Star of His Heart - Brenda Jackson [47]
Less than five minutes later Blade Madaris was presented to Shawna Crews, who won Blade with the winning bid of six thousand dollars.
“For those ladies who lost out on Brother Number One, don’t despair, just get ready for Brother Number Two, who happens to be Brother Number One’s twin, Slade Madaris. Slade works as an architect for Madaris Construction Company and like his brother, he’s a graduate of Morehouse and an Alpha man.” Trask looked over the room. “Who will open the bid for the second Mr. Madaris at one thousand?”
Less than five minutes later Slade Madaris was presented to Pat Samuels, with a winning bid of six thousand five hundred dollars. Brothers Numbers Three and Four brought in eight thousand each; and Brother Number Five, twenty-six-year-old rodeo superstar Luke Madaris, brought in a whopping ten thousand. The auction was well under way with only five brothers left to bid on.
Everyone was given fifteen minutes of intermission. Netherland was tempted to use that time to seek out Ashton but decided against it. Instead she visited with various people who were present that night. At the end of intermission, Trask’s voice rose and captured everyone’s attention, encouraging them to return to their seats.
“The next brother is someone I know very well. He’s my biological brother, Alexander Maxwell,” Trask said once the auction was under way again.
Alexander walked out on stage and like the brothers who’d come before him, he was dressed in a black tux that fitted his body with unerring precision. He looked good, real good. And the expression he wore was serious, pensive and challenged any woman to be the one to put a smile on his face. There were a few in the audience who thought they could, which heightened the excitement in the room.
Trask hit the gavel on the podium to recapture everyone’s attention. “From Alex’s bio you can see that he’s a graduate of Howard University and received his master’s degree from MIT. After working a short period for the FBI, he’s now CEO of Maxwell Security and Investigators.” Trask looked out over the audience. “Who will open the bidding at one thousand dollars?”
A hand lifted somewhere in the back of the audience and a name card came up. “One thousand dollars,” a woman called out.
Then the bidding began as several women who were intent on having that date with Alex and putting that smile on his face threw out their bids. The bidding became rapid, fierce and aggressive, as each woman forced the other to bid higher and higher, making Alex the hottest brother in demand thus far. In the end, surprising everyone, except for her brothers and a few others who knew of Alex’s plan, Christy Madaris stood and topped the highest bid of thirteen thousand by offering fifteen thousand dollars.
“Miss Christy Madaris has offered fifteen thousand dollars. Do I have sixteen thousand?” Trask asked, looking around the room to see if anyone else would signal. When no one else bidded, he smiled and said, “Alex Maxwell is awarded to Christy Madaris.”
Alex Maxwell released a deep sigh of relief. While the audience watched he left the stage and walked over to the head table to present Christy with a dozen red roses. He had seen her when he had first walked out on stage and had forced himself to keep his eyes off her. Christy Madaris had always been an awfully cute kid