Highest Bidder Collection - Lauren Landish Page 0,51

his head. “No, thank you.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can with your drinks. Please let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you.”

I watch as he walks away, past a few tables of romantic couples dining in luxury and try to relax in my seat. But my nerves have a grip on me. Blowing out a breath, I take a peek around and my stomach tightens even more. I can’t get over the fact that I’m dining with the upper crust of society. Club X had filthy rich diners, but that’s different. There, it’s horny rich men looking to pay money to hook up with women from all socioeconomic backgrounds. Here, everyone’s come to spend a boatload of money on food just because they can.

And I’m probably the only woman in the room who’s here as almost a paid prostitute. The thought is unsettling and makes my stomach turn. I reach for my water, the crystal glass cold in my hand and take a sip.

I nervously finger my silverware, not sure how to act. I feel so anxious, I almost want to get up and leave. Why did Lucian bring me here again? Our contract said nothing about wining and dining with rich people. I thought it was all supposed to be about sex, whips and chains. Maybe this is some sort of test.

Noticing my nervousness, Lucian hooks his finger under my chin, drawing my eyes to him.

“You need to relax, treasure,” he says softly. His eyes are filled with empathy and his concern goes a long way in calming my anxiety. “These people aren’t any better than you are. Trust me on that.” He says his words with such conviction that I actually believe him for a short moment.

Looking at him, I’m reminded again of his words in the car. I respect your needs and your submission, and you do the same for me and my dominance. It’s about trust, respect and communication.

Before I can say anything in return, the waiter comes back, gently setting our wine glasses down in front of us one by one and pouring a small amount of the wine in Lucian’s glass.

Lucian motions for him to continue pouring without taking a sip. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” the waiter asks as he finishes pouring the wine and then gently sets the bottle on the table.

“No,” Lucian replies. “Thank you.”

A moment passes in silence. Lucian grabs his glass of wine and relaxes in his seat. I envy him. He seems so at ease in this setting, so used to being surrounded by such awesome wealth.

“So how did you find out about Club X?” Lucian asks suddenly, looking at me with an intensity that makes me forget about all my worries for a moment and causes a shiver to run down my spine. Although I’m still slightly on edge, I love the way he’s looking at me; like I’m the only one in the room. And seeing as how we’re surrounded by beautiful, wealthy-looking women that make me feel insecure, I feel pretty fucking special right about now.

I pause for a moment, lowering my gaze, my skin pricking at the soft emotions swelling my breasts. I’m unsure if I should tell him how Carla approached me and swore me to secrecy, but I decide there’s little harm. He’s a member of Club X, not an outsider. I won’t be revealing anything about the club he doesn’t already know. “My friend, Carla, told me about it one day out of the blue,” I say softly.

Lucian arches a brow, his fingers running along the stem of his glass. “Any particular reason?”

I blush slightly at the memory, but I’m glad that we’re talking. The conversation is helping me relax, and focusing on Lucian is making it easy to tune out the people around me. “She invited me because she said she could tell I’d like it. She said I was an obvious Submissive and that I’d enjoy it.”

Lucian takes a sip of his chardonnay, still looking at me in a way that makes my skin prickle. “So, you said your friend’s name is Carla?”

“Yes,” I reply. “Her Dom is named Bruce, and he’s actually her boyfriend.” Including that small bit of information makes my blood heat with insecurity. She’s more to him than I am to Lucian. I have to look away from Lucian and clear my throat before continuing. “I don’t know if you know him or not.”

A thoughtful