Page 10 of The Auction

“I’m not charging for her services. Call it...wear and tear on the bed. You can pay your bill by being in my auction.”

“No, thank you.”

“Too late. My secretary has already added your name to the program.”

“I am not—”

“You are, or I’m telling,” Kingsley taunted. Daniel had never punched a Frenchman in the face before, never wanted to. Then again, he’d never fucked a dominatrix before either, so today might be a day of many firsts.

“You said yourself he’s a pacifist. What’s he going to do? Pray for me to get struck by lightning?”

“He’ll keep you from ever seeing her again.”

That hit. That hit hard. It hit hard because Daniel believed it.

“Not even talk to her? Really? He’s that possessive? That controlling?”

“He’ll state the facts—you can’t talk to her, and she can’t talk to you. The end.Fin.”

Daniel already regretted coming back here. The sex had been good, the kink even better, but it was a trap, and he’d stepped right into it.

“Why do you even want me in your stupid auction?”

“You’re fresh meat. All us other dominants are old news.” Kingsley turned and sat on the sofa in the music room and finally lit his smoke with the flick of a silver lighter.“The girls are already mad about you. You’re rich, good-looking, you’ll make me a lot of money. I mean, you’ll make ourcharitya lot of money. And maybe the other dominant we had dropped out, and we can’t find a replacement on short notice.”

“Ah, so you don’t want me. You need me.”

“It’s tradition.” Kingsley shrugged. “And perhaps you’ll meet someone and stop obsessing over a girl you can’t have.”

“I’m not obsessing.”

Kingsley exhaled and stood up again. Daniel tensed as Kingsley came to him. He had a feline sort of slink, like a big cat about to spring for the kill. The kill or the kiss. One never knew with the King of the Underground.

“Where did you go after she left you? Hmm?” Kingsley narrowed his eyes, brought the cigarette to his lips.

“Tierra del Fuego.”

“And why did you go there?”

“She and I joked about it.”

“You went to the bottom of the world, as close as you can get to Ant-fucking-arctica without going to Ant-fucking-arctica just to send her a postcard as a joke.”

“I also wanted to see the condors.”

“You need a new girl to obsess over. One who isn’t taken. You’ll meet lots of them at the auction. Either do it or don’t, but if you don’t, well…”

“If I don’t, I’ll never see her again.”

“Irina’s right. You are a smart man.” Kingsley tapped his temple. “Très intelligent.”

Daniel wasn’t about to be railroaded, not by a man dressed for a Regency romance novel cover. “I’ll be in your stupid auction, but I want to see her. Soon. Just to talk.”

Kingsley tick-tocked his head side to side as if considering Daniel’s terms. “Fine. I’ll arrange it. The auction is in two weeks. In the meantime, get some decent clothes. Please. For my sake and Anya’s. And anyone with eyes. We can’t have you in the auction looking like that.”

He slapped Daniel on the arm and slinked away.

Daniel exhaled heavily. “I never should have left Tierra del Fuego.”

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