Page 11 of His to Possess
“Of course not!” he bellows, making me jump. “You’re my little sister’s best friend! You’re practically a child!”
Some of the hurt transforms into anger. “I’m not a child. I’m twenty-two years old. Plenty old enough to make this decision for myself.”
“Yes, and it was such a wise decision,” he says, sarcasm dripping from every word. “You really thought this through, Lilah.”
I stiffen. “You have no idea why I did what I did tonight,” I say quietly. “So I can do without your judgement, thanks.”
He glares down at me for a long moment, eyes scanning my face. “Why?” he finally asks in a slightly calmer—and quieter—voice. “Why on earth would you enter yourself into something like this?”
I think about telling him. Admitting the whole story. All the things I haven’t even found the courage to tell his sister. But I have a feeling I know how that would turn out. Philip had been willing to pay over a million dollars to protect my virtue from the men of this club. What would he do if he knew what was really going on?
“That’s my business.”
His jaw ticks, a clear sign of his displeasure. “Lilah.”
“We need to decide what to do,” I say. “If you want to withdraw—”
“I’m not fucking withdrawing,” he snaps. “You think I’m letting you get back on that stage?” He takes a step closer to me, eyes intense as he captures my gaze. “I meant what I said. They can’t make you do this, Lilah. That contract is legally unenforceable.”
But dropping out means I would lose the money. Not to mention the threats from the creepy owner. I have no idea what he thinks his membership can do to my already-destroyed life, but I have no doubt that they’ll try. I have more than enough experience with the threats of powerful men to know to take them seriously.
I come to a decision and promise myself I won’t let him sway me. “I’m going through with this, Philip. If you don’t want to be the one to do it, I’ll go back into the auction.”
His jaw clenches hard as he studies me. He opens his mouth several times as if to speak, before finally nodding in resignation. “Fine. I’ll call them back in.”
Philip
Ican’t decide who I most want to take a riding crop to. Victor Leone is high on my list, though I doubt I would want to stop with a crop. That tall, creepy fucker needs a good beating, and I’d love to give it to him.
I’m also debating taking Lilah over my knee and spanking the hell out of her. I cannot believe that she still wants to go through with this and I’m furious that she won’t tell me why.
I’m even more furious at her insistence that she re-enter the auction. The idea of another man winning her, another man taking her—I have to bite down on my tongue to keep from howling in rage.
No one else is going to touch her. Not while I’m breathing.
You can’t touch her either,I remind myself, shaking my head as I stride to the door to call the pitiful excuse for ownership back in.
But damn, even the knowledge that there’s no way I can touch this girl does nothing to calm the beast rattling the cage in my chest. When she offered to just go through with it—I was absolutely horrified, of course, that she thought I would actually take her virginity. At the same time, all the blood in my body went straight to my cock at the mere thought of being her first.
Even worse was the way I could picture, so clearly, what it would be like to take her in front of the others. A savage sort of satisfaction hums in my chest at the thought.
Public sex is something I enjoy. I’ve certainly done my fair share of public scenes at Club Wyld. But the idea of being Lilah’s first, of taking her virginity, and doing it in front of all the assholes who tried to steal her from me—Jesus, I’ve never felt so possessive in my life.
There’s something wrong with you,I tell myself as I throw the door open. Seriously, seriously wrong. I shouldn’t want this woman. I shouldn’t be so turned on by the thought of being her first. And I definitely shouldn’t want to publicly defile her. She’s a complete innocent, has always been a good girl and—
Yeah, words likeinnocentandgood girlaren’t really helping the situation with my dick right now.
The owners are waiting right on the other side of the door. They’re speaking in hushed voices, the Rossi brothers seemingly trying to convince the taller bastard of something. They appear to have a healthy fear of me and what I could do to their pathetic establishment. It would be nice if some of that would rub off on their partner.
Once they’ve joined us in the room, I take a deep breath, sick over what I’m about to say. “We’ll follow the terms of the contract.” Lilah gasps softly behind me and I hold up a hand. “But I have a condition.”
“You’re hardly in a position to—” Leone says but he’s quickly cut off by his partner.
“Victor,” Carl Rossi snaps. “The man is paying us six hundred grand. He’s entitled to a conversation.”
Leone narrows his eyes at me, but doesn’t argue.
“I’m sure it’s quite obvious to you all that Miss Cartwright has captured my attention.” I’m careful not to tell them of our connection. That will only provide them with more leverage. I’ve already completely overplayed my hand, showing everyone present just how desperate I was to win her.
