Page 32 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Surgeon

She also had a great body. Sex with her wouldn’t be a problem.

Sure, she was a little younger than I would’ve liked. At twenty-three she was a bit more than a decade younger than I was. But it’s not like I was going to marry her. I’d just be sort of datingher. It would solve so many problems.

It would get my parents off my back. The hospital would be pleased that I was at least appearing to settle down. And I could leave her with a group of debutantes, heiresses, and society mavens without worrying that they’d eat her alive.

So, why, I asked myself as I leaned back in my chair, couldn’t I get more excited?

Who was I kidding? I knew the answer.

Jelly. Lyla wasn’t Jelly. Not even close.

But Jelly wasn’t… society material. If I left her alone with that same group of society women, they’d tear her apart like the piranhas they were. Jelly tried to appear tough, but I’d seen beneath the thick skin and attitude. I knew there was a sensitive, kind woman underneath all of that.

And I wasn’t willing to let people treat her badly.

So, Lyla VanHorne it was.

“Thanks for trying. I appreciate it.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “I still think you’re an idiot for not doing the Cinnamon Auction. But whatever.”

“What about me?” Enzo opened his arms in supplication.

“You, I don’t care about. Not for this, at least. Go find a date on your own.”

He gave an exaggerated sigh, got up from his chair, and left.

She turned back to me. “Did you need something else?”

It was a clear dismissal.

And just like that, the great idea I’d had to get out of the social season unscathed and still please my parents had become a lot more complicated. The only positive right now was that my dad had quit talking about marrying me off to Gia Santoro.

***

“Have you thought more about what you’re going to do for your date this weekend?” Nico asked me a couple of days later.

“Yeah.” I wasn’t wildly excited about it, but it would probably work out just fine. “I’m going to take Lyla VanHorne. She was originally going to be in the Vanilla Auction that fell through. Carmen introduced me. Said she could use a little help in the money department, so I gave her a card and told her to get herself a couple of gowns. I’ll take her to a few of the functions and see how it goes.”

“Did you give her a budget?”

“Do I look like a dumbass?” I’d given her a fifty-thousand-dollar limit. I thought it was generous, but she’d looked slightly disappointed. I knew designer dresses were expensive, but that limit was to outfit herself for two society events. Two! I wasn’t going to commit to anything further than that before I saw how I liked her, and, more importantly, how my parents liked her.

“You think she’s hot?” Nico looked at me appraisingly.

“She’s fine.” I was non-committal.

He smirked. “I don’t think you’ll make it past one date,”he predicted.

Maybe not. I grimaced. An auction would’ve been easier. Then everyone’s role would have been laid out in no uncertain terms. I wished I could just do the Cinnamon Auction, but there was no use wishing for what wasn’t going to happen.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Jelly

“Can I help you?” I asked the woman standing at the reception desk.

“Oh, I hope so.” She had a big smile on her pretty face. “I’m here to see Paolo Lanetti?”