Bought: Highest Bidder

by Lauren Landish

  I sniffed and then stared at her. "Will I what?"

  "Be able to make a career for yourself? You still have a lot to learn, Vicky.”

  "Yeah.” I paused. “Tyler said that he would help me in any way he can." I quickly outlined Tyler’s offer to help me fund my career and maybe start a business together.

  April studied me for a long moment before speaking. "You know I love you, Vick, but I'm sorry. Do you honestly believe this guy? You seriously can’t be that naïve, Vick. The dude’s a major player. He probably tells girls stuff like that all the time just to get them in bed."

  "No, it's not like that, April," I hissed irritably, surprised at the anger dripping in my voice. I paused for a moment, sucking in a deep breath to calm myself before continuing. “At first I was like you, thinking he was a big time player, but I’ve since found out that he’s not like that at all. He’s got another side to him.”

  Who am I trying to convince? April or myself?

  “I hope you’re right, Vicky.” April really didn’t believe me, and a small part of me wondered if I didn’t believe it myself. “But wait . . . didn’t you find out that the guy is like your stepbrother or something?”

  I shrugged. “Yeah? So?”

  “So? Isn’t that like kind of . . .”

  I rolled my eyes at her insinuation. “Oh please, we’re not related. Heck, we were total strangers until not so long ago.”

  “I guess you’re right on that,” April conceded after a moment of thought. “But either way, it’s still going to make everything even more difficult. Besides, Vick, Christine owns your soul.” Her eyes seemed to say to me what she wouldn't say, maybe it’s for the best.

  “But that’s the thing . . . maybe I can get out of my contract.”

  April shook her head, taking a quick nibble on her celery stick. “Are you kidding me? Christine has like an army of lawyers. You’d never get out of it. I don’t care what Tyler is telling you. Once he knows you’re that much of liability, he’d drop you like a hot potato.”

  “You think so?”

  April nodded. “I know so.”

  “Hey bitches!” chirped a familiar voice. Gabe came walking up to our table with a tray of food. Unlike April, he actually had food on his plate, a big fat hot dog and a side of fries. Gabe was as skinny as a rail, but he could eat as much as he wanted without getting fat. It was so unfair. So, so unfair.

  Animated as a cartoon, Gabe sat his tray down on the table and then took his seat. “Hey Vick, you're like my fucking bitch of the hour! I hear you totally told Christine off.”

  I held in a groan. I really didn’t feel like talking about anything right then, least of all my confrontation with Christine. “You heard right.”

  “Hell yeah!” Gabe picked up his hot dog and took a huge bite out of it before asking me his next question with a mouthful of food. “Tell me exactly how it went down. I want all the details!”

  I shook my head and picked up my bagel, only to find my stomach turning. I had absolutely no appetite.

  “You don’t wanna know.”

  Chapter 13

  Tyler

  After Victoria had left, I’d taken a hot shower and started getting ready for work. I was buttoning my last cuff when Jonathan appeared at the top of the stairs.

  “Is there something wrong, Master Locklin?”

  I turned away from the mirror to regard the older man with irritation, who was peering at me with a look of concern. “What did I tell you about calling me Master, Jonathan?” I demanded. “It makes me sound like a damn slave owner.”

  I turned back to the mirror and rolled my shoulders, examining my appearance. There was a sparkle in my eye and a glowing flush to my skin. I knew I was handsome, but there was something more going on here. I looked . . . alive. More alive than I could ever remember.

  It’s Victoria, a voice in the back of my mind said. She’s done this to me. It was scary, the way she made me feel. Even scarier, the way she made me lose control of rational thought.

  What was I thinking, offering her something like that?

  What the hell did I know about fashion? Better yet, I don’t even really know what she knows. How could I offer to fund such a thing? I was supposed to be a damned businessman.

  I’ll just explain to her later that I didn’t really mean what I said, I thought. Much later.

  “I’m sorry Mast-, umm, Tyler,” Jonathan replied, breaking me out of my reverie. “It’s a terrible habit, I suppose. Call me old-fashioned.”

  “Well get with the times. This isn’t the 1800s anymore.”

  “You’re right, sir. I’ll try to be more thoughtful of that in the future.” He paused. “Will we be taking the customary drive to Armex headquarters?”

  I shook my head, turning away from the mirror and walking over to the bed to shoulder on my business coat. “No. I want to head by the Locklin estate. I’d like to pay my father a little visit.”

  “I trust your relationship with Victoria is over,” my dad said as I stood before his desk in his study. A steaming coffee mug was before him, right beside the morning newspaper he routinely read before being chauffeured off to his office at Armex.

  I did my best to hide my grin. “No. As a matter of fact, it’s not.”

  Dad’s head snapped up sharply. “What did you say?”

  “Our relationship, it’s not over. It’s only just begun.”

  He pushed the paper across his desk and narrowed his eyes at me. I could tell he was pissed off, though he was doing his best to hide it.

  “I warned you what would happen if you didn’t break this thing off, Tyler,” he growled.

  “I know,” I said in an offhand manner that I knew would make him want to jump my shit.

  His jaw bulged, a sign that I’d indeed gotten to him this time. “So why are you still with her? She’s your stepsister.” He continued, his voice raising a few octaves. “Do you have any idea what kind of image problems this relationship will cause for Armex?”

  I chuckled. "You know what? You're hilarious. First you badger the fuck out of me about settling down. Then, when I finally do find a girl to settle down with, she’s not good enough for you."

  "That's not true and you know it, Tyler,” Dad growled. "You know very well why I don't approve of this relationship." He snorted with contempt. "If you can even call it that. And by the way, you haven't fooled me one bit. I still don’t believe that you're willing to settle down. You want to know what I think?"

  I crossed my arms. “You’re going to tell me anyway, so go ahead.”

  "I think you got scared shitless when I threatened to replace you with Charles Whitmore, so you hastily latched onto the first girl you could find to put up with your bullshit to show me you’d changed." He scowled. "Well, you can drop the act now, Tyler. As long as you end this farce of a relationship and continue to behave, you’re in no danger of losing your position with our company."

  I hated to admit it, but for the first time since entering the room, I was pissed. My father was implying that I was scared of him and his threats when the truth was, I wasn't afraid of any fucking body. "Is that what you honestly think? You think that my relationship with Victoria is a farce?"

  Dad gave me a puzzled expression. "It is, isn't it?"

  “No!" I said sternly with my most convincing voice.

  My dad stared at me for a few moments before a surprised look took over his face as it dawned on him. "You're telling the truth, aren't you? There really is something between you two. I must admit, Tyler, I'm shocked."

  I swallowed, feeling a heavy sensation pressing against my chest. I hated it. I hated how Victoria made me feel . . . like I was in . . .

  I can hardly even think those words. I even promised her help with her career, I thought, when I don't even know if I'd be able to keep my word.

  Hiring her was one thing; that I could do. But promising that I’d help her start a fashion business? What the fuck was I thinking?

  I wasn’t thin
king, that's the problem, I thought. My mind was mush. I'd have said anything if it meant I’d be able to fuck her again.

  There was something about being with Victoria that fucked with me.

  She's dangerous, a voice in the back of my mind warned. She could ruin you. Not that I wasn’t well on my way to doing that myself.

  My dad's voice broke me out of my reverie as I pushed the unwanted voice out of my thoughts.

  “Well, Tyler?”

  “Look,” I growled. "We aren't related. I really don’t see the big deal here.”

  Dad stared. “You’re not stupid Tyler, but let me spell it out for you. It’s not that big of a deal, you’re right. But you know how the media spins things.”

  “Who cares what these people think, Dad? Maybe they shouldn't live their lives judging others and mind their own damn business."

  He took a deep breath, gathering himself. "Maybe in another time and place I'd agree with you, Ty, but these people that you need to please are not just regular old people. They’re our customers, or potential customers. The very people that allow you to live the lifestyle that you do. You do care about that, don’t you?" He shook his head. "I don't even see why I have to point this out to you. You know better. You know that our competitors will have a field day with this.”

  “Well it’s too late now, Dad. What’s done is done, and this isn’t just any old relationship that I can just end . . .”

  “Well, son, I think you’re going to have to make a decision. Victoria or your position at Armex.”

  "That's such bullshit! I'm not breaking up with her," I declared defiantly.

  "Tyler-"

  "In fact," I said loudly, speaking over him, "I'm going to hire her, even if it is short-lived. So not only will you be firing your son, but your stepdaughter too!”

  “That’s just five,” Jeff said as he leaned back in his seat across from me. I’d summoned my fellow colleague to my office for a little a private chat about what to do about the soon-to-come vote for my removal. He was enjoying a cheeseburger with bacon and fries from Wendy’s while I dined on a grilled chicken sandwich. “You need at least six.”

  “Damn,” I muttered.

  “It’s that God damn Charles Whitmore,” Jeff growled, grabbing his Coke and taking a sip before setting it back down. “If it weren’t for him, you’d be in the clear.”

  “Fuck that dude.”

  “Yeah.” Jeff swallowed and then stared at me. “But why go through all this trouble anyway? Why not just do what your father asked? Your stepsister can’t be worth all this trouble, can she?”

  “She’s worth every bit of it, Jeff,” I said firmly.

  “I can’t believe I’m hearing this. A few months ago, there was no chick on planet Earth that was worthy of your affection.” Jeff finished off the rest of his cheeseburger and then shook. “I can’t imagine it, though.”

  “Imagine what?”

  “Banging my own stepsister.”

  I grinned. He caught me off guard on that one.

  “Anyway,” I said, abruptly changing the subject, “Who’s on the fence in all this? All we have to do is get one of them to side with me.”

  Jeff picked up a napkin and wiped his hands before dropping it in the Wendy’s bag. Grabbing a fry and then dipping it in ketchup, he sat back in his seat and leveled a serious gaze on me. “Well, there’s Ritchie and Kevin.”

  “What about them?”

  Jeff waved his red-tipped fry at my face. “Well, Rich wants an apology and he might consider voting in your favor. He doesn’t like you, but if he had a chance to stick it to Charles, he’d take it.”

  I snorted. “An apology? For what?”

  Jeff popped the French fry in his mouth and chewed. “For sleeping with his ex.”

  “Seriously?”

  Jeff nodded. “Her name is Mandy Lane, remember her?”

  I racked my brain for the girl’s face, but I couldn’t come up with an image. “No,” I said finally. “I don’t.”

  Jeff grabbed another fry and waved it theatrically. “That’s unfortunate. Very unfortunate.”

  “Yeah, even more unfortunate because I’m not apologizing. From what you said, he wasn’t even with her anymore. Why does he even care?”

  “Oh come on, Ty. You know how it is, he was hoping to rekindle things.”

  “Look, just forget all this scheming. Whatever happens, will happen. If my dad wants to help remove me, then so be it.”

  The truth was that my pride would never let me grovel, even if it meant keeping my job. It was just one of my pitfalls as a man. My pride always got in the way.

  Shaking his head, Jeff popped his fry into his mouth, smacked his hands together several times to rid himself of salt and then stood up. “Well, it’s your decision, buddy. I’d hate to be in your position,” he warned as he grabbed his leftover fries and dumped them into his Wendy’s bag as he prepared to leave my office. “It’s your future on the line, after all.”

  Chapter 14

  Victoria

  "I can't come work for you,” I said, holding back tears. I was sitting beside Tyler, who'd shown up at the end of my shift in his limo after a long, arduous day at work.

  Tyler looked at me, making my heart flip.

  My God, I can't get enough of him, I thought. It never ceased to amaze me how the man could just turn me into mush with one simple look.

  "Why not?"

  He seems to be taking this news well, I thought, searching his face for disappointment. I saw none. For some reason, that bothered me.

  Holding back my crocodile tears, I explained what happened when I'd confronted Christine. "She doesn't want me to work for anyone else," I said as I finished my tale. "She revels in my misery."

  "What a sadistic cunt," growled Tyler.

  He still wasn't breaking down in tears. Not that I’d expected that, but I was hoping for a little more disappointment at least.

  "Tell me about it," I muttered. "I felt like such an idiot when I remembered my contract. I should've known I'd forgotten something."

  "Don’t beat yourself up over it," Tyler soothed. "You were in the heat of the moment. You couldn't have known."

  But you should be more upset about this, I thought. You seemed so excited this morning, but now you seem . . . subdued. It pissed me off that I didn’t have the courage to come right out and tell him that.

  The cabin fell silent as our driver, Jonathan, rolled to a stop at a stoplight.

  "So what are we going to do?" I asked a moment later. "I must admit, I was totally looking forward to working with you.” I flashed a nervous smile at him. "And then later on, maybe be your partner."

  Tyler hesitated, and for a second I saw indecision flicker in his eyes.

  Is he having second thoughts? I wondered. I hated that about myself. I’m a pretty headstrong girl most of the time, but I do have my insecurity issues too. The thought bothered me more than I wanted to admit. It meant that I'd been a fool all along.

  When Tyler didn't respond right away, I shifted in my seat, feeling an almost overwhelming panic take control of my limbs. "Are you okay?" I asked, trying my hardest to keep my voice level and firm.

  Tyler coughed and shook his head. "Uh, yeah. I was just thinking."

  "About what?" my voice cracked.

  Damnit. Another moment longer and I was sure I'd burst into tears. If that happens, I thought, I'm jumping out at the next stop light and never looking back.

  Tyler finally seemed to sense my anxiety and wrapped a consoling arm over my shoulder. "Don't worry, babe. I think I know who can help."

  "Who?" I wondered, trying not to cry.

  "Brad, a lawyer friend of mine," Tyler replied confidently. "I had a meeting planned with him at Bixby's diner tomorrow during lunch."

  "Bixby's," I muttered. I thought I’d heard of that one, a trendy restaurant near Christine’s. It was a little upscale and out of my league.

  "Yeah. Anyway, we were going to go over the legal options I have
if I’m removed. How about you stop by on your lunch break tomorrow? We'll talk to him about it, see if there's anything you can do to get out of it. If not, we’ll just have to wait.”

  "He'd do that?" I asked, swallowing back the lump in my throat. Just Tyler having his arm around me was doing a lot to calm my nerves. The man was out of this world. He could make me suspicious of him, doubt myself, and love him all at once.

  Tyler chuckled. “Yeah. He owes me big time.”

  "For what?"

  Tyler grinned. "You remember where we first met?"

  I rolled my eyes. "How could I forget?" Images of Tyler's chiseled thighs and enormous bulge flashed in front of my eyes, making the heat rise within my body.

  Your lips would look good wrapped around my . . .

  "Well those guests you guys were fitting were for Brad's wedding, and guess who’s footing the bill?"

  "Okay," I said, smiling. It was nice to know that Tyler would do that for someone, even if it was a drop in the bucket for him.

  Tyler planted a kiss on my cheek. “Everything will be all right, baby.”

  My breath quickened at his words and his hand that was now on my thigh.

  "What are you doing?" I demanded

  Tyler's beautiful eyes sparkled with mischief. "You left me hanging this morning. I'm just getting what I've been waiting for all day."

  I glanced uneasily up at the front of the limo. There was a glass window separating us and Jonathan, but I wasn't sure if he could see through it.

  "In here? While he's driving?"

  My breath quickened as Tyler’s eyes bore into me with an intensity that made my thighs quiver like Jell-O.

  Tyler pushed my legs open wide and winked at me, giving me a grin that said, I'm about to fuck you and you're going to love it. Who could resist?

  The next day, after a grueling morning with Christine, who'd sent me around the building like a chicken with my head cut off, running errand after impossible errand, I stopped by Bixby’s to meet up with Tyler and his friend, Brad, to have lunch.