Page 5 of Sold to the Investor

“Going once, going twice, sold!” the auctioneer announces, his voice ringing with excitement. “And now, onto what I’m sure we’re all looking forward to, the sampling. Why don’t you sample your new acquisition, Mr. Blackwood, and show us how satisfied you are?”

I freeze, remembering the tears of the other girls as their buyers had their way with them in front of the whole room.Fuck.There’s no way I can hurt my girl like that.

Suddenly, the light above me comes on. I smooth my shocked expression, putting on a cloak of indifference, the same one that I use to put my imposing board of directors in their place in the boardroom.

“I’m quite pleased just by looking at her,” I say, keeping my voice impassive.

Someone in the audience snickers. The auctioneer gives me a plastic smile. “I’m sorry, sir, but that won’t cut it. All of ourproducts must be sampled right here in front of everyone. It’s an important part of what we do here—it must be done. Right?”

The audience cries out in agreement, the air thick with their sick anticipation. It grates on my nerves, and everything I feel intensifies when my gaze fixates on the scared young woman. The shock of the bidding has worn off and now she’s trembling in fear, her bright eyes glistening with unshed tears that threaten to undo me.

I clench my jaw hard as white-hot anger spears me.Who are they to tell me what to do?

My anger can be vicious, and it’s unwise to let it lose. So I grit my teeth harder until my ear throbs. I now have her to think about, so I have to remain completely calm.

The auctioneer smiles bigger as he addresses the audience. “Looks like we have a shy one. Did you forget to check the rules before…”

He clams up at the sinister look I shoot at him, and he trails off, chuckling nervously. I look around to assess the situation. Damien has disappeared somewhere. Where the hell did he go when I needed him? Though I suppose I’m glad my friend won’t have a front-row seat for this show.

I know better than to blow my cover, or Damien’s. I know that I can’t reveal myself to be anything less than one-hundred-percent on board with the activities taking place here. The true goings on in this chapel are a closely guarded secret. I eye the men at the doors, their weapons visible even from where I’m sitting.

I can’t leave without her, and I can’t leave without sampling her, so that only leaves one option…

“Alright, doll, go and meet your new master,” the auctioneer says, taking my silence for acceptance.

She walks toward me tentatively, heightening my tension.What’s going through her mind?

I study her features more closely when she stops in front of me, taking in every breath and shiver. This close, she looks even more beautiful. Her dazzling hazel eyes beckon me like a siren calls to its prey. Except that her call makes me want to do damage to anyone who tries to hurt her.

She looks ready to burst into tears, pressing her nails tightly into her palm. I ball my fists to keep from taking her hands and kissing away her pain. I watch her flinch from my reaction, and I swear internally at myself.

“I’m Grayson, what’s your name?” I ask in my most gentle voice. It comes out hoarse.

“Sophia,” she replies in a small voice, nervously biting down on her lips.

A staggering lust hits me at the gesture. What the fuck? I shouldn’t be this turned on right now.

“Trust me, Sophia, I won’t harm you,” I say slowly, holding her gaze so she can see the sincerity behind my words. I can’t promise her that I’m not like every other bastard in this room, but I would never hurt a hair on her head. I’d kill anyone who does.

She nods, her stance relaxing a little. I beckon for her to come closer and she complies, her steps tentative.

I’m aware of the piercing stares around us, but she ensnares me. It doesn’t matter that I literally learned her name justseconds ago; I want to give her everything she’s ever wanted. I want to see her heart-shaped lips curl up in a smile and her gorgeous eyes twinkling with laughter. I want to get her out of this godforsaken place and protect her from every evil in the world. I’ve never wanted anyone this much, not to mention a girl I barely know. What is it about her that draws me like a magnet to steel, an unstoppable force that renders me helpless and yearning for more?

I have no answer to any of the questions in my head, but the least I can do is make this barbaric show a pleasurable one for her.

“Straddle me,” I command in the gentlest tone I can muster.

Once she settles awkwardly on the edge of my lap, I pull her closer. “I know you’ve never done this before, but we need to give these greedy vultures a show,” I state calmly. She nods in response, her eyes never leaving mine.She shouldn’t trust a bastard like me.

I raise my hand to her face, gently caressing the smooth, soft skin. She gasps softly when I trail my thumb over her lower lip, her gorgeous hazel eyes gleaming with an unconscious lust that sends blood rushing to my cock. She probably has no idea what she’s doing to me.

I lean forward to kiss the thrumming vein on her neck, then slowly make my way up until my lips are resting against her ear. “Relax, baby. I won’t make you do anything you don’t like. Forget these bastards are even here, alright? It’s just you and me.”

“O-okay,” she stutters softly, her face turning an adorable shade of red.

I pull her closer until our breaths mingle and my arousal is nestling against her warm sex. Her eyes widen at the contact, and I watch as awareness slowly seeps into those gorgeous hazel depths.

“You ever kissed someone?” I ask, bracing myself for the answer. My muscles bunch at the thought of another man’s lips on hers; the possessiveness I feel robs me of my breath.

---