He’d forgotten Shelby had grown up around people like his dad. He admired the way she politely blew him off. Or, maybe his father had released her hand.
Didn’t matter, his father was a jerk either way and needed to understand Shelby was off-limits. He wrapped his hand around her waist, pulling Shelby closer in a silent back-off gesture.
Aunt Victoria said, “Shelby is one of the many items being auctioned off this evening, Edward. Pay enough for the privilege and you’ll be able to accompany her on a date.”
Nick and Shelby both said “What?” in unison.
Shelby slammed her hands on her curvy little hips and faced her aunt. “You didn’t say anything about auctioning me off!”
“Surely I mentioned that part, Shelby. You must not have been listening again.” Auntie Botox turned her wicked gaze toward his father and smiled. “If you’ll excuse us Edward, Shelby and I need to powder our noses.”
Aunt Victoria’s clawlike hand wrapped around Shelby’s arm as she none so gently dragged her niece toward the exit. “I’ll have her back in a jiffy, Nick.”
He turned to his father who was watching the ladies cross the ballroom. Was his father admiring Shelby’s ass? Admittedly it was hard not to notice Shelby’s nicely rounded feature in that dress. Or maybe his dad had his eye on Aunt Victoria’s? He hoped to God his father wasn’t banging married women again like before. He thought that had stopped after his father divorced his mom and then moved on to much younger prey.
Just as he leaned close to tell his father to forget about bidding on Shelby, someone slapped his father on the back. “Edward. It’s been ages. How are you?”
His father shook the man’s hand. “Nice to see you, Jack.” Then he held a hand in Nick’s direction. “This is your niece’s date, my son, Nick.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed as he shook Nick’s hand. It looked like Shelby’s uncle had been under the knife more than once as well. The Marx’s plastic surgeon had to be one wealthy doctor by now.
“Shelby’s date, huh? Good thing you’re Edward’s son, or I’d have to give you the third degree. But I’ll warn you, I’ve yet to meet a man good enough for my Shelby.”
Nick couldn’t resist defending himself and Shelby too, for that matter. Her aunt and uncle were unbearable. “Then it’s fortunate we’ve finally met.”
***
Shelby finished off her second glass of wine with dinner. She was due to be auctioned off any minute and needed all the courage she could ingest. Damn her aunt for tricking her. What if no one bid on her?
Worse, what if she didn’t turn out to be worth more than that hideous painting someone donated?
Mortifying.
Nick refilled her empty wine glass. “Stop fidgeting, Shelby. You’ll be the hit of the auction.”
“You’re loving every minute of this, aren’t you?”
“Yup.” He chuckled before whispering in her ear, “You bribed me into being your date knowing I’d suffer for it, but I’m the one having all the fun. It’s so unfair.”
Ignoring his sarcastic remark, she took a deep drink from her wineglass. Nick was ridiculously gorgeous in his tux, so it had been no surprise when women of all ages flirted with him—including disgusting overtures from her aunt—but Nick never took the bait.
She reluctantly gave him points for that. As handsome as Nick was, he didn’t seem to use it to his advantage. Except for when he helped out her shy client, but that had been for a good cause.
All evening, she’d tried to ignore him for the most part, but he’d been well versed on every subject, politely chatted with everyone she introduced him to, and only left her side to get their drinks. It confused her. He wasn’t at all like he’d been at the café.
Nick’s big shoulder gently bumped hers. “So, what made you pick Summer Sinclair for your pen name?”
She glanced at their tablemates to be sure no one was listening. “I was born with it.”
His right brow zinged up. “You changed your name?”
“My aunt said she wouldn’t take me in unless I changed it and became a Marx. She thought Summer Sinclair sounded like a porn star’s name.”
He laughed. “It must really chap her ass you’re using it as your pen name then, huh?”
“That was the plan.” Taking another long drink from her wineglass, she smiled, reveling in her small dose of revenge.
“Nice move, Shelby.” Nick chuckled as he leaned closer and studied the program. “It says here whoever wins the pleasure of your company gets to choose one of three venues.”