To the Highest Bidder

by Clare Connelly

  Jenna giggled. “I’m too drunk to be thingy.”

  “He’s kind of… I don’t know. I told him that I’d lost my job with the agency. And that it was because of his dad. And he… told me he wants to compensate me.” Her cheeks flushed. She saw the driver’s eyes flick to them in the mirror and she lowered her voice. “He wants to pay me to not get another job.”

  Jenna leaned closer. “It could just be the alcohol, but I don’t get it. Why would he not want you to work?”

  “Because he wants me to himself.” She closed her eyes. “I think he thinks I’m the other kind of escort. Besides, he wants my nights free.”

  Jenna nodded, as the situation slowly imprinted onto her brain. “You agreed?”

  “Yeah. He can be pretty persuasive.”

  “You mean he’s drop dead gorgeous?”

  Jane laughed. “That too.”

  “So? What’s the problem?”

  “It kind of feels like he’s paying me for sex.”

  Jenna sighed. “Let me see if I have all the facts. You met at a party and pretty much jumped him on the terrace?”

  Jane nodded.

  “And you bumped into him tonight and within minutes had agreed to stop looking for work, let him give you money, and that you’d sleep with him?”

  Jane made a strangled noise of assent. “It’s not quite like that, though.”

  “Well, do you actually want to sleep with him? Take money and your employment situation out of the equation.”

  “Are you kidding me?” She chewed her lower lip. “I mean, he’s sooo sexy. I’ve never felt anything like this attraction before.”

  Jenna shrugged. Problem apparently solved. “There’s your answer then. So long as you’re not doing anything you’re not comfortable with, it’s fine. The money is irrelevant. Ignore it. It isn’t why you’re going along with it. So it’s just a nice little perk.”

  “Not such a little perk.” She whispered, turning her attention to the lights of Manhattan. The figure they’d agreed on still made her swoon.

  “A drop in the ocean of his fortune, I promise. He’s worth a goldmine. I had my students do an assignment on Silverlight last year, so if you need to know anything about his net worth, I’m your girl.”

  Jane shook her head resolutely. “I don’t want to know. The difference in our situations already makes me feel queasy.”

  “Don’t let it, is my advice. Jane, he couldn’t stop staring at you. He was like a starving puppy. That’s got nothing to do with money and everything to do with you.”

  Jane giggled. “He’s not a puppy. A wolf, maybe.”

  “Whatever he is, he’s obviously into you. Just enjoy it.”

  “I intend to,” she nodded. But the confidence was false. “It’s just… I’m used to keeping men captivated for a night. Maybe two. What if he loses interest after that?”

  “You’re kidding me, right?”

  Jane shook her head from side to side, so that her dark hair curtained about her heart shaped face.

  “As your best friend, I find that highly offensive. You’re the sweetest, kindest person I’ve ever met. If he does get bored of you, then he’s an idiot. Absolutely not worth your time.”

  Jane shrugged. “Thanks. I’m not getting my hopes up, and I’m not getting attached. He’ll get sick of me sooner or later.” She could see that Jenna was about to launch another pep talk and so she held up a hand to silence her. “Not because I’m a dull bore. But because even I know he has the attention span of a moth when it comes to women. The next bright light and he’ll be off. I can’t get too involved with him, Jenna. You need to remind me of that or I think I might end up with a broken heart. This is just meant to be a bit of well-remunerated fun.”

  Jenna nodded sagely. “If anyone deserves a bit of fun, it’s you, Jane. Enjoy yourself and try not to overthink the consequences.”

  Later that night, when she was staring out at the streetlight that gave a glow to the intersection of Morton and Hudson Streets, her phone buzzed on her bedside table.

  She fumbled for it in the dark and swiped it open.

  Are you awake? CMH.

  A smile played on her lips. I am now.

  I’m thinking of you. Thinking of tomorrow night.

  She pushed up onto her elbows and focussed on the bright screen. What are you thinking about in particular?

  Too many things. Endless possibilities. All of them very pleasurable. You?

  She twirled her hair around her finger. I like it when you kiss me. Her finger hovered on the send button for a moment, and then she balled up her courage and pressed it.

  He smiled. I like that too. What else?

  No, it’s your turn.

  I want to fuck you until you lose your voice from screaming.

  She breathed in sharply in the soft night air. Her heart rate was accelerating dangerously, and between her legs, she felt slick moisture.

  And then I want to fuck you again.

  She held her phone in fingers that were shaking a little. Her mind was spinning, and her body was on fire. You scare me a little. You’re… intense.

  You’ll like intense. Trust me.

  She closed her eyes, and his face came immediately to mind. She couldn’t wait to see him again.

  Are you on the pill?

  She blinked. Yes. That’s kind of personal though, isn’t it?

  I just told you I want to fuck you until you can’t speak. We’re past personal, aren’t we?

  She smiled, but her body felt oddly weak. Besieged by sensations that were rendering her inert. I still don’t know if it’s any of your business.

  While we’re in this arrangement, everything that concerns you is my business.

  Did I already say that you’re kind of intense?

  He didn’t reply immediately, and her eyelids were heavy, despite the way her body was flushed with a strong sense of pleasure. She was close to drifting off when her phone buzzed again.

  Dream of me. I’ll know if you don’t.

  Intense bastard, she thought with a slow smile as she pushed her phone aside and closed her eyes.

  Of course she dreamed of him. How could she not? In every way, he had already taken possession of her. Her whole body was in tune to him, and only him.

  The next day seemed to drag. With Anita away on camp for yet another night, there were no school lunches to prepare, no uniforms to clean, no timetable to check. She was at a loose end on a day when she most needed distracting.

  She went to the gym, and ran for an hour on the treadmill, then did a yoga class. She prepared a light dinner for Jenna and wrote a little note to go with it, taking care with her spelling as she always did when leaving notes for her friend or sister. Then, she set about some of her practice tests before finally allowing herself the luxury of preparing for her night.

  It was only as she was drying herself after the shower that she realised he hadn’t told her if they were going out that night. What should she wear? Jeans were too casual for a restaurant, but perfect for a night at his apartment. A dress might seem like she expected to be shown another Four Seasons style dinner.

  She shook her head.

  This was sex.

  She smiled as she unhooked a Mac coat from her wardrobe and looked at it thoughtfully. She’d seen it in movies, but did she dare? Could she actually turn up at his apartment wearing only a pair of lacy underwear, some sky high heels and a coat?

  Apparently she could. She pulled the coat on and slid her feet into a pair of stilettos. Bright red lipstick and a finger comb of her long dark hair completed the look.

  He had no idea what he was in for.

  She threw a couple of things in an oversized handbag and headed for the door. Butterflies stormed her stomach as she walked to the nearest subway. Part way down the line, the train was held to even out the service, and she sat there watching the clock on her iPhone, waiting and waiting, wanting only to see him again.

  She hopped out at ninety sixth street
and Lex and walked the short distance to the Park Avenue address he’d given her. While she felt slightly self-conscious in her near-naked state, she also felt deliciously filled with anticipation.

  The buzzer for his apartment didn’t have a name, but she pressed the number anyway.

  His voice was instantly familiar to her; an impatient tone now his trademark. “You’re late.”

  She blinked, as she fished her phone from her pocket to check the time. He was right. The delay on the subway had held her up. “Are you going to dock my pay?” She asked with mock fear.

  His laugh was a rumble. “I can think of other ways to exact revenge.”

  The door made a low-pitched rumbling sound and a click, so she pushed it inwards.

  When the elevator pinged open on the top floor, he was waiting for her. Indolently reclined against the wall, dressed in a pair of jeans and a collared t-shirt.

  “Hi.” She said, suddenly shy.

  His eyes burned into her. “Hi.” He held a hand out for her bag. She passed it over.

  He pushed the door into his apartment and hooked her bag over a stand at the entranceway.

  “Wow.” She froze right inside, spinning a full circle to take in the view of the apartment.

  “Wow.” She repeated, taking a step into the palatial space. “This is… just… wow.” Open plan, and on a scale that made enormous seem miniscule, the apartment spanned forever. At the edge of it was a wall of glass that revealed the shimmering Manhattan skyline like jewels stitched into a black velvet neckline.

  His shrug was dismissive. “I’m glad you like it. Can I take your coat?”

  Show time. She fixed him with a direct stare, her dark eyes latched to his with a silent promise. “Sure.” She stood perfectly still, while he came to stand behind her, his hands at the belt. She’d wrapped it tight around her waist to be sure she wouldn’t have any mishaps on the journey over.

  He looped his fingers into the knot and began to weave it free. He undid the waist and then spun her around to face him. Button by button, he loosened it, until he could shake it from her body. When he saw that she was completely naked beneath except for a lace thong, it was his turn to stand stock still.

  “Wow is just the word I was thinking,” he remarked, his voice a gravelly husk.

  She grinned and shrugged. “Am I being presumptuous?”

  He narrowed his eyes. “You’re being perfect.” He pushed aside the small seed of worry that was forming inside his mind. He didn’t want more than sex with this woman, or any other. Offering herself to him on a platter was ideal.

  “You said you wanted to pick up where we left off on the terrace?”

  His eyes burned wide before he pulled her to his body. Her hands were on his belt, fumbling with it, pulling it free the instant they connected. She tossed the leather strap across the room then turned her attention to his pants.

  His laugh was without humour. “You seem as eager as I am.”

  She grinned up at him. “What gave you that impression?”

  He stepped out of his pants, leaving them on the floor, as he lifted her against his body and carried her to the sofa. His bedroom seemed an interminable distance away. He lay her down, so that her hair floated behind her back as a halo of ink.

  “You are so beautiful,” he groaned, lowering his mouth to her neck and running his stubbled face over her sensitive skin. Her hands pushed at his shirt, connecting with skin.

  She tilted her head back and lifted her feet onto the sofa, giving him unfettered access to her body. He ground his hips against her, promising and teasing, building her anticipation in a way that was almost unbearable.

  “I have been waiting for you all day. Dreaming of this moment.” His erection was at her entrance, still teasing, still promising. She dug her nails into his lower back, trying to press him deeper.

  He kissed her lips, hard, his mouth assaulting hers with passionate desire. It made it impossible for her cry out with pleasure as he entered her, but she did arch her back and moan, deep in her throat, deeper in her soul. He was enormous. It took her a moment to accommodate his length; to get used to the sensation of just how completely he filled her over-sensitised core. Then, she wrapped her legs around his body, and kissed him back, her tongue duelling with his as his body pounded against her, making waves of pleasure pull her apart from the inside out. His muscular chest slammed against her soft, generous breasts, and his hands pulled through her hair.

  He swore as he felt his control slipping. “Too soon.” He shook his head, and kissed her more gently, slowed his tempo.

  Jane shook her head. “No.” She pushed at his chest, surprising him enough into breaking contact. She pushed him again, so that he fell back against the sofa, and then she straddled him, taking him instantly back into her heart. His surprise was obvious, and it gave her pleasure. She rocked on her haunches, fast, lifting her body so that she could reclaim him again and again, at her own speed.

  He swore, a gruff sound that spoke of his borderline control on his own pleasure. Only she didn’t hear it, for she was screaming into the night air, as her orgasm cascaded through her body, making vital system after vital system shudder in response. She linked her fingers through his and held their arms out to the side as, finally, she shuddered on top of him, her orgasm more intense than she could process. He held her tight as he followed after her, spilling himself into her with a deep, soul-torn growl.

  “I spent the day part terrified that you might change your mind,” he said against her neck, running his tongue from her earlobe to her décolletage.

  “Why would you think that?” She asked, unwilling to break their connection. He filled her so completely that the idea of pulling apart left her with a pre-emptive sense of emptiness.

  He shrugged. “Because you seemed hesitant to accept my offer.”

  She pressed her lips together, hoping her heart would slow back to its usual tempo soon.

  “That’s because you’re very intense.” She grinned. “That, and I suspect you can be a bit of a bastard.”

  He pulled a face rich with mock offense. “How can you say such a thing?”

  “The first time I met you, you were on a date and you seduced me to prove a point to your father. The second time I saw you, you were on another date, and you offered me money for sex.”

  He nodded slowly, his eyes hooded as they regarded her. “Same woman.” As though that made a difference. “Couldn’t you say instead that you make me behave in a way that is out of character?”

  She shrugged, and slowly eased herself away from him. “You could,” she nodded, standing and surveying the apartment. She realised she was still wearing her heels. “But I don’t think that’s accurate. I think this is you, true to form.”

  He was silently appraising her, so she walked away from him, back towards the front door. “Where is your bathroom?”

  He furrowed his brow. “Down the corridor, on the left.”

  “Thanks.” She grabbed her bag and moved, with an exaggerated swagger, the way he’d indicated.

  The bathroom was every bit as stunning as she’d expected. Fit for a Queen, the décor was contemporary, yet timelessly stylish. She splashed some water on her face and freshened up, wincing a little as muscles she hadn’t used in a long time made a small ache of complaint. She pulled on fresh underwear and a simple dress, then left the bag against the bath. She padded out to him in bare feet, completely oblivious to the effect her appearance had on him. He watched her surreptitiously, his gaze drawn, his expression inscrutable.

  “I prefer you naked,” he said, as she sat on a stool in the kitchen.

  “Then you should turn the air conditioning off. It’s cold in here.”

  He laughed. “Let me show you around. You’re going to be living here at night, so you should feel comfortable to change things to suit yourself.”

  She looked at him with an expression of bemusement. “Living here?”

  He frowned. “As we agreed.”

/>   “No.” She shook her head. “We never agreed that.”

  He came to stand in front of her, separating her legs so that he could fit within the triangle of her thighs. “Yes, we did. You were very secretive about what you do with your days, but you told me I could have your nights.”

  She frowned. “Not every night.”

  He put his hands on her hips and ran them upwards, so that he could slide his thumbs along the underside of her breasts. She moaned quietly as sensations began to once more lap at her resolution.

  “We agreed to nights. At my discretion.” He kissed her lips lightly.

  She was about to object when she realised that she was sticking to her guns for no real reason. “Okay. We can just… play it by ear.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. “You are frustrating me, you know that?”

  She grinned up at him cheekily. “I hope so. I like it when you’re impatient.”

  “Do you?”

  She blinked. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.” She ran her fingers over his naked chest, her eyes wide with wonderment.

  “And what am I like?” He asked, pulling her forward on the chair.

  “You’re determined. And confident. Confident in a way that borders on arrogant, except there’s something very charming about you too. Dangerously charming. Like a poisonous mushroom.”

  He burst out laughing. “I have certainly never been called that before.”

  She shrugged. “I’ve been used to being in charge for so long, it’s nice to have someone else call all the shots for a while.”

  It was a strange thing to say, and in the coming weeks, he would bitterly regret that he hadn’t pushed her to elaborate on the comment. But in that moment, his arousal was straining against the fabric of her underwear, and he seemed to lose the ability to think of anything else. He slipped a finger under the elastic of her pants and slid them aside, so that he could take possession of her body again. His fingers needled the soft flesh of her backside as he pushed her forwards, holding her on the edge of the seat as he thrust into her hungrily and demandingly.

  She was shocked when she felt herself come. Only minutes after having experienced the most intense orgasm of her life, she was again ascending that fever pitch of pleasure. She screamed into his dark apartment, throwing her head back. He grinned as he dipped his head lower and claimed her breasts, tracing her dark aureole with his tongue. She screamed with the pure white-hot pleasure she was feeling.