“How can you resist?” he asks with a warmth in his voice I’ve never heard before.
“Easy,” I answer and take a quick look around the darkened room. “They’re all watching.”
“Let them see. Isn’t that what this place is for?” He swirls the ice in his glass and drains the remainder of the bourbon as a waitress passes us. I eye him as he leans in her direction, ordering another. He seems more comfortable behind the mask than I’ve ever seen him before. As if it grants him a freedom he’s never had. And I suppose it does. For him and many of the other men in here.
But I know all of the men in this room, and I’m not foolish enough to think that an NDA is enough to keep loose lips from using information within the walls of Club X as blackmail. As much as I’m fond of Madam Lynn, many things are beyond her control.
The first woman is sold to her own Dominant and the second is a new girl, unclaimed and looking a bit shy. She goes for a higher sum, having multiple bidders as the waitress comes back with another drink for Charles. No surprise there, and nothing out of place. Madam Lynn’s expression reflects exactly what I’m feeling as Arianna walks out onto the stage.
The lights are focused on her, making her sun-kissed skin seem to glow. She takes in a shaky breath as she stands there, and her ankles cross and uncross as she clasps her hands in front of her. Everything slows down as her thin black dress swirls along her upper thighs. With the lights so bright, her vision is limited. It will take her a moment to adjust to the darkness in the crowd beyond the stage. But she’s not trying. She doesn’t want to see.
“We’ll start the bidding at fifty thousand dollars,” the auctioneer says.
Madam Lynn’s gaze is focused on Brooks. She doesn’t like surprises, and she’s not used to them either. For a woman who’s so submissive in nature, she controls every aspect of the club with an iron fist. But this is out of her control, and her resentment of that is reflected in her eyes.
The small room is quiet; a man clearing his throat and the skinny black heels shifting on the large stage ahead of us are the only sounds as the men wait to see what Brooks is up to. He takes a long and deep puff of his cigar, keeping his eyes on Arianna who’s looking straight ahead at the barren wall in front of her.
After a moment he crosses his arms, ignoring the men and looking uninterested.
“Five hundred thousand,” the auctioneer gestures to a man in the back. I take a quick look, not turning in my seat to see it’s Nathan Blanchard. He’s a simple man, vanilla in tastes, but has no knowledge of what it means to be faithful.
“Six,” a man across the room says as he raises his paddle. I recognize his voice, as do most of the men here. That’s the thing about masks. When the circles in the business world are so small, you can’t hide behind a thin piece of plastic or leather.
A third man raises his paddle, and I take another drink. Listening to the auctioneer and glancing at Brooks who’s merely smiling, confident his prized possession will buy him out of the debt he’s in.
Each bid feels like a slap to my face.
Whoever wins her will use her for his own enjoyment. However he'd like. Of course there’s a contract, set terms that Arianna will agree to. Her preferences are all laid out in the pamphlet sitting in front of me and in front of all the attendees. And she agreed to this. But I see the look in her eyes, and I know the way he treats her. I know her past. This isn’t right.
I’m not interested in their money. My teeth grind against one another as the paddles continue to raise, the amount increasing with each bid.
The next two bids make my back straighten. My muscles are getting more and more tense.
Arianna’s shoulders are rigid, but she stands tall, looking utterly gorgeous in the thin black chemise with a black rose held in front of her. Maybe it makes me a sick fuck, but the sadness only makes me want her more.
I raise my paddle, not uttering a word. It won’t be the first time I’ve bid. But my normal cocky grin is absent. I’m not just fucking with someone as I usually am when I bid.
I’ve done that before, more than a few times although I always know the man I’m screwing with. It’s always been in jest and lighthearted. But the winning bidder looks over his shoulder at me with disdain, and it’s hard to keep the emotions off my face.
“Don’t lose your cool,” I hear Charles say as he lifts the glass to his lips.
I lean back in my seat and force a smirk on my lips.
None of these men know what’s going on. They can think I’ve finally decided to indulge, but then they’ll have ammunition. They’ll use it against me.
From the corner of my eye, another paddle is raised.
“One point ten,” the auctioneer’s voice sounds out. “One twenty.” I hear his voice over the loud ringing in my ears. My eyes focus on Arianna’s. My heart beats slower, louder, drowning out everything else as I watch her close her eyes.
She’s not meant for this. This isn’t right. There’s such an innocence about her, a vulnerability. I want to save her. I really shouldn’t, since winning her will taint my reputation. I need to play this right.
It’s just a deal I made with a man I shouldn’t have. An error on my part. How many more mistakes can I afford?
“Going once,” the auctioneer yells out. The sight of Arianna’s large doe eyes opening and shining with fear is what breaks me from my thoughts. The quiet of the room comes back to me. The faint sounds of men drinking and hushed conversations fill the darkened room once again.
I can’t let her pay for my sins.
I raise my paddle, and the auctioneer points in my direction.
“One point three million.”
“One point four,” I hear Brooks’ voice, and it pisses me off. I lower my paddle and notice the way the other three men who were bidding look at him. As if they’re not sure they want to press on. As if it was just a game to them. A rather expensive one.
“One point five,” the auctioneer says as one of the other bidders raises his paddle.
I don’t hesitate. “One point six million dollars.”
“You look pissed,” Charles tells me, not so quietly. It’s an effort to smirk and look over at Brooks with a smile on my face, as if I’m merely playing. As if all the world is a game to me. Playing the part of a spoiled rich boy without a care in the world.
If only they knew.
Brooks plays with his paddle as if debating upping the amount. He can. And I can choose not to bid again. I can let him hang himself, but then his poor Arianna will go back to him.
Why is she even with him?
“Going once.”
I hadn’t questioned her motives before, but as the thought hits me, she could be in on this. The corner of my lips nearly drop as the auctioneer calls out, “Going twice.”
They could be playing me for a fool. And I’ve just given them exactly what they wanted.
My blood chills as the realization washes over me. And I played into their hands because of her. Because of the thought of someone else having her.
“Sold!”
And I let them play me. I’ve never felt so fucking stupid before… but now that she’s mine, I’ll have to play this right. It’s all about appearances. That’s all it’s ever been about.