Modern Romance December 2019 Books 5-8. Jane Porter

on longer—all night,’ she explained. ‘The prizes remain on view, either in here on tables at the far end of the ballroom, or in a photograph. To place a bid on a certain lot, all your guests have to do is place their offer in a sealed envelope. Competition is fierce, as no one has any idea what anyone else has bid.’

      ‘Smart woman.’

      ‘Did you think I was stupid?’

      ‘No,’ he said in the same easy, conversational tone she had used. ‘I admire you.’

      ‘It’s my job,’ she dismissed with a shrug. ‘I promised to do my best for you, and I will. There’s no chance to show off, but no one wants to miss out.’ Her eyes bored into his. ‘So the charities benefit far more from these secret bids than they would from a noisy auction.’

      ‘Excellent.’ He dipped his head in approval while every fibre of his body demanded that he claim her now. ‘I approve. Well, you’d better get on.’

      ‘Yes, sir.’

      ‘Luc,’ he reminded her through gritted teeth. ‘We’ll see each other at the end of the evening.’

      Stacey’s eyes flashed open. Oh, will we? she thought.

      Her heart twisted into knots of confusion as Luc walked away. She hated that he could shake her professional persona to this extent, yet she longed for a glance that said he cared. She expected too much. Always had. Her father had told her that frequently, and he was right. She was needy inside and had to shrug it off and don her armour.

      It wasn’t easy to ignore Luc, and as she worked the room she watched him. With his easy stride and magnificent physique—a body she could undress in her mind at a moment’s notice—he was outrageously hot, a fact she could see being logged by every sentient being in the room. It reminded her of when she’d been the wallflower on the bench and admirers had mobbed him. Would she see him after the party? She could be cynical all she liked, but her heart leapt at the thought.

      Stacey’s silent auction proved to be a brilliant idea, and was an incredible success. He wanted to congratulate her, but, as usual, she was impossible to find. Eventually, she almost crashed into him on her way to find an extra drum to hold all the bids. ‘Kudos to you,’ he called out as she rushed past. With every base covered at this, his most important event of the year, she had exceeded his expectations by a considerable amount.

      There were so many bids to count he thought they’d never be finished, but when the final total was announced, the money raised for the various charities was a record amount. He’d tried celebrities and royalty before, but nothing had worked like this. Stacey should share the spotlight with him, he determined as he mounted the stage. He called for her but there was no answer from the crowd. Shrugging this off with a smile to reassure his audience, he told them she was probably hard at work on his next event and raised a laugh. Turning to his aide, he added in a very different tone, ‘Find her.’

      He strode from the stage to tumultuous applause that should have been Stacey’s. ‘On second thoughts,’ he said, catching his aide’s elbow before the man could leave, ‘I’ll find her.’

      Stacey was sitting alone in the office her team was using as a temporary base in the hotel. She could hear cheers in the distance, and guessed the amount of money raised by the auction had just been announced, but this was one of the few opportunities she would have during the night to be alone, and she had just realised that she couldn’t ‘suck it up’ as she’d thought, as Lucas remained resolutely centred in her mind. Anything he did or said affected her. However pathetic that was, it was a fact she had to deal with. There was no possibility of conveniently ejecting him from her mind. At the same time, she was alert for the end of this part of the evening. Transport was already waiting outside for the guests. She’d scheduled everyone’s departure, so there was no need to show her face yet. The team had done its work, begging for prizes, and then organising and displaying them to best advantage, and she was more than happy to leave the glory to them and to Lucas. Raising money for good causes was something he did extremely well, and the auction was always a high point for Stacey. Tonight had seen a phenomenal result, mainly due to the fact that Lucas had an incredible array of wealthy friends. She’d noticed the sideways glances between the rich and famous as they’d attempted to outbid each other. In a silent auction no one knew what anyone else was bidding, so the temptation was always to add a little more, which was all to the good for the charities.

      Leaning back in the chair, she closed her eyes and sighed with relief. Chalking up another success should have her buzzing with excitement. It would secure the immediate future of the company, and she was optimistic about requests for quotations flooding in once the press spread the word of another stunning Party Planners event. But it also heralded the end of working with Lucas.

      A child should bring them together, if only for the occasional meeting, but would he want that? His attitude so far had been distant in the extreme, and she didn’t want him dropping in and out of their lives. Their baby needed both its parents—not living together, necessarily, but both equally invested in its current and future well-being. So much for his talk of a dynasty, she reflected with a small sad laugh. If he took this much interest in his line going forward, it would die out.

      She started with surprise as the door burst open and Luc walked in. ‘There you are,’ he exclaimed as if she’d been hiding. ‘Come with me. I want to introduce you on stage so you can take credit for your success.’

      It took her a moment to rejig her brain back into work mode. Luc was like a tornado who swept in and then out again with equal force. Taking a deep breath, she asked the only question that mattered where business was concerned. ‘Has the team been on stage?’

      ‘Of course,’ he said impatiently. ‘But you weren’t there.’

      You make it so inviting, she mused tensely.

      ‘You’re part of the team, aren’t you?’ he demanded.

      ‘Yes, but—’

      ‘No buts,’ he said. ‘This is your night. And if you won’t take the praise for yourself, then at least take it for the team, and for the hotel staff that has supported them.’

      Put like that she had no option.

       CHAPTER FOURTEEN

      THE CROWD IN the ballroom listened attentively as Stacey thanked them for their generous contributions. Then she invited key members of staff up on stage. ‘Nothing would happen without these people,’ she explained to a barrage of cheers and stamping feet. ‘And now, if you would like to join us in the hotel lobby, your transport awaits! And please, dress up warmly. I’ll meet you outside, where my team will show you where to go.’

      She left the stage as people rushed to grab their coats and boots from the cloakroom. Luc was waiting at the foot of the steps. ‘Thank you,’ he said politely. ‘I know this is your job and what you’re paid for, but you’ve excelled yourself tonight, and I couldn’t be more pleased.’

      ‘Thank you,’ she said with a tight smile, before hurrying away to join the growing crowd in the hotel lobby.

      Was that it? Thank you? Was that all he had to say?

      She felt sick inside.

      Trying not to think too hard, she smilingly arranged the excited guests into travelling groups. If she dwelled on Luc’s manner, she’d break down. She knew it was time to grow up—this was work—but if only he could be a little less distant, and maybe