Bidding Wars (Love Strikes) Read online

  Table of Contents

  ~ Acclaim for Lacey Wolfe ~

  Copyright Warning

  ~ Dedication ~

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  ~ About the Author ~

  ~ More Romance from Etopia Press ~

  ~ Acclaim for Lacey Wolfe ~

  For Finding Home

  “I really loved this book! Lacey Wolfe is an extremely talented author.”

  —Molly for Reviews by Molly

  For Bound by Pleasure

  “If you love a sexy read story, Bound by Pleasure will entice you… Her characters will stir your soul.”

  —Sizzling Hot Books

  Bidding Wars

  Love Strikes Book One

  Lacey Wolfe

  Copyright Warning

  EBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away. The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to or downloaded from file sharing sites, or distributed in any other way via the Internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/).

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By

  Etopia Press

  1643 Warwick Ave., #124

  Warwick, RI 02889

  http://www.etopia-press.net

  Bidding Wars

  Copyright © 2013 by Lacey Wolfe

  ISBN: 978-1-940223-01-8

  Edited by Matt Dale

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Etopia Press electronic publication: May 2013

  ~ Dedication ~

  To the realtors who recently helped my husband and me sell our last home and buy a new one. And to the mystery bidders who we went to war with. You’ve inspired a great story.

  Chapter One

  As the realtor’s car pulled up to one of the most stunning houses Molly Harper had ever seen, she knew: this was it. This gorgeous home was going to be hers. Sometimes you just knew things right away. It was love at first sight—the believable kind.

  Molly climbed out of the midsize sedan and gazed up at the beautiful two-story colonial-style home. The house was a pale yellow with hunter green shutters. The railings on the wraparound porch were white. The paint was starting to chip off some, but in her eyes, it was one of the things that added character to a house. And unless the inside had no flooring and holes in the walls, she was certain that this was what she’d been looking for.

  Tall trees surrounded the home, leaving plenty of welcoming shaded corners. The bushes needed a good trimming, but a little landscaping would fix that. Turning a little, she studied the property lines. The neighbors’ homes weren’t too close to make it feel as though they could see everything she did, but close enough for them to be there in an instant if you needed them.

  Diane smiled at Molly and began to walk to the front door that would lead into what Molly was certain would be her dream home. As she stood on the front porch, her phone rang in her purse. A quick glance at the screen showed her ex-husband was calling. Rolling her eyes, she quickly stabbed the reject button.

  Diane studied the MLS listing as she unlocked the door. “This home was recently renovated, according to the listing agent. It’s been freshly painted, with new carpets and hardwood throughout. The only note on here is that the appliances are a little dated. The seller is willing to replace them if you desire.” Diane opened the door and stepped back so Molly could enter first.

  Taking a deep breath, Molly walked into the large open foyer. To her right was a formal dining room with a gorgeous chandelier, and to her left was the formal living room. Directly in front of her was the staircase that she assumed would lead her to the bedrooms, but at the moment she wanted to explore the first floor. As she walked farther, she came to the kitchen—a very big one. Much larger than any she had seen since her quest for a new home began. She rubbed her hands along the cool granite countertop and imagined rolling out dough for fresh bread or pasta. She opened one of the dark wood cabinets, liking the amount of room inside.

  Then she saw the stove and couldn’t suppress her giggle. “You’re not kidding about the appliances. Though that can easily be replaced.”

  Diane opened the oven and grimaced. “I can’t believe the seller didn’t take the time. It’s all rusted inside. If you want this house I’ll be sure to add new appliances to the offer.”

  “It’s fine. I’d rather pick out my own stove anyway. I love cooking, and I want to make sure this kitchen has everything I want in it.”

  Diane shrugged and made notes in her folder before ushering Molly into the family room. It wasn’t the biggest she had seen, but it was cozy. A huge stone fireplace dominated the corner. Behind her was a full wall of windows, including a set of French doors that took her out to a sunroom. “All that’s left to see is the upstairs, but I think this might be just the place for me.”

  The first room she went to upstairs was the master bedroom. She could easily put a king-size bed in there and have plenty of room. A small sitting room was attached. Her thoughts instantly went toward nursery, but then she shoved that away as quickly as it came. The bathroom shocked her. The bathtub looked as though an army could fit inside of it. She’d hate to see her water bill after filling it one time. She roamed the rest of the upstairs, looking in all the closets and testing all of the light switches. This was home. It had to be hers. It was time for things to start looking up for her. The past year had been hard. As she rubbed her empty ring finger, she tried not to dwell on it. At this moment in her life, she was picking up the shattered pieces and starting fresh. A new journey.

  She met Diane back in the foyer. “This is my home. I can feel it. This place has seen better days and needs some TLC—a bit like me, I suppose—but to me it’s perfect.”

  “It’s only been on the market one day, so we should probably get back to my office to get the offer together tonight. This one is going to go quick.”

  “Let’s do whatever we have to.”

  Molly opened the front door and stepped onto the porch. She inspected the cracked paint on the railing while Diane locked up the house. The sound of wheels crunching on the driveway made her look up and freeze. Someone else wanted to see her house. A very attractive blond man with a nice tan stepped out of the vehicle. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw his police uniform.

  “Everything OK, officer?” Diane stepped off the porch.

  “Yup. I live nearby
and saw this place come up for sale. I wanted to check it out.” He placed a hand over his eyes to shade the sunlight as he looked out over the property.

  “In the market to buy or just checking out the house out of curiosity?” Diane grabbed a business card from her folder and handed it to him.

  He took it, shoving it in his pocket right away. “I’m looking to buy. My lease is almost up, and I love this neighborhood. It’s a great place to live. And with this economy, it might be a good time to buy.” He cleared his throat. “My agent should be here soon. Just thought I’d look around a little before he arrives. I’ve been out a few times and found if I don’t like the outside, there’s no reason to see the inside, right?”

  Molly wanted to tell him to back off. This was her place. He might as well climb back into that car with his fine self and look elsewhere. Diane must have sensed it, because she nudged Molly forward and gave her a stern look. Molly had hoped the officer didn’t notice, but no such luck. A smile crept to his lips and an amused stare caught her eyes for a moment.

  “Well, Officer,” Diane looked closer at his shirt, “Logan, we’ll get out of your way.”

  Molly didn’t want to get out of his way. She’d much rather chain herself to the front porch. Her hands were numb. Glancing down, she saw she’d been clutching the railing to the point her knuckles were white. Damn it, let go! She had to get her offer in and fast. And it had to be an offer the seller couldn’t resist. Especially if there was a chance this cop would be putting one in soon as well.

  She climbed into Diane’s car. “He can’t have it. It’s mine.”

  “It’s not yours yet. But we’ll put together an offer the seller can’t refuse…if you’re willing to.”

  “Yes!”

  “Thank you for not saying anything to him about liking the house. If he knows for sure you’re interested, it could become a competition. And, like I said, this house just came up. This is a popular neighborhood. We need to act fast or this could go into a ‘highest and best’ situation.”

  “What is highest and best?” Molly did not like the way it sounded.

  “Basically, there are several offers. You don’t know where yours stands compared with everyone else’s. And it’s up to you to give your best offer. The best one wins. However, best doesn’t always mean the most money. Cash will almost always get the house. But a big earnest amount shows how serious you are.”

  Her stomach hurt, and her heart pounded in her chest. “I don’t want to get into a situation like that.”

  Diane pulled the car away from the home. “Sometimes you have to go a little out of your comfort zone. But if you love the house that much, it’ll be worth it.”

  * * *

  A few days had passed since Molly had put her offer in. It had been impossible to concentrate on work, or anything else for that matter. She kept thinking about the house and how many others had seen it. Why hadn’t the seller responded yet?

  But the thing that haunted her the most was the look she’d seen in the police officer’s kind green eyes when he gazed at the house. She knew exactly what he was feeling—she’d experienced it as well. A warmth around the heart, giving the feeling of being at peace and at home. In her fantasies, he was like any man and would try to get the best deal he could and offer under asking.

  As she flipped though the channels, petting her cat, Tigger, looking for something with no romance—and no colonial-style houses—her cell phone rang. Reaching forward, she picked it up from the coffee table and saw her ex-husband’s name. She supposed it was time to see what in the world he wanted.

  “Steven, hey.”

  “How are you?”

  “I’m good.” She’d never tell him otherwise.

  “I have some big news, and I wanted you to be the first to hear it.”

  “OK.” She took a deep breath. “What is it?”

  “Terry and I are having a baby.”

  She was silent. She knew this was coming. Any day now she expected to hear it from someone, whether it was at the grocery store or a family member calling. She hadn’t expected Steven to call her, and she didn’t know what to say.

  “Molly.”

  “Uh, yeah. Um, congrats.”

  “I don’t expect you to be happy for me. I wanted you to know before the news got around.” He cleared his throat. “I figured it was the least I could do.”

  The least he could do. She really wanted to yell at him and tell him how she felt, but what good would it really do? “OK.”

  “I won’t keep you.”

  “OK. Well, bye.” She hung up and buried her face in her hands, fighting back any tears that threatened when her phone rang again. It better not be Steven again.

  She picked the phone up from her lap and saw it was Diane. Something in her gut told her it wasn’t the news she was wanting. She gazed up toward the ceiling and mouthed a silent prayer before answering.

  “Hello.”

  “Molly.”

  She could tell by her agent’s tone that her gut feeling was right. “You have bad news. Give it to me.”

  “It’s not entirely bad, but I’m sorry to tell you that there have been multiple offers. You have forty-eight hours to decide what your absolute highest and best offer is.”

  “Crap. OK.”

  “You already have a damn good offer, and I doubt anyone has trumped it. Give it a lot of thought. You still have some wiggle room on the amount you were preapproved.”

  “Max it out. The full amount I was preapproved for. I need this house.”

  “You sure? That’s nearly forty thousand over asking price.”

  “Diane, if I lose it, I’ll be devastated. I might as well give the best fight I can.”

  Diane was silent a moment. “OK, I’m going to draw up the papers. Check your e-mail in about twenty minutes.”

  “Will do. Thank you.” She hung up and dropped the phone next to her on the couch. She let out a loud moan, which was followed by Tigger kneading her paws into her thighs. She scratched the cat under the chin. “Don’t you worry. Mommy’s getting us a brand new home and you’ll get your own room. I just need to convince the competition to drop out.”

  Chapter Two

  Luke stared at the papers in front of him. His real estate agent had faxed them over. Apparently, more than one person wanted the place on Maple Street, and he now needed to decide if he wanted to offer any higher.

  He’d really liked the old house. It would be great for when his son came to visit every other weekend. But now he had to decide how badly he wanted the place. Of course, this could be some gimmick from the sellers. They knew what a gem they had there and probably wanted the most they could get. He had forty-eight hours to come up with his new offer, if he decided to. He already had a good offer on the house—but was it good enough? He rubbed his temples and brushed the papers to the side of his desk. If he didn’t get it, there were other homes.

  Some sort of commotion was coming from the front of the station. It was always something. Sometimes he wished that one day at work could be slow and boring. Perhaps he should have chosen a different profession.

  He went to see what was going on. At the front desk, he found a very familiar-looking brunette demanding to talk to someone. Women were never patient when they needed something.

  “Ma’am, calm down. I’m Sheriff Logan. Can I help you?”

  The woman looked him square in the eye. “You! You’re who I am looking for.”

  He flinched beneath her bold, accusing stare. “Why don’t we go back to my office, and we’ll see what I can help you with.”

  She followed him down the hall, her heels clicking loudly on the tiled floor. This woman was really uptight. He took a seat and pointed toward the chair in front of his desk, but she didn’t sit. She looked as though she was ready to burst.

  “I won’t be here long enough to get comfortable.”

  “Tell me what’s going on.”

  “You’re trying to steal my house,” she snappe
d.

  He knew just who she was now. The image of a beautiful brunette who looked as though she were biting her tongue standing in front of a yellow house flashed through his mind. Perhaps he should act as if he didn’t remember. “Excuse me?”

  “The house on Maple Street. I want it. And I’m guessing you do as well.”

  He raked his hands through his hair. No faking it now. “Does your agent know you’re here?”

  “God, no. Diane would kill me.”

  “It’s a great house.”

  “I want it. No, I need it. Please withdraw your offer.” She stared at him as though her request had to be taken seriously.

  He looked the stunning woman up and down. She was skinny, but still had curves. Her hair was long and straight, and her eyes were the color of almonds. She could use some sun and had an overall sad look to her. Something tugged at his heart while he watched her.

  “I’m sure there are other houses out there.”

  She glanced at him, blinking her eyes. “Officer Logan, I’m sure there are. But this house felt like home. While I was there, I was finally happy. I felt like I was where I needed to be in life. I’ve had a year from hell, and it’s beginning to look up. If I don’t get that house, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

  “Will you be homeless?” He hated when people complained about life and blamed others for it. Everyone was responsible for his or her own happiness. Yet, most of the folks he encountered didn’t get it.

  “Of course not.”

  “Look, Ms.…”

  “Molly Harper.”

  “Look, Ms. Harper, I get that you want the house. So do I. Maybe I felt all those warm and fuzzy feelings you did as well. And I don’t mean to come across rude, but I hear sob stories every day. It’s hard to sympathize sometimes. I’m sure your last year has been hell, as you said, but the only way for things to get better is to change. This house doesn’t make your life instantly better. Only your attitude can do that.”