Can't Buy My Love: Billionaire and Virgin Romance Collection

by Jamie Knight

  Emma was already there when I arrived. Our dear brother was nowhere to be seen, surprising no one. Clarence would likely show up in the nick of time to move the really heavy stuff that Emma couldn’t handle by herself. I would have helped too, of course, but my role was more as supervisor than grunt.

  I could almost smell the tension as I walked into the lovely grand hall. Emma moved about like a dynamo, already having hung most of the ceiling and wall decorations, as well as erecting the eight-foot Christmas tree. As I came in, she was at the top of a stepladder crowning the tree with the specially made bronze star.

  “Wow,” I said, taken with her princess dress.

  “What?” she asked shortly.

  “I thought you were going to be an angel.”

  “Too revealing, I liked this one,” she said.

  “I do too,'' I offered, immediately picking up on the edge in her voice.

  “Thanks.”

  Getting down from the ladder, Emma went to a table with flower arrangements, picking up a white basket packed to the top with white orchids. They weren’t easy to find in December, but I wanted everything to be on theme.

  “Where do you want these?”

  I did the best I could to tell her, but after seeing the arrangements where I’d said they always looked wrong. My thoughts about Krystal were really starting to affect my state of mind and I didn’t feel sure about anything anymore. Kind as she was, even Emma had her limits.

  “Quit being so fudgin’ particular!” she snapped, squeaky clean even when flustered.

  There was no doubt about it. My sweet baby sister was miffed, but I had no idea why. I would have to step lightly. She was kind and even naive with people she liked but could be a fucking Valkyrie when crossed.

  “You’re acting a lot more nervous and uncertain lately. What’s going on bro?”

  There really was no reason to lie. She knew me as well as anyone and could always tell.

  “I was thinking about Krystal. I can’t seem to be able to get her out of my head,” I confessed.

  “You like her,” Emma said, not meaning it as a question.

  “Yeah, I do, I’m just not sure - ”

  “Get sure. She isn’t one of your usual flings. To each their own, but Krystal isn’t like that. She really likes you, like for a proper relationship. Waking up next to each other in the morning, making breakfast together, cuddling, all that good stuff you’ve been avoiding.”

  I was stunned but couldn’t honestly say she was wrong. I had been weighed, I had been measured, and I had been found wanting.

  “I love you Jay, but I swear, if you hurt my new friend, I will never speak to you again.”

  “You need to stay out of my business,” I snapped, before I could stop myself.

  It was cheap, but I was angry. I knew she was right and didn’t blame her at all. Emma was such a good person, far better than I was. I didn’t want to admit it, especially to myself.

  I could tell she wanted to say more, but we were interrupted by the sound of the door. Sebastian strolled into the hall like a master of the universe.

  “This’ll do,” he said, casting a look around the mostly decorated hall.

  “What is he doing here?” Emma asked, true hate burning in her usually gentle blue eyes.

  “Awesome,” Sebastian enthused, hopping up onto the stage. “But aren’t we going to need a stage for the auction?”

  “What is he talking about?” Emma asked, turning the look on me.

  “We were talking about it, and Sebastian and I, and we thought a good finale to the ball would be to have a kind of auction.”

  “What kind of auction?” Emma asked, her tone beginning to tremble.

  “The kind where bids are made and - ”

  “Jayden!” Emma yelled, making me take a step back. It really was amazing how she could tell when I was paltering.

  “Women,” I gritted out. “The auction is for women. Kisses, dates, sex, even virginity. It’s up to the individual what they want to do. It is a great way to make money and raise the profile of the winery.”

  “Our profiles as what, sex traffickers?” Emma screamed.

  “Oh come now, it’s nothing like that. It is all in fun and completely consensual.”

  “It’s cute that you believe that,” Emma snarked.

  “Listen here, little sister, it really isn’t up to you. This is my show and I like the idea. It could be just the thing we needed to attract buyers.”

  “By going from a winery to a flesh-market,” Emma sneered.

  “Look, if you don’t like it, you can fucking leave but if you tell Krystal what’s going on I’m going to by royally pissed.”

  “What’s she got to do with - oh no.”

  I tried to stop her, but Emma was too quick for me, her face twisted with anger. She lifted the hem of her princess dress up over her sneakers as she marched off, looking like she was going off to slay a dragon.

  Chapter Eleven - Krystal

  I left nearly half an hour early so I wouldn’t be late. Despite the unusual circumstances, it was my first costuming job and I wanted it to go well. I would have to work as a server too, something else I was pretty darn good at. I was actually smiling as I piloted my car out to the Clavis Winery, flicking on my headlights against the gathering dark as I drove out of the main part of town.

  I’d only been there a couple of times, but it was almost starting to feel like a second home. Emma and I had become wonderful friends, talking for hours on the phone every day since the orientation. Despite the issues I was having with Jayden and my growing feelings for him, there were good things that had come out of the whole debacle with the car crash and the ensuing deal.

  My car was full of properly fitted, handmade costumes. I pulled into the parking lot of the event hall, which was bigger than I ever would have imagined. The house sort of reminded me of the TARDIS from Doctor Who. No matter how huge it looked on the outside, it was even bigger on the inside. I tried to imagine the rest of it, only having ever really seen the tasting room and the conference room. My imagination went wild, imagining a swimming pool, a basketball court and even a movie theater held within the walls of the massive house. I could only imagine the glee when they moved from the two-floor house to that mansion.

  I was so excited and nervous, I could barely breathe right. Hyperventilating was rarely considered a good look, so I did several deep breathing exercises to calm down before heading to the door with the first load of costumes. There were eleven in all. Eight elves, a Santa, an angel and a princess. The princess costume wasn’t really on theme, but it seemed to make Emma happy, which I counted as a win. I couldn’t help but think of her warning as I approached the Clavis house. I had vowed to keep things professional, at least until my debt was paid, but I was feeling conflicted. His cock felt so good in my mouth, his cum so tasty and warm. I couldn’t help but still imagine how it might feel in other places. Even though I had some difficulty imagining how such a big cock could fit into a tight little virgin like me. Still, the thought made me smile and a particular wetness started in my panties.

  Even in the gathering dark, I recognized the shape of Jayden, decked out in the fitted sexy Santa suit, as he approached. I froze for a minute, my body not quite sure what to do with the fight or flight energy that was suddenly flooding it.

  “Come with me, please?” he asked, perfectly polite.

  They were the first words he’d said to me since I’d sucked him off and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. I obeyed his request, following him through the door into the front hall of the big house. Somewhere I never thought I would be. I felt like a kitchen maid invited up to eat with the family.

  “I would like you to dance with me first,” he said.

  “I didn’t think there would be time for dancing, sir.”

  I wasn’t quite sure where the ‘sir’ had come from, but I was pretty confused in general. I was under the impressio
n that I was there to work as a waitress and help with the costumes.

  “One dance should be fine. I won’t tell if you don’t,” he said with a wink I wasn’t sure what to do with.

  “Okay,” I agreed, not wanting to upset him.

  It took two trips to get the costumes up from the car. That was fine with me, as it was my job after all, and I wasn’t sure about what was going on with Jayden. If nothing else, the experience was a good dry run for my business. I’d already met the other waitresses when I did their alterations, so we all already knew and were fairly comfortable with each other.

  They were already there when I arrived with the costumes. Most of them were already mostly out of their street clothes when I returned with the second load of garment bags. One by one, I helped the seven girls, some of whom looked even younger than me, into their elf costumes, doing up the corsets before casting up the dresses. It was important that I be the one to do it because cinching corsets was a deceptively precise thing and there could have been injuries if they’d tried to help each other. I made them pretty loose considering the movement that would be involved with the job, and always asking the wearer if it felt okay. I started over if it hurt at all.

  I was doing up the last of the elf dresses when a familiar knock came on the bedroom door.

  “Come in, Emma,”

  “Hey,” she said, sticking her head in. Her princess costume had a built-in corset and didn’t need tying.

  “Do you know how to tie a corset by any chance?”

  “Sure.”

  My own costume needed to go on too, but thankfully Emma was there to do me up. There was something off about her as she did me up. It felt weird to think of it as ‘energy,’ but that really was what it was like. Whatever it was, I knew something was bothering her. Emma’s typical sweet, upbeat personality was there but somehow muted.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Jay told me not to tell you.”

  “Well now, that just makes me more curious,” I said, turning to face her.

  She looked away, trying not to meet my eye, which made me even more worried. What was Jayden planning?

  “There’s an auction,” Emma said, looking at the floor.

  “What’s so strange about that? Don’t fundraisers usually have an auction?”

  “I-It’s not that kind of auction.

  “Emma, you’re scaring me, what is going on?”

  “They’re selling girls, Krystal,” Emma said. “Kisses, dates, virginity, anything goes.”

  I remembered that Lorelai had been in such an event. She’d said she’d only sold a date and a kiss but there was something about her afterward that made me think maybe things had gone further. And then suddenly, she’d been involved…then married. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea, but if it was done among consenting adults that was really up to them.

  “That’s pretty gross,” I said.

  “He wants you to be in it. I think he is planning to buy you for – you know.”

  Emma blushed, unable to actually say the word ‘sex.’ I could only imagine how she would have reacted if she knew I was a virgin.

  The floor came up to meet my knees, though I could barely feel it. The shock was almost too much for me to bear. I could almost feel my heart crushing in my chest as I gasped for breath, the hyperventilating coming back with vengeance. I could feel Emma kneeling down next to me, getting down closer to my level.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I-I was starting to really like him, but now I’m not sure if he just wanted to buy me.”

  I wasn’t even aware of the tears at first, not until they actually started flowing down my cheeks. Emma hugged me in my distress, trying to comfort me.

  “You don’t have to do it. Jayden might think that he runs everything, but he doesn’t. You can just do the job you agreed to, the costumes look great, by the way, and leave. If Jayden has a problem, I’ll convince him your debt is paid. The money from the party will more than pay for the damage to the truck and the costumes are more than worth what he paid for them.”

  “I would have done them for free,” I blushed.

  “And Jay thinks I’m sweet,” Emma grinned.

  That last bit got me thinking. The costumes I’d made were some of my best. The fact that I was being paid for them was at least part of the reason. I’d made money before, but never from a commission. I’d even made my first pitch which had gone down like gangbusters. I couldn’t help but notice again that things seemed to be building up to a successful business. I remembered what Tina had said in her little shop and couldn’t help but wonder if maybe there was something to it. She had said my business would start after the costume ball.

  “When is the auction going to be?”

  “After the ball. It’s meant to be a kind of finale, why?”

  I straightened up my back and dried my eyes, plucking up every last scrap of courage I could.

  “I-I think I want to be in the auction. I’m a virgin and could probably get all the money I need for my business.”

  Emma wasn’t happy. I could actually feel her flinch as she was taken aback, but she tried to be supportive of my decision. It was a bold decision, and I wasn’t happy about losing my virginity that way, but the benefits were many. It would show Jayden that he didn’t own me in a palpable way, especially if I was bought by someone else, and it would give me the startup money for my dream.

  Chapter Twelve - Jayden

  It was a dilemma. I was torn between going to find Emma and leaving her alone and letting her cool down. There was a good chance she was still going to tell Krystal about the auction. Emma had a moral compass that always pointed due north and there was no way to divert her from the righteous path once she had set out on it. I really admired that in a way. She could be a serious problem for my plan. She wouldn’t let anything hurt her new friend, which was a lot more than could be said about me. I’d been so focused on my own success for so long, I never really paid much attention to what was going on with other people. It wasn’t the first time I’d been humbled by my baby sister.

  I had spent a lot of time imagining what the Christmas costume ball was going to be like, not really having a frame of reference. As we were setting up and the whole thing was still coming together, it was hard to foresee what others were going to think. I’d gone from no small expense to put the whole thing on. I thought Krystal had been right, but there was no way to know for sure until the doors opened.

  The ball was by invitation, the high-quality, customized, hand-signed cards were part of the expense. I wanted to really stand out among all the other events going on during the season, spurring the rich and successful of the town to come and check it out from sheer curiosity if nothing else.

  Not that they were the only ones I’d invited. Reaching out beyond the limits of our town, I also sent invitations to some of the most successful restaurateurs and store managers in nearby cities, people in charge of places people have actually heard of. I wasn’t expecting national attention, at least not right away, but it was a good start if even half of them showed up.

  I felt a bit silly in the sexy Santa suit but couldn’t deny that Krystal had made me look wonderful. I didn’t look as good as Emma did in her princess gown, but that was never going to happen. Santa was pretty goofy to start with and to do a rendition of his iconic look that wasn’t immediately laughable was quite an achievement indeed. I hadn’t seen Clarence dressed up as an angel yet but was particularly looking forward to it because our parents had literally gotten the name from It’s A Wonderful Life.

  The laughs could be heard from all the way upstairs. That was a good sign. Putting on my red hat but leaving off the fake beard so everyone could recognize me, I headed down to face the music.

  “Fairytale of New York” was playing happily away as I entered as I entered the well-lit room. The place was packed. Nearly everyone I’d invited was squeezed into the very crowded room, see
ming to have a whale of a time even without any chairs. We hadn’t planned on standing room only but, as with most of the best things in life, it had evolved naturally.

  “Quite the turn-out, hey?” Angel Clarence asked, appearing at my shoulder like a one-sided moral argument.

  “I’ll say. This is great.”

  “Krystal is quite the genius,” he agreed, handing me a print out.

  “What’s this?” I asked, taking the paper.

  “A list of anyone who said they couldn’t come.”

  “This is it?” I marveled, looking at the five names on the page. Five out of eighty-seven.

  “Make the most of it,” he said, patting me on the shoulder.

  I barely had time to recover from the surprise when I saw Sebastian coming in my general direction.

  “Checkout this turnout,” he said rhetorically. “Should bring in lots of bids.”

  “Is there still going to be room?” I asked.

  “Oh sure, there’s still a huge space over by the fireplace. I’ve got a portable podium and gavel I can set up with no problem. Stages are more traditional of course, but as the success of the party shows, tradition isn’t always the best way to go.”

  “Indeed,” I agreed, still a little dazed.

  “You’re Jayden right?” a voice interrupts.

  “I’ll leave you to it,” Sebastian said, casually retreating as an elegant woman came my way.

  “Mr. Clavis?” she said.

  “Yes, Jayden Clavis. There’s Clarence as well.”

  “You’re the one I talk to about making an order, though, right?”

  “Yes, yes, I am, and you are?”

  “Zora Peet,” she said, holding out a business card between the first two fingers of a well-manicured hand. “I’m regional manager of the Grapevine chain of wine stores. I am very interested in stocking some of your lovely varieties. Give me a call on Monday, and we can iron out the details.”