Bidding On The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 8) by Christina Tetreault Page A

hell for her. Her sisters and mom, on the other hand, loved it. Or at least they appeared to. If it ever bothered them, none of them said a word.
    “Modeling isn’t for everyone, Mom.” She looked away from Tasha and surveyed the room. Closer to the stage, she spotted Derek’s stepmother Abby sitting with his sister-in-law and one of his cousins. She knew several other Sherbrookes must be floating around too because he’d mentioned several of his cousins would be here, although he hadn’t shared how he felt about their presence. He hadn’t needed to either. His tone of voice when he’d rattled off the list had done all the talking for him.
    “True.” Scarlet picked up the wine glass a waiter had delivered not long after they sat and took a delicate sip. “So you know the city better than your father and I, where should we go tomorrow for dinner?”
    She didn’t need to think before she answered. “Mon Soleil. Trevor and I went there, and it was amazing. If you didn’t know better, you’d think you were eating in Paris.”
    Milan nudged her in the side and said, “I’m sure that was an exhilarating night out.”
    Brooklyn didn’t miss the sarcasm in her sister’s voice. “It was a nice evening.” Although she still didn’t know how she felt about Trevor, it had been a nice date. “But you might not have enjoyed it.” Talk about an understatement. Milan would’ve canceled the moment he mentioned the word theater.
    All things considered, Brooklyn enjoyed the dinner portion of the fundraiser. During the short time between dinner and the moment Marilyn Belmont, Derek’s aunt, took the stage to welcome everyone and thank them for attending, she left her mom and sisters behind and visited with Derek’s family. Now though, as she listened to Marilyn’s prepared speech, her stomach twisted into a giant knot. As perspiration trickled down her spine, she prayed her deodorant held up tonight.
    “And now I’d like to introduce to you Rose. This evening’s fundraiser has been her baby. She has spent countless hours on it to ensure everyone has a wonderful time.” A thirtysomething woman joined Marilyn at the podium and smiled out at the crowd as polite applause filled the ballroom. “Rose will be handling the evening from here.”
    With her final sentence, Marilyn exited the stage and rejoined her family while behind the podium Rose adjusted the microphone. “Before we start, I would like to again thank each and every one of you for attending tonight. As you know, all the proceeds raised tonight will go toward supporting the various projects the Helping Hands Foundation funds, including the new battered women’s shelter being opened in Pawtucket next month.”
    Another round of applause erupted. Once it stopped, Rose spoke again. “This evening we have twelve eligible bachelors up for auction. Their names are all listed in the programs handed out earlier. Each gentleman will take the winning bidder out on four romantic dates. Everyone present tonight can make as many bids as they wish, however, if your bid is accepted, you cannot bid on any of the remaining bachelors. Now to start off the fun, let’s meet our first bachelor.” Rose paused while the spotlight moved off her and toward the man walking out onto the stage dressed in a black tuxedo.
    Brooklyn recognized the man before Rose introduced him. Colton Horne and Derek had been friends for years, and she’d seen him several times at Derek’s condo in Newport. Although a little full of himself, he always struck her as a nice person who knew how to treat a woman right.
    “Who’s the hottie?” Milan asked, earning her a disapproving look from their mom. “What? He is handsome,” Milan said in her own defense.
    Her sister had a point. Although not as handsome as Derek in her opinion, Colton was a looker. Before Brooklyn could provide an answer, Rose glanced at the cheat sheet in her hand and continued.
    “Our first bachelor this evening is Colton