His For A Week_Bought

by EM BROWN

  “I took the jet,” Ben replied.

  “Ohhh, you have a jet?” the woman of Southeast Asian descent asked, stumbling toward him. She was as thin as a reed—maybe thinner. “Like a corporate jet or a private jet?”

  “Ben has both, I’m sure, probably more,” slurred Derek. “The Lees are one of the wealthiest families in China. What did Forbes peg you at? Twelve, thirteen billion?”

  The eyes of the women lit up.

  “That’s impressive,” said a redhead with a champagne glass in hand.

  Jason wrapped an arm around his petite date. “Ben, this is Lisa. Pretty sweet find, hunh?”

  The redhead introduced herself. “And I’m Ryan.”

  Jake returned then with the blond, who looked a little worse, as if she had been crying. She looked embarrassed to be wearing her pink cocktail dress while Lisa was casually dressed in a sundress and Ryan was in tight cropped leggings and a halter.

  “Hi, I remember you,” said Lisa to the blond. “You’re Claire. You got the highest bid at the auction last night. Congratulations.”

  “There’s no Claire here. Her name’s Slut #1,” Jake corrected.

  The women did a double take, then Ryan turned to Derek. “Do I get a nickname, too?”

  “Sure, you can be Slut #2,” Derek replied.

  Ryan giggled.

  “That one’s taken already,” Jake informed

  “Slut #3 it is.”

  “And that would make me Slut #4?” Lisa asked.

  “She can count.” Jake grinned at Jason.

  “Of course she can. Asians are supposed to be good at math,” Derek joked.

  “Just select Asians: Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Indian,” Jason said.

  “Are you saying I’m not as smart because I’m Thai?” Lisa demanded.

  Jason pulled her to him and kissed her neck. “Pretty much, babe.”

  “I did hate math. It was so boring, but I got a passing grade because all the boys around me would do the work for me. I call that being smart.”

  “Here, you’re graded on something much more fun than math.”

  They touched foreheads, and Lisa giggled.

  Ben turned to Claire. “There are sandwiches on the table.”

  She glanced timidly at Jake, as if not daring to hope for the chance to eat. Ben decided he would have to beat the motherfucker up if he didn’t feed her.

  Jake had walked over to the table. To Claire, he said, “Go over to your spot. Be good and you’ll get to eat.”

  “I wanna change and touch up my makeup,” Ryan declared.

  Jake sat down with his sandwich and propped his feet on the adjacent chair. “Derek can show you around.”

  Jason, Derek, and their dates went upstairs with their bags. Ben walked over to Claire, who had situated herself in the sitting area before the fireplace.

  “Something to drink?” he asked her.

  She nodded.

  “There’s water, tea—”

  “You her fuckin’ waiter?” Jake sneered.

  Going to the kitchen, Ben poured a glass of water and set it before Claire. She gave him a look of gratitude.

  “You’re not trying to starve your slave?”

  “Hey, you worry about your slut, I’ll worry about mine.”

  “I’d want to make sure mine had enough stamina.”

  “You gotta teach them their place first.”

  Ben walked over to the table but stood before the windows. “Is that why you have them sleeping in the basement?”

  “You got it. Where’s Slut #2?”

  “Taking a nap in my room.”

  Jake shook his head. “You’re starting off on the wrong foot. Better to be hard on them at the beginning, then they appreciate it when you’re kind. You start off wussy, they won’t learn proper submission.”

  “You don’t have to be an asswipe about it.”

  Jake bristled. “You got your way, I’ve got mine. Besides, women want this. They want a man to totally dominate them and tell them what to do. I’m just giving them what they want.”

  “How come they didn’t come with anything?”

  “No time to pack, but it’s not like they’re going to need clothes here.”

  “They look tired.”

  Jake slowed his chewing as he stared at Ben. “What’s it to you?”

  “What do you know about these women?”

  “All I need to know. The Scarlet Auction takes care of testing them for STDs, and the women fill out questionnaires about what they like and shit.”

  “You get to see the questionnaires?”

  “Yep. I only go for women that are game for just about anything. Your slut, for example, indicated she’s into hardcore BDSM.”

  Ben felt his pulse quicken at the prospect, but he wasn’t ready to take anything Jake said at face value. “Do you have the questionnaire for Montana?”

  “Who? Oh, you mean Slut #2. Nah, I left the printouts at the auction.”

  Ben half suspected Jake hadn’t read any of it. “What do the women get to know about you?”

  “Nothing. It’s an auction, not a matchmaking service.”

  “What happens if they decide they don’t want to go through with something?”

  Jake shrugged. “They can call it quits, but they won’t get their money then.”

  Jake crumpled up his sandwich wrapper and tossed it at the wastebasket with a pretty good hook shot.

  “Tyrell call you back?” Ben asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Try him again.”

  “What’s your hurry?”

  Ben wanted to finish his business with Jake sooner rather than later. He didn’t want to spend the whole week with the guy.

  “My dad called asking for an update.”

  “Fine,” Jake grumbled before pulling out his cell to make the call.

  Ben only overheard the beginning of the conversation because he saw her at the top of the stairs. She was wearing his shirt and sweatpants and looking damn sexy in them. The sweatpants had drawstrings, and she had rolled up the bottoms, otherwise they would have been too long on her. Her full curls, no longer half straightened, were swept back in a hair tie, and she had removed her makeup. Their gazes met, and he was struck by how bright her eyes were.

  Holding her half-eaten sandwich, she glanced over at Claire several times as she descended the stairs. He met her at the bottom. The bruise on her cheek had darkened in color, but the swelling had gone down.

  “Thank you for the nap,” she said.

  “Glad you got some rest,” he replied.

  She stared at him with enough intensity, he almost shifted his weight. She was sizing him up again.

  “Should I call you Ben or Master?” she asked.

  “Ben for now. I’ll let you know when things change.”

  She stiffened but gave a curt nod. She looked over at Claire. “Do you mind if I talk to her?”

  “Go ahead.”

  He was ready to change out of his suit but decided against leaving the two women alone with Jake. He watched Montana approach Claire and put a hand on her shoulder.

  “You doing okay?” she asked Claire.

  Claire nodded.

  “You want a turkey sandwich?”

  “Hey!” Jake snapped to Ben. “Your slut’s not allowed to talk to mine unless I say it’s okay.”

  Ben put his hands on his hips. “She’s just giving her a sandwich.”

  Jake glared at Montana. “Fine. I was going to let her eat anyway.”

  “So what did Tyrell say?”

  “China’s not his first choice, obviously, but he’s willing to hear some numbers.”

  “Two and a half million for a two-year deal. One-point-one million if it’s going to be one year.”

  “You can do better than that. Marbury made two mill on one year.”

  “Marbury is a beloved celebrity in Beijing. Nobody’s heard of Tyrell.”

  “Make it one-point-three million.”

 
Ben thought it over. “Set up an in-person meeting, and I’ll consider it.”

  “What, you don’t trust me to deliver the message?”

  “Just set up the meeting.”

  Jake rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna go take a shower. Come on, Slut #1, you’re shaving that bush of yours. I don’t like my slaves hairy.”

  Claire dutifully scurried after Jake. Ben looked over at Montana.

  Finally, they were alone.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Kimani watched Ben move over to the bar. She still didn’t know what to make of him. He had a very serious demeanor but seemed nice enough. After all, he had let her nap and given her clothes, and he hadn’t made her give him a blow job—yet. But maybe anyone seemed nice next to Jake. And how good a guy could he be if he was willing to pay for sex? It wasn’t like a guy with his assets would have a hard time getting laid, which made the fact that he would pay for sex all the more disgusting.

  “Red or white?” he asked as he perused the wine bottles.

  “I don’t drink.”

  He looked at her. “At all?”

  “I mean, I’m not much of a drinker. I drink a little now and then.”

  He selected a bottle of Buena Tierra Vineyard from the Russian River Valley. He popped the cork. “Half a glass won’t hurt you, and it might take the edge off your nerves.”

  He could tell she was on edge? She accepted a glass from him, reminding herself that she had a role to play, and maybe if she drank, he would, too. He seemed guarded, and she had to loosen him up to get him to talk. While in his room, she had gone through his luggage, but all she’d found were clothing, toiletries, and a laptop and iPad, both password protected.

  “Thanks for letting me borrow some clothes,” she said after a moment of silence.

  “If you need anything, let me know.”

  “Thank you.”

  Looking at the stool at the end of the bar, she wondered if she should sit down. She wanted to launch into a number of questions but didn’t want to appear too nosy.

  He pulled the stool out for her. Gingerly, she sat down. He remained standing, his posture impeccable. It was too bad such a hot-looking guy was likely a lech, taking advantage of women who needed money.

  She took a sip of the chardonnay and was immediately taken by its brightness and apple-blossom aroma.

  “I usually prefer Italian whites, but the Russian River Valley wines have grown on me,” Ben said as he studied the wine’s coloring.

  “Are you a wine aficionado?”

  “No. Like you, I’m not much of a drinker. Sake is usually my alcohol of choice if I feel like drinking.”

  She was glad to hear he didn’t drink much and hoped that meant he wouldn’t try to get her drunk. Silence followed as she wondered if she could ask to use his cellphone. She wanted to text or call Sam so badly.

  “Something wrong?”

  Realizing she had been fiddling with the stem of the wineglass, she met his gaze. She had to ask, and if there were repercussions, then she would know he was an asshole just like Jake.

  “I was wondering...if I could use your cellphone?”

  “You didn’t bring yours?”

  “I think the auction staff might have taken it.”

  “Why would they do that?”

  “I don’t know, but both Claire and I had phones, and now they’re gone.”

  He pulled out his cell, unlocked it, and handed it to her. She nearly jumped for joy. Should she call or text Sam? Since she couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t listen in on her conversation, texting would be safer. She started typing as quickly as she could:

  Sam, it’s Kimani. Was bid on and taken to remote lakeside cabin. Trinity County, I think. My cell was taken. I’m okay at present. Will text again.

  After pressing send, she breathed a sigh of relief. At least now Sam might have a way of tracking her down if he didn’t hear from her.

  “Done?”

  “Yes, thanks,” she replied, handing Ben back his phone, then realized she should have deleted the text.

  “So tell me about yourself,” Ben said. “All I know about you is that you play ball, don’t drink much, and have a communications degree from Stanford.”

  He wanted to know about her? At least he realized she was a human and not just an object for sex.

  “Not much to tell,” she answered. “You seem like a more interesting person.”

  He didn’t take the bait. “I’m not that interesting.”

  She shook her head. “Typical Asian modesty.”

  He raised his brows, and she immediately regretted her words.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend,” she apologized. “I meant it as a compliment. It’s just that my friends at school, the Asian ones, they never bragged. My sophomore roommate was from Singapore, and every time I paid her a compliment, she would talk about how terrible she was at something. It got so I was better off criticizing her than complimenting her.”

  For the first time, she thought she detected a smile tugging at one corner of his lips. It made him look irresistible, and she had to remind herself that he just might be a better form of asshole than Jake.

  “While modesty is valued in my father’s culture, it’s not universal,” Ben said. “The Chinese word for China is ‘Middle Kingdom’ because China believes it is the country between heaven and earth.”

  “Are you from China?” she asked. He had a hint of an accent, but it wasn’t necessarily Eastern.

  “I was born there, but my father sent me to boarding school in England when I was in my teens.”

  “Where’d you go to college, before Stanford that is?”

  “Howard University.”

  She did a double take. “Seriously? You went to Howard?”

  He smiled to himself. “To be honest, I did it to piss off my dad. He wanted me to go to Harvard. So now that I’ve told you something about me, it’s your turn.”

  His stare pinned her in place. She took a gulp of wine. Somehow, they had fallen into easy conversation, almost as if they were on a date.

  “What—what do you want to know?”

  “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-five.”

  “Are you a virgin?”

  “Say what?”

  “I don’t have the benefit of the questionnaire you filled out for the auction.”

  “Oh.”

  Here it goes. The sex.

  “That’s kind of a personal question,” she stalled.

  “This isn’t a job interview. Or a date.”

  Right. What happens if he wanted a virgin? Would he toss her back to Jake if she told the truth? What sick fuck only wanted to do it with virgins?

  “Do you prefer virgins?” she asked.

  “Are you looking to be disciplined?”

  Her mouth went dry.

  “Look, this’ll go a lot easier if you just answer my questions.”

  “No, I’m not a virgin.”

  He looked relieved. “I understand you’re into BDSM.”

  She hesitated, wondering what the best answer was. On the one hand, she didn’t want to engage in sex, let alone BDSM sex with a stranger. On the other hand, she didn’t want to risk being returned to Jake if that’s what Ben was looking for. “It depends...”

  “On what?”

  “On the guy.”

  “Do you have any hard limits?”

  Everything is off limits to perverts who prefer to pay for sex. But she couldn’t blow her cover, and in truth, her mind drew a blank. If he was a halfway normal super-sexy guy, she would have been open to trying just about anything. Still, there was something about him that messed with the logical part of her brain, and so she answered stupidly.

  “Maybe.”

  “You can’t think of any off the top of your head?”

  “Like I said, it depends on the guy and how comfortable I am.”

  She felt a little better with that statement, like she had salvaged some of her IQ.

  “What
would you like your safety word to be?”

  The question stumped her. She had never had a safety word before because she had never delved into any hardcore stuff. She and one of her ex-boyfriends had played around with rope, spanking, and a crop, but otherwise, most of the sex she’d had was vanilla.

  “What do you usually use?” Ben prodded.

  “I don’t...it’s been a while, so...”

  “Mercy. Your safety word is mercy.”

  Feeling a lump in her throat, she only nodded. Jesus, she had better get the info she needed and get out of here. Sooner rather than later.

  CHAPTER TEN

  “So you got yourself a pretty cute chick,” Jason said to Ben as they stood in the living room while Derek mixed drinks at the bar and the women chatted amongst themselves out on the patio. He passed Ben a joint.

  Feeling more relaxed now that he had changed into a gray t-shirt and pair of jeans, Ben took a hit and returned it. “Calling women ‘chicks’ is such a nineties thing. Maybe an eighties thing.”

  “Hey, you used to talk like that, too.”

  “Yeah, used to.”

  “Anyway, I’m glad you changed your mind. Like I said, I would’ve considered sharing Lisa, but it’s better you got your own fucktoy.”

  Ben glanced at Lisa, whose stick figure reminded him of a pre-pubescent girl. His gaze went to Montana—or Kimani, rather. He had discovered her name when he’d opened his phone and saw the text she had sent. Even though she looked just as hot in his shirt and sweatpants as any of the other three barely dressed women, a part of him couldn’t wait to see her naked again. She didn’t have model-perfect proportions, but she possessed a confidence in her body that was as sexy as anything.

  Derek handed out the drinks, which Kimani declined.

  “My chef is away because his wife is in labor,” Jake announced, “so I sent Vince to get pizza. Tomorrow, one of you sluts is responsible for making lunch and dinner.”

  “I don’t cook,” Lisa replied.

  “Neither do I,” Ryan echoed. “I can maybe make Ramen if you have any around.”

  “Well, you’re gonna have to learn to cook or suffer the consequences,” Jake said. “I’m gonna lay down some ground rules here. This is how it works in my cabin. You sluts do whatever the fuck we tell you. You sleep downstairs. You call us Master—each and every fucking one of us. And if you’re good sluts, you’ll get rewarded. If not, you get punished.”