The Auction Block

by Courtney Lynn Rose

  "They haven't heard shit yet, Agent Williams, but they're about to," he says, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

  "Oh, no. Tit for tat, sir. I believe I owe you some pleasure," I say, catching him off guard as I shift to push him on the bed and straddle his hips.

  His eyes widen. "Lily, you don't have to— "

  "Shhh." I lean down and press my lips to his. "I've wanted to touch you for a while."

  Gently, he runs his fingers through my hair. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."

  I kiss the corner of his mouth, slowly moving down his neck, lashing my tongue against his skin. Soft moans escape his lips, sending waves of passion through me. Moving my mouth down his chest, I slip my fingers inside the waistband of his jeans, popping the button. I sit up, and he lifts his hips as I slide his pants and boxers off together.

  Holy mother of God . . .

  My eyes move from his substantial erection to his face. His lips press into a smirk and he winks. I give him my sly grin and lick my lips. Keeping my eyes on his, I lower my face, taking the tip of him into my mouth, sucking hard.

  "Jesus, Lily," he breathes, closing his eyes.

  I slide his impressive length fully into my mouth, swirling my tongue as I go. He flexes his hips, and I move with determination. I want to please Blake, and feel him come apart because of me. I suck harder, his hands moving to my hair. His breathing labored as we find a steady pace, pushing him closer to release.

  "Fuck, Lily. Stop or I'm going to come in your mouth." His fists tighten in my hair.

  I place my hands on his hips, and continue. His body shakes as he thrusts forward one last time, stilling, his release filling my mouth.

  He tastes heavenly.

  I swallow, and sit up, wiping the corners of my mouth. Blake opens his eyes, meeting my gaze as fire burns behind his beautiful brown irises.

  "Blake!" I squeal as he grabs my waist, twisting to pin me underneath him.

  "I . . . have never . . . had a woman . . . completely . . . unman me that way. You're a goddess, Lily," he says bringing his lips to mine.

  "Glad you enjoyed it," I say against his lips, smiling.

  "Enjoyed it is an understatement, baby." He kisses me again. "Now, I believe your request was for love making." He sits up, gripping the top of my pants.

  My breath catches in my throat. He leans over, kissing my thigh as he strips me of my pants and panties. Throwing them on the floor, he gazes at my naked body.

  "I'm a lucky man," he whispers. "You look mouthwatering, Lily."

  I blush. Fuck, he is walking, talking sex.

  Circling his hands around my ankles, he gently glides them to my thighs, squeezing my hips. I squirm, moaning softly as blood pulses to my clit, yearning to feel him inside me.

  "Blake, please," I whimper.

  "Patience, baby." He leans down, running his tongue from my left hipbone to my right. I flex my hips upward and he nips my skin.

  "Ah, damn it, Blake!"

  Before my hips can settle on the bed again, he pushes my legs open, and buries himself deep inside me. I scream out in a mixture of pain and pleasure— the fullness of his erection pulsing, and desire exploding within me.

  Placing his hands on either side of my head, he presses his lips against mine, and moves. Pulling back slowly, he stills, and as I lift my hips, he slams into me again.

  "Fuck," I say through gritted teeth.

  "You feel like heaven, baby," he says pulling back again.

  "Blake, plea—”

  He slams into me again, but this time he keeps going— hard, fast, and unrelenting. The clenching deep in my stomach builds, his left hand, gripping my hip, holding me in place. It’s heaven and hell at once— a sweet, pounding pain.

  "Come on, Lily," he hisses pushing deeper inside me. I can't take anymore. "Come with me, baby."

  I explode around him, losing all sense of place and time. He thrusts into me again, shaking as he finds his own release. Panting, covered in sweat, he collapses beside me. His arms snake around my waist, pulling me against him.

  His lips press firmly against my temple. "You better come back to me."

  I smile, my eyes closing, my breath uneven. I'm sated and dumbstruck in the afterglow of his passion. "I intend to."

  When I get back, we may never leave this room.

  21

  ~Lily~

  I shake my head, sitting on the edge of the bed, a stupid grin on my face.

  Mr. Mason, you know how to put it on a girl.

  I twist around, staring at the beautiful man lying next to me. Never in a million years would I’ve thought I'd get this lucky. I glance at the clock— 11:00 PM. The bed shifts as Blake rolls onto his side, facing me. His eyes flutter open, a smile spreading across his face. I grin, trying to hide the sadness nipping at the edges of my elation.

  "Come back to bed, baby," he says, holding his arms open.

  "You should go back to sleep, it's late."

  "What's wrong?"

  I crawl across the bed, lie on my back and stare into his face. "I've got fifteen hours left."

  He trails his knuckles along my jaw line. "Stop. I don't want to think about it." Leaning down, he gently presses his lips to mine.

  My stomach growls and we both laugh.

  "We should get something to eat," he says, kissing the corner of my mouth.

  Smiling, I sit up and move off the bed. I walk to our pile of clothing, and shimmy into my pants. My body stiffens as Blake runs his fingers over the scars on my back.

  "Who gave you these?" His voice is hardly a whisper.

  "I was eleven. My owner got his kicks beating the shit out of slaves." I turn to face him, pulling my shirt over my head.

  "I see the girls come through the halfway house, but I don't think I've really comprehended how bad it is out there . . . until I saw you with Sorina." He rests his hands on my waist.

  "She's going to have a long road ahead of her," I whisper. "You've got to put some clothes on."

  He smiles mischievously. "Why? You don't like my body?"

  "I think your body is very adequate, Mr. Mason, however, I'm starving, so we need to eat."

  "Yes, ma'am," he says, leaning down next to my leg.

  He grabs his clothes, dropping onto one knee. I gasp as he lifts the bottom of my shirt, pressing his lips to my stomach. He trails his tongue along my skin above the waistband of my pants, and shivers ripple through me.

  "Blake, stop," I say curling my fingers into his hair.

  He lifts his lips, slightly. "Do you really want me to stop?" His breath caresses my body.

  "No."

  He presses his lips to me again, dropping his clothes on the floor. I moan as his hands grip my ass, holding me firmly in place. His lips move up my stomach, his tongue circling my belly button.

  For fuck sake. I want him again.

  His fingers slip inside the top of my pants and push them to the floor. Standing, he pulls my leg up, balancing me on the other, setting my knee in the crook of his elbow. His lips capture mine, as his fingers move inside me.

  My stomach clenches, his fingers hitting my sweet spot in rapid succession, bringing me to my peak quick and hard. My body tenses as I try to control the impending orgasm, wanting to prolong his sensual attack.

  "Let go," he growls in my ear.

  He flattens his hand, his palm massaging my clit as his fingers circle inside me. I'm lost, soaring somewhere in oblivion as I come, loudly, moaning and panting, digging my fingernails into the smooth skin of his well-muscled shoulders.

  He slowly disentangles himself from me, wrapping his arms gently around my mid-section. I lay my head against his chest, trying to calm the aftershocks. His erection presses against my stomach, and I grin.

  Pushing out of his embrace, I place my hand on his chest and shove him, hard. He falls onto the bed, his eyes wide with lustful amusement. Climbing on top of him, I position myself over his length and take him fully, wincing at the sweet bite of pai
n.

  "Lily, you're sore, stop," he says, genuinely concerned.

  I chuckle, placing my hands on his chest. He lies back as I grind my hips, back and forth, adding a small circular motion.

  "For fuck sake, Lily," he hisses.

  He tenses underneath me, his fingers digging into my hips. I move faster, reaching my peak, again. "Come for me, Blake," I whisper, mimicking his command from earlier.

  "Lily!" He finds his release as I explode around him, throwing my head back.

  †††

  I tried to take a shower after the second round with Blake, only to find him dripping with water, sparking round three. I stand in the center of his room, brushing out my wet, tangled hair. My legs are lead, everything from my belly button to my knees aches.

  Blake comes out of the bathroom, a smile glued to his face. "It 1:00 AM. You ready for some food now?"

  "I was ready for food two hours ago, you sidetracked me." I throw my towel over the edge of the bed.

  "It's not my fault you're so delicious." He struts over to me and splays his hand around the back of my neck, pulling my lips to his.

  "Enough, we need to eat."

  His lips are warm and inviting, and he knows how to put them to good use.

  "You sure?"

  "Yes. As much as I hate to kill the mood, on the block I won't eat at all. I'd like my last meal."

  Blake grabs my upper arm as I turn toward the door, spinning me to face him. He pulls me to him, forcing my arms around his neck; he encircles my waist, crushing me to his chest . . . Blake's scared. I move my hand up and down his back, my face buried between his neck and my arm.

  He pulls in an uneven breath. "I don't want you to go, Lily. My stomach's in knots about it."

  "I'll be fine. I'm very good at my job, Blake. I'll be back before you know it. A week tops."

  "I have a bad feeling about this. I can't explain it. Please . . .”

  I let go, forcing him to stand apart from me. His hands stay on my sides, lightly squeezing them. "It's not up for debate. Let's go eat."

  "Let's hope your team isn't around. I don't want to hear the witty banter about your less than quiet orgasms." He puts his arm around my shoulder as we descend the stairs.

  I playfully punch his side. "You shut your fucking mouth. Anyone who mentions anything will be punched in the face."

  "Oh, baby, I love it when you talk dirty." He pulls me in, kissing my temple. I laugh openly at his silliness.

  Glancing up, I halt mid-step. Teresa's in the kitchen, pulling dishes from the oven and stove-top, placing them on the island decorated with two place mats and three large, white candles.

  "What's this, Teresa?" Blake lets go of me to step into the kitchen. I stop close behind him. Tears shine in Teresa's eyes.

  "Good Morning, Mr. Mason," she says, unable to hide the strain in her voice.

  "Teresa, what's wrong?"

  "Miss Lily leaves tonight. She didn't eat supper. When I realized you two were awake, I come make her and you big Mexican dinner fiesta."

  "Oh, Teresa, you didn't have to do that," I say, breathless at her kindness.

  Five full dinners and two desserts cover the counter-top. She's spent a great deal of effort in this. My chest tightens painfully.

  "I know, mi hija, but I wanted to," she says patting my cheek.

  Blake's shocked as she touches my skin.

  Her gaze bores into mine, tears pooling in the bottom of my eyes. She wipes them away as they spill over, running down my cheeks.

  This feels like goodbye.

  Impulsively, I throw my arms around her neck. She gasps, encircling my midsection with her arms. My breathing is erratic with the effort to control the threatening sobs. These emotions are brutal and completely foreign to me, making them stronger, rawer.

  "Ai, Bonita, don't cry. You strong, so strong. You come back to us," she whispers, smoothing my hair against my back.

  Standing up straight, I swipe the tears from my face. "I'm sorry, Teresa. I'm a fucking mess these last few days."

  Her smile is infectious and I grin, wide and genuine.

  "Don't apologize. I made you and Mr. Mason some good Mexícan and Spanish dishes. You going to love them." She gestures toward the extravagant layout of food.

  "Eat with us, Teresa," Blake says, taking my hand and pulling me into the kitchen.

  She nods, pulling out an extra place-mat.

  By 3:00 am, we've picked at every dish, and I'm stuffed. Teresa tells me about her life in Mexico before coming to work for Blake, her late husband, and children. In the time I've been here, I've only spent time with Blake and the team. Being with other people, doing something normal is more satisfying than I would've thought possible.

  "So, Lily, you like to do anything outside your work for Interpol?" She pours more soda into my glass.

  "Not really. I've never had any socialization aside from the team. Even when we aren't on assignment, I hang out in my apartment and train at Interpol headquarters." I pop a piece of churro into my mouth.

  "Where's your apartment, again?" Blake takes a swig from his beer.

  "Lily has a closet down on the Bayou," says a deep voice behind us. Spinning around, I gaze at Dresden. Vlad stands next to him, a shy smile on his lips.

  "It's not a closet. It's sturdy and basic," I snap playfully.

  They both laugh, walking to join Teresa across from us.

  "Sorry about last night, Mason," Vlad says, holding his hand out.

  I raise my eyebrows, astonished.

  "No worries, I think the three of us are all fighting for the same thing," Blake says, shaking Vlad's hand firmly.

  "Fighting for the same thing. What thing?"

  "None of us wants you taking this asinine assignment, Lily," Vlad says. His eyes are tight, lips turned down and shoulders slumped forward slightly.

  "Truthfully, I don't want to take this assignment, either. I don't have a choice though."

  "Yes you do, Lily, tell him no," Dresden snaps.

  I reach over, clasping Blake's hand in mine. "Dres, I was taken by The Taurus when I was eight. This is personal for me."

  "You're going in blind, it's too dangerous," Vlad says.

  "I know this group better than anyone, I'll be fine."

  "Be prepared, if anything happens, it's Jax's ass on the line," Dresden warns, his face hardening.

  I give him my sly grin. "You know me better than that, Dres. I'll go in, kick ass, take names, come home and we'll have a beer to celebrate."

  "To Lily's safe return," Blake toasts, holding his beer up.

  We each raise our glasses. The boys fly into a discussion about sports. I wasn't even aware Vlad or Dresden liked sports. Blake's a true Baltimore fan though. The Ravens for football, and the Orioles for baseball. He even gets into a heated debate with Dresden over how underrated the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays are.

  My thoughts slowly slip into a dark place. If I told them the real reason for going in, they'd stop me. A rescue mission without back up is a huge risk, even more so than me going in to assassinate one lone guy.

  Slowly, I stand, and Blake turns his head, his eyes suddenly full of concern.

  "I'll be right back."

  He reaches up and grasps my neck gently, pulling my lips down to his for a brief, heated kiss. As he lets go, he winks at me, and I grin. Here's to hoping my ass makes it back. I turn and quietly sneak up the stairs.

  Inside my room, I find a pen and piece of paper. Let's hope I'm better at writing than I am talking, otherwise, I'm fucked.

  Pressing the pen to paper, I write my first letter . . . ever.

  †††

  Folding the letter, I stick it in an envelope and seal it. I glance at the clock— 6:00 AM, already. I've got eight hours.

  As I enter the kitchen, Teresa's clearing the island, placing the leftovers in warmers. Blake, Dresden, and Vlad are shooting pool in the game room. I make a beeline for the kitchen.

  "Teresa," I whisper. She turns around, rai
sing her eyebrows. "I need to talk to you in private."

  She glances at the guys, tossing a towel on the counter. "Follow me."

  Once inside her bedroom, she closes the door. "What's wrong, Miss Lily?"

  "I need you to promise to do something for me."

  "Anything."

  I hold out the envelope.

  She takes it, scanning Blake's name on the front. "What's this?"

  "Listen to me, carefully. Where I'm going is more dangerous than I want Blake or the others to know. Jax's plan could very well get me killed."

  "Oh, no, Miss Lily—”

  "Stop, just listen. If I'm not back here in one week . . . one week, Teresa, it means I'm not coming back. Do you understand me?" I hold her gaze, my voice fervent.

  "Yes," she whispers, tears falling down her cheeks.

  Moisture builds in my eyes. "If I don't make the deadline, give him the letter."

  She nods, turning to hide it under her pillow. She stops in front of me and I grip her in a vice like hug. Her sobs erupt, sending me over the edge, pain lancing through my heart.

  I'm so thankful to have met you, Teresa.

  "Do you love him, Miss Lily?" She stands back, searching my face with her gaze.

  "Yes," I whisper, my heart breaking.

  "You have to make it back."

  "I've never failed a mission, Teresa. I don't intend to start now."

  22

  ~Lily~

  The auction starts in twenty minutes. I'm locked in a pen, hands tied behind my back, staring at a terrified Shannon Mason. I'm amazed she has little to no identifying marks aside from the brand on her collarbone.

  There are twenty-six girls and thirteen buyers. I'm floored as to how I got paired with Shannon. I've never been sold in a set, and the uneasiness in my stomach is making me want to puke.

  The pen door slides open with a loud clank and a man four times the size of Dresden steps in, a set of handcuffs dangling from his belt. He motions for us to stand, and Shannon gets unsteadily to her feet. I follow, taking measured steps.