Page 48 of Auctioned to the Billionaire Surgeon

Shit. I had a benefit to attend with Lyla tonight. My parents were supposed to meet her, too.

Me:When does it start?

Nico:10. Why all the questions?

Fuck. There’s no way the benefit would be over by then.

Me:Just curious. Jelly’s in the Cinnamon Girl Auction?

Nico:Yep. Carmen chose her as the headliner Cinnamon Girl, remember? She’ll be auctioned last. She’s the star of the show.

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my hands over my face. What the fuck? I had a decision to make. Continue a relationship with a woman who would fit into my world and make my parents and the hospital happy or go get Jelly.

I didn’t know which I was going to do.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Paolo

I smoothed my tux jacket down and stared at myself in the mirror. I couldn’t believe I was going to do this.

I sighed, fastened my cuff links, and walked out of my penthouse.

I couldn’t believe that while Jelly was being auctioned off to the luckiest man alive tonight at the Cinnamon Auction, I would be stuck at a gala benefit with Lyla and my parents.

I gave myself a severe talking to, reminding myself that while I was more attracted to Jelly than any woman I’d ever been around, that didn’t mean much to the people counting on me to put on a good face and be one of West Bay’s golden boys.

My driver parked in front of Lyla’s parents’ home in the Estates at South neighborhood. I got out and went to the door, feeling very much like I was a high school kid attending prom. Her parents had mentioned taking pictures before we left. I heaved out a sigh as I climbed the stairs the led to her porch. I was too old for shit like that.

Still, I gritted my teeth and bore it.

“You look lovely, Lyla.” She didn’t. If possible, this dress was worse than the first one she’d worn. It was a huge puffy white thing that looked like a fucking wedding gown. She also had her hair up in some sort of strange style with curls in the shapes of sausages hanging around her temples and ears.

Bizarre.

I don’t know what she was thinking.

I was quiet as we drove over to the benefit site. It was oneof the country clubs in town, this one was a newer one than most, I thought to myself as we pulled into the parking lot. My driver dropped us off, and we had to wait to walk the red carpet together for photographers.

“Dr. Lanetti,” a pretty blonde reporter asked, “this is the second event you’ve been seen attending with Ms. VanHorne. Can we assume the two of you are a couple?”

Before I could answer, Lyla threw herself in front of me. “He’s my boyfriend,” she giggled.

Damn. I knew she was a good ten years younger than me, but what the hell? She sounded like an overeager high school kid. Still, I couldn’t refute her. I just gave a tight smile as we posed for a few more photographs before entering the gala.

We were to be seated at a table with my parents. I strode over to them once I spotted them in the corner. I pulled out a chair for Lyla. “Mama, Dad, this is Lyla VanHorne. She’s my date for the evening.”

My parents looked charmed, and I was hopeful they’d give up on that whole fix up with Gia Santoro. Preferably forever.

“Lyla,” Mama said, “I’m on several committees with your mother. It’s so nice to see you with our Paolo.”

Lyla beamed at her.

“I do some business with your father down at the port,” Dad said gruffly, checking out some blonde waitress’ ass as she walked by.

The conversation wasn’t… scintillating.

As the night wore on, I knew I wasn’t being a good date. Sure, I danced with Lyla a couple of times, but I kept staring at my phone, checking the time obsessively. By nine o’clock, I was starting to sweat.