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“You have no idea, Lindsay, how special it has been.”
“Dare I hope,” she gasped, clutching her heart, making him laugh. Shaking her head, she smiled. “There’s no way this truce is going to last.”
“I’ll try if you will,” he said, his eyes twinkling with mischief, and she had to laugh in return.
“I’ll try, I promise.”
“I keep waiting for a pitch from you to get me to agree to something. You all but admitted that was the purpose of your bidding for me tonight at the auction.”
“Maybe I’ve shelved that original agenda,” she said in a sultry voice. “I’m having fun, Tony. Fun that I don’t want to spoil. The night is magical. For a few hours, let’s enjoy it.”
He raised her hand and brushed a light kiss on her knuckles. His breath was warm.
“I’m glad you feel that way,” he said. “I’m not ready to tell you good-night and watch you walk away.”
* * *
That Night with the Rich Rancher is part of the Lone Star Legends series from USA TODAY bestselling author Sara Orwig!
That Night with the Rich Rancher
Sara Orwig
SARA ORWIG lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere, from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.
With many thanks to Stacy Boyd, Senior Editor
Contents
Tony Milan felt ridiculous. Standing in the wings of the wide stage of the elegant Dallas country club ballroom, he promised himself that next time, he would be more careful making bets with his oldest brother. Losing at saddle bronc riding in a rodeo last April had put him backstage tonight at this gala charity event, which included a dinner dance as well as an auction. One that would auction him off. At least it was all for a good cause, he reminded himself. The funds raised would go to Parkinson’s disease research.
As he’d made his way to the stage earlier, he had seen some of the attendees: beautiful women dressed in designer gowns accompanied by men in tailored tuxedos. The highest bidders would win a night with “Texas’s most desirable bachelors,” according to the brochure that had been mailed to a select group wealthy enough to afford the event. He couldn’t imagine any woman bidding much for an evening out with a guy she won in an auction, but after the opening bid, he realized he was wrong. The Texas ranchers who’d gone before him had stirred up high prices.
Looking out at the latest bachelor who now pranced offstage, Tony could not recall ever feeling more out of place. And then he heard his name called.
Taking a deep breath and forcing himself to smile broadly, he stepped forward, striding out of the darkened shadows into the blinding spotlights in front of a glittering audience. Applause was loud as he waved at the audience, most of which he could no longer clearly see because of the spotlights shining in his eyes.
After a spiel about his bachelor status, the master of ceremonies opened up the bidding. Tony was startled by the number of women who jumped into the bidding, but as the amount climbed, first one and then another dropped out until only three women were left.
Shocked yet pleased by the amount he was going to draw, he grinned and walked around the stage as the bidding climbed.
When a woman in a front table bid, he glanced down and saw it was an ex-girlfriend. He hoped she didn’t win. As far as he was concerned, he’d said a final goodbye to her when she’d started getting serious. No long-term relationships for Tony Milan. He liked to flirt, play the field, just have a good time with no strings attached. Thankfully, after a flurry of bidding, his ex-girlfriend dropped out and only two women were left.
Tony couldn’t see either one of the women, hidden by the blinding lights, but he heard their competitive bids. They were calling outrageous sums of money—all for an evening with him. When one graciously dropped out, the MC brought down the gavel.
“We have a winner,” he said, not able to hide his outright glee at the final amount for the charity. “Would our lucky woman please come up onto the stage?”
Tony couldn’t contain his curiosity. He scanned the audience for a glimpse at her, and then a spotlight found her at a table off to the right. His pulse jumped when a stunning blonde stood up. Her hair was piled atop her head with a few spiral curls falling about her face, and she wore a fiery red dress as she threaded her way to the stage. Even from a distance he could see the dress clung to a breathtaking figure. Jeweled straps glittered on her slender shoulders and her full breasts pillowed above the low-cut neckline.
One of the auction’s ushers took her hand as she climbed the steps to the stage and Tony’s gaze finally swept over her from head to toe, taking in her long, shapely legs revealed by a high slit in the skirt. Instantly Tony began to feel immensely better about the entire auction and the upcoming evening.
As the blonde crossed the stage, his gaze swept over her features. She wasn’t a local resident, he thought, because he didn’t recognize her. But