5. Five
Five
Betsy
Did my Stepdad win me? Did his brother? Was it both of them? I can hope!
My skin tingles at the thought of what the night holds, as long as they aren’t undermining me. It pains me to wait, but I promised Sabrina I wouldn’t leave her alone. Her plastered smile is bright and confident, hiding her anxiety.
Hottie McDollarSigns gave me a scare, but he’s making good on his promise to Sabrina. He has a new determination this time with a starting bid of one million and the fierce expression that screams he’s not going to let her stepbrothers defeat him.
Sabrina’s aware that her stepbrothers are total eye candy and probably finger and tongue and other candy too—we all are—but she needs a winner who will have sex with her.
My thoughts wander to how my evening will play out with Bull and Rocky—it’s probably best I think of them by their names and not our relationships.
I’m a mess of emotions, but there’s something primal pulsing through my veins. They didn’t tell me to get off the stage or force me to go home—good signs.
My gaze drifts to Rocky again. He’s leaning against the bar now, his muscular arms crossed over his chest. His tattoos are a stark contrast to his crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His dark hair is disheveled like he’s been running his hands through it. I can’t help but imagine what those hands would feel like running through my hair, gripping it tightly as he… I shake my head, trying to dislodge the thought, but it’s too late.
My knees are weak, and wet heat pools between my legs. My breaths are barely capable of normalcy. The prospects tonight holds are almost too much to bear.
And then there’s my stepdad—I mean, Bull. I like that. His suit is impeccable, tailored to fit his broad shoulders. His salt-and-pepper hair is neatly styled, and his rigid jawline holds even more sex appeal than normal.
Our previous existence has been like reading the little sayings from fortune cookies, but tonight, we’re adding ‘in bed’ to the end.
What will it be like to have his authority unleashed in the form of sexual play? How will he discipline me? Spankings? Edging? Forced sex… My knees buckle at the thought of consensual non-consent play.
My knees threaten to give out again. I grab one of the chairs they provided for us to wait in.
I’m too wobbly. The chair skids across the floor and I tumble to the ground.
The hum of the auctioneer’s voice stops. Silence draws my attention to the stage. Jefferson and Sabrina are staring.
Sabrina smiles nervously as I give a thumbs-up, then stand. Rocky and Bull appear at the edge of the stage, but I wave them off.
“As you were.” I play off my ridiculousness to get Jefferson to resume.
I’m a hot mess, my body responding to thoughts I shouldn’t be having. Thoughts of calling Bull Daddy instead of Dad. I wish I could get the fantasies to slow down.
Focusing on the here and now, I squeal when Hottie McDollarSigns outbids Sabrina’s stepbrothers. She and I exchange nods, confirming that she’s good before Rocky guides me off the stage.
He ushers me into one of the private rooms, the noise of the club muffled behind the closed door. Bull draws the curtain across the glass wall, sealing us away from prying eyes.
“Alright, Betsy,” Bull starts, his voice steady and calm. “We’ll give it a few minutes, then you make some… sex sounds, and we’ll call it good.”
Sex sounds? My dreams are shattered. He’s really not going to go through with this.
Then I get an idea from the shelf of sex toys behind him. There are a bunch of dildos and things I’m not sure what to do with. I point. “Fine, but I won’t be faking.”
Bull turns to see the sex toys, and uses his don’t backtalk me Dad voice. “Absolutely not.”
I’m deciding if it’s worth objecting when he continues. “Do you even know what to do with those?”
Barring the ones I indeed don’t know what to do with, I say, “They look pretty self-explanatory.”
“I’d be willing to help—” Rocky’s pants are tented.
Bull cuts him off. “No sex. No toys. That’s final.” He lowers his gaze. “Christ, Rocky. She’s your niece.”
“Step—” Rocky cuts himself off when Bull clears his throat.
Does Bull plan to keep me a virgin forever? This is going too far. “You’d rather lie than have sex with me?”
Encouraged by Laz telling me I’m pretty, and Rocky’s… enthusiasm, I try to sound like I’m genuinely curious. “Would it be so terrible to have sex with me?”
“Yes.” The speed of Bull’s answer surprises me.
The implication stings. I’m not good enough. Not attractive enough. For him. And he’s going to ruin my chance with Rocky too. Tears threaten to spill, but I blink them back, turning this on Bull. “You always think you’re above the rules. If you’re not going to play fair, let Uncle Rocky.”
Ooh! Using Uncle wasn’t helpful. Bull’s nostrils flare.
I want to scream. It won’t do any good. I storm toward the door, nearly twisting my ankle in my haste. I yank off my heels and throw them at Bull—a tantrum—probably another thing that’s not helpful.
Rushing to a quiet corner in the club, I slump against a wall. I sniffle, but I must be too angry to cry.
“Are you okay?” a deep, soothing voice asks. It’s Lazovski.
“I’m sorry for ruining the auction.”
He tucks a finger under my chin long enough to bring my gaze to meet his. “You didn’t. What makes you think that?”
“I got caught up in Jasmine’s excitement, but I’m not like her.”
“It’s good that you’re different than Jasmine, not everyone wants a woman like her.”
Is he going to make me say it? “I shouldn’t have been on stage.” I realize he might misunderstand and add, “But I am a virgin.”
“Okay, I’m glad you didn’t lie. But why don’t you think you should have been on stage?” He’s very good at feigning ignorance.
“Look at me. Look at Jasmine. I get it. I’m not…”
“Jasmine exudes fun and dominance with a vibrant beauty. You’re more gentle with a softer beauty.”
Soft beauty? Is that the politically correct way of saying… not pretty?
His brow furrows. He takes my hand as if requiring my full attention. “You don’t know that?”
I’m to confused to respond.
“You present as the epitome of kindness and gentleness. Your big brown eyes and those long lashes… every blink is an innocent seduction—”
“Stop. This is weird.” I step past him but he grabs my arm, gently requesting that I stay. I do.
“You’re uncomfortable being told you’re pretty.” He studies me. “You underestimate yourself.”
“You don’t have to flatter me to get me to follow through on the auction.”
“It’s not flattery. What’s going on here?”
“I need to ask you a sex question.”
“Of course.”
“The way you described me… it seems so… I don’t know… nice. Can nice be pretty?”
“Yours is.”
No hesitation. Interesting. “What if the things I want sexually are… not so nice? Would that be confusing?”
He takes a deep breath. “In a relationship, it’s important that you speak up, be clear about what you want… your kinks. A responsible partner will listen. Have you tried talking to the men who won you?”
Admitting my kinks to the owner of a sex club, whom I’ll never see again, seems safe enough. I start with the most basic problem. “My dad won me, but he refuses to have sex with me, much less hear me out on kinks.”
Laz’s eyebrows raise. “Your dad?”
“Stepdad,” I clarify.
He nods, understanding softening his features. “There were two guys. Who is the other one?”
“That’s Rocky, my stepuncle. Bull won’t let him have sex with me either.” I sigh, frustration bubbling up. “The contract says if we don’t have sex, I’m offered to the next highest bidder, but that’s the guy who won Sabrina. I don’t want to ruin her special night.”
Laz processes this. “So, your stepdad and your uncle… Where’s your mom in all this?”
“She died a few years ago,” I say, grateful he has the decency to clarify the ethics.
He shakes his head sympathetically. “My condolences.”
“Thanks. I barely remember her.” And I don’t want to right now given the topic at hand. Maybe I am a terrible person. “Do you think there’s any chance we can salvage tonight?”
“Let’s go talk to them.”
I lead Laz back to the room, the tension making each step feel like a march to the gallows. Bull and Rocky wait inside, their expressions full of concern.
Laz steps in, his presence commanding, and the room suddenly feels smaller. “Gentlemen,” he starts politely, “let’s discuss the contract.”
Bull abandons politeness. “I’m not fucking my daughter.”
Laz gives me a you weren’t kidding look, then takes a step closer to Bull. “You’re her step father. You knew the terms.”
Bull’s jaw clenches and the corded muscles in his neck tighten. “I’m the only father she’s known. I won’t have sex with her, and neither will my brother.”
Rocky jumps in. “I would—”
“No.” Bull’s voice is firm.
Funny feelings wiggle through me. It might be possible to pull this off with Rocky even if Bull isn’t willing.
Rocky shrugs. “Maybe?”
“Still no.”
“If it comes down to making good on the contract—”
“I said no.”
Ugh! The contract. Instead of getting upset that a legal agreement might be Rocky’s only reason, Lazovski’s kind words remind me that I might be prettier than I think. What if Rocky is hiding his feelings behind the contract?
Laz waits for other options, and when none present themselves, he says. “Then you forfeit, and Betsy goes to the next highest bidder. I’ll bring the form for you to state your refusal.”
Sabrina’s going to hate me. I try to think. Oh no! What if Hottie refuses me too? I mean, I want him to be madly in love with Sabrina and refuse me, but that would make me the first failure of the auction.
Bull squares up with Laz. “No one—”
Rocky steps between them, his hands raised in a calming gesture. “Let’s all take a breath.” He turns to Laz, his voice smooth and persuasive. “We’re snowed in, right? No one’s going anywhere.”
Laz nods, his expression unreadable.
Rocky flashes a comforting smile at me. “Give us until morning. Let us figure this out as a family.”
Gratitude wells up inside me. He’s buying us time, giving us a chance to navigate this mess. Giving me hope.
His thick physique and courageousness don’t exactly leave me settling for a consolation prize. He and my stepdad look a lot alike—ruggedly handsome with dark, captivating eyes and a commanding presence, rounded out with broad shoulders and hard bodies. We just have to get a few minutes away from my pesky stepfather.
I turn to Laz, my voice steady. “I’m okay with that.”
Laz looks at Bull who nods, then says, “Until morning. But if neither of you fulfill the contract to please Betsy, someone else will.”