Page 18 of Auctioned to the Lumberjacks (Auctioned)

I swipe at my face, angry that I let my emotions out, even in rage.

It’s as much of a display of weakness as Finn’s kindness.

I can’t allow it to happen again.

When I’m done, I use my worn, rough towel to dry myself, and then I throw myself down on the bed, which creaks and moans under my weight.

I should go right back out there and drag her in here. She needs to learn what it takes to be a woman in this house.I’m not scared of West’s or Finn’s disapproval, but I did overstep the mark. I need to chill the fuck out before I give myself a stroke.

My hand finds my cock, and I lay back, letting my knees drop and slacken. Using my precum as lubrication, I circle my thumb around the head of my erection, and as my lids flicker, I move my gaze to the window and then over towards the mirror. The height of it allows me to tip my face out of the scene so that I don’t have to look into my own eyes. I have the choice of looking down at my throbbing cock as I grip and pull firmer and faster, but I decide to watch my reflection as if I’m detached from myself.

I see a powerful man with a huge handful of raw energy. My arm muscles are tight, and my forearms grip with obscene strength. While I’m doing this, I feel numb inside. I can chase away the memories that haunt me.

This is what Skye was supposed to do for me. Before she arrived, I imagined being able to inflict my desires on her, extracting a deep, dark, and all-consuming release.

But here I am, jacking myself off until I come into my fist, swallowing my moans, and resenting the desperate sounds of my ragged breaths. Hating my own fucking surrender.

The ache in my upper body returns, penetrating me to the core. Cool air gusts through the room, chilling my wet hand. I reach for my shirt to clean myself up and toss it into the hamper. Skye can deal with that tomorrow.

The power goes suddenly, sending the room into a blinding darkness, and I grab the torch from the top of the nightstand where I always keep it and fumble about for matches and the candle from my closet. As I watch the flame grow and flicker, my reflection in the mirror looks even wilder.

I head over to the window and pull it firmly shut, silencing the rustling of wind in the trees. There is a muffled sound as I return to my bed to sit down, then a light tap on the door.

“Come in.”

The door moves, opening just a crack. Finn and West would have knocked loudly before opening the door, so this is neither of them. This is Skye, too scared to come right in. She hovers in the doorway like Red Riding Hood, catching sight of the wolf in her grandmother’s bed. My cock stirs again as her gaze sweeps over my naked body. I take a breath and shudder. Exhaling, I grin.

Maybe I will get what I hoped for tonight, and if I do, Skye will learn what it takes to be a woman in my house.

7

SKYE

AN AX TO GRIND

“You need to go to him,” West tells me as he helps me pick up the shattered glass and wipe the spilled wine. “You need to prove to him that you’re not scared of him and that he can rely on you for what he needs.”

“And what’s that?” I ask.

“Someone who doesn’t expect anything but is prepared to give everything.”

My eyes widen with surprise. That sounds like a thankless role to have in anyone’s life, but it’s one I’ve been used to providing for years. Carter is a man just like that. One with no conscience or emotional core. One who can use and abuse other people without a shred of remorse. I can’t believe I escaped him and have fallen into another situation with a man just like him.

“I can’t,” I whisper.

“You have to.” West’s eyes are soft, but his words are harsh. He rises from his crouched position, tipping the glass into the trash with a jangle. “Leave it for a while. Clear up. Take some time to calm down. Then go to him.”

When I rise, my legs feel weak, and I grip the edge of the table to stabilize myself. West focuses on the whiteness of my knuckles. “He’s not a bad man, Skye. Just a troubled one.”

The same thing can’t be said for Carter, even by his so-called friends. People hang out with him for what he can do for them, not for who he is. Even though the men in this house have been coming to blows with each other, I can tell there is a deep-rooted friendship beneath it all.

“Will he hurt me?” I ask.

“Maybe.” Finn makes a scowling sound from behind me, and West shoots him a disapproving look. “But it’s never about revenge, Skye. It’s always about control and pleasure. It’s about those dark places that lurk at the edges of desire.”

I shudder, understanding what West means. Sex isn’t flowers and roses for most people. It’s a way to find a release for our troubled souls and control in an out-of-control world.

It’s been something that I’ve mostly pretended to like to please Carter. When I thought he loved me, I made allowances for the fact he was a selfish lover. When I realized he didn’t have even a shred of feeling for me, it became something I endured.

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