“Come here, kitten.” I crawl up to him, loving my pet name. I nestle into his side, careful not to hurt him. “You’ve been very disrespectful,” he says, staring into my eyes. “And you disobeyed me. You left me, and then disobeyed me again. You put yourself in danger.” His admonishment makes my shoulders droop in shame. What’s worse is that it’s all true.
“I’m sorry, Anthony.”
“Don’t be,” he says, taking my chin in his hand and tracing my lower lip with his thumb. “If you come back to me now,” he says, “I’ll never let you go.”
My heart swells in my chest and I push my lips to his. My tear-stained cheeks heat as he kisses me back with the passion I know he has for me. I break our kiss and finally breathe.
“Never let me go, Anthony.” I look into his tortured eyes and I hurt so much for him. For everything he’s been through, but also because I know leaving the way I did hurt him, and I fucking hate that. “I love you.” I’ll say it every day until he believes me, although I’m not sure he ever will.
His forehead scrunches and he takes in a deep breath. He swallows thickly and looks out of the hospital window. Finally, he looks back to me and says the words I want to hear every day for the rest of my life. “I love you, too. But that’s not even close enough to describing what I feel for you. I want you to remember that. Always.”
Chapter 33
Anthony -Months later
I’ve been looking for Catherine everywhere and I’m trying to push away the feeling that something’s wrong. I keep waiting for her to leave me again, no matter how many times she says she loves me. She says I just need time to accept it, and maybe that’s true. I don’t care what holds us together, so long as she never leaves me.
I almost pass by the pile of two-by-fours and cans of paint, but then I catch sight of her out of the corner of my eye. She’s curled up in a ball on the reading nook I built for her. Each wall is a shelf for her books and there’s a giant window with a bench that I plan on padding for her. She’s curled up on the wood, napping.
“I gave you a fitting pet name, kitten,” I say as I pet her hair. She blinks a few times and yawns. She’s been tired from the move and from all the changes, but the one thing that stays the same is the look of devotion I get from her every waking moment. The move’s been good for her. She said she needed to be close to family. My familia. Our familia.
I have to admit it’s been good for her. For me, too. Which is surprising. Even Vince seems to be as happy as a pig in shit. And Catherine and Elle are thick as thieves when it comes to planning these fucking get-togethers she forces me to attend. Apparently having a girl that gets along well with everyone looks good for me and makes me more approachable. I’m still on my own when it comes to work, but that’s the way I want it.
I’m about to whip her ass though and she should know it. “You were supposed to be upstairs twenty minutes ago,” I tell her with a hard voice. She knows it’s play though. There’s a time for that side of me to come out, and right now, it’s time. She wanted to play, and so did I. She should’ve been there to greet me on her knees.
Her eyes go wide and she’s quick to pick up her phone. She checks it and shakes her head as she taps the screen and looks at her alarms. She winces and holds the phone up for me to see. She never turned the alarm on.
“I really hate to have to do this,” I say even though I fucking don’t hate it at all. She looks up with a bit of apprehension, but her eyes are full of lust and her legs subconsciously fall open. She knows she’s going to be cumming soon. She’s a spoiled pet. But I fucking love it.
I sit next to her on the bench and she quickly sits up and waits.
Since moving I’ve punished her ass at least a dozen times. Not for disobeying me, since she knows better than that. She deliberately disobeyed me once before we moved. She sought out Vince after I told her not to. I told her to leave it alone and let us break off from the familia. I thought it was best, but she defied me. My hand twitches remembering how I spanked her. I got her on edge and left her there, alone and crying. She took her punishment and waited for me to go back to her. It couldn’t have been more than fifteen minutes. I’m not a man who makes love to a woman, but if I ever have, it was with her that night. And then of course I gave her what she wanted.
“What’s my punishment, Anthony?” she asks as she looks up at me with big doe eyes. She’s an awful actress. There’s nothing but excitement on her face.
“I set the bench up in the dungeon.” I can’t help but smile at her name for the basement. She bought a whip and a riding crop, stuck them in the corner on top of a bed and called it the dungeon. My little kitten is fucking adorable.
Her eyes glaze over with longing and she speaks in a breathy voice. “Yes, Anthony.” She loves that bench. I had to reinforce it because I almost broke it the last time I fucked her on it.
My brow furrows as she waits for me to lead her to the basement so she can take her punishment.
“Do you still want to play, kitten?” I ask her. After everything we’ve been through, I keep thinking one day she won’t want this. One day she’ll decide she doesn’t want this anymore.
“Always,” she answers. “I’ll always be your kitten, and you can be my bad boy.” She tells me like it’s a fact.
“Boy? No, kitten. I’m a bad man.” It’s the truth, and I wish she’d just accept it, but I don’t think she ever will.
Her eyes go soft and fill with sadness.
“You aren’t a bad man.” She shakes her head and it breaks my heart. I wish I’d never burdened her with my shit. None of that matters; it’s in the past where it belongs. And my sweet love is my future. It’s all for her.
“Bad boy?” I ask her. She’s gotta be fucking kidding me.
“It’s a genre of romance,” she explains.
Jesus Christ.
“Call me whatever you want, kitten, when we’re home. But please don’t call me your romantic bad boy in front of another human being ever.” That has her eyes filling with laughter and a silent giggle shaking her shoulders. That’s my girl.
I finger the ring in my pocket nervously. I just got it back from the jeweler. I had it custom designed for her to match her owl earrings. It took a little convincing, but now that she doesn’t fear losing them, she never wears anything else. I thought rubies in her engagement ring would be a nice touch. It’s the entire reason I wanted to play today. I need her to do this for me. We need this.
“You know you love it,” she teases me. As she says the words I slip the ring on her finger. She pulls back with a gasp and stares down at the diamond. She covers her mouth with her other hand.
“Marry me, Catherine.” I tell her simply. I want everyone everywhere to instantly know she’s mine. Always.
She nods her head as tears slip down her cheeks. She rises from her chair and wraps her arms around my neck as she says, “Yes, Anthony.”
“I love you, Catherine,” I whisper as I lean down for a kiss.
“I love you too, Anthony.”
Epilogue
Catherine
I type away and continue hitting the keys even though I hear him coming. I just have to get this thought out before I forget. I was hit with a wave of inspiration for this scene and I don’t want to lose it. I’ve been writing steadily ever since we moved into the new house. My office has a huge window, just like it did at our old place. Well, this one’s even bigger, but the feeling is the same.
He walks up behind me at the back of my desk and rests his hands on my shoulders, but other than that, he doesn’t interrupt. It only takes a minute for me to finish my thought and when I do, I’m quick to look up at him and give him a small smile. I reach my hand behind his neck and pull him down to me for a kiss.
“Mmm.” He hums against my lips. “What is my naughty girl up to?” I blush at his low tone and rest my head against his chest.
“I wanted to write our story.” I feel him stiffen behind me, but I keep going and decide to sp
ill it all. “All of our stories.”
“Kitten,” Anthony says in an admonishing tone.
“No, no. It’s fiction. Under a pen name. No one will ever know.” I look up at him searching for approval. I love romance novels, and I just have to write all these love stories I’ve heard. The whole family is filled with fairytales, albeit dirty smutty fairytales, that have to be told. I’ve never felt compelled so much in my life to write them down. Ours will be last, because in my completely unbiased opinion, it’s the best.
He smirks at me and places a hand on the nape of my neck, massaging slightly. “Can I read them?”
“If you want to.” I wouldn’t be shocked if he did. He reads over my work from time to time. I used to think he was making sure that I wasn’t trying to put clues or hints out there for someone to come rescue me from him. As if. But then he started doing things in bed that were incredibly familiar from my blogs and columns.
“Well, I definitely want to read ours. I wanna know what my kitten was thinking when I brought her home.” He smiles warmly at me with love in his eyes before leaning down to give me a sweet kiss. My chest warms with his affection.
“I have a question I need to know… for the story.” I don’t know what he’ll answer. But I really do want to know. “Why didn’t you have me call you master?” I ask him.
It takes him a moment to answer. “I knew from the second I saw you that I would be just as much a slave to you as you would ever be to me. If not more.” Tears prick my eyes. I fucking love his answer. “Doesn’t matter what you call me, babe,” he says as he tips my chin up so I have to look at him, “You’ll always be my kitten.”
“You’ll always be my bad boy.” That earns me a chuckle as I lean into his chest savoring how happy we both are.
It might not be ideal or perfect, but I’m more than satisfied with my happily ever after.
Owned: Highest Bidder
By Lauren Landish & Willow Winters
Sneak Peek of Book 3
Highest Bidder Series
Owned
Joe Levi
“Kiersten,” I call out to my dear close friend as she walks through the main hall of Club X. I have to admit, this place is alluring and intoxicating with sinful pleasure at my fingertips, but I have yet to give in to my desires.
“Joseph!” she snaps in a hushed voice, scowling at me and gripping my arm to pull me aside to a darkened corner. It’s comical that the sweet little woman thinks she can pull me around, but I let her. After all, she’s been a close friend of mine for a lifetime, and at this point, she’s the only person I trust.
“That’s not my name here.” Her voice is low and her eyes dart down the hall, but it’s empty. The theme night has nearly everyone in the dining hall.
A chill goes through my blood. I forget sometimes. “I’m sorry… Madam Lynn,” I give her a small smile and she purses her lips, but I know she’s not angry with me. She never stays angry.
“What is it you want?” she asks, crossing her arms and cocking a brow.
“I wanted to make a Submissive an offer, outside of the auction.”
“Oh!” she says and her posture relaxes slightly, although she remains skeptical. “And what offer is that?”
“A monthly contract outside of the club. I’m willing to split the fees of course. I’m simply not interested in the charade of the auction.”
Kiersten raises her brow and I'm quick to add, “No offense.” I don’t mind giving the Submissive whatever amount she desires, and same for the club. The money goes toward women’s shelters. It’s a good cause I already donate to.
It’s not about the money. It’s about ensuring that I’ll get exactly what I want.
I’ve been wanting to take her away from here. I don’t have an interest in engaging in activities here, but I want her. I want to break her. That sweetness about her, I crave it. But I desire her tears more. I see the way her back arches as the braided tails of the whip smack against her skin. The way she touches the marks with a reverence after being lashed.
It’s all clear in training. I see how she’s taking things slowly and going under the radar. I need to take her away now. I hadn’t even seen her until I ran from the last auction, pissed off and not understanding how Isaac could let his Slave walk up onto that stage. I nearly ran her over, my delicate flower. Her sweet voice cut through my anger. She apologized to me, submitting into a kneel that was far less than perfect. But she was trying. I’ve been watching her ever since.
“May I ask who?” Kiersten asks.
“Lilly.” My flower. The men in this club don't know how special she is yet. But I do. She has a sweet innocence about her for a reason. She’s yet to take a Dom.
I want her. And I’ll have her.
“I’m sorry Joseph, but the rules are in place for a reason, and Lilly is still finding her limits.”
I know she is; I watch her constantly. She enjoys the pain and pleasure. She can handle everything I want to give her. She’s perfect.
And the other men here will want her only because she’s a virgin. I want her because I can give her what she really needs. A Master.
I clench my fists, hating that I’m living by these sets of rules.
Since when did my life revolve around the commands of others?
I’ve lived my life making demands and seeing that they’re met. I’ve murdered, committed crime after crime and lived a life without consequence. I have more power than any man in this room. More wealth.
I do whatever the fuck I want, when I want it.
But in the last year, I’ve simply been biding my time in this empty world I’m living in.
It’s time for a distraction. And Lilly is the perfect candidate.
“Don’t give me that look,” I hear Kiersten’s soft voice, laced with sympathy. “I know you’re hurting Joseph,” she says just beneath her breath.
I scoff at her. “This has nothing to do with that.”
“If you want Lilly, you can approach her and ask to be her Master, although I’m not sure she’s ready. If she goes up for auction, you may claim her that way as well. But there will be no deals outside of that.” Her voice is strong, although her face is an expression of compassion. I hate it. I hate that she knows me better than I know myself.
A couple’s footsteps echo in the hall as she speaks. I concentrate on the patter of bare feet and clacking of the shoes. I’m sick of being here. I want Lilly where she belongs. In my home, in my bed, in her cage.
“Joseph?”
My eyes snap to Kiersten’s and bring me back to the moment.
“Are you sure you should be taking a Slave? Outside of the club, that is?”
My heart sputters in my chest, and my blood runs cold. I know why she’s asking. But I’m tired of waiting and living in this limbo. I’m done living by their rules.
“I’m certain.” My words don’t convince her, and I know she’s unhappy, but I don’t care.
I want Lilly.
And I’m going to take her.
I’m going to own her.
Also by Lauren Landish
If you enjoyed Sold, make sure to check out Bought: Highest Bidder!
Also by Lauren & Willow:
Mr. CEO, Tempted & Inked!
Lauren Landish
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Willow Winters
View her entire catalog on Amazon.
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