Free The Billionaire Date by Leigh Michaels Page A

question?”
    â€œSpeak for yourself. I’d like to know.”
    Alison ignored her. “What do you need Sue and me to do, Kit?”
    Kit didn’t realize how heavily the stress had been weighing on her until Alison’s offer eased the load a fraction. “Bless you, Ali.”
    â€œWell, we’re obviously all in this together.”
    More than you know , Kit thought. “The first thing I need is a date with Pierce. You don’t mind, do you, Sue?”
    Susannah’s eyes widened.
    â€œI mean, for the auction,” Kit added hastily. “Do you think he’d agree? All he has to do is take the winning bidder to dinner or a show or something. In fact, I need every available man the three of us know—and I need them in a hurry.”
    Alison looked thoughtful. “Do you mean you went into that news conference last night and promised a bachelor auction with only one bachelor signed on? Kitty—”
    â€œNo,” Kit said simply. “I went in without anybody. I didn’t believe for a minute that Jarrett would agree to it.”
    â€œI think,” Susannah said, “she’s lost every last marble she ever had.” She was apparently talking to the ceiling. “Alison’s right.”
    â€œThe difficulty,” Alison pointed out, “is what we do about it now.”
    â€œOh, that’s simple. We pitch in and help make it a success.” Susannah slid off the radiator and started up the stairs. “I’ll go call Pierce right now.”
    The front door latch clicked. Rita was coming to work right on time, Kit thought, moving away from the entrance so the secretary could open the door.
    On the third step Susannah wheeled. “Unless—what is it you lose if you don’t come up with the ten thousand bucks, Kit?”
    Kit was the first to see that Rita wasn’t alone. Behind her, filling the doorway, was Jarrett, tall and dark and elegantly turned out in a charcoal gray suit and the whitest shirt Kit had ever seen.
    â€œDidn’t she tell you?” he asked easily. “She’s going to sleep with me.”
    â€œOh, in that case,” Susannah said brightly, “I won’t call Pierce.” With a swirl of her skirt, she disappeared up the stairs.
    Alison shook her head. “I said I didn’t want to know,” she muttered as she retreated to her office.
    Rita quietly went to her desk, put away her handbag, touched up her hair and turned on her computer.
    Kit was left in the center of the entrance hall, face to face with Jarrett, who seemed quite content to stand quietly with one hand braced on the golden oak door frame and watch her.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” she said finally. “If you want to call a halt to this—”
    â€œI’d have done it last night.”
    â€œNo, you wouldn’t. You’d have looked like a fool.”
    â€œWhich was exactly what you were hoping for, wasn’t it?”
    Kit didn’t answer.
    â€œSo now you’re stuck with the bachelor auction.” She lifted her chin. “It’s a great idea, and I’m looking forward to getting on with it. As you pointed out, I have only twelve days and a lot of things to do. So state your business and get out, so I can go to work. At least, I assume you have something to say? You didn’t just cruise by so you could drop that bombshell about me sleeping with you?”
    â€œThat’s what you call a bombshell?” He shook his head sadly. “Kit, dear, I’m afraid you may be in for some surprises. I came to ask how I can help make this auction a success.”
    â€œOh, sure. As if you intended to do anything at all.”
    His eyebrows drew together. “Why wouldn’t I? After all, what’s most important just now? I’d say it’s that we raise all the money we can for a good cause.” He sounded almost pious, but Kit didn’t miss the sparkle in his eyes.