Char, daring her to bid higher.

“Do I hear one thousand dollars?”

Half the hands went down amidst a disappointed grumble.

Dex was heartened when Char’s hand remained high and unwavering. He willed her to stay in the war ‘til the end, then finally, he’d get her alone to talk to her. He was worried, though, that several of the wealthy Boca Babes were in the audience. He doubted Char could outbid them if they wanted him badly enough.

Amy quivered as though she’d orgasm, and embarrassed, Dex tried to pull away. But like a leech, Amy clung tightly. “Do I hear fifteen hundred dollars?”

“Hell with this.” Simone Duchaine, one of the Boca elite and Amy’s best friend who’d been chasing Dex for years, pushed her way through the crowd. “I’ll give you fifty thousand dollars. I dare anyone to top that.”

Dexter’s heart slammed into his feet. No way could Char match that.

But Char climbed on a chair, cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled, “Fifty-one thousand dollars!”

The crowd roared as her friends Beth and Jody tried to pull her down. But Char stayed standing on her chair.

Simone smiled and purred like a cat, “Sixty thousand dollars!”

When Char came back with “Sixty-one thousand,” as if it was chump change, Simone tossed down her cheque book and rounded on her opponent.

Simone marched up to Char, her fists balled on her hips. “Seventy thousand!”

Char laughed and said in Simone’s face with glee, “Seventy-one thousand.”

Worried how Char would pay if she won, that she’d cost the hospital a lot of much needed funds and get herself fired, Dex tried to wave her off. Still, his chest puffed out and his cock flexed that she wanted him so badly that she’d lost her mind.

To his astonishment, Simone and Char dickered all the way up to one-hundred-one thousand dollars before Simone stomped off.

“Nurse Reynolds wins Dr. Hottie. Better luck next year, ladies.” Amy gave Char a wary look. “‘Fess up, Charity. Are you really good for it?”

Char squared her shoulders, wrote the cheque and sashayed up to Amy. “Oh yeah. Call my bank if you don’t believe me. I live in Boca, don’t I?”

Dex did a double take. Was Char rich? She didn’t strike him as a spoiled Boca Babe. She was hard-working and dedicated. In fact, she was too assiduous, as if she had no other life. Thank God she didn’t fit the mould of a vapid, selfish Boca Babe. He couldn’t stand the breed.

In shock but eager for their night to begin, Dex shot a sexy grin to his mistress for an evening.

Char caught Dexter’s victorious, haughty glance and kicked herself. Oy! He must imagine she was hooked on him. So must the entire hospital staff. What had she done, bidding so high? What had possessed her?

Simone Duchaine, for one. The socialite and her cutting remarks had gotten under Charity’s skin again. That and her mindless need for revenge had been her undoing.

Several people wished her congratulations. Others snubbed her, their noses high in the air. Some regarded her as if she was one of America ’s Most Wanted.

Beth took her aside and put her hand to her forehead. “You can’t afford this. Are you nuts?”

Char rubbed at the beginnings of an achy head as she regarded her friend and wondered just how much she should divulge. Finally, she admitted, “But I can.”

Beth tucked her hair behind her ears and adjusted her glasses higher on her nose. “A few months ago, you were sweating about paying your property taxes. What gives?”

Char crossed her heart and looked into her friend’s eyes. “My great Aunt Laila recently left me a nice inheritance. She was like a grandmother to me. She didn’t have any kids so she doted on my dad and me.”

Beth hugged her then shook her head. “Lucky you! I wish some of my feisty old relatives would hurry up and kick the bucket and leave me a wad of cash. I’m tired of living paycheque to paycheque.”

Aghast and disbelieving, Char shook her finger at her best friend. “Beth! No, you don’t. Take that back.”

“Well, I guess not. None of them are rich, anyway, but I wouldn’t wish that on them. So what are you going to do with Dr. Hottie?”

“Oh, you know. Whips, chains, torture, and all that good shit.” Char knew Beth would never believe the truth, not from her. No one ever believed she could be bad, and she was sick of being the good girl all the time, but sometimes it worked to her advantage. She could get away with a lot-if she wanted.

Beth guffawed and screwed up her lips. “Yeah right. I mean for real?”

Char tossed her a Cheshire cat smile and shrugged. “I told you.”

Beth still looked quizzical but stopped pushing her for answers.

When they re-entered the smoky, noisy room, Dexter still gloated up on the stage, galling her. “Look at him, so smug and self-righteous. Now he really thinks he’s hot shit.”

“And just whose fault is that?” Beth said in a sing song voice as she poked Char in the ribs.

“I do believe I created a monster.” More of a monster. She should be flogged.

“Shush!” Beth jumped on the chair and wildly waved her arms. “It’s Dr. Hunky’s turn. I want a hot night, too.”

Revelation struck Char square between the eyes and suddenly, she knew what she had to do. Although Beth gave her questioning, malicious glares, she kept bidding until she won Dr. Hunky at thirty-five thousand dollars.

Dex glared at her, too, and shook his head as he slumped in his chair. His flesh looked grey, but it must be a trick of the lighting.

Amy tapped her fingers on the mic and looked ready to eat metal. “Aren’t you being a tad greedy, Reynolds, buying both dreamboats?”

Char climbed on stage. “Do you want the money or not? Is anyone willing to go higher? It’s all for the kids, right? So give me some competition people!”