Highest Bidder Collection - Lauren Landish Page 0,289

the conference room.

“What… what will you require?” she asks with slight hesitation.

“Whatever I want,” I answer her simply. It’s not the answer she wants, but she nods her head, her eyes focused on a dark knot in the center of the hard wood table.

“Until tomorrow,” I say easily although not a damn thing in me is relaxed.

“Until tomorrow,” she repeats in merely a whisper.

As she walks away, I find myself watching the sway of her hips and imagining taking her over and over. She turns to look over her shoulder one last time, her hand gripping the edge of the door. She licks her lower lip once, drawing my eyes to that beautiful mouth of hers. She starts to say something, but I can’t hear her.

“Speak louder,” I say and my voice reverberates off the walls. She startles slightly and lowers her head.

“I just said thank you.” Her eyes don’t meet mine as she says the words with an uneven cadence. The need to comfort her makes me grip the table harder, keeping me in place.

I nod my head once, watching her face as I dismiss her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She leaves quietly this time, not looking back at me or meeting my gaze. It’s only when she’s left that I feel like I can breathe. It’s also when I realize how fucked I am.

How Brooks paid his bills isn’t any of my damn business. I never should have gone to that fucking auction.

I could have made an example of him and spared Arianna, such a sweetheart, so undeserving of this.

I made a mistake. And I know exactly why.

It’s because of her. The temptation of having her, of owning her… I caved to it.

I don’t trust her. But I’ll be damned if I don’t want her.

Chapter 10

Arianna

Yes, because your prick of a boyfriend owes me.

Zander’s biting words run through my mind as I turn over in my bed, a stream of early morning sunlight peeking through the blinds of my window. His words make me feel like a pawn. An object to be moved around on a chessboard and discarded when no longer useful.

I wrap my arms around my chest tightly, trying to ward away that worthless feeling that keeps threatening to suffocate me.

Madam Lynn’s words come back to me. You have the option to terminate this contract whenever you wish.

Even Zander told me that I could leave if I didn’t want him. But I didn’t take the out he offered, and I’m ashamed. My skin pricks from the swell of emotion in my chest.

If I leave Zander, Danny will have me back. I’m a coward for hiding behind another man. Especially in this way. But knowing I’m temporarily his, gives me time and protection. My eyes stray over to my canvas. Painting almost always gives me solace when I’m stressed or feeling down. After stretching, I roll out of bed and ready my brushes and colors. I’m not even in the mood to go get coffee. I just want to paint and get lost in the art, forget about everything. I only get a few strokes done before the door opens behind me.

“Ari?” asks Natalie tentatively. It’s odd, being in an apartment around someone normal when the reality of my life is nothing like hers. I don’t fit in. I never have; I was always trying but never succeeding. I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore. I turn around to see her standing in the doorway, still dressed in her pink polka dot pajamas, her hair tousled, peering at me with a grin on her face. “Yes, cavewoman?” I joke halfheartedly, mostly to try to hide my feelings, to pretend everything’s alright. Natalie lets out a snort. “Cavewoman? Have you looked in the mirror lately? You’re not exactly Cleopatra when you just roll out of bed either.”

I huff out a mirthless chuckle. “Can’t argue with that.”

“Anyway, hater,” Natalie says as she pulls her phone out of her pajama pocket, waving at me excitedly as she walks into the room, “you have got to see Sarah’s ankle! She just got this tattoo done, and I love it!”

“Let me see.” I wipe my hands on the cloth I use to clean up with, and take the phone from her hands to take a look. It’s a picture of a black rose on her ankle. It’s super realistic, but it only reminds me of the rose I held yesterday as I was sold.

Natalie grins at me as I stare at the photo. “Do