Page 27 of Auctioned

Imagining James performing an exam like that on me is humiliating enough. To have Topher repeat it in front of the buyers will ruin me altogether.

“Get away from me!” I scream, my lungs burning. “I don’t want anyone to touch me. Leave me alone, you sick motherfucker.”

“Usedto include this exam.” His stony expression. His dark eyes. This man is out of his mind. “In past tense.”

Then he growls. The sound is territorial. Animalistic. As if he’s had a hand in ending this barbaric, decades-long show.

As if he won’t let Topher check me, no matter what.

While I wonder what the hell is going on, he hikes the rest of my dress up to my waist.

I gasp. He hums. “Oliver, Camden’s father?—”

The other name partner in their law firm and Topher’s dad’s best friend. They’re in on it too. The other virgin must be Baylor. Topher showed me their photos once. When I asked when I could meet them, his answer had always beensoon.

Yet again, another reason why I started losing interest.

I wasn’t a dirty little secret.

Stupid me, I thought he didn’t want me to meet his friends because I didn’t come from a wealthy background.

That the only reason he took me to meet his dad was that the latter had insisted on seeing for himself just how poor the woman he was dating was. If she—me—was a gold digger.

He had me questioning my self-worth so bad when in reality, Topher never cared about how much money I had in my bank account.

The fact that I was basically alone in this world was what made me the perfect target. For him. For his buyers.

A lonely woman, desperate for love. A virgin to keep out of anyone’s reach until the initiation. Until they sold her to another shark.

A monster who’d gladly sink his teeth into this untouched piece of flesh.

“—and I, we made a joint decision to terminate this barbaric part of our ritual. The men in our family shouldn’t be handling this aspect of initiation. This role is better suited to a doctor. But since an outsider can’t be trusted, the check-ups will be performed on stage, not behind closed doors.” He goes on peacefully—while chaos detonates inside my head. Bombs go off. Limbs fly. Total destruction. “This, what I’m doing here, goes against our decision. I shouldn’t be performing this check-up myself. But you...you intrigue me.”

The sparks. The attraction. The pull. He’s felt it just as much as I have.

It does nothing to comfort me.

Nothing at all, since his fingers stroke my pussy over my panties.

Being drawn to him means shit. He won’t save me. He’s a monster.

I clench my thighs, refusing to give him access to my body. I won’t.

Maybe I could save myself. At least from this. Earn myself a few quiet hours before my life takes on another terrible turn.

“I’m a virgin. I swear.” The last word is half-moan as he shoves my panties to the side. He spreads my lips, presses his fingertip to my clit, and I react, damn it. My back arches, my eyes fly open. He dips a finger in my pussy, then rubs my wetness over my clit. God. Fuck. “I swear I am. You don’t have to do this. You don’t…Please.”

Tears line my eyes. I’m just as sick as he is to get off on this. On the attention he’s giving me.

At this very moment, I’m the only person in his world. It’s as thrilling as it’s nauseating.

I want him off me.

“I don’t have to do anything, Sonnet.” This name again. I have no idea why he chose it. Nothing about being tied up and caged is poem-worthy. Nothing flowery or romantic about a degraded, captive woman. “I want to, and you’ll let me. Topher swore you were a good girl, so show me. Open your legs and let me have a look at you.”

This is beyond obscene. Humiliation doesn’t begin to describe it.

This is my dignity being ripped to shreds.

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