Page 44 of The Auction

Daniel studied the cover of the program. The heavy black paper was embossed with gold ink. “The 8thAnnual King’s Trust Charity Auction.”King’s Trust.Cute, Kingsley. Very classy.

Daniel opened the program. As was customary, the submissives were auctioned off first—three women and two men. After intermission, it was the dominants’ turn—two women and two men, including Daniel.

True to form, Kingsley had made sure everything looked respectable and above-board. The program boasted that the winners would be allowed an evening on the town with their prize—all expenses included in the winning bid. Daniel knew what the phrase “all expenses included” was code for.

Winner takes all. BDSM, sex, and BDSM sex.

Daniel scanned the listings and found Anya as the last item on the submissive side of the program. Next to her name written in elegant calligraphy were the words “Grand Prize – Take Anya on her First Date Ever.” Daniel’s stomach churned at the words “First Date.” Code for “still a virgin.” An animalistic possessiveness reared up in him. Anyone who dared bid on Anya would run the risk of the world’s most dangerously infatuated librarian dominant tearing him apart limb from limb.

“Check out the disclaimer,” Eleanor said.

At the bottom of the program it read,Auction prizes are not allowed to bid.

“I was afraid of that,” he said. “She must have told Kingsley to keep me out of the bidding.”

Eleanor shook her head as she threw her flotsam back into her bag. “Did I mention you’re an idiot and this entire mess was preventable if you’d been thinking with your actual head?”

“Does your owner let you talk to him like this?”

“The first words out of my mouth when I met him were ‘You’re an idiot.’ It was love at first slight.”

At that Daniel could only laugh miserably as he gazed up at the ceiling.

“So Plan B?” Eleanor asked.

Plan B. Daniel had hoped it wouldn’t come to this. He’d fucked things up badly enough with Anya that he feared any sort of subterfuge on his part would only make it worse. But it wasn’t about having her anymore or taking her virginity—not that it had ever been about that. He had to keep her safe. Even if she ended up hating him and never speaking to him again…it didn’t matter. It wasn’t about him and his happiness. Only Anya.

He turned his head and looked at Eleanor lying next to him on the floor. She was such a beautiful woman with her black hair and green-black eyes, her full breasts and fuller lips, her intelligence, her wicked wit, and her untamable heart. And for the first time in a year and a half, he didn’t even remotely want her.

She raised her eyebrow at him and waited.

“You aren’t in the auction, are you?”

Eleanor stared at him. “God, you’re an idiot.”

10

At seven that night, Daniel did something he hadn’t done in years—he stood in front of a mirror wearing a suit and tying a tie. He’d foregone ties ever since Maggie’s funeral as he couldn’t put one on without remembering that day. But tonight’s auction called for formal attire. So on went an old suit of his Maggie had bought for him. It was Armani, a very nice suit, but it didn’t fit him quite right anymore. The trousers were too baggy, the jacket too tight on his shoulders. Kingsley would throw a fit but Daniel didn’t care.

He’d just finished tying his tie when he heard a knock on the door. Daniel wondered who it could be at this hour. Eleanor had agreed to his plan—after calling him an idiot a few more times—but said she would have to meet him at Kingsley’s where the auction would be held. He hoped Anya might have had a sudden change of heart but he knew better than to dream that big.

Opening the door he saw a small elderly man standing out in the hallway with a black garment bag.

“Signore Vitale?”

“Signore Caldwell. Your suit is ready.”

“My suit? Right, of course.” Daniel had almost forgotten he’d been fitted for a new wardrobe. He simply assumed Anya would have put anything of his at the very bottom of her to do list. Or burnt it.

Daniel took the garment bag from Signore Vitale. “Thank you for bringing it to me. I didn’t realize you delivered.”

“I usually don’t. I leave that to my assistant.” Signore Vitale smiled sadly at him. “She politely declined.”

Daniel’s heart sank. “I’m not surprised.”

Signore Vitale nodded at the garment bag. “Go. Try it on.”

“Of course. Please come in.”

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