Win a Date with a Runaway Groom (The Curvy Girls’ Bachelor Auction #1)

Chapter 1

ONE

JOSH

“You can do this,” I tell the scared-looking man staring back at me. “You will do this.”

He doesn’t look convinced, and I don’t blame him. With a sigh, I break eye contact and run a hand through my hair.

“Look.” I huff and let my hand fall to my side. “You’re going to fucking do this, because it’s the right thing to do.” I raise my gaze again. “Got it?”

I nod, and my reflection in the mirror nods back.

“Good,” I say, nodding with my reflection. “Good.”

Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I straighten my tie and square my shoulders. At least I look good. I feel ridiculous.

Turning from the mirror, I find my buddy Jesse leaning casually against the door frame.

I nearly sigh in relief.

“You came.” For the first time in weeks, something resembling optimism sparks inside. “I can’t believe you came.”

“And I can’t believe you’re going through with this.” He pushes away from the door and narrows his eyes. “Tell me again why the hell you’re doing this.”

“Because. It’s the—”

“Right thing to do,” he finishes for me, shaking his head. “Yeah, I heard your little pep talk. I know you think it’s the right thing to do. But can you tell me why?”

“Because,” I say again, “where I come from, when you get a girl pregnant, you marry her.”

“Even if it was a one-night stand and you barely know the woman?”

“I know CeCe.” I scowl. “We went to high school together.”

“Yeah, and you haven’t seen her since.” He cocks his head to the side.

“Don’t you think it’s a little interesting how many people you used to know in high school or Cub Scouts or however you were connected back in that one-stop-light town of yours have come out of the woodwork now that you’re a big-shot high roller? ”

I start to tell him it’s how things are back where I’m from. People help each other. Especially when one of you has a lot to give. And ever since I made a name for myself as a professional gambler, I have a hell of a lot more to give than anyone else I know or have ever known.

I don’t tell him, though, because I already have before.

Instead, I turn to stare out at the lights of the Vegas strip. This is my home now. I love the energy and excitement. It’s the place that gave me every opportunity I have now.

That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten where I’m from.

It doesn’t mean I don’t know that one-stop-light town of mine made me.

Jesse sighs. “Couldn’t you at least wait until after the baby comes? See if it sticks.”

“That’s not the man I am,” I say, scowling out the window. “It’s not the man you are either.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” He cuffs my shoulder. “I’m on your side. I support whatever you do.”

His words are nice, but… “I’m sensing a butt.”

He chuckles and drops his hand. “But, I wouldn’t be your friend if I didn’t look out for you and your best interests.”

This is the moment when I could tell him it is in my best interest to marry CeCe. That we can have a happy life together with the family we’ve started. Even if we don’t love each other now, it could grow.

“I know,” I say instead. “I’m glad you’re here. Even if you think I’m making a mistake.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what friends are for.” Jesse pulls a face. “Say what time is this thing going down?”

“You mean my wedding?” A damn shotgun wedding in Vegas, at that. Could I be any more of a cliche?

He shrugs. “Right, what time does it start?”

“In half an hour.”

He winces. “And how long do you think it’s going to take?”

Annoyance flares inside me. “Why? Do you have somewhere else you need to be?”

“Yeah, kind of.”

The flicker of annoyance bursts into a full flame. “What the fuck, man?”

“I know, that sounds bad. But it’s this charity thing my sister is doing. I tried telling her that it was your wedding night, but you know how Jane is.” He rolls his eyes. “Long story short, I told her I’d make an appearance so she’d get off my back.”

I wince on his behalf and the annoyance disappears. I do, in fact, know how his sister can be.

“I guess that explains why she sent a card and gift instead of coming to the wedding,” I say.

“Yeah, well, good news is, as luck would have it, this charity thing is happening in another ballroom here at the resort.”

“That is lucky.” I nearly sigh in relief. “So you can still stand up with me?”

“Of course, man. I just might have to split my time between the reception and her shindig.”

“That’s fine by me.” To be honest, I wouldn’t mind splitting my time between the reception and any place else. Of course, I can’t admit that. Not even to Jesse. “Which room is it in?”

“The one across the atrium.”

I whistle low. “You really can bounce back and forth without anyone knowing.”

“That’s the plan.” He pulls out his phone and groans. “Speaking of, it sounds like I need to bounce over to Jane’s deal. She says it’s an emergency. I’ll be back in time.”

“I’m not worried.” Jesse is a man of his word. If he says he’ll be here, then he’ll be here.

Whether or not he agrees with what I’m doing.

“Want me to grab you anything while I’m gone?” he asks. “Shot of tequila? Getaway car? The number of a good attorney.”

“I already have one of those.” I chuckle. “I’m good. I might take a little walk.”

“Good idea. Blow off some steam. And if you decide to just keep walking straight out the door and grab the first flight to anywhere, I’m here to run cover.”

“Ha ha,” I say, laced with sarcasm. “I’ll see you back here in half an hour.”

“It’s your funeral.” He makes a production of grimacing. “I mean, it’s your wedding.”

“Go save your sister.” I all but push him out the door, following him out.

Shoving my hands in my pockets, I set off. I have no destination in mind. But this level of the casino and resort is centered around a large atrium where a man could walk around in circles if he wanted.

Not wanting to be around the people who are undoubtedly milling about the area waiting to attend my wedding or Jane’s thing, I set off first down the narrow hallway that houses courtesy suites and greenrooms like the one where I got ready.

CeCe is in one of these rooms, though I can’t remember which one. I left most of the wedding plans to her and my assistant. CeCe didn’t seem to mind my lack of involvement in the planning. She said as long as I showed up on time with the marriage certificate, that’s all she needed from me.

I’m choosing to take that as a good sign for our future together.

Once more, I swallow past the ever-present lump in my throat. Reaching the end of the corridor, I turn to do another lap when a nearby door opens and familiar voices pour out.

A bottle pops to a mix of cheers and cat-calls. “Let’s raise a glass to our beautiful bride-to-be, CeCe.”

“Oh, you know I really shouldn’t,” CeCe says, and my heart softens at her obvious care for our unborn child. “You know, because of the baby.”

There’s a beat of silence. Then the whole room seems to erupt in laughter.

“The baby,” someone says. “That’s a good one.”

“How did you even get him to believe you’re pregnant?”

“Don’t you know? You can get anything on the Internet,” CeCe says. “Positive pregnancy tests. Sonogram photos with your name on them.” She giggles. “Plus, everyone knows condoms can glitch.”

I can’t breathe. I can’t move. All of the blood in my body seems to be rushing in my ears. But I need it to shut up. As much as I don’t want to hear more about her lies, I can’t stop.

I need to know. Everything.

I need to know exactly how stupid I’ve been.

“I still don’t completely understand what your plan is after the wedding,” someone says. “He’s going to figure out you aren’t—you know—at some point.”

“But by then, I’ll already have my nice little nest egg set up, and it won’t matter.” CeCe laughs again. “It’s simple. The pre-nup he had me sign has an infidelity clause in it. If either of us cheats on the other, the injured party gets a huge payday.”

“And how do you know he’s going to cheat on you?”

“That’s where I come into play,” a voice I recognize as Cathy, CeCe’s sister, chimes in. “When he wakes up with me instead of the bride tomorrow tomorrow morning, and no memory of the night before, it won’t be hard to put that infidelity clause to work.”

CeCe gives a little shriek of excitement. “By this time tomorrow, my lawyer will be putting together the divorce papers, and I’ll be licking my wounds on our honeymoon without the groom.”

She sighs dreamily. “I bet he’ll be so appalled by his behavior—on our wedding night at that—he’ll give me even more than was written in the pre-nup.”

“It’s a brilliant plan.”

“I can’t believe he hasn’t figured it out.”

“If there’s one thing about Josh, it’s that he’s too trusting for his own good.”

“I suppose he won’t be so trusting after this.”

“No,” I mutter to myself. “I won’t.”

I rip the boutonnière from my lapel, drop it on the ground, and stalk down the hallway.

I reach for my phone to call a car, but it isn’t in my pocket.

Shit. I left it back in my staging room.

Well, I’m not going back for it. I don’t want to risk running into the woman who tried to make a fool of me.

Laughter flowing from across the atrium catches my attention. People in varying states of fancy dress and holding glasses of champagne stream into a doorway. A woman in a rich green dress that clings to her curves saunters past me and enters with the rest of the crowd.

Jane’s charity event. Jesse is there. He’ll be all too glad to help me get the hell out of here. He won’t even say “I told you so.”

Not tonight, at least.

Grabbing a glass of champagne and tossing it back, I shoulder my way into the room. Head on a swivel, I look everywhere for him.

Instead, I lock eyes with Jane. Her face lights up.

“Oh, thank God.” She grabs my hand and tugs me toward the stage. “When I told Jesse a couple of my guys backed out at last minute, he said he didn’t take care of it. He works faster than I thought.”

“About Jesse. Where is he?”

“Don’t worry about that now,” she says, tugging on my suit jacket. “I’ll get you ready.”

When she licks her thumb to smooth back my hair, I brush her hand aside. “I need to see Jesse.”

“You can see him later,” she hisses. “There isn’t time.”

Before I can protest, she tugs me up on stage, leaves me next to the podium, and steps up to the mic.

“Ladies,” she says, into the microphone. “We’ll start off this evening with a surprise bachelor who doesn’t appear in your program book.”

“Surprise bachelor?” I frown. “What the—”

“And this bachelor is a real gem. Born and raised in small town on two-percent milk and kindness, Josh here has made a name for himself in Las Vegas as a world-famous poker player.”

A spotlight pops on, and every eye in the room turns on me. I shrug my shoulders. What the hell is going on? Head spinning from chugging that champagne and coming to grips with my near-miss, I try to make sense of it all.

I dart my gaze around the room. Linen-covered table cloths. Silverware clinking against china. A sign that reads, “Welcome to the Bachelor Auction.”

Bachelor Auction.

Oh, fuck.

“As you can see,” Jane continues, “this tall drink of water isn’t hard on the eyes, either. I’d think any one of you would be glad to spend a night with him. Shall we start the bidding at five-hundred?”