AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Fox-Face, however, has no such qualms. He groans merrily as he pushes himself to standing, adjusts his pants around his chubby middle, and makes his way directly to Number Thirteen, the woman who winked at him.
Eve grimaces as the man passes by her, then marches towards a distant wall, pressing her back against it.
As soon as both sides make a move, the rest of the room stirs.
The auction week has officially begun.
* * *
Imake myself another drink but don’t taste it. I don’t want to drink too much and dull any of my senses. I can’t afford it.
So, I fidget with the glass, swirling it in my hands, and watch Eve move around the room.
She tries to stand against a wall, but Edgar walks over and quietly encourages her to join the party. They are too far away from me to hear what he says, but I guess his words are not as kind as the fake smile on his face.
A woman in a purple dress approaches me, but I don’t even glance in her direction. Even when she is standing a foot to my right, I just stare straight ahead.
I don’t want to talk to her or any woman in the room. Only Eve.
The woman tries to catch my eye for a few desperate seconds before she slips away to find another man.
I feel bad for dismissing her, but I don’t want to give her any sense of false hope. I won’t be making a bid on anyone but Eve. Ever. And the woman’s time will be better spent cozying up to another guest at the auction.
Peter Struthers bumbles over to Eve and brings her a drink. She tries to demur, but he pushes it into her hand. I have to bite my tongue to keep from ripping his hand off.
I keep my eye on them as I circulate, doing my best not to tip my hand so obviously as to draw unwanted attention. Eve looks miserable talking to Peter. He is laughing and smiling and moving increasingly close to her, but she just stares at him with blank eyes. Though, her lack of enthusiasm doesn’t seem to discourage him.
During the conversation, I notice Eve reach up and adjust something around her neck. That is when I notice the collar.
I was so distracted when she first walked in that I didn’t see the red strip of leather fastened around her neck.
When she turns to avoid another of Peter’s advances, I see the gold charm hanging from the front, and I curse under my breath.
They have a collar on her like she is a fucking animal.
Heat builds in my core, and my breathing grows heavier. My heart feels like a bass drum in my chest, and my vision tunnels until Eve is all I can see.
I have to get her out of here. I have to save her.
“Hey there.”
I turn and see a hippy blonde woman standing next to me. She has dark makeup around her eyes and bright red lipstick on, which only serves to highlight how pale she is. I wonder when she last saw sunlight.
I want to dismiss her the way I did the first woman who approached me, but I realize that I have to show interest in the other women. If I want this plan to work, people have to believe that I am here to shop.
So, I turn towards her and raise an eyebrow. “I thought I was supposed to be the one doing the approaching.”
She blinks, trying to decide whether I’ve just insulted her or not, and then smiles, her lips twitching from the effort. “I was always taught to go after what I want.”
I reach out and pinch a strand of her hair between my fingers. She flinches from the brief contact, but then smiles. “And you are the most handsome man in the room.”
“I have a mask on,” I remind her.
“A mask can only hide so much,” she says.
I glance towards Eve. She is now talking to Fox-Face. Her cheeks are the same shade of red as her dress, and I desperately want to know what he is saying to her.
“What do you do?” she asks.
