Wicked Liar by Faith Summers

Chapter Twenty-Four

Candace

I stare through the windows, looking at the inky black sky.

I’m sitting on the floor with my head and back up against the wall, my hands on my knees.

I'm waiting and wondering what to do now.

I'm now the property of Dominic D’Agostino for thirty days and thirty nights, and my plan couldn't have gone more south.

I did everything I’d never do, came up with a stupid plan to join a human auction to entice a man I'd never be with, and now I’m here.

What now?

Jacques is out of the question, so that places me back at square one, except that now I look like some kind of whore and I'm going to have to come up with a good excuse to tell Dominic.

Something that will work while I try to figure things out, and my way out of this messed up situation.

Footsteps on the other side of the door make me jump. It’s almost been an hour since Dominic brought me up here.

Earlier when he went downstairs I heard Massimo and Tristan’s voices. It’s a given they’d come and talk to him. I don’t know if they saw me on stage too or if they were waiting in the back. I guess it doesn’t matter. I’ve already made myself look bad and worse than a fool.

Although I don’t know what was said I can guess they talked about what was happening, and what’s happening now.

I never imagined Massimo or Tristan would allow Dominic to keep me here and treat me like property. However, the fact that I’m still locked in Dominic’s bedroom refutes that.

Clearly it’s foolish of me to think they would intervene. It’s also foolish because I know what I signed up to.

I remember when Emelia and Isabella were kept under lock and key. I was the one opening the doors on the other side. I was the one doing my best to reassure them that things would be okay even though I knew anything the D’Agostino brothers concocted would be wrong on all levels. Now look at me.

I’m foolish to believe the brothers would think I deserved any other treatment when they condone this type of shit.

The key rattles in the lock and the door handle turns. The door opens and Dominic comes in.

He closes the door, locking it again then looks over at me as he slips the key into his back pocket.

“Ready to talk?” he asks.

“You locked me in here. I have nothing to say to you.”

He chuckles. “Angel, you do know that’s not exactly how you’re supposed to be treating me right? By my records, my fifteen million says we should be naked in bed right about now, fucking.”

I still can’t believe he paid fifteen million for me. Fifteen million dollars and did it like it was pocket change.

“Or, we don’t have to be in bed,” he adds intensifying his stare.

“I’m not getting in bed with you. I want to go home.”

He raises his brows and pulls out a folded piece of paper from his pocket. When he unfolds it recognition makes my stomach sink into the chasm of hell.

I don’t think I could be more embarrassed right now if I tried. It’s the auction’s contract. It’s one sheet of paper with my name and signature at the end.

He strides over to me with those long, powerful legs and stops paces away. Holding out the contract Dominic clears his throat in an exaggerated manner and starts reading.

“I, Candace Elizabeth Ricci wholeheartedly and without prejudice agree to the expectations of the Decadent Auction which stipulates that my buyer have direct ownership of me for the next thirty days and thirty nights. Since payment will be made immediately after the winning bid is declared, I agree to all terms and conditions specifically; that my body belongs to my buyer. As such I will agree to everything my buyer requests, and accept that nothing requested will be off limits. That includes and is not limited to activities such as sexual intercourse, BDSM, anal sex, fisting, sex with multiple partners…” His voice trails off and he looks down at me. Instead of the wild desire he previously exhibited and the air of humor, anger flickers in his eyes. “Do I need to continue?”

“Please don’t.”

"Good, because I'm not sharing you with anybody. Your pretty pussy belongs to me alone," he smirks.

All I do is stare back at him.

“The money is in your account to do what you wish,” he nods.

With my fifty percent cut that would be seven million dollars. I never thought I would live to see the day when I had that type of money in my name. Anybody else would be jumping for joy, but I want to give it back.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him exactly that, but the gamut of emotion clashing through me makes me hold my tongue. Desperation for money is the only thing I can allow him to believe right now until I have to tell the truth.

“We’ll need to talk about the arrangements for the next thirty days.” He crouches down in front of me.

“Dominic, are you seriously going to do this? To me?” I’m trying to reason with him. That’s all it is. I know it’s like talking to a wall but I’m trying.

“Why shouldn’t I? After the other night you don’t see the appeal of me owning you for thirty days?”

“Dominic. You and I can’t do this.”

“But you and Jacques can? I don’t believe that. You and I both know that if you could, the other night wouldn’t have happened.” His eyes twinkle with desire. “We’re doing this."

Dominic stands and pulls off his t-shirt, revealing his masterpiece body. When he starts undoing his belt buckle my nerves spike and I remember the way he took me over and over again the other night. The wild smirk on his face tells me he’s thinking about it too.

“Get in the bed, baby,” he orders, and an angry blush heats my body.

“No.” I'm not ready to jump back in bed with him no matter what that contract says.

"Okay, let's do this the hard way then."

I manage one breath before he reaches down and picks me up from the floor. Like I’m weightless, he tosses me over his shoulder even though I thrash against him.

“Put me down,” I cry.

“Like fuck.”

He walks over to the bed and sets me down in the center. Before I can form my next words he swoops in to hover over me. The movement is so predatory and almost animalistic it steals my breath away.

I’m about to protest when he grabs both my arms and pins them above my head, pressing his weight against me to hold me down. I’m reminded of a cat trapping a mouse.

Cat? No… he’s no cat. He’s more like a vicious lion and I’m some poor innocent animal that made the mistake of venturing into his path.

He lowers so close I think he’s going to kiss me, but he doesn’t. He stops a breath away and bores his gaze into mine. Hot and sexy. His eyes fill with raw desire, speaking silently of all the things he wants to do to me.

I take him in and I barely manage to swallow past the lump in my throat.

“Candace Ricci. I’m tired and I have a two-day hard on.” He presses his cock into my belly and I shudder at the memory of the humongous size. My obvious reaction makes a smile inch across his face. “Either we fuck or we sleep. You get to pick tonight.”

I gasp, my damn cheeks burning from his words and the feel of his hard cock against me weakening my defenses again. Images of us having sex and all the ways we did it come rushing to my mind once more making my nipples pebble to hard points. My pussy clenches with that desperate need only he annoyingly seems to bring out in me. I’ve never thought about a man the way I have about this one. Never.

And yet, I can’t do this. Not tonight.

It took everything inside me to end things with him yesterday. Even if I can admit that I want him. I can’t just give in so easily.

“I want to sleep,” I answer.

“Sure about that, Angel? Your eyes say different and your body betrays you.”

“I want to sleep,” I repeat and a chuckle rumbles in his chest.

He releases me, then flicks the sheet over to cover me up and slips under it too, shuffling so he’s closer.

Dominic leans over to the nightstand and switches off the lights.

I lie on my back and glance at him out the corner of my eye.

He’s lying on his side looking straight at me.

I close my eyes and allow my mind to drift.

Sleep is my only escape from the turmoil of this night.

I tried to sleep in the beast's bed, but ended up with the devil I know.