Page 4 of Auctioned to Dr. Daddy

“They’re about to send Victoria up,” she says. “Come on, let’s go see what this whole mess is.”

She leads the way over to the curtain where Victoria, the head nurse at St. Peter Hospital, is led out to the stage.

Selma uses two fingers to pull it back, just enough to get a look outside. There are a lot of people there, men and women.

Charity events like this are always big. I’ve seen a few of them in my time as a resident here at St. Peters, though none of them have been like this one.

“An auction for dates!” I shake my head. “It makes me nervous. What if we get, you know, stuck with someone we don’t like?”

I probably should have thought this through before volunteering to be sold off in the auction.

“You can just say that you don’t want to be bought by Henry,” says Selma. “We’re all going to understand.”

“I mean, yes, sure. But—you know what I mean? We could end up having to spend tomorrow with someone that we don’t like at all.” It’s nerve-wracking, but I’m a little excited, too.

“It’s just a dinner date. And I know for a fact that both Stone brothers are here. I want one of them to takemeout,” Selma says.

“Really?” I ask, leaning forward and peeking through the curtain a second time.And yes, there they are! “God, you’re right. They’re both ridiculously handsome.”

Tyler is the tallest of the two, but something about Nathan just draws me in.

He’s visibly built even through the tailored white dress shirt. The pair of old-fashioned gray and black pin-striped slacks make him look like the Don in a mafia movie; absolutely to die for!

My attention shifts back to Victoria as the bidding starts to get higher.

It’s held like a normal auction; an auctioneer was even brought in for the cause.

A man named Magnus, who I know isn’t a doctor but a sculptor, and a personal friend of Anthony Stone, is the winner.

He’s in his late forties and has more stubble on his face than I like in a man; his long hair is pulled back into a tight-knotted bun at the back of his head. Handsome, though, in a way that I know Victoria is going to love.

She’s older, but she’s gorgeous. So is Selma.

I’ve always thought that I was a little bit more on the plain side. And again—all this glitz and glam? Not usually what I end up sporting. Still, my name is the second to be called out.

“Good luck,” cheers Selma.

I step onto the stage, suddenly very aware that I don’t normally wear heels.Thank you, ingrained riding posture. I would be lost without you.

The auctioneer talks so fast that I can barely keep up with him. I’m surprised by how staggeringly high the numbers go, very quickly surpassing the amount that Victoria earned.

There’s Henry, the one man that I know for a fact I don’t want to be bought by.

We’ve clashed heads a lot over the years. He can’t stand animals, and I’m an animal lover through and through. Also, he’s mega old-fashioned and not keen on female doctors, which makes his bidding even more annoying.

Another man holds up his paddle, upping the bid. Strong jawed and stern.

Then an older woman, who seems less interested in the auction than she does in emptying her wallet, hefts up the paddle twice more before calling an end to her bids.

And then Nathan hefts up his paddle, and that’s when the money really starts going.

My heart skips a beat.

I tell myself that Nathan is just bidding for the fundraiser, that it doesn’t have anything to do with me specifically.

But there’s a sharp glint in his eyes that says otherwise.

Something almost determined.

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