Page 171 of Shared By the Highest Bidder

I accept that Emery and I will be over when the contract expires. Even if it hurts a little.

He’s repeatedly made it clear, he doesn’t do relationships.

Ash and Ford have each other. They want me with them, but they can find someone else. I’m just happy I helped get them back together.

I’ll enjoy how they lavish me for one more week.

This is a fantasy. And every girl needs an escape from reality once in a while.

EMERY KISSES ME ONthe deck off his bedroom. The East Hampton fall moon hangs heavy in the sky and dappling beams shine down on the ocean.

My Emery is rough with his mouth, getting heated as our tongues tangle.

I wait for him to pull me down to the pickled wooden planks and screw me right on the floor.

It’s chillier out here than Manhattan, but Emery can heat me up.

This house is very personal to him. Jess has a room here, and I see a lot of her in the décor.

Emery brought my bags into his bedroom, making it clear who I belong to this weekend. He even said I could hang up all my drawings on the wall across from the bed so I could look at them any time I want.

Ash and Ford left a few minutes ago to walk on the beach.

They’re sharing a room, and I imagine they’ll be having sex as soon as they return.

That separation between Emery and me, and Ash and Ford and me tickles me again. But Emery’s mouth and moaning, as he rocks against me with a hard cock, jerks my thoughts back to nothing but him.

He pulls off, and the feral look in his eyes drenches my thong.

I’m in leggings with a thick sweater and a scarf, but Emery easily removes my clothes, till there’s not a stitch on me.

“I’m so sorry for what happened earlier this week.” He fawns over my naked body, his hands caressing me.

“It’s not your fault.” Maybe indirectly, but... “I know you would never want anyone to hurt me.”

“No. But I want to hurt you.”

My heart jumps, and for a second, I worry everything I believed these last few weeks was a lie. I try to step out of his hold, but he grips my shoulders.

“There’s a side to me that I only show the women I buy because I have nothing to lose with them. I own them. They’re mine to fuck how I want.”

I swallow at his harsh, but very serious tone.

“You haven’t been like that with me.”

“I know, sweetheart.” He strokes my cheek. “I haven’t needed that. Until now.”

“Why now?”

“Because there’s a monster living inside me who needs brutal sex once in a while. It hurt my marriage because I could never be like that with Warren. That side of me frightened her. She couldn’t give me what I needed. Even though she got everything fucking else from me.”

“I’m not afraid of you, and I don’t want anything from you, Emery.”

“I know you don’t. And with you being able to draw again... You don’t need me either.” His unexpected sadness hurts my heart.

“I promised to stay the full month.” I swallow. “I’m not walking away yet.”

“The idea of you walking away at all sickens me,” he chuckles, but nothing is funny. He’s...stressed over me leaving. “Ford is terrified you’ll take those new designs and run to California right now.”

---