Yours For The Holidays: Lovin' Las Vegas, #7

Chapter One

For the first time, Dr. Alanna Reeves considered maybe her libido had gone into permanent hibernation.  The parade of masculinity currently on display, their muscular, toned and tanned physiques strutting down the catwalk was one hundred percent sex on the hoof, yet that overload of testosterone did nothing to rev her engines.

She cracked her knuckles, adjusted her gold wire-rimmed glasses, and waited for the next guy to do his stroll down the lighted walkway, and perform his little spin turn at the end.

The hotel donated the grand ballroom space for the charity extravaganza.  It provided great publicity, because having their event at the prestigious hotel meant high rollers with lots of cash in their pockets to bid on the bachelors participating in the fundraiser.  Gleaming marble floors shone beneath the glittering chandeliers, and elaborately decorated Christmas trees stood on either side of the stage.  Maximizing the space, the stage had been constructed at the perfect spot in the enormous ballroom, flanked by a wall of windows.   Strand after strand of twinkling lights illuminated the space, giving it the appearance of a sparkling winter wonderland.

Everything was ready.  Perfect.  Well, as close to perfect as she could achieve with volunteers and donations, and a decidedly limited timeframe.  She'd been on call at the hospital for a good chunk of the time.  Still, she was damned proud of the work they'd accomplished.  Now looking at the sights around her, she couldn't hide her disappointment or the rush of anger coursing through her.

Just moments ago, she'd gotten the call that changed everything.  The one man she expected to grace the stage at the annual Christmas Bachelor Auction was a no-show.

I'm going to kill him.  No mercy.  Eviscerate him with my dullest scalpel.  No, too easy and too quick.  I'll use my bare hands.

He was her best friend's brother, but that didn't mean he got a free pass.  Daniel Donovan had canceled on her, plus he'd been too chicken to call himself.  Instead, he'd had his mother break the bad news.

There was a spot of good news though.  Momma Donovan reported she'd arranged a last minute replacement bachelor, with a promise nobody would be disappointed.

Alanna tapped her foot, arms crossed over her chest, and watched as another smoking hot fireman sauntered to the end of the stage.  Decked out in his professional gear, the jacket was left open to display a ruggedly sculpted body with delicious six pack abs.  Oh, yeah, he'd bring in a bundle.

Mister Fireman left the stage and out came the next volunteer, a local television anchor, and a bit of a heartthrob to the single ladies.  He'd placed a santa hat on his head at a jaunty angle, and the first several buttons on his white shirt were unbuttoned beneath his suit coat, tie undone and trailing around his neck.  Who wouldn't fall for this picture of holiday decadence wrapped up in a sexy yet sophisticated package?

She listened to the catcalls of the gathered women, who waved handheld paddles with bidder numbers on them.  This phase was only the preview portion of the event, where each bachelor walked down the runway, so the prospective bidders got to see a sample of the merchandise available.

And doesn't that make it sound like a meat market instead of a sophisticated and definitely expensive black tie fund raiser?

Ladies, the next bachelor in our preview is one of the most sought after men in Las Vegas.  He's always atop the list of the city's most eligible lists, and tonight's your chance to win a fabulous dream date with the one and only—Blake Donovan!

Alanna spun around so fast her four inch heels skittered on the ballroom's marble floor.  Blake?  When Momma Donovan said she'd taken care of Daniel's screw-up, she hadn't mentioned sending in the one man who made the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention in a lustful, I-want-to-lick-you-all-over kind of way.

True, there'd always been sparks between her and Blake, but most of the time she wished one of those sparks would ignite into a flame and burn him to a crisp.  The man did know how to infuriate her.  She totally ignored the fact every time they were in the same room together, her panties nearly melted right off.  Nope, she so was not going there.

She'd known Blake Donovan her whole life.  Hell, they'd grown up on the same block, three houses apart.  The Donovans were like her second family, with three boys and a girl.  They'd been instant playmates when her family moved into the middle-class neighborhood.

Adam Donovan was the oldest.  He tended to be a loner by nature.  Even as a youngster, he'd been responsible and mature beyond his years.  The guardian type, he always looked out for his family, and by extension, her.

Blake was the next brother.  An instant animosity sprang up between them the day they'd met, and very little had changed since.  He seemed to exist to aggravate her and vice versa.  When she'd gone through that awkward teenage spell and confided to his sister, Charity, she had a crush on him, he'd reacted like a total ass.

Charity Donovan was her BFF.  Only one year apart in age, because of where their birthdays fell, they'd ended up in the same grade at elementary school and all the way through high school.  They'd been practically inseparable.

Finally, there was Daniel.  He was the baby of the family, if you could call a twenty-five year old the baby.  Always the fun-loving brother, ready to get into any mischief you could think up.  He'd never turned down a dare in his life, at least none she could remember.

Blake, though, he was the thorn in her side.  Charity remained her best friend, and two of the Donovan brothers were perfect gentleman.  But every time she got within spitting distance of Mr. Perfect, electricity snapped, sparks flew, and panty-melting, nipple tingling commenced.

He's not supposed to be here.  Daniel Donovan was the man she'd shanghaied into participating in the annual charity auction to benefit the pediatric wing.  Well, okay, maybe that was too strong a word.  She'd convinced Momma Donovan Daniel would be a huge draw and bring in a ton of money.  The annual Christmas Bachelor Auction raised a lot of funds, and donations went through the roof, not only because there were hotties available for a fantasy date, but it benefitted the local hospital.  None of the Donovan kids said no when Momma Donovan spoke.

Good-natured Daniel seemed the perfect choice.  Single and financially secure, he was one of three partners in Donovan Developments.  Gorgeous blond hair, sparkling blue eyes, always a smile on his lips, he was clever, and witty and had a great sense of humor.  He was the front man for the trio, managing the real estate sales for the firm.  She'd considered asking Adam, but vetoed that almost immediately.  Adam was the brains of Donovan Developments, with a Master's Degree in architecture.  The man was a creative genius.  Blake handled the physical details, ran the various construction crews and managed the day-to-day operations of building the homes and businesses Adam designed.  

Anybody bidding on Daniel would have snagged one of the sexiest bachelors in Las Vegas.  Definitely worth whatever they'd pony up, and he wouldn't come cheap.  

Blake Donovan, on the other hand, was the complete opposite of his fun-loving brother.  Dark brown hair and blue eyes, tall and solidly built with muscles on his muscles, he filled out the black suit he wore to perfection.  She was willing to bet he'd had it specially tailored, because there was no chance he found that kind of fit off-the-rack.

Blake was the one who worked alongside the construction crews, supervised the foremen, and did physical labor on the job sites.  No nine-to-five desk job for him.  He liked to get his hands dirty.  She'd be willing to bet he had rough calluses on those hands.  Calluses that he'd rub all over her soft skin and—

And he was scowling directly at her.  Like it was her fault he was here.  No way was she taking the blame.  She'd had nothing to do with him being a part of the meat market line-up.

Personally, she had no plans to bid on any of the bachelors.  So what if it had been a long dry spell?  Her last attempt at a nice dinner out with a colleague had been a failure of epic proportions.

Nope, she'd done her part for charity, wrangled up volunteers to parade down the walkway and strut their stuff for the frenzied bidders.  After tonight, she was free and clear for the next two weeks.  This time tomorrow she'd be relaxing in the sunshine by a pool sipping piña coladas, far away from Blake Donovan and his disapproving glare.

Alanna?

She squeezed her eyes shut, barely hiding the wince.  Could this evening get any worse?  First Daniel was a no-show, and now she'd have to face another guy who wasn't high on the list of people she wanted to deal with.  She'd kind of hoped he'd disappear and she wouldn't have to face this long overdue conversation.  Like a coward, she'd avoided Dr. Robert Greene for the last half an hour, but she could only hide out behind-the-scenes for so long before they'd kicked her out.

Pasting a smile on her face, she turned around.

Hi, Robert.

He was a striking man, with dark blond hair and piercing green eyes.  Most women found him attractive and the nurses in the hospital were constantly making goo-goo eyes at the single surgeon.  But there wasn't a spark of chemistry between them.

She'd tried, she really had, but the one dinner she managed to sit through had been like listening to fingernails on a chalk board.  He didn't do anything for her nearly nonexistent libido, except give her a headache, and other than the fact they were both physicians, they had zilch in common.

Sorry.  I had some stuff to handle backstage, making sure things run without a hitch.  You know how it is.

Of course, though it seems like we're rarely in the same room at the same time anymore.  He took a slug from the cut crystal glass in his hand, and from his bleary-eyed stare she had the impression it wasn't his first.  The auction committee had insisted on a cash bar, stating the alcohol would help loosen some pursestrings.

Robert hadn't hesitated for an instant when she'd asked him to participate as one of the bachelors in the auction.  He certainly dressed for the part.  The tailored navy blue suit fit his body to perfection, and the blue and maroon striped tie was the perfect accent.  Popular with nurses and patients alike, he was considered quite the catch in the matrimonial sweepstakes.  There was an aura of power surrounding him that couldn't be faked.

A surgeon from a well-to-do family, he never lacked for feminine companionship.  He had everything going for him.  Looks, charm, and sophistication—yet he left her cold.  Maybe that wasn't the right word.  Indifferent.  She felt nothing.  There was no draw, no fire.  Nothing that said grab onto this man, he's a keeper.  It didn't seem fair, since on paper they made the perfect couple.

She was at a loss as to why he'd set his sights on her like a heat-seeking missile, because she'd never put out any signals she was interested.  Nothing stood in the way of her career, especially somebody who'd demand her sole attention,