Page 17 of Hayes
But if I were to do that, I’d be signing a death sentence for both of us. The Retribution Kings would never stop until they saw us dead. And even if I were to save Lilith, I’m not sure it’s what she would want. She chose this. She wants this auction to happen. To save her family, yes, but there appears to be more to her motivation. I haven’t figured out all the pieces yet, but I will. And when I do, I’ll find a way to help her.
Yes, I have my own mission, but somehow in a single moment, Lilith became more important to me. The sooner I can help her, the sooner I can give my full attention back to my own mission.
I stare at the floor, unable to look at her—not yet. I’ve paid to be able to watch, but watching her being kissed by another man will be torture. I don’t know how I’m going to survive any of the other rounds. My enemies couldn’t find a better way to torture me if they tried.
But I can’t wait outside the room either. I have to watch over her. If she gives the slightest signal that she wants this to stop—I’ll end it, even if it ruins both our lives.
Every man who showed up tonight paid the extra money to watch her get kissed. We’re standing shoulder to shoulder in the shadows, lining the wall. As I continue to stare at the floor, Peter speaks.
“Mr. Collier, the room is yours for the next twenty minutes. And as you agreed to pay the extra hundred thousand to tie her up, the restraints are next to the chair.”
Fuck.
I know why Lilith said what she said, but I’m not sure her being tied up is going to make this easier for her. At least Daniel Collier isn’t a cruel man. He isn’t too old. And he’s a good enough-looking man. Kissing him shouldn’t be too much of a hardship.
My anxiety gets the better of me, and I can’t look away any longer. I see Lilith standing under the spotlight, looking toward Daniel as he steps out from the shadows. The corner of her mouth lifts up, seemingly pleased by the man who won the first auction.
I don’t know why he paid to tie her up; I’ve never seen him tie up any other woman at an event like this before. Daniel always seems like a genuinely nice man. He always bids early and high, ensuring the woman ends up with good money no matter what. And he always seems interested in learning if he and the woman would make a good match. Once he determines they won’t be, he never bids again. He rarely even watches the later rounds. I’m guessing he thought he’d get crap from the other guys if he didn’t agree to tie her up.
Daniel steps further into the light, and Lilith doesn’t move. She doesn’t flinch or tremble or show any fear. Quite the opposite—her face lights up as if she’s the one in control here.
I bite my lip, holding back my own grin. It usually takes the women a couple of rounds to realize how much power they hold. Lilith realized it immediately. She’s different than the rest. She needs money, sure. She probably even needs a high-ranking Retribution King husband. This is a way for her to get both, but there is something else about her. It’s the same thing that draws me to her. I see myself in her. Even if she’s the grumpiness to my sunshine, we’re more alike than different.
Lilith licks her lips slowly and intentionally. She stands straighter, pushing her breasts against the thin fabric of her dress until her nipples are puckering against soft cotton. With the way the light is shining down on her, I can make out the silhouette of her body.
Fuck, why didn’t I bid? What fucking torture is this? I finally found a woman I want. She’s perfect for me—I knew within five minutes of meeting her. And yet, I can’t have her. She will never, ever be mine.
It’s the cruelest thing I’ve ever endured.
Maybe she could be mine, the devil whispers over my shoulder.
Daniel steps into the light, his eyes dilating with lust at seeing her trying to seduce him. He reaches his hand out and strokes down her cheek, before gripping the ends of her red ringlets.
Lilith’s eyes lock on Daniel’s, and for a moment, I think she truly wants him. He’s exactly her type. Even if he wasn’t paying for the opportunity, she’d willingly kiss him, go on a date with him, maybe even marry him. That is until I remember how she looked when I kissed her. How the crave desire swirled around her eyes. How she tried to hide her attraction, but it was impossible to contain.
This is an act. To make her appear strong? Or to make herself feel like she wants this? It doesn’t matter.
Daniel can’t do much touching without Peter stopping him, but he does run his hands down her sides to her hips. He then walks her backward until the back of her thighs hit the chair and pushes her down to sit.
They don’t speak to each other. She doesn’t taunt him. And he doesn’t boss her around.
Wordlessly, he takes the leather restraints in his hand and kneels between her legs. Lilith’s response is to rake her teeth over her bottom lip, teasing him into thinking she wants him more than any man here when I know that isn’t true. This is a job to her—a way to make a lot of money quickly.
She wants me.
I don’t think that because I’m cocky and think I’m better than any man here. I say it because I know it’s true, truer than anything I’ve ever believed before.
Daniel wraps the leather restraint around her left ankle, tightening it until her leg is flush against the leg of the chair. Then he moves to her other leg, hiking her dress up enough so he gets access to her calf before dropping the dress back down.
He moves slowly and methodically while his gaze never leaves her starry-eyed one. His hands move to her wrists, binding them just as securely to the chair. Then she’s bound to the chair, completely at his whim.
He’s wasted much of his time tying her up and not kissing her, but I understand the arousal that happens before the kiss. The air in the room is thick with lust and desire. Every man here wants her and wishes they were Daniel.
Finally, his lips come down on top of hers.
It’s a silent kiss. His eyes close. Hers remain open.
My foot starts to move toward her before my brain kicks in. I force myself to stop.
