Bought: Highest Bidder(24)

"A bottle of chardonnay to drink, black cod brûlée," Lucian nods in my  direction while passing the menus back, "and ribeye with goat cheese  dipped in Meyer lemon honey mustard."

The waiter slips the menus back into a pouch at his waist, and takes out a pen and pad in one smooth flourish.

I part my lips to say something about Lucian ordering for me, but then  close them. He's still my Dom. The rules have changed slightly, but not  really.

"You'll love it," Lucian assures me with a small smile, seeing the question in my eyes.

"Of course, sir." The waiter nods as he scribbles notes on his pad. "Any appetizers?"

Lucian shakes his head. "No, thank you."

"I'll be back as soon as I can with your drinks. Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you."

I watch as he walks away, past a few tables of romantic couples dining  in luxury and try to relax in my seat. But my nerves have a grip on me.  Blowing out a breath, I take a peek around and my stomach tightens even  more. I can't get over the fact that I'm dining with the upper crust of  society. Club X had filthy rich diners, but that's different. There,  it's horny rich men looking to pay money to hook up with women from all  socioeconomic backgrounds. Here, everyone's come to spend a boatload of  money on food just because they can.

And I'm probably the only woman in the room who's here as almost a paid  prostitute. The thought is unsettling and makes my stomach turn. I reach  for my water, the crystal glass cold in my hand and take a sip.

I nervously finger my silverware, not sure how to act. I feel so  anxious, I almost want to get up and leave. Why did Lucian bring me here  again? Our contract said nothing about wining and dining with rich  people. I thought it was all supposed to be about sex, whips and chains.  Maybe this is some sort of test.

Noticing my nervousness, Lucian hooks his finger under my chin, drawing my eyes to him.

"You need to relax, treasure," he says softly. His eyes are filled with  empathy and his concern goes a long way in calming my anxiety. "These  people aren't any better than you are. Trust me on that." He says his  words with such conviction that I actually believe him for a short  moment.

Looking at him, I'm reminded again of his words in the car. I respect  your needs and your submission, and you do the same for me and my  dominance. It's about trust, respect and communication.

Before I can say anything in return, the waiter comes back, gently  setting our wine glasses down in front of us one by one and pouring a  small amount of the wine in Lucian's glass.

Lucian motions for him to continue pouring without taking a sip. "Is  there anything else I can do for you?" the waiter asks as he finishes  pouring the wine and then gently sets the bottle on the table.

"No," Lucian replies. "Thank you."

A moment passes in silence. Lucian grabs his glass of wine and relaxes  in his seat. I envy him. He seems so at ease in this setting, so used to  being surrounded by such awesome wealth.         

     



 

"So how did you find out about Club X?" Lucian asks suddenly, looking at  me with an intensity that makes me forget about all my worries for a  moment and causes a shiver to run down my spine. Although I'm still  slightly on edge, I love the way he's looking at me; like I'm the only  one in the room. And seeing as how we're surrounded by beautiful,  wealthy-looking women that make me feel insecure, I feel pretty fucking  special right about now.

I pause for a moment, lowering my gaze, my skin pricking at the soft  emotions swelling my breasts. I'm unsure if I should tell him how Carla  approached me and swore me to secrecy, but I decide there's little harm.  He's a member of Club X, not an outsider. I won't be revealing anything  about the club he doesn't already know. "My friend, Carla, told me  about it one day out of the blue," I say softly.

Lucian arches a brow, his fingers running along the stem of his glass. "Any particular reason?"

I blush slightly at the memory, but I'm glad that we're talking. The  conversation is helping me relax, and focusing on Lucian is making it  easy to tune out the people around me. "She invited me because she said  she could tell I'd like it. She said I was an obvious Submissive and  that I'd enjoy it."

Lucian takes a sip of his chardonnay, still looking at me in a way that  makes my skin prickle. "So, you said your friend's name is Carla?"

"Yes," I reply. "Her Dom is named Bruce, and he's actually her  boyfriend." Including that small bit of information makes my blood heat  with insecurity. She's more to him than I am to Lucian. I have to look  away from Lucian and clear my throat before continuing. "I don't know if  you know him or not."

A thoughtful expression graces Lucian's handsome face. "Hmm. Can't say  that I've heard of those two before, and I usually know who the couples  are within the club." Lucian's eyes grow distant and I know he's  thinking about some event in the past, something that troubles him  because his demeanor has shifted. "But then again, I've been away from  the club for a while."

I clear my throat and ask, "Will we be going back to the club anytime soon?"

"If you'd like, we can." He straightens in his seat and clears his  throat, the hard lines on his face softening. "In fact, I've been  meaning to talk to you about that."

"About what?" I ask curiously.

"I think it might be beneficial for you to be around other couples, get  used to how they interact. It'll help you with training."

I nervously half smile. I'm anxious about trying something outside my  safe zone, and I prefer the privacy of Lucian's playroom, but I'm  anxious to see more of the club. "I think so, too," I agree, a small  thrill running through me.

Lucian seems pleased at my response and he once again gives me that look  that makes my skin prick. "You're so beautiful, do you know that?"

I blush furiously, my heart doing backflips at his unabashed praise.  That compliment was totally unexpected. Lucian's really making me feel  like that we actually are a couple, even though this is supposed to be  pretend. I have to shake my head and remind myself that this isn't real.  It's all make-believe. "Thank you," I say in a soft voice, a shy smile  on my lips.

Lucian shakes his head. "No thanks needed here. So why is it that you decided to enter the auction?"

I freeze as his question triggers those dark memories that are always  waiting for the right moment to pounce. The very reasons that drove me  to Club X. Several painful images flash in front of my face and I have  to grip the edges of the table to keep my composure. I lower my gaze,  breathing deeply, slowly, fighting to push those horrible images away.  Not here. Not now. Go the fuck away.

When I look up, Lucian is staring at me with concern in his eyes and my  heart is suddenly aching for him. Maybe I should just be open with him.  Doesn't he have the right to know? A powerful urge presses down on my  chest, bidding me to tell him everything.

I respect your needs and your submission, and you do the same for me and  my dominance. It's about trust, respect and communication.

His words bear heavy on my conscience. If I truly want our relationship  and contract to be successful, shouldn't I be truthful with him and let  him know who he's really dealing with? Isn't that what trust is all  about?

"Treasure?" Lucian's deep voice snaps me to attention.

I open my mouth, ready to tell him everything, but no words come out. I  can't bring myself to say it, can't bring myself to reveal my dark  secret. A secret that could possibly push Lucian away. Fuck. I feel  ashamed. I wish this wasn't so fucking awkward, too.         

     



 

I give Lucian a light, fraudulent smile and shrug. "I don't know... I  just... wanted to try it." I feel shitty for lying, and it's so fucking  obvious that I am, but what else can I do? I'm not telling Lucian about  my past. At least not right now. I don't want to mess up our arrangement  in any way. It's just sex. And it's over in less than a month. I don't  owe him anything more.

Lucian peers at me, his eyes piercing me with their skepticism. "Are you sure there isn't something else you aren't telling me?"

I almost fold beneath his questioning gaze, my heart hammering in my  chest. It's funny how the tables turn. A minute ago I was prying into  his past, but now he's prying into mine. And he didn't open up to me.  The reminder hardens my resolve. I duck my head, tearing my eyes from  his and look down into my glass of water. "I'm sure," I repeat firmly,  injecting as much strength into my voice as possible to get him off my  back.

It's about trust, respect and communication, his words scream in my head, making me feel even more like shit.

Lucian stares at me intently, looking like he wants to press the issue,  but then he straightens, a smile curling the corner of his lips as he  takes a sip of his chardonnay. I relax slightly, realizing he's letting  me off the hook. Thank God. He's definitely not buying my lie, though,  and for some reason he seems content on letting me get away with it. For  now.