Highest Bidder Collection - Lauren Landish Page 0,225

large and spacious, contemporary, urban and chic, all in one. The walls are lined with an intricate high-gloss gray paisley wallpaper that literally takes my breath away and soft lush white carpet that looks and feels like a mink fur coat. I kick my heels off as I let it all sink in.

As I move across the floor, my feet are enveloped by the soft carpet and a soft sigh escapes my lips at the caress of it against my skin. It feels so good to walk on it. I’ve never felt anything like it.

A large king size bed with a canopy lies at the back wall, the soft white gossamer curtains billowing out from the gentle air circulating around the room. Above it, is a tray ceiling painted a pale blue and a diamond chandelier in the very center.

Directly across from the bed lies an exquisitely shaped white hearth over a grey marble fireplace, a large white recliner sitting in front of it, adorned with pale blue throw pillows.

I spin around, taking in everything, the crown molding, the expensive finish of every piece of architect in the room. With all the white, It really looks like a place of purity. Sweet innocence.

Like my virginity.

I try to push the unwanted thought away, not wanting to think about what the cost of the contract entails.

Then I see them. The toys. I shake my head. I must be imagining things.

I close my eyes, and then pop them open. Nope. Still there. I don’t know how I didn’t see them before, but now that I have, I can’t unsee them.

They’re all the color of the room, white and grey, so I guess they blended into the background. But not now. Now, it’s all I see.

There are white whips hanging off the end of the bed frame, white riding crops on the wall along with large foreign objects that make me shudder at the thought of what they’re used for. I start to walk to them, my hand at my throat, and as I do, I hear and feel Joseph walking behind me. I can hardly breathe. I stop in my tracks, lowering my head and just trying to breathe. This is why I’m here.

I lift my eyes and nearly laugh.

There’s even a white cage in the corner of the room and a white bench with white leather straps.

I stare in disbelief, wondering how my eyes could have deceived me so. Here I am, enraptured in the upscale beauty of the room, when it’s a Goddamn torture chamber! A very nice, plush comfortable-looking one, but a torture chamber nonetheless.

Anxiety twists my stomach as I stare at these objects, knowing what they’ll be used for. How the hell did I get myself into this?

I look over at Joseph and see his eyes on me. He hasn’t said a word since we’ve walked into the room, content on watching my every move and expression as if trying to read my mind.

I part my lips to ask something, but then close them, my legs feeling weak. I don’t trust myself to speak yet.

To hide my anxiety, I walk over to the closet and open it. It’s pitch dark inside and I have to search around for the light switch.

Once again, I have to keep my jaw off the floor.

Fuck. The closet is huge. It has its own island and tons and tons of space. It’s the kind of closet that every girl dreams about. With a ton of rack space to dump the latest trendy pumps on. But I’m surprised to see it mostly stuffed with feminine clothing; corsets, silk and lace lingerie. It looks like they’re all my size too.

After a moment, I turn off the light and leave the closet, walking back into the bedroom. Feeling stunned.

Joseph is standing there where I left him, his eyes on me. My heart skips a beat at the hunger I see in them. A growing sense of dread rises from the pit of my stomach. I know what that look means. And I know what I haven’t told him.

“This is beautiful,” I say quietly, trying to keep my voice steady, not wanting to betray the anxiety that is twisting my stomach.

An amused twinkle glints in his eyes. “I thought you might like it,” he murmurs, his voice husky and confident.

“I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in such a nice room before,” I say, and then jokingly add, “minus, the whips, chains and cage of course.”

Joseph huffs out an