Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,298

years at her brother’s wedding.

“Jaws up. Let’s go.” She bypasses us, walking straight out the front door.

Vanessa and I exchange a mutual look of humor at the fact our tomboy has grown up.

“COME ON!” she screams.

Okay she hasn’t changed that much, I guess. We shuffle out the door, heading to the bachelor auction and whatever adventure awaits.

Chapter Two

“I’m not usually into the whole first responders thing, but looking around I’ve definitely missed out on some mount-me possibilities.” Lauren’s gaze moves from one guy to the next.

Most of the men in here are all dressed in uniform. A few guys wear the bunker suit pants with no shirts underneath screaming one-night stand. They’re hot, but not my flavor that’s for sure.

“Stick to red and stay clear of the blue,” Vanessa warns, her dislike of cops stemming from her controlling father—commander in the eighteenth district. Of course, I don’t bring up the fact that he’s the entire reason we’re here tonight.

Let’s just say that Vanessa and her father’s relationship is…complicated.

She’s dragged us to The First Responders Fallen Hero Charity Ball where her dad, Commander Flanagan, will be auctioned off for a date. A date that Vanessa hopes will spur him into a relationship and give her dad more to do with his life than telling Vanessa how to live hers.

My hands instinctively reach for the earrings I borrowed from her when I think of her widowed father.

“The whole blue thing is your issue. Not mine.” A cop walks by and Lauren practically fucks him with her eyes. He winks with a promise that he’ll make her scream if she bids and wins tonight. “Why do I keep picturing myself cuffed to my bedpost every time one of them walks by?”

“Because you’ve read Fifty Shades too many times?” I smile and accept my drink from the bartender and toss some change into the tip jar.

The female bartender nods to me in thanks and I realize that it’s an all-female staff working the event. I assume that’s done on purpose so there’s no other men competing with the bachelors.

“Let’s find a table,” I suggest.

“Not before we grab our paddles.” Vanessa leads us over to a table where a short line of older women are laughing and carrying on with inappropriate jokes, giving me visuals I don’t want in my head. Especially when my mind conjures up the image of John Flanagan in bed with one of them. Ew.

“I’m not bidding. You didn’t say anything about us participating when you invited me.” I sip my drink, my gaze darting around the room.

“We’re all bidding.” Vanessa inspects the women and I’m sure it’s because she’s looking for someone to set up with her father.

Lauren looks at me and shrugs.

She’s up for this?

“What harm can it do?” Lauren asks. “One date with a hot guy well versed in using his mouth for CPR? I don’t see the con side to this.” Her voice becomes breathier as she finishes the sentence.

“What happened to you?” I ask.

“What?” Her eyebrows furrow. “I’ve always been horny.”

“I know that, but what if the guy is disappointed that you’re the one who won him and then he has to go out with you on some pity date and…”

Lauren’s smile fades as I ramble.

“Never mind.” I wave it off trying to avoid the usual lecture about how I’m not the same girl I was in high school.

“Not never mind. You’re gorgeous, Maddie. You were then, and you are now. I hate the fact that nine years later you still have self-image issues. Other than constantly trying to hide your stunning body with mom clothes, you’re a knock-out.”

Lauren’s always been my pick me up girl. She might be a jock and a bit tomboyish, but she’s always lecturing Vanessa and I that we’re worth a shit-ton more than our demented minds tell us.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” I say.

A paramedic walks by us and Lauren pretends to grab on to me like her legs are about to give out. “I never knew there was all this hot ass in Chicago. I swear, they’re hiding them all on the night shift.”

She turns to point him out to Vanessa, but we see that she’s deep in conversation with one of the older women who were in front of us in line.

“His name is John Flanagan. He’s so sweet. A widower. Yeah, my mom died when I was young.” Vanessa turns down her voice. Not to say she’s still not affected by the loss of her mother, but