The Winning Bid: The Auction Series, Book 1

by Windsor, Michelle

  Drew waited until every other Dominant had met with Maria before approaching her.

  She smiled sweetly, if not seductively. “Master Drew, it is always a pleasure when you are in my house. Can I hope that you’ll be placing a bid tonight?”

  Drew took Maria’s hand, swept his lips across her knuckles and graced her with one of his most charming smiles. She always felt so cold to him. “The pleasure is all mine, Madame. And yes, I will be placing a bid this evening.”

  He presented her a slip of paper with his bid for Scarlett: $25,000. Maria took the ticket and then nodded at him with a raised eyebrow.

  “Well, this is a bit of a surprise. Not your usual taste.” A small smile curved her lips. “This should make for a very interesting night. Your girl has two other bids. Good luck.”

  “Thank you, Madame. May the best man win, right?”

  Drew turned but not before Maria added one final word. “You mean may the best Dom win.”

  Drew went to the bar and asked for another gin martini. He usually had only one drink at these affairs, but to his surprise, he found himself a bit anxious, knowing Scarlett had two other bidders. Certainly Roberts was one of the bidders, but who could the other be? No one else had approached or inspected her. He slowly swept his eyes across the room to see if anyone’s body language gave them away. He stopped on Roberts, who looked up at him and nodded. Drew nodded back and continued his search of the room. His phone buzzed with a text message: “High bid is currently $25K. Please submit new bid if so desired.”

  Well, at least he was the highest bidder so far. Now was the tricky part, what to bid next? As rich as Drew, Roberts was the only other Dom in the room who could compete. And like Drew, Roberts usually went after what he wanted, damn the cost. Drew decided to bid conservatively and submitted $30K.

  Several minutes went by, and his phone buzzed with another text message: “High bid is currently $30.5K. Please submit a new bid if so desired.” Drew scratched at the stubble on his chin and looked around the room. His gaze stopped on Maria, who was smiling broadly. She loved a good duel if nothing else. She nodded at him, just slightly, so as not to bring attention to herself from the other Dom’s bidding. The other bidders were bidding conservatively. Time to take the opposite strategy and go large. He wanted this submissive, and he was going to make sure the other bidders knew it. It was the final bid, and he did not want to lose. He sent a text back with $50K. And waited.

  After what seemed like an eternity but was really only four minutes, Drew’s phone buzzed with another text: “Congratulations. You have won the bid. Your submissive will be delivered to your bungalow in thirty minutes. Please provide payment before your departure.” Drew heaved a sigh of relief, then felt a surge of victory as he sat back and finished his martini.

  Chapter Two

  After the bidding began, each submissive was escorted from the stage and into a comfortable sitting area. Each sub was provided a robe and a glass of water. Hannah practically gulped hers down. Between her nerves and being on display like an animal at the zoo, she was desperately parched. One of Maria’s attendants, Lexie, came into the room and took a seat with everyone.

  “For our more experienced submissives, you know what happens next.” Lexie looked at Lahna, Jenna and the other experienced subs and nodded. “But for the new submissives, Scarlett and Helena, let me just review what will happen next.”

  Lexie switched her focus to Hannah and Helena and continued, “In about fifteen minutes, one of the attendants will bring you to the residence you will be occupying this weekend. When you arrive, you are to go into the living room. Remove your robe, and then kneel in the submissive position until your Master arrives.”

  Hannah’s heart pounded in anticipation, finally grasping how real the decision she’d made to sell herself had just become.

  “Now, this is the hard part—the waiting, the not knowing who your Master will be for the weekend. Please try not to be too nervous. Remember everything you’ve learned in your training sessions. Your Master should ask you for a safe word almost immediately. Don’t be afraid to use it if you need to, but also remember, once the safe word is used, the weekend is over, and the amount of money you make will be prorated for the amount of time your services were actually provided.”

  Would the man that had so intimately inspected her be her Master? Because she would quite possibly need to use a safe word if so. While all of the Doms had been provided their submissives’ soft and hard limits, she had to wonder just how far she would be willing to go to earn the money she needed. There was something about the blonde that just screamed a need for control, and she was afraid he might use a lot of pain to get it.

  Lexie stopped again, looked at everyone and said, “You have one job: be submissive. From 8:00 p.m. this evening until 5:00 p.m. Sunday evening. Any questions?”

  Surprisingly, Lahna, who had scared Hannah a bit after the demonstration onstage, leaned forward and took her hand. “Don’t worry, Scarlett. You’ll be fine. Just remember what you learned, don’t question your Master, and you may even enjoy yourself.” She squeezed Hannah’s hand before letting go.

  “Thank you.” Hannah was truly touched. Finding any kind of solidarity was not anything she’d expected within a group of submissives. “I really appreciate hearing that. I have to admit, I’m more nervous than I thought I would be.”

  Lexie rose then, and at the same time, nine attendants arrived to take each sub to their weekend residences.

  Hannah’s attendant introduced herself as Rose. Wearing an angelic white dress, she was extremely soft-spoken and only seemed to speak when absolutely necessary. She had shoulder-length, strawberry-blonde hair and the softest, palest complexion Hannah had ever seen. She led Hannah to a golf cart and started off on one of the paths to the many private residences nestled throughout Baton Timide’s property.

  The sky was starting to darken earlier now, a reminder that summer was ending and fall was beginning. Only an hour outside of New York City, the estate was like another world, given the dense forest that surrounded them. Between the night air and the very light robe Hannah was wearing, she started to shiver.

  “I’m sorry. Are you cold Scarlett?” Rose questioned quietly from her side of the cart.

  Hannah nodded her head to indicate she was, “A little bit.”

  “We won’t be but another moment.” Rose looked over at her with an apologetic look on her face, “We haven’t brought the heavier robes out yet. I’ll remind Domme Maria that it may be time.”

  “Thank you Rose.”

  As promised, Rose pulled up in front of a bungalow within a matter of minutes. She led Hannah to the front door and opened it. “You are aware of your next instruction?” Rose asked quietly.

  “Yes, I am to disrobe and wait in my submissive pose until my Master arrives.”

  “Very good. I will take my leave now. Have a good evening.” And with that, Rose walked out of the bungalow and shut the door quietly behind her.

  Hannah wanted to explore the bungalow, even though she had been given a tour of one previously. It was different, knowing this is where she would stay all weekend. Where she would experience . . . well, she wasn’t sure what she would experience. Time would answer that question. But she knew she had to comply with the directions given or face punishment. Domme Maria had advised all the submissives that there were cameras throughout the house to monitor behavior. Hannah was quite sure taking a tour would not fall into the good behavior department.

  As instructed, she went into the bedroom and left her robe on a hook in the dressing room. There were hangers upon hangers of different outfits: dresses, suits, costumes. She so wanted to run her fingers through them but turned away, shut the door and went into the living room. She positioned herself beside the couch, faced the door and kneeled as required.

  As Hannah waited, her thoughts turned again to the identity of her new Master. Even if the scary blonde was her Master, she was there to do whatever made her
Dom happy, which should thus result in him treating her well. She had no doubt that she could perform sexually. She liked sex and was actually looking forward to being more submissive. Her everyday life was so regimented and required so much control all of the time. It would be nice to not have to think and just let someone else be in charge. But the few sexual partners she’d had in the past had always involved a relationship. Not knowing who she would be with, or what this person would be like, was a bit frightening. Some Dominants thrived on punishment and humiliation. She silently prayed for a kind Dominant while reminding herself that this weekend was the only solution to obtaining the money she needed without actually selling herself on a street corner. Hopefully this sacrifice could provide the security she needed.

  Hannah was beginning to wonder if her Master was ever going to arrive. She had been down on her knees for at least forty-five minutes and was beginning to lose the feeling in her legs. Plus, she was cold. She hadn’t had enough time to warm up in the bungalow before having to strip naked again. She was also starting to get hungry, her stomach letting out a small growl at the thought of food. And thirsty too, now that she was thinking about it. Listening to the clock tick, she tried to keep her thoughts focused on keeping her position.

  Footsteps on the porch caused her heart to race, erasing all other concerns from her mind. She made sure her legs were spread apart appropriately, then placed her hands palm up on her thighs and let her gaze slip to the floor. Please, god, let this work out okay. The door clicked open and then shut again quietly. She wanted to look up so badly to see who her Master would be, but she dared not break a rule so soon.

  Instead of footsteps coming into the living room, she heard a jacket being removed and placed on what sounded like a chair. It was amazing what your brain could decipher by sound alone when required. Then the footsteps headed toward the kitchen. The refrigerator was opened, and something was removed. Then a glass was taken down from a cupboard, and a drawer was rifled through. A pop, and then liquid was poured not once, but twice. Then footsteps again, but this time walking toward her. They stopped in front of her, and two glasses were set down on a table before he moved and sat on the couch closest to her. It was then that she noticed the shoes in front of her weren’t brown. They were black—and definitely not wing tips. She almost sighed in relief, but . . .

  Who did buy me, then?

  Drew took his time arriving at the bungalow. He had finished his drink at the clubhouse and then decided to walk to the residence. He’d wanted time to think about the direction he was going to take with this submissive. It was clear from the auction display that she was new, and she was also nervous. But when she’d met his stare and hadn’t backed down, he’d also known there was a strength in her that would need a little bit of bending and molding. More than anything, he really wanted to look at her.

  The short eye contact they’d had wasn’t enough for him to really assess her. He’d hated not going up and speaking with her at the auction, but his strategy had worked. He was quite sure that if Roberts had known who his opponent was, Drew would have ended up paying sixty thousand instead of fifty. Not that the money mattered. He made that much in interest every hour. One of the perks to being a billionaire that he didn’t mind enjoying.

  He walked quickly up the steps of the bungalow and entered. She was waiting for him, kneeling submissively, in the living room. Just seeing her like that, and knowing it was for him, instantly fueled his lust. Instead of going to her, he removed his jacket and then walked to the kitchen to retrieve a bottle of water. She had been waiting for some time and was probably thirsty, if not hungry. If he was being truly honest with himself, he also needed a moment to gather his frayed control before speaking with her.

  He took two glasses from the cupboard, filled each with the water he had opened and then made his way back into the living room. He placed the glasses down on a side table, stopping to gaze down at her a moment before sitting down on the couch. Much to Drew’s enjoyment, she never broke her submissive position. She evidently already wanted to please him and she didn’t even know who he was yet. He leaned forward to caress the long, wavy tresses away from Scarlett’s face, pushing them over her shoulders and down her back. She shivered, and he wanted to do what he could to make her feel safe and unafraid.

  “Scarlett, rise and stand before me, please.” Drew spoke softly so as not to scare her.

  She rose immediately and stood before him, blonde hair cascading almost to her lower back, some falling forward to conceal her breasts. And he had been correct—her face was as beautiful as her body. She had a heart-shaped face with a bit of a long chin that was balanced by her lips, a soft pink and full. A petite nose—not quite a button, but it could only be described as cute, small, straight. But it was her eyes that captivated him. They were the color of caramel, the lightest shade of brown, almost golden. They were surrounded by thick lashes, unusual for a fair-haired woman. He guessed her to be twenty-four, possibly twenty-five. He stood and placed a finger under her chin, tilting her face upward so he could see her eyes more closely. They had chocolate flecks in them. In the right light, he was sure those flecks shimmered.

  She said nothing but kept her eyes glued to his, and he admired her for it. She would be a good sub. He remained silent and swept her hair back over her shoulders. He backed up and looked at her now, really looked at her. Onstage, she’d been beautiful; up close, she was a knockout. Her breasts really were perfection. He loved the small nipples peaking under his examination. He wanted to touch her, but not yet. He wanted her to feel comfortable first, and she was shaking with nerves.

  He cupped her face, again tilting it to him, and said, “You don’t need to be afraid of me, Scarlett. I will not hurt you. I hope to bring you more joy and fulfillment over this weekend than you have ever had with a man before.”

  “Sir, I’m not afraid of you. I’m cold,” Hannah murmured. It was the first time he had heard her voice, and it was like the most beautiful notes of music were being played. Stifling his reaction to that melody, he responded to her needs instead.

  “I apologize. Please tell me immediately if you are ever uncomfortable.” Drew turned, walked into the bedroom and came out with a fur blanket that had been on the end of the bed. He wrapped it around her, then motioned toward the couch. “Please, sit down.”

  Hannah sat and pulled the blanket closer around herself. The fur was luxuriously soft against her skin, and she was already beginning to warm. She was still in a bit of shock from discovering the very man she had made eye contact with at the auction had purchased her. She watched as he moved to the thermostat on the wall to turn up the heat. “Thank you, Master.”

  He turned and smiled pleasantly at her while returning to the couch, sitting next to her.

  “You may call me Drew or you may address me as Sir. I only request that you reply appropriately when addressed.” He shifted and reached for one of the water glasses he had brought into the room, then handed it to her. “It’s seltzer water with lime. Very light and refreshing.”

  “Thank you, Sir.” She took the glass from him and sipped it. It was delicious, and anything in her stomach right now felt wonderful.

  He brought the second glass to his lips. She watched as the liquid met his mouth, how his lips arched around the rim of the glass. The short stubble outlining his chin and mouth was in stark contrast to the elegance of the glass he held. As he sipped, he looked over the glass at her, his eyes intense. She could see now that his eyes were actually a very dark blue. Was he Irish? No, then they would have been green. Perhaps Greek? When his dark brows furrowed in thought, it gave him an edge, a gravity beyond his years. He was, what, thirty-five? He pulled his glass away from his mouth and placed it on the table.

  “Let’s start with some preliminaries. We must pick a safe word, although I hope you never have to use it. My goal as your Master is to make you feel safe and bring you contentment, which in turn will make me happy.”

  Hannah nodded.
“Yes, Sir. Do you have a word you would like me to use?”

  Drew shook his head. “We can use the standard ‘yellow’ if you are at a point where I make you nervous, but you must choose the actual word. Choose a word that you won’t use in everyday conversation but one that will be at the tip of your tongue if needed.”

  Without any further thought, Hannah blurted out, “Ghost.”

  Drew nodded in acceptance. “If you ever feel unsafe or scared or like you’re going to break, use this word. But only in those instances. In normal circumstances, we would have more time and I would learn what your boundaries are, but in the course of three days, this obviously isn’t possible.”

  Hannah nodded and sipped more of her water. Between the blanket and the heat blowing through the vents, she was beginning to feel quite warm again.

  “Domme Maria gave me the list of your hard limits. I have no issue with any of them and understand the need for most of them. I would like to discuss the option of possibly altering one or two of them though, once you have gained more trust in me. Is that something you are open to?”

  “Which limits would you like to change, Sir?”

  Drew reached for his water and took a sip before responding. “Well, I’d like you to reconsider swallowing.”

  Hannah blushed and, taking a large gulp, finished off the rest of the water in her glass.

  Drew chuckled at her reaction and then continued, “I’m sorry. I know this is an awkward discussion to have, but much better to have it now than later. When we are in the act and your warm mouth is sucking my cock, I will not want to stop. I will want to enjoy that moment. Do you understand?”

  Hannah blushed crimson at his bluntness, a bit mortified at having to actually discuss her aversion to giving a blow job. “Yes, Sir, I understand. I would like to give you this pleasure, but I’m afraid I’ll throw it back up on you. It’s just never been my thing. I’m sorry.”