Highest Bidder Collection

by Lauren Landish

  I don’t say a word as a dozen different emotions course through my body. The threat is very real. My body sways as the shock of what’s transpired hits me. You’re as good as fucking dead. Over and over his words repeat in my head.

  “You’re never going back to him,” Zander tells me firmly. “Ever.”

  “What’s going to happen?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “I’m going to make sure he pays,” Zander practically growls, tossing the phone onto the end table. It takes him a moment for him to look at me, and when he does his demeanor changes. “You’re safe.”

  He reaches out to me, gripping both of my shoulders and lowering his eyes to mine. “Look at me, sweetheart.” I instantly obey him, but I question my instincts. “You’re alright, and everything is going to be alright.” His words are like a soothing balm, but the wound too deep.

  The only thing I’m truly aware of is that nothing is alright.

  Chapter 25

  Zander

  There’s a gentle breeze outside; it blows the light dusting of snow as it falls, twirling before coating the hard ground. It’s April and the cold should be moving along, winter done and over, but the chill has lasted longer than it should. I rest my hand against the window, it’s cold as ice against my heated body.

  He’s done.

  They’re the words I texted Charles. It’s long past due for Brooks to be put in his place. Come Monday, there will be nothing left of him.

  I turn, looking over my shoulder at Arianna as she wraps her arms around her knees. She’s staring into the fire, listening to the crackling as the billows of soft grey smoke spill from between the split logs.

  She hasn’t been the same. I hate how much control he has over her. How weak he’s made her. She keeps saying he saved her, but she has no idea how wrong she is.

  “Sweetheart,” I call out to her and she lifts her head from resting on her knees and stares back at me with the desire to be commanded in her eyes. She’s lost and scared, just like she was before Brooks got his hands on her. He kept her that way, molded her to believe something else. To believe she was better when he only made her suffer that much more.

  I’m going to fix her. It’s the only thing I give a damn about anymore.

  “I want you to come here,” I tell her as I walk to the edge of the rug. She’s still on her ass, curled beneath the heat of the fire, but she makes a move to come to me. She nearly crawls. For the split second that she’s on all fours, I want her to. The idea of her crawling the few feet and waiting on her knees to please me makes my dick twitch with need. Soon. I’m ready to give in, but only once she fully submits. And that starts tonight.

  She slowly rises and I can see in her eyes that she questions if she should have crawled to me. If she wanted to, she should have. It’s as simple as that. She’ll learn. I’ll learn with her. And together we’ll enjoy that depraved darkness we both desire.

  “Do you want me?” I ask her. Her eyes spark with fear, the green flecks mixing with a light gold and shining back with panic.

  “I… Yes… I-” she doesn’t answer with confidence. Her eyes look down at the plush rug beneath her bare feet.

  “You need to know what you want, sweetheart. If you can tell me, I’ll give it to you.”

  “But for how long?” she finally asks the question that’s been holding her back. My lips turn up into that smile, the one I love. The one that reflects the happiness she gives me. I brush the stray hairs from her face with the back of my knuckles and lean forward, my hand cupping her chin.

  I whisper, my lips nearly touching hers. “However long you’ll let me have you.”

  “I don’t want to leave,” she tells me with her eyes open, but there’s a pain in her voice caused by her confession. Our hot breath mingles as she says, “You make me weak.”

  The words are like a knife to my heart. If only she knew. I’m the weak one. Only for her.

  I press my lips to hers and let my hands roam her body. My fingers trail down to the dip in her waist before I pull back, leaving her to stand on her own, although she almost stumbles.

  “Undress for me,” I tell her as I grip the ends of my shirt, forcing myself to hold anything other than her. She doesn’t hesitate, although her eyes spark with a hint of anger for leaving her in the heat of the moment. The fire crackles and sparks behind her, lighting her with shadows dancing over her slender body as she slowly strips, dropping her clothes to the floor in a puddle at her feet. I do the same, mimicking her movements until we’re both naked before each other, bathed in the glow of the fire and nothing else.

  “I want you,” she whispers, and her simple words contain so much power. They're so raw and full of a truth that’s undeniable.

  I step forward, closing the space between us as my toes dig into the plush rug and confess, “I want you, too.”

  Her lips crash with mine and her fingers spear through my hair as she moans into my mouth. Yes! This, this is exactly what I want.

  My blunt nails dig into the flesh of her ass as I lift her up, parting her thighs and nestling my dick between her legs as I lower her to the floor beneath us, sinking into the rug in front of the fire.

  The soft fur of the rug is nothing like the feel of her skin. So delicate, so easily bruised and broken. But I want her like this. Every part of her moving with me, wanting me just as much as I want her.

  I leave open-mouth kisses along her body, over every inch. My hot breath trails along her skin. Her hips buck and those moans of desperate need fill the air as I toy with her, teasing her just as she’s teased me.

  “Please,” she moans my name. “Zander, please.”

  She’ll never know how much power she gives me when she calls for me like that. When she shows me how much she needs me. How much she craves my touch.

  “On all fours,” I breathe the command and she’s quick to obey, turning over her body, her hair swishing over her shoulder. I let my teeth scrape along her neck before sucking gently at the tender skin in the crook of her neck.

  Her plush ass grinds against my cock, begging me to take her and claim her as mine. But this is for her. For her to claim me.

  “Take from me, sweetheart.” I place my hand on the small of her back as I line my dick up between her hot folds. She’s already slick, already wanting me. “Take what you want.”

  The way she looks at me from over her shoulder teases me to slam into her. To take everything from her and overpower this beautiful creature who’s submitted to me.

  But there’s so much more power in having her take from me.

  Her back arches beautifully, her ass rising slightly as she reaches between her legs and grabs a hold of me. A rough groan vibrates up my chest and soothes me as she slowly eases herself backward, her hot cunt taking all of me achingly slowly.

  Her hips push back until she's pressed against my groin, her hot cunt filled with my cock. Her forearms brace herself and she leans forward, her head thrashing from side to side as she moves on and off my dick.

  My head falls back and my fingers dig into the flesh of her hips. They itch for me to hold her still and fuck her like I want to. But I hold back. Waiting for her.

  She rocks herself on and off my dick, her tight cunt sucking me in and making me regret the decision to give her control. My fingers dig deeper, wanting more. Her soft moans turn to ragged breaths as she picks up her pace.

  I have to let go of her, warring with the need to take over and pin her down. I fall forward, my hands gripping the rug as her pussy clamps down on my dick. I kiss along her spine, traveling upward and letting her hair tickle my nose as she cums violently, urging me to spill myself deep inside of her as her body trembles with the shock of her orgasm.

  A cold sweat breaks out over my body, and I finally feel like I can breathe. Her body sags on the floor, limp and sated, but I’m not done with her.

  “Good girl,” I tell her before nipping her earlobe and propping her back up and onto all fours. She turns to lo
ok at me over her shoulder, her breathing frantic.

  My hands are gentle as I trail them down her back, catching my breath and positioning my knees so I can take her hard and fast. I only give her a moment, only waiting to see her lower her front to the floor to steady herself and then look back at me with her mouth parted.

  I slam into her, buried to the hilt without any mercy as she screams out. I piston my hips, taking her over and over with a relentless pace.

  I’m already close to cumming. The sight of her taking pleasure from me was enough to be my undoing. Her fingers dig into the carpet and her pussy spasms on my cock. “Zander!” she screams out my name as I pound into her over and over. My toes curl and the very bottom of my spine tingles as I thrust my hips once, twice, and one last time before cumming deep inside of her.

  My body falls forward as she shakes beneath me, the waves of her own release racing through her. My hand grips hers as my body covers hers, and I kiss her shoulder tenderly.

  “Never question if I want you,” I tell her softly. “Never question if you’re mine.”

  She breathes out heavily, strands of hair falling in her face. Her gorgeous eyes stare back at me and she answers, “Yes, Zander,” as I kiss her shoulder one last time.

  Chapter 26

  Arianna

  The crackle of spent logs and the scent of wood smoke fill the room as Zander slips on his dark blazer over his white dress shirt and adjusts his cufflinks in one smooth flourish. I bite my lower lip as I watch him check out his freshly shaven appearance in the bedroom mirror. He has to know that he looks good. This is just habit.

  After adjusting his black tie, he turns around, his piercing blue eyes focusing on me.

  My skin pricks as the intensity of his stare summons a dull ache between my thighs, a reminder of the passionate night before.

  “You’ll be fine while I’m gone?” Zander asks me, giving me his boyish grin that makes my heart skip a beat.

  I grip the grey silk bathrobe in my hands, pulling it tighter around my chest. “I think so,” I say. I pause, not knowing if I should pry, but hesitantly ask, "Where are you going?”

  Zander’s grin quietly fades. “I have some business to take care of.”

  I want to ask him what kind, but I stop myself. There’s a reason he keeps his secrets, and maybe he doesn’t trust me with them yet. But he can’t keep them from me forever.

  He can too, says an annoying voice at the back of my head, this is all pretend.

  Fuck you, I want to tell the voice. I don’t need any negativity shitting on my rainbow right now. I just want to be happy for once.

  I shove down my anxiety and ask, “Do you know when you'll be back?”

  Zander raises his right hand to glance down at his platinum Rolex. “I think around six. I’ll bring back dinner.”

  Damn, that’s a long time. What the hell will I do until then?

  I try to keep my disappointment from showing, but I barely manage. “Okay.”

  Zander crosses the space between us, hooking his hand beneath my chin and tilting my head back to force me to look into his eyes. “Don’t be sad, sweetheart,” he says softly. “I have something for you to do while I’m gone.”

  “What?” I ask, my mind racing with what it could be.

  His boyish grin grows wider. “I bought an easel and painting supplies for you so you could work here when you’re not in the studio. I set it all up in the piano room.”

  A feeling of warmth goes through my chest and I stand on my tiptoes to give him a kiss on the lips. “Thank you,” I breathe with gratitude when I pull away. My cheeks hurt from the wide smile on my face, but I don’t even try to hide it.

  Zander winks at me. “I thought you might like it.” He gives me several more kisses that leave me wanting more before pulling away. There’s a look of regret on his face as he gazes at me, as if he wishes he could stay. “Don’t go anywhere while I’m gone, and do not answer your phone if you don't know who it is. I don’t want you in contact with him.”

  I nod my head slowly, my anxiety slightly rising at his serious tone. “I won’t.” I promise. It's not like Danny’s threat feels real, it doesn’t. But I feel safer here with Zander. I don’t want to see Danny at all. Just the thought makes a chill run through my body. I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want anything to do with him, and I trust Zander when he says he’s taking care of it.

  Zander gives me one more quick kiss on the lips. “Later then, sweetheart.”

  He walks over to the door but before he can leave, I call out, “Wait.”

  Zander turns, arching an eyebrow in question.

  “What am I supposed to paint while you’re gone?”

  His brow furrows in thought for a moment and then he gives me that boyish grin. “I don’t know. Surprise me.”

  With a wink he’s gone, leaving me alone in the room. I listen to the sound of his footsteps receding down the hallway until they fade into the distance. After a minute, I hear the roar of the engine of one of his cars start up outside as he drives away.

  I chew on my lip, wondering what I could paint for Zander. Looking around the room, I feel like he has expensive taste. Hmm... An item of wealth, maybe? Power? I shake my head. No, I don’t think he’d like that.

  I got it! Remembering his reaction to my painting of the woman, suddenly I have an idea and my face breaks out into an excited grin. My fingers itching with excitement, I rush out into the hall toward the piano room. I stop just outside of it, grabbing the picture frame off the stand just outside the door.

  When I walk into the room, the breath catches in my throat.

  “Ohhh,” I say softly, butterflies in my stomach.

  Zander’s set up a chair and easel on the dais with the piano, pointing it toward the floor-to-ceiling windows so I could paint with the breathtaking backdrop in front of me. He even went to the trouble to have the painting supplies set out and ready. All I have to do is sit down and start painting.

  This is so sweet of him. So unexpected.

  Tears pricking my eyes, I walk up the dais and set the frame upright on the piano. I take a seat at the easel and look at the brushes. When I choose the right one, I dip it into a deep earth tone shade of brown and begin painting.

  Over the next several hours, I lose all sense of time as I work on the painting, frequently casting glances at the picture frame, trying to get every detail and nuance right. I don’t take any breaks and I get so lost in my art, not even getting up to go to the bathroom. And by the time I’m close to done, my back is aching and my right hand feels nearly numb.

  “Almost there,” I whisper, setting a brush down into a small cup of water on the stand next to me. There's a bit of paint on Zander's shirt I'm wearing, but I’m sure he won’t mind. I fucking hope not. “It’s missing something,” I murmur, staring hard at the painting, a replica of Zander’s mother, Marie.

  I stare at it long and hard, trying to figure out what it is. Finally, I snap my fingers.

  Her smile. A feeling of joy sweeps through me, a rush of euphoria I always get when I’m close to finishing a work of art. It’s not quite right. There’s life to the smile I see in the photo. A tenderness that shows her love for Zander. And it’s missing from this canvas.

  “Once I get that done,” I say happily, loving how it all looks, “it’ll be perfect.”

  And I hope Zander will love it.

  I’m about to pick up a paintbrush and apply the finishing touches, when I hear a faint ringing sound. I pause, frowning, straining my ears. I can’t tell exactly where the sound is coming from, but it sounds like it’s in the other room.

  I pick the paintbrush back up, but now that I’ve heard the sound, I can’t unhear it. I’ve got to know what it is. Sighing, I place the paintbrush down and walk into the adjoining room, one of Zander’s studies.

  Ding. Ding. Ding.

  It’s my cell, laying on his desk.

  When I see the messages on the screen, my heart leaps up my throat.<
br />
  It’s Natalie. Fuck!

  I’ve been so worried about Danny that I forgot to call her.

  That’s not true, says the annoying voice at the back of my head. You were too wrapped up with your lover Zander to care.

  I’m really starting to hate that fucking voice right now, especially because it reminds me how much of a shitty friend I've been.

  Sucking in a deep breath, I pick up the phone, reading through some of the messages.

  Nattybatty95: Hey Ari! I got some crazy shit to tell you! I can’t wait to get home to talk to you about it :P

  Nattybatty95: Where you at, chica?

  Nattybatty95: Is something wrong? :(

  Nattybatty95: Why aren’t you home yet?

  Nattybatty95: WTF

  Nattybatty95: I’m filing a missing persons report if I don’t hear from you within the next day

  The last message sends me into a panic and my fingers are flying across the keys before I even have time to process.

  Artistchick96: Hey nat! Don’t go filing a police report!!! I’m totally fine! Don’t worry. I just took a mini vacation that’s all

  My cell chimes with an immediate ding.

  Nattybatty95: Ari! Thank God you’re alright! I was just about to file that report on you

  Thank fuck she didn’t. Jesus.

  Artistchick96: No need! I’m okay.

  Nattybatty95: Holy shit, you scared me to death! I thought you’d been kidnapped or something

  My fingers fly across the touch screen.

  Artistchick96: Nope. You’re still stuck with me.

  Nattybatty95: Wait, where are you? And where the hell have you been!?

  I pause before responding, biting my lower lip while I think. I feel awful about the worry and panic I’ve caused Natalie. And I can’t believe I haven’t thought to send her a message while I’ve been staying over here with Zander. But deep down, I know a part of me didn’t want to contact Natalie because... I knew she’d be trouble.

  If I told her I was staying somewhere, she would’ve pestered me with endless questions.