Highest Bidder Collection - Lauren Landish Page 0,170

himself off from me. A surge of emotion threatens to choke me, but I push it away. I hate it.

I study his profile, his chiseled jawline and the stubble shading it, the clicking sounds of his fingers running across the keyboard in my ears. I don’t know what it is, but something’s off. Something has shifted. I feel like he’s less attached to me.

Maybe it’s his collar, I wonder to myself, unconsciously bringing my hands up to my neck to feel it. I love it and his claim on me. But ever since I put it on, it seems like a wall has sprung up between us. I hate it. I want back what we had. I want to get past whatever is bothering him. We can get through this together. All he needs to do is allow it.

I think he may be doing this on purpose, being distant from me. He knows our contract is over soon. I constantly remind myself that our days are numbered, and the contract is ending. But I don’t want them to be. If he wanted to keep me, I’d happily stay. I don’t care about the money. I care about everything he’s done for me. I would never have this inner strength without him. I know I wouldn’t. I feel whole again. I feel untouchable even.

I don’t want to leave him. I may not say it out loud, I may not want to admit it. But I love him. Whether that’s wrong or right, I don’t care.

I need to give him a reason to keep me.

“Master?” I ask.

Isaac pauses midtype, looking down at me. My heart skips a beat as those green eyes prick my skin. But not because of the intensity that used to be there. He doesn’t look at me the same anymore. His eyes are filled with sadness. “Yes?”

Disappointment flows through me that he doesn’t use my pet name. Another sign that something is wrong. But maybe I’m paranoid and am reading too much into it. Something tells me I’m not though. “What can I do to please you?” I ask, swallowing the lump in my throat, hating the tightness that constricts my chest.

Isaac stares at me, and I bite the inside of my cheek, increasingly feeling as if there’s something wrong. It’s there. “You’re already doing it,” he replies, gently petting my hair. Normally, I would feel assured, but his words only make me more uneasy. They have no strength to them, no passion. Even his petting of me is weak.

I lick my lips, not wanting to outright accuse him of lying, but I know I can’t let this go. “But I don’t feel as if I am pleasing you right now. I feel like… I need to do more to satisfy you.”

Isaac frowns, his hand falling from my head to hang lifelessly over the side of his chair. “You don’t need to do more.”

His words are saying one thing, but I’m feeling something entirely else from him. It almost feels like a spear of ice is slowly being pressed into my heart. “I can’t take that you give me so much pleasure, yet I give you nothing in return.” I know you’re in pain. I can see it every day.

Isaac flashes a me a look that makes me tense. His eyes narrowed as if daring me to continue with my train of thought. But at least there’s passion there. “How can you think that you give me nothing? You give me so much, Katia.”

“I want to make you happy,” I say thickly. I look him directly in the eye as I say, “And you aren’t,” challenging him to say otherwise. Challenging him to lie to me.

Isaac takes a long time responding, his emerald eyes studying my distressed face. “You’re worried for me?” he asks finally.

I nod my head. “Yes.” I’m more than worried. I think you want to get rid of me as soon as this contract is over. You don’t want to deal with what’s hurting you. Just thinking the words brings tears to my eyes. I’m hoping desperately that I’m wrong and I’m just imagining things. But I know I’m not.

“Then that’s my fault.” My breath catches at my throat at the pain reflected in his eyes. “I’m sorry I failed you in that respect, Katia.”

Oh God no. My heart pounds in my chest and my breath comes in pants as I cry, “No, Master. You haven’t failed me at all.” I’m trying to stay calm.