Highest Bidder Collection - Lauren Landish Page 0,89

The contract-” The fucking contract. Just hearing her bring it up makes me snap. I don’t care about it. I don’t want anything in between us. My blood heats, and all I want to do is show her how much she means to me.

“Fuck the contract! Just don’t leave me!” I stare deep into her eyes, feeling the emotions consuming me. I’m just as raw and vulnerable as she is. “I love you, Dahlia. I want you, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you.”

She takes in a sharp breath, her eyes searching my face. They’re filled with hope and doubt.

I need to erase that doubt. I can handle anything but that. I want her passion; I want her heart. I want her everything.

“I love you and I can’t let you go,” I whisper as I pull her close to me, crushing her small body against mine and molding my lips to hers.

She pulls away from me, and I don’t want to let her go. I don’t want to break the kiss and lose her.

My eyes are closed as the warmth from our breath comes between our lips, but her body stays pressed against mine. My hands slip up the back of her shirt, feeling her soft skin against mine, keeping her close to me.

“Let me love you forever,” I say softly. That’s all I want. It’s all I need. “Don’t leave me again.”

“Never. I’ll never leave.” A weight lifts off my chest as I crash my lips against hers again, needing to feel her. Needing to show her what she means to me.

“I love you, Lucian.” Her words make my eyes slowly open and I stare into those beautiful hazel eyes.

“I love you, treasure.”

Epilogue

Lucian

I love that collar around her neck. My collar. The gold and diamonds belong there, letting everyone know she’s a treasure. My treasure.

What’s better is how much she loves wearing it. She loves being mine. That’s all she wants, and that’s something I can always give her. Every day that passes I want her more.

“Are you ready for the show?” I ask my treasure as the waitress collects our empty dinner plates. We’ve been coming here more often. Club X. It’s definitely helping her to learn how Dominants and Submissives are equals in their partnership. The show tonight will really bring that to light.

Her eyes still light up with awe at everything the club has to offer. She’s certainly not a voyeur, but when the lights dim and the curtains open, she always asks to climb in my lap. She knows my fingers will travel right where she needs them as we watch. My lips are at her neck. My dick is already hardening. Soon.

Isaac invited us to see the show tonight.

He’ll be on the stage tonight, but it’s not with his Submissive. He’s yet to collar her, or rather, she hasn’t been willing to let him collar her. It’s been nearly a month of them finding each other’s limits within the club’s boundaries. No Dom has gone near her since they’ve started their play. But there’s still no collar around her neck. She submits for the shows and in the playrooms. She lets him take her to the private rooms. But it ends once she leaves the club, and she’s yet to accept any commitment.

I don’t understand the dynamic, but it’s not my place to question it.

Dahlia breathes in deep, setting her spoon down on the dessert plate. “I’m really excited.” She’s hardly eaten. It must be her nerves.

“Stop worrying.”

She’s been letting the stress of going to my sister's party get to her. Christmas is only a week away and I know she’s anxious. They hit it off last week when we went to dinner. We even got Italian water ice afterward, despite the cold temps. Both of them got lemon, of course. My treasure has nothing to worry about. Anna loves her already, for showing me I can love again. I'll always have my sister, and now with treasure it feels more like a complete family. I'll never be able to let the rest of my family in, but I'm finally at peace with that.

I take her small hand in mine and turn it over, kissing her wrist. I close my eyes and hum at her soft touch.

“I love you, treasure,” I say and kiss her wrist again. It’s her left hand and I know I’m going to be putting my ring there soon. I want everyone to know she belongs to me.

“I