Page 25 of Hacker Auction

I couldn’t stop myself from rolling my eyes. “Your family has money too. Not sure why you keep acting like this is so new to you.”

Samantha and I went to the same private high school. We hadn’t talked much when we were younger or even when I was going through my residency. She was already a nurse at the hospital when I started.

“You’re still in the ultra-elite lifestyle. I choose to walk away—well, kind of my mom seems to not understand the fact I don’t need Jimmy Choo heels to go out to eat at a diner. I swear she sends more packages to my house than I do. She’s so worried I won’t be able to survive on my nurse’s salary.”

I couldn’t hold back the laugh. This wasn’t the first time she told me her mom was worried about her. Samantha made a name for herself at the hospital. She was one of the youngest nurses to take over as a charge nurse. She was also the first person I met with to discuss what her department needed and if she knew of other issues we had to fix. Now we turned our one meeting into an everyday discussion, which tended to lean more on the personal side than work anymore.

“Your mom always came from money. I don’t think she will ever understand your decision. When I wanted to move out, Mom wanted to buy me the twenty thousand square foot mansion in their neighborhood. She didn’t understand how I could be possibly live fine in the four thousand square foot home we grew up in as young kids.”

“See, our parents should be happy we aren’t trying to live off them or have them buy us a position—” Samantha winced. “I know you didn’t ask for the job. I didn’t mean that in a bad way.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m going to work my ass off and prove to everyone I deserve my job,” I said, moving a stack of folders to the other side of my desk. At times I felt like an impostor because of the fact, Dad did buy the hospital and stuck me in an executive position. I saw a few of the other department heads talking and then stopped when I walked in the room, but they would learn in time, I’m not here for only a paycheck. The hospital meant a lot to my father, and I would do everything I could to keep his legacy going.

“Are you going to stay as COO, or are you going to finish your residency?”

“If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said my residency, but with Sage in my life and no man by my side, I don’t want to spend eighty hours a week at the hospital and miss so many years of special occasions. I don’t blame my father for his time away, but many nights I wondered if he would show up to a play or a birthday party. I want Sage to always know I will be at his side for every special occasion.”

“Your son is the luckiest little guy in the world.”

“Yes, he is! Now are you ready to discuss work?” I asked. I grabbed my notebook, the one I kept locked in my desk drawer so I could jot down anything I needed to look further into.

“Oh, you’re not going to get off that fast. Since they took down fuck face your bodyguard isn’t coming with you each day anymore? I’m going miss looking at his sexy ass. I still can’t believe you didn’t try to have another date with him.”

One mention of the man, and I was thinking of his naked chest. The sexual frustration was driving me up the wall. I was tempted to open a Tinder profile so I could have another one night stand and get Wes out of my head.

“We already went over this. He only does one night. My va-jay-jay wasn’t magical enough to keep him for more than a night. Hell, I don’t blame him. Look at me.”

Samantha rolled her eyes. “You’re hot as hell. Not sure why you keep putting yourself down. But since you’re single, you want to be my wingman for this.”

She shoved a postcard at me. A woman bound in red lace rope was on the side of the postcard.Interested in the lifestyle? Come join us Saturday at 10 p.m. to find out if you are missing something more in your life.

Every instinct in me told me never to go to a public BDSM club, especially one that handed out postcards. That should be a red flag, but I also didn’t want to go to the same club I would see Wes at. “I think we should find a different club.”

I turned over the postcard and pointed to the back. “I’m not sure this is the best place to go. Let me make a few calls and find out another club.”

Samantha’s eyes widened. “You’re serious? I brought this to you as a joke. I saw it on my car and got a kick out of it, but you do this? Like, let people spank you and tie you up. God, that sounds so hot.” She waved a hand in front of her face like she was trying to cool herself.

My one night with Wes flashed through my mind. When he bound my wrists to the headboard. The thrill that went through me was nothing like I felt before, and I wasn’t sure if it was because of Wes or the fact he tied me up, and that was what I had been looking for, for years. So I wanted to try, and I wasn’t about to go to Brock’s club.

“A little, but I’ve always been interested in the kinkier side of sex. Wes opened my eyes to more, but I’ve also watched the news enough to know we can’t go here, and we sure as hell can’t go to the club Wes goes to. If you really want to go with me, I’ll make the call. I can’t believe this weekend I finally get to spend time with my little man. How about next Friday?”

Samantha tapped her finger on her chin. “I’ve never been so excited to go out. This calls for a new wardrobe. I think the heels Mom sent me will go well with a red corset. You think I should send her a photo after I get dressed?”

“No.” I laughed as a slight knock sounded on my door. “Come in.”

Sophie stood in the doorway with a bag in one hand and her daughter on her hip. “I happened to go to Blackwood Security today to help Brock with something and spotted your bag and offered to bring it over.”

“Come in. I was just thinking about you and planned to call you later.” I waved to the chair next to Samantha. “This is my friend Samantha, and this is Sophie, the person I told you I was going to call.”

Samantha’s face lit up. “She knows about S-E-X clubs? I’ve seen you on television. You’re married to the former president’s brother. You look so—”

Sophie was dressed in a black pants suit. Her long red hair was perfectly straightened, and her makeup looked like an artist spent hours getting it perfect. Even her little girl looked like she spent hours getting the braids even.

“Normal?” Sophie laughed. “You don’t have to spell the words out. Zane doesn’t seem to know how to curb his words. This is so exciting you want to come to Club Sanctorum. Now we have to find a good Dom for you.”

I held up my hand. “Oh, I’m not going there. I was wondering if you knew of another private club we could go to. Preferably not one I would run into Wes at.”

She pulled out her phone and tapped on the screen for a second. “For the record, I think Wes is making a huge mistake, but men are dumb sometimes. You sure you want to go to another club? Bad things can happen.”

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