5. Addison
5
ADDISON
A warm jacket was placed on my shoulders before Warren sat down on the chair beside me. His familiar scent washed through me, one I had only been able to dream about until that moment.
It brought me right back to the time when he had me pushed up against my father’s office wall, his cock ramming into me while his stubble scratched my cheek.
Warmth filled my belly.
“Congratulations,” Dante said as he maneuvered behind the mahogany desk in front of us. There was a stack of papers in his hand that he gently placed on the wood surface. He gave me a beaming smile that I hesitantly returned. “Two million dollars, and by the owner no less. You should feel very lucky, A.; he’s never bid on?—”
“You can use her full name,” Warren interrupted, his deep voice sending tremors through me. “No need for secrecy; we know each other very well. Isn’t that right, Addi ?”
When I turned to him, I expected the smirk to be back in place, but he was looking at me with a deadly serious expression.
I couldn’t respond. His gaze had me frozen. Even though I had been working up to this very moment, I’d never actually prepared for what it would be like to have him actually sitting just a few feet away from me.
“Yes, Addi ,” Dante said. “I know the story. Last of the Mercer line. You two have a history. Still, you probably could have gotten away with one point two million and left it at that.”
“Dante,” he almost growled. “Let’s get this over with.” He motioned for him to start with the paperwork. “I’d like to take my prize home now if you don’t mind.”
Prize. I gritted my teeth against the feelings it caused in my stomach.
“Right,” Dante said with a light laugh, not at all fazed by his boss’s scolding. “For Ms. Mercer, these are the rules you must abide by when in Mr. King’s care.”
I grabbed the paper as he slid it toward me, quickly reading through the rules.
One
I belong to Warren King and Warren King only during our contracted time. I cannot touch, kiss, caress, or sexually please another man or woman in any way or allow myself to be touched, kissed, caressed, or pleased by anyone else while under his care.
Two
I must be willing to submit to any and all sexual demands of Warren King that are not listed under my Hard No list provided to Black Silk Auction House prior to being purchased.
Three
Warren King does not tolerate brats. Any bratting will be met with a fitting punishment of Warren King’s choosing.
Four
I must stay in Warren King’s care for the duration of the contract and am not allowed to leave without him unless given express permission.
I paused at the first two. I knew they were pretty standard, based on what Dante had said before the auction, but this definitely had Warren’s personal touch. He was possessive. Something that used to make me swoon but now made me feel threatened.
I scanned through the rest, not caring too much about what it said. It didn’t matter. I would do what I had to do to get close to him. My fate had been sealed the moment I applied for the Black Silk Auction.
I signed my name at the bottom and passed it to Warren without meeting his gaze. I had felt it on me the entire time I was reading his rules. The sound of his pen scratching against the surface caused my heart to skip.
The next piece of paper was my own Hard No list. It was blank.
I signed it without blinking and passed it to Warren, only to stop when his hand covered mine. I jerked it from his grip, my head snapping to look at him.
An amused smirk was spread across his face.
I was taken aback by him now that I was getting an up-close-and-personal look. There had been plenty of news coverage about him. It seemed he was getting recognized every week for something great he did. Donating money here. Building something there. Hell, the net worth count alerts I got on my phone every month were enough to drive me insane.
But those professional, perfectly edited photo shoots hid just how much he’d aged in the last few years. He had been close to my dad’s age, and now his hair was more salt and pepper than brown, which added to his charm. He had a light stubble on his chin, and his face seemed to have filled out more, making him even more impossibly handsome than when I’d first seen him.
It isn’t fucking fair for the devil to look so goddamn sexy.
He jotted something down on the paper and passed it back to me.
Maybe.
I couldn’t stop the huff that escaped my lips. It was his way of subtly telling me that I was in over my head and giving me a chance to save myself.
I don’t want to be saved.
I came for revenge. I came to end it all. I knew I’d get hurt in the process.
But if he’s offering…
I reached over and wrote a single word on the paper.
“Not like I could stop you,” I said and motioned for whatever was next. It was the NDA—the thickest of the pile.
I signed this one without reading as well.
“Alright, you already filled out your bank information, but please check it again?—”
“No need.” I stood. “I think Mr. King was clear about what he wanted, no? I think we are done here for the night.”
Dante’s eyes darted toward Warren, almost like he was trying to save me from my inevitable destruction.
“Leave us,” the boss commanded and stood.
Swallowing thickly, Dante stood and fixed his suit before leaving us alone in the room.
The air became stifling. The knowledge that it was just him and me in the small room caused my heart to speed up and my breathing to shallow.
I turned to him, and with one shrug, let his jacket fall to the floor.
He let out a huff of a laugh while shaking his head.
“Ah, Addi… I knew it was only a matter of time before this started,” he said. His head lifted, his sharp gaze feeling like it could see right through me.
“What? You don’t want a taste of what you purchased?” I asked with a sly smile and tugged my straps off my shoulders. “Cutting the lights was a nice touch. Couldn’t let people see what was yours, hm?”
He was in front of me in an instant, one hand fisting my hair and the other against my hip, holding me in place. His body melded against mine. His breathing was rapid. There was an emotion in his eyes that I never thought I’d see again.
Need.
Being with him had been a taste of the most delicious forbidden fruit.
I had been young when I first saw him. Around nineteen. No experience. A bit too hopeful. Too trusting.
And to fuck my father’s business partner was all I wanted.
I’d lost count of the number of times I’d fucked myself to fantasies of him, so when he finally let me have just a taste, I became obsessed. He was better than anything I could have ever imagined.
But I was blinded by the fantasy and didn’t realize it until he stabbed us in the back.
“Why don’t you want me to kiss you, Addi?” he asked, his breath wafting across my parted lips. My hands came to his shirt, meaning to push him away, but I stopped myself before I managed to fuck up the contract already.
“I told you,” I hissed. “It’s not like I can stop you.”
An amused smirk tugged at his lips.
“Or is it because your once sweet tongue is now bitter with the lies you told about me?” My breath hitched as he dragged his over my lips.
“An eye for an eye,” I said, remembering the headlines about him that had been quickly retracted after his meddling. But people had seen it, which was all that mattered.
“Yet you are here now. My plaything ,” he muttered, the hand on my hip trailing down so he could slip his fingers into the hem of my lingerie. I couldn’t stop myself from spreading my legs for him.
Fucking treacherous body.
He teased me, pulling at it and shifting his fingers in just far enough to tease the tuft of curls between my legs.
“I need the money,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.
I wanted to melt into him. Wanted to spread my legs even further for him and let him fuck me like he had years ago. I could still remember the orgasm he gave me. How it utterly destroyed me.
I hate how much I still want him.
“ No ,” he stated. “You need me , and you’re going to say it, Addi.”
I shook my head and tried to lean away from him, but the hand in my hair kept me still.
“It’s a power thing, huh?” I asked. ”Does it get you off?”
I gasped when his fingers slipped further and further until they teased my folds.
“Say it or I’ll kiss you,” he ordered, leaning forward and licking the side of my mouth. My tongue darted out to lick my lips, still tasting him on them.
He tastes just like he did all those years ago.
It made my knees fucking weak.
I hated him. Loathed him. But I still found myself giving in to him.
When his fingers found my clit, I couldn’t hold back the whine.
“If you get me off, I’ll say it,” I bargained.
His dark chuckle filled the air, making my hair stand on end.
“What was rule number three, Addi?” he asked and gave my clit a sharp pinch.
I let out a groan and gripped his shirt to pull him closer.
“Fine,” I whispered in his ear. “I need you, Mr. King. Now do what you’re supposed to and fuck me.”
He let out a satisfied sigh before pulling his hand away and moving to grip my throat with the other.
Fear clawed at my insides, especially as fury lit his eyes once more.
“You came for me . Don’t think I don’t know that. I still have to figure out why, but I’m sure I will during the next month.”
“Good luck,” I spat out and pushed him away.
“Oh, Addi,” he said with a laugh and bent to pick his jacket up from the floor. “Don’t give me the attitude. We both know I’m going to fucking destroy you. And you’re going to like it.”
He said it so casually, but there was no mistaking it.
It was the same tone he used in his business deals. The same one he used when he was betrayed. The same one he used when he was about to ruin your life.
He may destroy me. But I won’t be going down alone.