Page 175 of Auctioned

I’m drowning in his praise.

In the process, I’ve lost my edge over him.

I no longer need my edge.

Our class is over.

James gains control of the knife a second time, hurling it over to the other side of the living room. He sits on his knees, hooks his fingers into the collar of my shirt, and tears it right down the middle from the front this time. The ripped fabric falls to my sides.

“Let me see exactly what I paid for.” The look in his eyes as his gaze roams over my body is electric. It steals my breath away.

“Well?” I’m mindless. Boneless. His. “Was it worth it?”

“It wasn’t enough.”

Rejection locks my throat. I’m covered in his blood. Warmed by his body. I belong to him in every sense of the word.

And I wasn’t enough?

“My bid, Ophelia. My bid wasn’t enough.” The black of his irises pushes out the blue. His lips twist in a snarl. “I would’ve paid so much more for you. Would’ve liquidated every asset in my possession. Would’ve sold my organs to have you. Killed for you. I will kill for you, damn it. You matter. You take up the entire space in my damaged soul. I could be living out on the street. I could lose my job. I could lose my fucking son. Without you? I’m as good as dead.”

“I’d have come to you freely.” The confession pushes itself out of me. “Wanting you was the other reason I was going to break up with?—”

James slams a hand over my mouth. His other hand works the fly of his pants.

“I couldn’t stay with him,” I say after he releases me, pushing my legs to the sides. “When I was attracted to you.”

“And?” James fists his cock, rubbing it between my lips. Over my clit. Desire makes me heady.

“Cheating. It felt like I was cheating on Topher.” I tilt my hips up. He shoves me back down, controlling me. “I don’t cheat. Even in my head.”

He makes a satisfied sound at the back of his throat. I’m amazed by how I own him too. How he’s affected by my words. My devotion.

He takes and takes from me. My consent isn’t always required for him to touch me. To pleasure me.

He calls me property. Degrades me. Gets off on humiliating me.

He’s an evil man. The worst.

I love him, nonetheless.

I have his heart in the palm of my hand.

I have to protect him from the consequences of what we’re doing.

Worst kind of thought to have right now. Or ever. It has no place here. But…

His life could’ve been easier without me in it.

Killing Topher was never a part of his plan, I think.

Gut-wrenching sadness squeezes at my heart.

Later. Later. Now, I have him here. So close. I won’t turn him away. I have him.

Later.

“Mine.” One word, and he shoves every thick inch of his cock inside me. Forcing the air out of my lungs. I’m so fucking full of him, my hands clinging to his shirt. “You’ll always be mine. Your drenched cunt. Your beautiful heart. Mine.”

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