Page 40 of Lacey's Fight

And not on the slight weight of Lacey’s body as she leaned against him or the way her red dress accentuated her cleavage and hugged her flat stomach and slender waist before fanning out around her in soft puffs of scarlet silk. And he definitely shouldn’t be focused on slipping his hand under the skirt of her dress, pushing aside the red silk panties he knew she was wearing because he’d zipped up her dress and caught a glimpse of them, and plunging his fingers inside her.

Given where they were, he doubted anyone would care if he fingered her in the open ballroom turned auction room. In fact, probably the opposite. Most of the guests would likely be turned on by the display.

“Ben,” she said again, her voice sober this time, any hints of amusement gone. “I’m sorry for what I said earlier, in our room, okay? I should never have offered to help you with your … issue. It was insensitive, and I hate that I made you angry with me again.”

Was that what she thought?

That he was angry with her?

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

He was freaked because there was a part of him—a much larger part than there should be considering he took vows to love a woman for the rest of his life—that wanted to take her up on her offer. The more sensible part of his brain knew that not only did he not deserve the respite from his grief and guilt she was offering him, but that taking her up on said offer might be starting him down a road he wasn’t ready to travel.

It also bothered him that she never even considered she could be a woman he might eventually move on with.

Just how badly had The Master messed with her head?

Growling, he used the arm he had slung across her shoulders to pull her closer so she was all but in his lap. “I am not angry with you.”

“But I thought—”

“Then you thought wrong, didn’t you?”

“Okay.” She said it like she didn’t believe it, but at least her tone had lost the self-loathing he had detected a moment ago.

A rush of tenderness for this woman who hid her pain behind a mask of breezy bubbliness caught him by surprise.

It was one thing to find Lacey wildly attractive. It was quite another to feel anything else for her.

Ben fought the urge to brush the feeling aside, and instead, he grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger and angled her face up so he could brush a kiss to her lips.

Her surprise was evident, but it was the warmth that spread through her eyes and curled her lips into a genuine smile that made him glad he hadn’t run from his emotion. Emotions weren’t something he wanted anymore, he’d had his fill with the crushing guilt and grief that never gave him a moment’s peace, but Lacey had needed something from him, and he’d found himself unable to deny her.

“Auction’s starting,” he whispered against her soft, plump lips.

“Then I guess we better turn our attention to Amelia,” she whispered back. There was longing in her soulful brown eyes, and he wondered, deep down inside where she didn’t let anyone in, what did Lacey want? What did she need?

“Ladies and gentlemen, we are so thrilled to have you here tonight for our very exclusive auction,” Amelia spoke into the microphone on the podium. The woman was dressed in a short, tight-fitting black dress. Her hair hung in curls down her back, her heels added several inches to her height, and with her makeup accentuating her features she was stunning.

Why did a woman who looked like that, who was intelligent and business savvy need to run illegal human trafficking auctions?

Ben swore he would never understand how some people’s minds worked.

“As you know, in addition to the merchandise we will soon be bringing up on stage, you are welcome to put in a special request, and we will provide what you’re after. Of course, since you’re all here, you believe in top quality, which sometimes takes time. Our goal here is to offer service unequaled anywhere else in the world. If there are problems with your purchases you can, of course, return them for a full refund. Your happiness and satisfaction are our main priority.”

Looking around the room at the well-dressed men and women sitting at tables, being served drinks and canopies, he saw smiles and nods of approval. Some of the wealthiest and most depraved people in the world sat in this room. He’d recognized celebrities, politicians, and well-respected businessmen, but they weren’t who his gaze zeroed in on.

Nope, his gaze zeroed in on what he believed to be the biggest threat in the room.

The Master.

While not the most influential of men—Ben had no idea who the man really was—he was a threat to Lacey, her safety and her sanity, and in his mind that made him the biggest threat.

They’d specifically chosen this spot because it was tucked away in a back corner. They didn’t want The Master spotting Lacey and identifying her. Then not only might the man flee again, but he would also tip everyone else off.

The night was understandably and predictably hell. Watching the terrified yet trained through pain to be compliant girls, parade across the stage like cattle was sickening. Watching the guests’ reactions to it was worse. The bidding was done with gusto, and Ben had no idea how Lacey so convincingly placed her own bids.

If he didn’t know better, he would believe she was just another sick, twisted, wicked person with far too much money to throw around. She was the winning bidder of all five girls they had circled in their catalog. The Master bought four girls, two of the babies, a toddler, and a preschooler.

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