Indigo Spell (2 page)

Chapter One

Present Day—Earth

“Stop pulling at my arm, Belinda, I’m coming.” Tess Montgomery shouldered her leather purse and tried to keep pace with her best friend as they marched along the covered walkway leading to the auditorium. “I can’t imagine why you’re in such a hurry anyway. You’ve never liked art. Care to share why you’re suddenly so interested in Impressionist paintings?”

Belinda smiled and winked over her shoulder, staying two steps ahead of her friend. “Well, I thought I might broaden my horizons a bit.”

The suspicious feeling she’d been battling all day returned. Tess knew she should probably listen to it. After all, the last time Belinda Hilton talked about broadening her horizons, Tess ended up in a strip club in a seedy part of town while men whose eyes she couldn’t meet, gyrated in front of her with dollar bills stuck into the waistband of their g-strings. So odds were good she should probably listen to that inner voice which was telling her to run like hell. But it was too late. Belinda had already pushed the heavy wooden door open and, bracing it with one heel, waved frantically to Tess.

“Come on. We want to get a good seat.”

Tess started to remind her friend that the seat didn’t really matter in a silent auction as her money assured her an assigned position but instead she just shook her head and moved into the room filled with Charleston’s top society.

She knew she blended in well in her cream linen suit and her long, chestnut-colored hair swept up on top of her head in an elegant chignon. With her nails perfectly manicured and makeup artfully applied, she mingled well with the ladies of high society. After all, her mother had taught her well but, if the truth were told, Tess was more comfortable in jeans and T-shirt than she was in expensive silk.

She moved through the throng of ladies, murmuring appropriate greetings and well wishes, her private school manners holding her in good stead. She paused long enough to accept an invitation to tea from Mrs. Barnsworth and a compliment from Teensy Malone before gliding to the cushioned chair with her nameplate on the back. Her mother would be so proud. She almost shuddered at the thought.

Belinda settled in beside Tess and practically bounced with excitement.

“What’s wrong with you? I haven’t seen you this worked up since Ed asked you out for your first date,” Tess asked.

Belinda’s smile was firmly in place, her eyes glowing. “You’ll see.”

A small furrow appeared between Tess’ normally smooth brows. “I’ll see what?” The curtain on stage began to move and with it came a small feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. “Talk to me, Belle. Tell me what I’m supposed to be seeing.”

“Just look.” Belinda pointed toward the stage.

Tess turned and immediately knew something was amiss. Auctions didn’t have announcers dressed in flashy tuxedos wearing gamin grins and too much hair gel. And art auctions didn’t make the women of Charleston society titter. And there was definite tittering going on behind her. In fact Teensy had begun to wave a fan frantically back and forth in front of her face as if attempting to ward off a swoon. If indeed women still swooned.

The uneasiness intensified when the announcer’s booming voice encompassed the room. “Good evening, ladies, and welcome to the first annual Bachelor’s Auction benefiting the children of Caring Hearts Home. My name is Adam Walker and I’ll be your host this evening.”

Tess’ head began to swim and she clutched her perfectly manicured fingers into Belinda’s forearm. “What’s going on here? You told me this was an art auction. You lied to me.” She looked over her shoulder as if afraid that any minute her mother would come marching into the room. She couldn’t imagine what would happen then. No doubt pandemonium would ensue.

“No, I told you it was a charity auction. You assumed it was an art auction and I just let you ramble on and on about how you could possibly use another piece for your living room. And once you start talking about art, well, there’s practically no interrupting you.”

Tess tugged her jacket closer around her body and tossed dismayed glances over her shoulder but the matrons behind her didn’t seem to be having a problem with the type of auction. She sighed inaudibly. “I was an art history major.” The words came out sounding as defensive as she felt.

Belinda yawned. “Yeah, yeah, I know. Just one more thing to impress your mother but you can’t convince me you don’t get bored out of your skull sometimes. There has to be a tiny bit of rebel inside of you.”

There was no doubt in Tess’ mind that this was one of Belinda’s harebrained ideas to get her close to a man and maybe, just maybe, another chance for her friend to thumb her nose at the matriarch of the Montgomery family, Colleen. The pair had never gotten along, not since Belinda’s aged pickup had left a rather large oil stain in the circular driveway of Colleen’s four-million-dollar mansion. Words had been exchanged and, while Colleen’s anger manifested itself more passively, Belinda always chose the more direct approach. Definitely not a pleasant memory.

“Oh look,” came a whispered voice behind her, drawing Tess’ eyes to the stage.

Admittedly her interest had been piqued. To save face, she added for Belinda’s ears only, “You’ll pay for this and I’m withdrawing my bids.”

“Can’t do that. The bidding has already been closed. All they’re going to do now is parade the men out one at a time and we get to ooh and aah over them and pray our money was enough to land us one of them.”

“Land us? Please tell me you didn’t bid.”

Belinda’s nose wrinkled. “Well, of course I bid. Ed’s out of town.”

Sure the horror she felt in the pit of her stomach must be etched on her face, Tess nudged her friend with her arm. “You’re married!”

Belinda grinned. “I know that but I could use some help around the house while Ed’s out of town and I certainly didn’t want one of those guys who doesn’t know how to buy big enough pants to cover his crack. Now keep looking. Maybe you’ll be one of the lucky ones.”

“I don’t want to be one of the lucky ones. I want to get out of here.” She started to get up but Belinda’s nails scored her arm.

“Please, don’t leave yet. You’ll miss the good part.”

Tess doubted there was a good part but she sank back against the plush cushion of the padded chair anyway. “You told me you were bidding on a piece of art for me.”

“I told you I was bidding on a piece of work for you. And believe me, this guy is a real piece of work.” Blue eyes glittering, Belinda chuckled. “Don’t worry. I think you’ll like him.”

“You’re nuts. Certifiable.” But Tess had never doubted that her friend only had her best interests at heart. While her mother’s teachings were compelling her to run for the nearest door, her own instincts were telling her to remain put, that her life was about to change, even if briefly.

“Maybe so but after you see this guy, you won’t think I’m so crazy after all. I don’t know where they found him but I’d take him home in a heartbeat.” Belinda winked and scooted lower in her chair. “Besides, take a look around you. All of these women are here to find out if they won and they knew what type of auction it was in advance. So I wouldn’t worry too much about that pristine reputation of yours if I were you.” The lights dimmed as Belinda’s gloat ended.

Suddenly the stage swirled with lights and Tess cringed, placing her hand over her eyes as the host’s voice began an excited introduction of the first man leading the meat market parade. Her fingers, of their own volition of course, parted to catch a brief peek.

All muscle and sinew, the bachelor danced from one end of the stage to the other, wearing a buttoned-down white dress shirt, opened to display a wide expanse of his smooth chest, and black trousers which did little to hide the definition of his thighs or the package nestled between his legs. His hair was long and black, tied back in a ponytail, his eyes just as dark and when he smiled, Tess was sure Teensy fainted behind her.

“I’m going to kill you for this,” Tess hissed behind her hand.

“Will you just relax and enjoy the show? Where in the world are you going to see this many good-looking men all in the same room unless you’re at a gay bar? Now just hush.”

Tess might hush but Belinda was going to pay. Right after Tess watched the rest of the show, of course.

* * * * *

Jaxon Richards adjusted the tool belt around his hips and planted his booted feet squarely in front of his friend’s unrepentant form. “You do realize of course that once this is all over, I’m going to kick your ass. I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” He could only imagine the looks on his brothers’ faces.

Harry grinned and shrugged. “I don’t know why you’re so upset. You knew what you were getting yourself into when I told you about this. Now all of a sudden, I’m the bad guy?”

Jaxon dropped a gaze to the open vest, which covered little of his pecs and nothing of his abs. “You left out the part about parading around half naked in front of a bunch of panting society matrons.” He was beginning to doubt his own sanity. Maybe there was something to be said for staying in your own world. “I assumed my skills were up for auction not my body.”

Harry continued to grin in his irritating manner. “Well, some women would say they’re one and the same. And besides, not all those women out there are matrons and you’re not half naked. You wear less than that to the beach.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, those aren’t sand dunes out there, pal.” Jaxon adjusted the crotch of his jeans. “And could you have at least bought the jeans in my size?”

The older man’s face colored a little. “Well, I didn’t buy them. I just gave your sizes to Mallory Whitcomb.”

“Who in the hell is Mallory Whitcomb?”

“She’s the organizer of this event. She was supposed to provide you with the proper sizes.”

“Uh-huh.” Jaxon shifted. No doubt Ms. Whitcomb had dropped down a size so she could get a good ogle. “So let me get this straight. Those biddies out there are bidding on which one gets to take me home for the evening and you’re going to sit back here and watch me sweat? Does that about sum it up?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t have to be tonight. You can pick which night.” Harry grimaced. “Or, she can, rather.”

“And suppose I end up with some lunatic?”

Harry scrubbed the back of his neck and coughed a little. “Well, then I’ll come looking for you.”

“Actually,” Jaxon leaned in closer to lower his voice to a deathly growl, “you’ll be taking my place.”

Harry’s head shot up and his eyes widened. “Are you kidding? Sadie would kill me! I told her I was coming with you tonight to offer moral support.”

“Yeah, and you didn’t feel the need to warn the only friend you’ve got that his ‘skills’ were going to be on display for an hour either.”

Waving a hand in dismissal, Harry shrugged. “It’s not an hour, more like ten minutes and it’s for a worthy cause.”

Jaxon tugged at the jeans once more, the tools jangling against his hip. “If you say that one more time, I’ll kick your ass right now.”

Harry backed away, hands extended in a placating gesture. “You’re up next. Don’t forget. Give ‘em your best smile and give ‘em hell.”

Jaxon could only think of one person he was going to give hell to and that was the man with two working brain cells who was grinning like a simpleton as he passed through the curtains to take the stage.

“Now, ladies, the next bachelor I’d like to introduce to you makes his home in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. At just under six-four, Jaxon Richards is a contractor who can build your wildest fantasy.”

Tess didn’t miss the look the bachelor shot the host as he walked from one end of the stage to the other. And she didn’t miss the bachelor. The host hadn’t been lying about his height. And where the three bachelors before him had been lean, this man was brawny, with taut skin bronzed from long hours in the sun and a dark, dangerous edge to his face. Tess leaned in for a closer look as Teensy gasped behind her.