Chapter Seven
Royce
S tepping off the elevator, I straighten my jacket as a woman approaches me. “Good evening, Mr. West. Welcome back to Club Lust. If I can get your keycard, I have your tablet all ready for you.”
“Of course. Thank you.” I hand her the card and take the offered tablet.
“Please feel free to grab a drink at the bar and someone will show you to your seat when you’re ready. As you’re aware, the auction will begin shortly, so you don’t have much time.”
“I understand. Thank you.” I make my way to the bar. It’s been a few years since I’ve attended an auction at Club Lust. Cormac and I used to attend every year until we met Parker. After that, we didn’t need to come. We had everything we could’ve wanted in our lover.
The only reason I’m even here this year is for Parker—not that he knows that or even where I am tonight.
No, tonight will hopefully be a happy surprise for him. He hasn’t been doing well. Cormac and I have been doing our best, but I’m not sure how much longer we can go on like this. I’m not sure how much longer Parker can go on like this if the other night is any indication.
Shaking my head, I pull myself away from those thoughts. I can’t dwell on it. It won’t change anything,
Luckily, we’d already been working on this surprise for Parker before that night. Let’s just hope everything falls into place as it should.
Unashamedly, I check out the bartender’s ass in the purple boy shorts he’s wearing while he hands someone else a drink. The bar area isn’t too busy right now, as I’d chosen to arrive only a few minutes before the auction is to start. The last thing I need is for someone to recognize me and want to talk. I’m not even supposed to be in Detroit right now, but we made the stop here just for the auction.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asks as he appears in front of me.
“Just a scotch, please.”
He nods. “With ice or without?”
“With, please.” Within a minute, I have a drink in my hand as another man wearing the same purple boy shorts and black boots appears at my side. “Mr. West, welcome. Are you ready to be shown to your seat? It’s almost time for the auction to start.”
“Yes, thank you.” Placing the tablet under my arm, I follow him. His ass isn’t nearly as nice as the bartender’s. A shame, really.
He comes to a stop next to a booth that’s entirely too large for just me, and I have a seat as I shoot him a smile. “Here we are, sir. I know you just got your drink, but if you’d like another, I can grab it for you quickly.”
“No, thank you. This is the only one I plan on having tonight.”
“Perfect. You have a minute or two if you’d like to check out the merchandise prior to the auction. Once the auction begins, it’ll automatically change to the merchandise on stage.”
Not wanting to thank him yet again, I just nod. Once I’m alone, I turn the tablet on so I can see if both of them have made it into the auction or not. I was able to pass along their names, there’s no guarantee that they wanted to take part in the auction. Or that they made it through the application process. I don’t know what I’ll do if they’re not here tonight.
Before I have time to do more than glance at the screen, the room begins to darken as the stage lights up as a man steps out on the stage near the DJ—Edward. He’s been the MC as long as I’ve been coming to the auction.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Club Lust. We are pleased to have sixteen lots of merchandise up for sale tonight. Please remember once the lights are fully off that no one is to move from their seats. This auction will be silent.
“As I announce the merchandise, a headshot will appear on your tablets. I will provide information on each lot. If you’re interested, the starting bid is five hundred thousand and will go up in increments of fifty thousand until it reaches one million.
“At that time each bid will raise by five hundred thousand. You can click the bid button as many times as you desire. Each auction will only be open for five minutes. At the end of that time, the tablets will announce the winning bid number only.
“A reminder we do not use names. If you are outbid, it will flash across your screen to bid again, and if you win, the tablet will flash if you are the winner. Just a reminder, if you bid for two people and win tonight, then your tablet is automatically locked, preventing you from any additional bidding for the night.”
Edward pauses, a headshot popping onto my screen. “Our first lot for the night is Virtue.”
The woman is pretty, and there’s little doubt that she’ll bring in a lot of money since she’s apparently a virgin. But she’s not what I’m looking for.
Turns out, I’m right, though. Virtue sells for a cool ten million dollars.
I sit there as Edward announces lot after lot, without either of the people I’m looking for appearing.
Fuck.
We’re nearing the end of the auction, the eleventh lot leaving the stage. There are only five lots left, and I’m beginning to worry that neither of them will be here tonight. I was counting on them both being here but knew that even one would be okay. But what if neither of them is here tonight?
“Lot number twelve is Phoenix. Phoenix is twenty-seven. She wears a size six, stands at five foot six, and wears a thirty-two B-cup. While she can be a little shy as she gets to know someone, she’s always up for a good time.”
My eyes widen as Edward continues to talk before the drop to the tablet to make sure Phoenix is who I think she is. There she is, staring back at me.
Mackenzie Stewart.
Thank fuck.
Glancing back at the stage, I watch her walk along the stage, confident in her movements. Her long, dirty blonde hair is straight, pulled back in the front, but some of it still falls over her shoulders. She’s in shape without being too skinny, and the black lingerie wrapped around her body makes me want to drag her off stage and into a dark room to feed her my cock.
Who am I kidding? I’d happily do it right there on the stage she’s on.
She’s wearing a black one-piece that sits high on her hips, the cups of the lingerie the only part that’s opaque. The remainder of the lingerie is black lace, including the fabric over her cunt. It’s hard to tell from here, but it looks like she’s shaved or waxed.
Fucking hell.
Forcing my eyes away from her, I look at the tablet to see that two minutes have already passed. The bids have already hit a million, and I haven’t even bid once.
I press the button, but the tablet blinks almost immediately to say I’ve been outbid. It seems I’m not the only one who has interest in Phoenix.
They can’t have her. She will be mine—no matter what.
The next few minutes are tense as the numbers rise. With thirty seconds left, we’re sitting at two and a half million. The bids have slowed some, but not enough for my tastes. Because this is electronic, I don’t know if I’m fighting multiple people or just one, but this bidding war is going to come to a close soon, and I need to be the damn winner.
All I can do is keep hitting the bid button as I watch the countdown. A sigh of relief falls from my lips as it announces I’m the winner of lot twelve. Three million dollars. Worth every penny.
I swipe my hand over my face as Edwards thanks Phoenix, and I take a moment to watch her leave the stage. I’ve seen pictures of her when she was in high school, and of course, I’d looked up a recent one so I’d know if it was her, but photos don’t do her beauty justice.
Now, will Damon be here as well or will I only be taking Mackenzie to Parker? Only four more lots left, so I guess I won’t have to wait long to know.
I lift my drink to my lips, sighing as the scotch hits my tastebuds. I don’t think I realized just how stressful this would be when I’m here with the intent of buying particular merchandise. In the past, it’s just been about if someone caught mine and Cormac’s fancy. This is a whole nother ball game.
Another three women make up lots thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen. As I watch the last woman walk off the stage, I lean forward in my seat. This is it. If Damon isn’t the last lot, then I only accomplished half of my mission.
“This is our last lot, ladies and gentlemen. If you haven’t made a purchase yet, this is your last chance.” Edward smiles, building the suspense with a few seconds of silence. “Lot number sixteen is Blaze. He’s twenty-eight and stands at six foot four. He’s bisexual, and loves men and women equally. As you can see, this man has not an ounce of fat on him. Blaze works hard but knows how to let loose when the time comes.”
A smirk slides across my lips as the man walks across the stage, his dark curls tousled just right to look like he just rolled out of bed. His bronzed skin is almost completely on display as he wears a teeny tiny pair of underwear. The front hammock is see-through, so when the light hits it just right, I get a peek at his cock—which is a monster.
Holy shit.
Then he turns around, showing off just what type of underwear he’s wearing—a jockstrap.
Damn. We could bounce quarters off that ass.
Tearing my eyes off him, I see the bidding has already begun. I click on bid, continuing to click it each time I’m outbid. My eyes flash back to Damon every so often.
I wonder if he was this built at eighteen. Probably not, but it’s possible. If I remember correctly, Parker said he was big into sports—football, hockey, and maybe something else? I do listen to what my love has to say, but sometimes, I don’t retain all the information.
The bids have already raised past three million and the clock is counting down. The bids aren’t slowing either. There are more than a few people who are probably doing their damnedest to bring someone home tonight. It just sucks for them that Blaze is mine— ours .
With ten seconds left, I just wait. I’ve been outbid, but I’m not chancing this one. As the clock slips from two to one, I press the button. Squeezing my eyes shut, all I can do is hope I did enough.
“Thank you, Blaze,” Edward says as I look down at my tablet. which has gone black.
Did I win? Did I lose? Shit. Pressing the screen, I see a notice that it’s been locked due to two lots being purchased.
Hell, yes!
“That’s it for tonight, ladies and gentlemen. Please close your tablet and complete your payment if you have not done so. If you purchased an item, once the payment is made, you will have a contract to sign. Please do so ASAP to speed up the process. As soon as the confirmation of payment and signatures are processed on my end, the merchandise’s handler will come to your table and escort you to their room to collect them for the weekend. Just a reminder, your item must be returned here by midnight on Sunday, unharmed.”
My tablet unlocks, and I sigh. It appears I spent four and a half million dollars on Blaze, putting my total for the night at seven and a half million dollars. It’s a good thing I love Parker and that between the three of us, this isn’t even a drop in the bucket of the amount of money we have.
“Mr. West?” A brunette stops beside my table. “My name is Mel. I’m here to bring you to Phoenix and Blaze, if you’re ready.”
Smirking, I toss back my drink before pushing to my feet. “More than ready. Thank you, Mel.”
As she leads me away, hope rises in my chest. Surely this is enough to pull Parker out of the depression he’s been drowning in, right?
I sure as hell hope so.