Page 37 of Highest Bidder

Her jaw clenched, but she didn’t respond, although if looks could kill...

“And don’t forget—you’re expected to wear your collar even when you’re not here. And you better not touch yourself. At all. You come when I say, not before.”

She gave the smallest nod but looked straight ahead, refusing to spare a glance in my direction.

I stood and met the driver’s eyes.

“She’s mine. You can look, but you better not touch. Don’t even fucking speak to her.”

The man gave a tight nod and got in the driver’s seat, and I shut the door and stepped back.

I watched the taillights disappear down my drive and told myself it was good she was gone.

I didn’t need her here, distracting me when I was supposed to be working.

Nor did I need her sassy mouth, or the way she looked at me like I was something more than the man who bought her.

She was just a whore I paid to use for a month. That’s all.

She didn’t mean anything to me.

At least, that’s what I kept telling myself.

Chapter Sixteen

Vivian

My phone buzzed just after ten on Monday morning. I was wide awake but still in bed, curled on my side and clutching a pillow as I replayed the weekend’s events over in my head for the hundredth time. I smiled when I saw Kit’s name flash across the screen, surprised she’d waited until midmorning to call.

“Hey hot stuff.”

My BFF didn’t waste time. “How did it go? Tell me everything!”

I rolled onto my back and stared at the peeling paint on my ceiling. “It was… intense. Right from the start.”

She exhaled into the line. “Yeah, I heard what happened after the auction. The table and the crowd.”

Of course she had. The sex club might be exclusive, but gossip traveled fast, especially when someone got publicly humiliated and made to come in front of an audience.

If there was anyone I could be honest with, it was Kit.

“He made me squirt in front of a room full of people, and they all cheered. Then he made me come, and they cheeredagain. But instead of being horrified, I was turned on. In fact, I can’t stop thinking about it.” My throat tightened. “What the fuck is wrong with me?”

She didn’t hesitate when she replied, “Absolutely nothing. You’re allowed to like what you like.”

“I mean, it was humiliating. I should’ve hated it—”

“Did you consider using your safe word?”

I blinked at the ceiling. “I, uh, never told him what it was.”

“What?” Kit snapped. “Viv, what the hell?”

“I know,” I said quickly. “But the truth is… I don’t think I would’ve used it. Not once this whole weekend.” I pressed the phone to my ear and exhaled. “Even though it was a lot.”

“Like good-a lot, or you’re curled in a ball questioning your life choices-a lot?”

“Both?” I winced. “It wasn’t what I expected. He was… rough and controlling. But also… not.”

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