Auctioned on Valentine's Day Read online

  I had the room for the night, so why not sleep for a while? I was fucking buzzed and didn’t want to go anywhere for a while.

  And somewhere deep inside, I was feeling guilty. Guilty of betraying Emery.

  Just one night with that woman and I was worshipping her body, wanting to know more about her.

  Damn…was I falling for her.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Emery

  I packed a box in my bedroom, pushing a loose strand of hair out of my eyes. I was moving in a week and a half and going to have dinner at my mom’s new house. It was her husband’s house, but I was having trouble thinking of it as mine. I knew it was temporary until I found a suitable apartment of my own and Phil was a nice man. He loved her.

  I went to the kitchen to get some water, taking a break. I worked at my current job for the next two weeks and needed to get as much done as I could on the weekends. My phone rang, and I grabbed it, seeing Mollie’s face on the screen.

  “Hey you.” I smiled, appreciating the call.

  “Hi, Em. What are you up to?” She asked me as I sighed.

  “Packing.” We talked yesterday after I got home from Sebastian’s place and she was surprised at how long the night went for us. She suggested finding Sebastian again, thinking that he was interested, but I scoffed at the idea. It was just one night, and I was moving on with my life.

  “Want me to bring some lunch over and I’ll help you?” Mollie offered, and I told her that sounded great. She said that she’d be over soon, and I smiled as I killed the call. I took a moment to pull my hair back in a tighter ponytail and looked around my small apartment. I only had to pack my things since I was leaving the furniture for the next tenant. It came with it for me and I wasn’t too attached to any of it.

  I walked back to the bedroom, knowing that Mollie had a key to get in. I was taping up my box when I heard her voice and smiled at the door as she entered.

  “Hi you.” I went in the small hallway bathroom to wash my hands and we sat on the living room couch. Mollie unpacked the sandwiches, and I pulled out the open bottle of wine from the fridge. We poured it into solo cups and sipped as we chatted.

  “So, are you thinking of putting yourself out there after this weekend?” Mollie asked as I took a long drink of wine.

  “I don’t know. I don’t want to become some kind of slut because I’ve had sex now, Mol. The point was to get that out of the way, and the job is done.” I told her that he was good, and I enjoyed myself. It was more than that. I didn’t think I’d find it in the first one-night stand that I attempted. “I’ll settle into Boston and see what happens there.”

  “Are you sure he was as good as you say?” Mollie asked as I laughed at her. Some things had to be kept in and that might be the case forever.

  “He was fine.” We finished eating, and I felt her eyes on me as we moved to pack, wanting to know more. I thought it was probably obvious that Sebastian was skilled at everything that he did since he was so confident. He oozed sex the first time that I saw him. Mollie mused about me having his love child and I threw a stuffed animal at her. That was not what I wanted, and we were careful. I just hoped that condoms were as good as people claimed.

  We finished most of the bedroom and decided to go out and take a walk. I needed some fresh air and a drink. I showered and changed into a red wrap dress with some wedges to feel dressed up. Mollie was always dressed up, and I felt like I had to put in the same effort sometimes. We walked to a small bistro that had great salads and a good wine selection.

  Once we were situated at a small, round table I sipped my wine.

  “Are you ready for dinner with the fam this weekend?” Mollie asked as I shrugged.

  “It will be fine. I can get to know Phil better and I think his son is coming? I’m not sure.” Mollie raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know anything about the kid. My mom hasn’t met him for some reason, so this will be a first.”

  “Maybe he’s hot.” Mollie suggested as I shook my head at her.

  “I am not looking to recreate a smutty stepbrother novel, Mol. That’s gross.” I wrinkled my nose, and she seemed to think for a moment.

  “He isn’t a blood relative.” I threw my cloth napkin at her and she laughed as she caught it.

  “Stop it. Mom would hate me forever if I did that.” We moved on to what we had planned for the week. I just started a yoga class with Mollie that I was going to have to give up now. I liked it even if I was learning my balance. We would go this week and next along with doing other things together.

  We went back to my apartment with a good wine buzz, sitting down to watch a movie so we’d both sober up. We worked the next day, and she needed to look as refreshed as possible. I just wanted to be present for my clients and knew that I’d be doing small things to prepare for the move after work if I was home.

  Mollie went home when the movie was over, and I watched as she got into a car. I was going to miss her like crazy. I locked up and went back to my room to change into a shirt to sleep in. Dropping into the queen bed, I shut off the light and took a slow breath. Talking about Sebastian made me think of him all over again and I felt my body respond. He was amazing in bed and my body still craved him. I spread my legs apart and reached down to trace the cotton of my underwear. They were damp, and I stroked slowly, gaging the feeling with a smile. It was nowhere near the same as being with Sebastian, but it might do. I slipped my hand under the material and found my needy clit as I bit down on my lip.

  It felt good, and I kept moving my hand. I closed my eyes and felt my nipples pebbling under the thin shirt as I stroked deeper. I tried pulling on it before stroking again and jerked as I felt the pressure building. I should buy a sex toy and give him a name like some of my friends did since I wasn’t looking to replace the memory of Sebastian with another man anytime soon.

  Thinking further about that, I wondered if I should wait until I was in my own place. How embarrassing would it be to get caught? I dropped my head back and slipped two fingers inside of me, pressing my hand against my pussy. I moaned as I fucked myself, feeling the heat as I came hard.

  When I was finished, I used the bathroom and grabbed some water for my room. I returned to bed, ready to sleep after my activity. It was going to be a long week.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Sebastian

  I stayed the night at the hotel after Renee left, getting up in the morning and getting dressed. I grabbed some breakfast at my favorite bagel place when Scott stopped and got back into the car with a large cup of coffee. He looked at me with a flash of concern on his face but said nothing. He’d been my driver for a few years and we knew one another well. He just drove into the garage and I exited the car, going up to my place and blinking in the bright light of the sun.

  Fuck these windows.

  I went to my bedroom and grabbed the remote to pull the blackout shades down. I was hung over and just wanted to drink some coffee and eat some grease. I needed to sleep some more, but I sat on my bed with the bag once I was stripped down to my boxers. I showered at the hotel, so I didn’t have any lingering residue of the night before, but I inhaled deeply here. I still smelled Emery and a trace of our sex. That was something that I didn’t want to get rid of. Was it creepy to not wash your sheets for an extended period to keep smelling a woman?

  Probably.

  I moved back to the pillows, turning on one of my salt lamps for a little light to eat by. I nibbled on the egg and sausage bagel, sipping the coffee as I thought about fucking Emery in this bed. I’d never forget the feeling of her pure, untouched pussy wrapped around me like a glove. It was so fucking good, and I felt my cock harden, missing her as well. I finished the bagel and tossed it into the bag which I dropped on the floor. I reached into my waist band and gripped myself hard, stroking slowly.

  I fantasized about jerking off while she masturbated in front of me in bed, her thighs spread open. I could picture her fingers moving into her glistening sex and the look in her eyes as she came.
I’d come on her tits, shooting everywhere as I watched her take it. I’d taste her after that, licking away the sweet honey that dripped from her and make her come all over again.

  Fuck me. I stroked harder, needing to come. It was all too real in my mind and I jerked as warmth filled my hand and shorts. It felt great, but it was nothing like being buried inside of Emery.

  I stood to go to the bathroom. I tossed away the trash bag and washed up, tossing the boxers into the hamper. I’d sleep naked since I was certain I’d be doing that again very soon.

  I worked long hours that week just to kill time. I liked my job a lot considering I didn’t have to work at all. I liked using my brain sometimes and ad work suited me. I normally left in the evening though. I’d have dinner or drinks with friends and hang out. This week it was work and going home and thinking about Emery.

  By Thursday night, I was craving her strongly. I came home and pulled up the information about the club where the auction was held. When someone answered the phone, I asked how I would speak to someone about contacting a woman from the event. The man told me that they only hosted the event but directed me to the agency that set it all up. They were closed, so I needed to call the following day.

  It was likely they’d give me no information. The rules were to stay as anonymous as we wanted to, and I’d done that. I knew her first name, and she knew mine. We didn’t exchange numbers, talk about our job, or give last names. I considered asking for more before she walked out my front door but held back. I might live to regret that. I slept restlessly that night, tossing and turning as I worried about not getting her information.

  I got to work the following day and settled at my desk before picking up the phone to call the agency. The woman was curt and explained that if the woman didn’t give me any information, she wanted privacy. They were not able to tell me anything by law and I killed the call.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What were the chances of seeing her in New York fucking City?

  I pinched the bridge of my nose and breathed in slowly, trying to shove away the headache that was forming in my head.

  “Sebastian? Is everything okay?” I glanced up to see my partner, Nick. He was leaning against the door frame and looking at me with concern in his eyes.

  “Yeah. I just need more coffee.” I stood to go to the break room to prove my point, making a cup to bring back to the office. I was pissed off at the agency and myself for not asking more. What the fuck was I thinking?

  Nick and I started to work on our new ad for a dating site, making me want to groan. I didn’t date. I fucked women in hotels and told them to leave afterward. Nick was engaged, so he knew a bit more, so I let him have the lead. We created a catchy digital sign of different people out on dates looking happy, promoting the site. It wouldn’t be ready to go until there was final approval and edits, but it was good in its rough form. Nick did a great job. We even worked through lunch, ordering in since he was feeling creative.

  I left at six. Nick had a dinner with his fiancée and I called Donovan to see if he wanted to meet at a bar. I was all kinds of wound up about the agency’s response to my query and needed to settle down. I met him at a corner dive where we ordered beer and appetizers. There were some games on the TVs around the room and Nick took in the hockey game as he ate some nachos. He didn’t seem at all bothered by the fact he didn’t know any more about the woman he’d bid on the same night I bid on Emery. He was sleeping with some woman that he met at the bar the same night I took Renee to the hotel. I was envious of his carefree nature as I worked my first beer, feeling as though I was on edge.

  “You okay?’ I looked at my best friend. He frowned at me. “You seem a bit manic tonight.”

  “Long day at work. Nick is an animal.” Donovan nodded, having met my partner.

  “That he is. Anything interesting?” He looked back up at the screen as a play was repeated.

  “Not particularly,” I told him as he nodded.

  “Aren’t you going to your dad’s this weekend?” He asked as I groaned.

  “Yes.” It wasn’t that I hated my father, but we’d drifted apart after Mom died. Her long-term illness had broken us both and two men didn’t know how to handle emotions like that. It was just us and we drifted apart.

  “Is the wife’s kid going to be there?” Donovan asked as I shrugged. “Do you know anything about them?”

  “We’re similar in age… I think. It’s a girl.” I shot a look that told him I didn’t care.

  “You have any kind of naughty stepsister fantasy?” He asked as I nearly choked on the beer that I was drinking.

  “Fuck that.” I said after swallowing and wiping my mouth with my hand. “Dad would love that.”

  We chatted about other things for the rest of the night. Donovan asked if I might want to double date with him, Brianne, and her best friend Diana. He promised that she was a hot blonde, but I told him no. That could be disastrous, and I’d learned that from experience. I told him that he was fucking the girl and didn’t need my help.

  We headed our separate ways. I sat in the back of the car, looking forward to a few hours of sleep. Tomorrow was Friday and there was a three-day weekend to look forward to. I hoped that I wasn’t at Dad’s all weekend, but he did want to spend some time with me. I wasn’t sure about the others that were going to be there, but I’d manage. I got out of the car at my apartment and told Scott to have a good night before going upstairs and dropping into bed.

  I drank two cups of coffee before work, dragging a bit. I knew that Nick would have enough energy to get some work done and depended on that. I needed to snap out of this funk and be a better worker… a better everything. I greeted him with false enthusiasm as he took his place at the table to go over what to do for a radio ad for the dating site. I managed to get out of the building for lunch since Nick had a lunch date and he left on time at six.

  I headed to an Italian place for takeout, given that I turned down Donovan’s idea of a date. I walked home from there, enjoying the activity and breeze that blew through the city. Heading into the lobby and taking the private elevator to my place, I dropped the bag on the coffee table and went to get a beer.

  There was a message on my phone from Dad about our dinner tomorrow. I didn’t call him back since I just wanted to decompress tonight. He knew that I was more than likely going to be there. I turned on the TV and stared at the scores of the evening as I sipped the beer, holding a fork to start eating the noodles and sauce that I’d picked up. I ate slowly, feeling like the apartment was so quiet tonight. I never brought anyone here other than close friends, never a woman. The thought that I wanted to bring Emery here had tainted it somehow as I thought about the sounds she made when she came.

  I wondered again what made me think to bring her here.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Emery

  I woke up Saturday morning after sleeping in a bit. I’d packed some clothes for seeing Mom last night before passing out. I was tired from work this week as well as thinking about Sebastian so much.

  I wish that I’d asked for his number now. He didn’t ask for mine, either.

  I showered and got dressed in some worn jeans and a long sleeved green Henley for the visit. Though I rarely drove here in the city, Phil had given me Mom’s five-year-old Range Rover when he’d bought her the new model. It was too nice for me but who was I to say no? I drove it during times like this.

  I grabbed my duffel and headed to the curb where the car was parked. It was secured with an alarm just in case someone tried to steal it, but Mom didn’t get the best model. It was good enough to have fun driving it, but I didn’t think anyone would want to break into it. I tossed the bag into the back and started the engine, giving it time to warm up. I turned on my Bluetooth to play Spotify for the drive as I waited, sipping my coffee before securing it in the cup holder.

  I looked in the mirror, making sure the road was clear before I pulled out. I headed to the freeway and got on for the couple of hours of dri
ving. I always took it as a time to relax and just sing along to music. I enjoyed driving when I could find a reason to do so.

  I pulled into the gated community and waved at Graham at the security gate. He opened it up for me and I drove deep into the neighborhood to pull up to yet another gate around the house. I secretly wondered if Phil was part of the mob sometimes. I pulled up to the entrance, knowing that there was a camera. The gate opened, and I pulled in, parking near the garage and getting out as I looked at the brick mansion. It was huge, with ten bedrooms and a finished basement that served as a game room. The kitchen was amazing, but Mom wasn’t much of a cook, so the chef was the one that used it most of the time.

  I sighed, thinking of my upcoming move. It was only temporary until I found a place of my own in Boston once I was settled at the job, but I’d miss my tiny apartment in New York. I’d miss New York… a lot. I slung my purse over my shoulder and walked to the front door, pushing the button that would send the melodious sound of the bell through the entire house.