Page 54 of Auctioned Surrender

“I only used it once I was at the airport complex. There wasn’t enough time for you to get here. Not near enough time. You followed me?”

His cell phone beeps, and Dereck’s lips tighten as he types a reply, ignoring my question. “Your boyfriend thoroughly trashed your apartment, and now he’s making quite a scene at the front desk. The man is a raving lunatic. I’m having security escort him out.”

Dereck clearly has connections at this place. “I didn’t realize he followed me to the park, but I recognized his car when we were talking. He was parked across the other side by the far entrance, just watching us. He’s pretty violent when he’s pissed off, so I planned to stay out of his way tonight. I’m sorry for all the drama.”

“Rest easy. It comes with the territory. I work as a bodyguard, and there’s seldom less drama in my days. I’ll take care of things.”

I frown at the soft-spoken brute. “I’m able to handle this. How did you become my babysitter?”

“Just lucky, I guess,” Dereck says, watching me with those steely grays, still circling that damn glass rim with his finger and causing my thighs to clench at the thought of him rubbing something else like that. Damn, this man!

Dereck observes me but takes a sip of his drink. “You don’t seem to think much of the person you date.”

“Well, we both know he’s not a boyfriend in the true sense of the word, but he’s the boss. He pays the bills, and what he says goes. See, that’s how a girl like me rolls, papi.”

He sets his glass down. “Unfortunate and not true.”

Now he’s scaring me because if he knows too much, it would be bad, incredibly awful for both of us. Dereck doesn’t know these people, really know them as I do. These people will cut your tongue out and send it back to your mama with a smile pasted on their faces while they enjoy a meal, and I don’t intend to drag anyone into this shitshow. “Not true? What, how I roll? I’m pretty sure it is.”

“It’s not how you picture yourself because you’re a powerful and intelligent woman, but you also happen to have strong submissive desires. It’s not uncommon, Layla.”

The man doesn’t seem fazed that we’re sitting over a table talking about my carnal inclinations while my heartbeat has increased, and my center feels like it’s on fire. Damn this man and all that sexual energy he throws, and damn my treacherous body for letting him affect me the way he does. “I’m the least submissive woman in the world. You’re wrong, and you’ve misread the signals, papi.” I take the last sip of my wine.

Dereck reaches for the bottle of wine, anticipating my need for another drink. “Would you like another glass, Layla?”

“Yes, please. Beaujolais is one of my favorites, and it compliments the salmon nicely. The berry flavors burst, and the offset of the tannins is superb,” I say, taking another bite of the moist fish as he freshens my glass.

Dereck rubs the scruff of his chin and watches me, yet he says nothing.

“What? A girl learns these things sometimes, and”—I shrug—“some of the men are well-versed in wines, cigars, and the like,” I say, trying to play it off while internally kicking my ass for that little slip. Damn, this man has gotten under my skin so bad that I can’t even think straight. I need to finish this glass of wine, and then that’s it. My tongue is entirely too loose around this incredibly handsome specimen of a man and a little bit of drink.

“I don’t think I’ve misread the signals, Layla. You see, a man who’s inclined to look for the clues can always find them in a submissive.”

“Look, I may like my men a little on the take-charge side, but they seldom are in my line of business. That’s probably all you’re sensing. They usually want to get a little show, get things done a certain way, you know, pay by the hour and have me take charge, not the other way around.”

“Well, if you insist on putting it out there, how much do you charge for an entire night, princess?”

Chapter 5

Dereck

A myriad of emotions pass over Layla’s face as she tries to decide how to answer my question. She’ll either hang on to her story, make up another one that helps corroborate what she’s said, or tell me the truth, which all should make for an exceptionally interesting exchange.

Layla’s astute and has a little bit of an honest streak which I find alluring, but that doesn’t surprise me because everything about this woman makes my heart race and leaves my body thrumming with excitement. She is a mystery, so exquisitely beautiful and fiery at the same time, all a unique cover for her absolute submissiveness. I find myself intensely intrigued by everything about this woman who sits across from me, calling to every dominant neuron in my body.

Layla looks up at me, her deep brown eyes searching for an answer to some strange question she’s contemplating. “I don’t usually mix business with pleasure.”

I rub the short hairs on my chin, stroking them with thought. The dark-haired beauty goes for option two but gives it a little twist, thinking it will put me off while still lending credence to her story. She is creative, and I find her adversity to straight-uplying to me intriguing, which only stokes my need to get to the truth.

“That may be true, but circumventing a lie is still a lie, Layla. In my world, that would get you a trip over my knee, princess, especially since you’re putting yourself at risk by doing so. If you were mine, it simply wouldn’t be tolerated. Your safety would be the highest priority.”

Layla’s natural dark lashes envelop her eyes, and she lowers them further, trying to hide her emotions from me. I would bet anything Layla doesn’t even realize what she’s doing. Her soft submissive side has taken over. She’s quiet, no longer fighting her instincts, letting her body and feelings lead the way. I find watching her internal battle with her feminine softness more arousing than anything I’ve seen or felt in a very long time, causing me to shift in my seat and allow room for my growing need.

Layla may not be mine, but her safety has become my priority, nonetheless. If I’m going to keep her protected, I’ll need to learn more about this intriguing young woman, and right now, she’s my only source until Murph frees up to run and compile my report. When Layla’s had enough time to gather her composure, she looks up at me and now sits watching me with those deep brown eyes, sipping her wine and contemplating a reply.

I’m unaccustomed to waiting for a response. I should focus on getting to the truth, asking Layla questions pertinent to her safety, but there’s something about this woman that causes me to skip my self-imposed rules. I’m more than interested right now in how Layla will answer my next question. “Are you going to tell me what you charge for a night of your services, princess?”

Layla’s pulse and breathing patterns have both increased. The tip of her tongue runs gently across the seam of her red lips, making my cock throb against the inside of my pants, letting meknow the magnetism drawing me to this alluring woman is as much at play for her as it is for me.

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