Sold for the Night by Ki Brightly
1
Camden Wolf
I wasa predator looking for prey, and I knew who I wanted the moment I paged through the small brochure in my hand and caught sight of his picture. He didn’t have a bright, beaming smile like the other men being auctioned, and there was defiance in his hazel gaze. Oh, he’d be a fighter. He called to my primal nature.
Mark
Twenty-nine years old.
Likes: boxing, locally owned restaurants, and boxers (the dogs and to wear).
Dislikes: discussing politics, the news, and seafood.
I licked my lips as my hand tightened around the numbered paddle I held. Yes, he was going to be mine by the end of the night.
“Camden.”
I raised my head at the sound of my name and smiled as Madam Winters walked across the glossy wooden floor of the ballroom as elegantly as a model on a runway. The crowd moved out of the way for her, almost instinctively, until she reached me and grabbed my hands, leaning in to press a kiss on each of my cheeks.
“How are you, sugar?”
Madam Winters was all class, and she was my mother’s closest friend and rummy partner. Every Thursday night they got together for a glass of wine and played the card game with a few other ladies, which was how I’d come to know about her and the Courtesan. She’d won me over with witty stories that had me laughing. At first I’d assumed she was telling tall tales about her early life as a street girl—something for shock value—until I’d realized everything she’d said was true, and it only made me respect her more.
“I’m fine, how are you?” I gave her a short hug, and she petted my face like my mother did. They were truly two women from the same mold.
“Fantastic. The night is young. I’m surrounded by handsome men and beautiful women. How much luckier can I get?” She chuckled and waved her hand around the ballroom at the gathering crowd of well-dressed people. Madam Winters was the star of the room, though, with a glittering golden gown that shimmered and sparkled under the lights. The material swept around her feet like a halo, and if I didn’t know how much of a devil she really was, I might have thought of her as an angel. “This is always one of my favorite nights of the year. Somehow the summer auction is a smidge more special than the others.”
“I can see why.” I tugged at my tie nervously. It wasn’t often I wore suits, but black-tie events meant I had no choice. Madam Winters had been adamant about me coming tonight, promising me I’d find the right man. I didn’t believe her, not until I saw his name in the brochure I’d been given on the way in. “Do you know this guy?” I showed her the picture of Mark, and a wicked smile slid onto her dark red lips.
“Oh, he’d be perfect for you.”
“Do you think so?” I grinned. “You know what I like. I told you.”
She laughed and touched my shoulder, fingernails dancing down my arm. “Perfect, Camden.”
“I’m not sure how much I can afford,” I said honestly. By day I was a construction foreman, a regular working-class, blue-collar man who had just enough money to pay my bills and put food on my table. I wasn’t rolling in cash like some of these men and women looked like they were.
“You don’t need to afford anything here. Bid what you need to bid to get who you want, sugar, and you can have him for free.” She stroked farther down my arm, then dropped her hand. “Your mother has kept me sane on the worst days, and she never asks for anything in return. The least I can do is give something back to her son.”
I smiled, my belly warming. That was my mother. She’d always been the type who gave whatever she could. If someone needed the shoes off her feet, I wouldn’t put it past her to offer those as well. She’d always been that way, and I tried to practice her best qualities. “Thank you, Madam. How does this work?”
She turned slightly to look at the temporary stage that had been set up at one end of the room. Chairs were lined in front of it. The rest of the space in the ballroom had been left bare for the crowd to mingle with one another. Center stage was a small podium, and I assumed it was to showcase the person they were auctioning off for the night. Red velvet curtains hung to the sides and back of the stage, which no doubt led to where those being sold waited.
“The auction will start in about ten minutes. It’s quite simple, like bidding at any other auction. You have that paddle with your number on it.” She tapped the paddle in my hand. “The auctioneer will start the bidding, and you raise it when you wish to bid on the professional for the night.” She sent me a sly glance. “Mark will be absolutely perfect for you, though, sugar. He’s a real charmer.”
“Why do I have a feeling there’s something you’re not telling me?” I laughed.
She winked her long blonde eyelashes at me. “I am a Southern lady, sir, we do not lie or keep secrets.”
“I don’t believe a word of that. Southern women are more likely to get away with murder because no one suspects them with all their politeness,” I teased.
She giggled—actually giggled. “You’ll have him for a night, Camden. Make the most of it.” With a final smile and a flutter of her fingers, she glided off to talk to a couple of men who were chatting in a corner. They all but fell over themselves to greet her, and I couldn’t do anything except laugh.
I went to the wine bar situated on the left of the room and bullshitted with the nice gentleman behind it. He had blond hair with pink tips, the typical staff uniform with a white shirt and deep red vest, and thick black-rimmed square glasses. All in all, he was not the kind of person I expected to work at the Courtesan, but he moved with expertise and knew his wines and champagnes well. I pretended to know what he talked about, but in the end, I had no clue.
Five minutes later, I had learned more than I ever needed to know about wine, though, and finally the overhead lights dimmed, signaling the start of the event. I said my goodbyes to the sommelier—he’d taught me that word and I wanted to remember it—and walked toward the stage with the rest of the bidders. We crowded close as the stage lights lit up, revealing Madam Winters with her arms wide in a welcoming gesture.
“Friends,” she began, and the crowd cheered. “Welcome to the Courtesan Summer Auction. Auctions occur once per season, spring, summer, autumn, and winter, to give you a little thrill. We have some handsome men and dazzling women for you tonight.”
A round of excited applause sounded through the room and I joined in.
The madam performed some fluid, dance-like gestures that made her seem even more graceful as she signaled to someone at the side of the stage. “As usual, Mikey will be running the auction while I enjoy the show, just like the rest of you. I may even bid, find myself a scrumptious man for the night.”
Chuckles and giggles filled the room and I grinned. Madam Winters was likeable and sweet, a maternal figure who had you feeling safe. At the same time, it wasn’t difficult to see the power she held, and the large men stationed near the door—who never took their eyes off her and seemed like they were brawlers—spoke to that.
“But before I depart the stage, I’d like to personally introduce ya’ll to our first gentleman up for auction. He’s not in the brochures you were given when you entered because this was a last-second decision. As a mother, it’s my duty to give my child what he needs, and this is no different.” She smiled widely around at the crowd.
I cocked my head, curious. I knew she only had one kid—Darcy, a young man who… wasn’t the most pleasant. He had more attitude than anyone I’d ever known. A brat, if I ever did meet one.
“Without further ado, my son, Darcy Winters. He is the first of our handsome men to be auctioned off tonight.”
A few people in the crowd gasped, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a man near the back straighten. He looked like everyone else in the room, in an obviously expensive black suit and blue tie, but there was something else about him I couldn’t put my finger on. I knew him from somewhere, but I didn’t know how. He wasn’t bad-looking, though. With styled brown hair gone silver at the temples, he was tall and wide-shouldered. He had a short dark beard and was wearing a pair of black sunglasses. A golden retriever sat politely at his side, fitted with a red guide-dog harness.
I focused back to the stage and zeroed in on Darcy, who gracelessly stumbled out from behind a curtain, dressed in a sleek black suit and looking disgruntled and unhappy about the situation. His mouth twisted in irritation, and he walked stiffly across the stage, stopping to whisper something at his mother. She smiled and patted his cheek, replying quietly to him before she gestured his way for the crowd.
“Isn’t he handsome?”
There was another round of applause, and the man with the sunglasses took a step forward, his head tilted in interest. Darcy glared out at the people surrounding the stage, his jaw tight and nose scrunched. Other than the disgusted expression on his face, he was a very fuckable man. Light blond hair gleamed in the lights, and he had a pale face with light pink lips. He ran a hand down his cheek. Somehow, in spite of his terrible attitude, he had a soft appearance, even when he was obviously annoyed at his mother and everyone in attendance.
“This will be a one-time-only auction, so reach deep into those pockets and give my Darcy what he deserves.” She waved her hands again and her dress glittered under the lights. “As most of you probably already know, my son does prefer males, so we’ll only be taking bids from the men.”
There were some groans of disappointment from a couple of the women, and I snorted. They were lucky, as far as I was concerned. I didn’t see Darcy Winters as someone who would be pleasant to spend a night with, especially when it came to sex, no matter how handsome he was. I liked a chase in the bedroom, but I had no doubt Darcy would be a whole new ball game.
“Let’s start the bidding at ten thousand dollars.”
I nearly swallowed my tongue. Coughing, I peered around at the other people, but none of them seemed upset by the price. A few men were even raising their numbered paddles.
I watched as the fight for Darcy went on and the man in the back didn’t move an inch. It wasn’t until the price had gotten to fifty grand that the bidding started slowing down, and that’s when Sunglasses got involved. He raised his paddle to make the bid fifty-five thousand, and a battle continued between him and another older guy near the front of the crowd, until finally—at ninety thousand dollars—it was over, and Sunglasses won.
There was a round of excited applause and whispers as an attendant in a suit rushed from the stage and to the back to get Sunglasses’ details. Darcy growled something quietly at his mother before he straightened and walked down the stairs toward the back of the room. People watched him, but he kept his gaze straight ahead until he reached the winner.
I returned my attention to the stage, more interested in my redheaded beauty, who was tenth in the lineup. Madam Winters passed over the microphone to a guy, Mikey, apparently, and the bidding continued. One by one, men and women came onstage, and none of them interested me. They went for a reasonable amount of money; although, not nearly as much as Darcy, who’d disappeared with the winner of his auction.
Mikey was a jubilant auctioneer, almost bouncing around the stage like a jester entertaining his lords and ladies. He had the look for it, too, with a bright pink suit and an even brighter ocean-blue shirt beneath it. The crowd loved him, cheering every time he announced a name.
Someone touched my shoulder, and I jumped slightly, turning to smile at Madam Winters again. She winked and sidled closer.
“I didn’t expect this kind of show,” I said to her, pointing to the stage at Mikey.
She shook her head. “He’s one of my boys. A whore. He has fun, and the guests love him.”
I laughed when he actually did a cartwheel across the stage. “I can see why. I thought this crowd would be too… upscale for this type of entertainment.”
“You’d be surprised what they enjoy.” She patted my arm. “Your boy is coming up next.”
“I know he’s not a real professional—they’re all ordinary people wanting a night to be used like a whore—but I have to ask. What is Mark like?” I grinned at her, feeling feral. “Is he worth the chase?”
She touched her lips with her fingers and laughed. “Oh, Camden, if you truly want a chase, he’s exactly who you want. He’ll fight you every minute you’re with him.”
The predatory side of me loved the sound of that and my blood ran hot. My skin tingled with excitement because I’d always had a big thing for redheads, closely followed by blonds. I was going to destroy him in all the best ways, chase him and hold him down as I mounted him like a mating lion. I’d have him screaming.
“Good.”
She smiled knowingly. “Bid well, sugar.” She was gone in a waft of floral perfume and a flick of her dress, her heels clicking on the ballroom floor as she glided across the room. I couldn’t tear my eyes off her, at least not until Mikey announced the next man being auctioned.
“Ladies, gentlemen, and gentlepeople, we have a treat for you tonight. He’s beautiful, wild, and a ginger. Everywhere.” Mikey bounced on his toes, giving us a glimpse of fluorescent green socks. Was he colorblind? That would be the only explanation for the mismatched colors of his clothes. “If you can handle a spitfire, then this next boy is for you. Introducing, Mark!”
Cheers filled the room as the red curtains at the side of the stage opened and the man whose picture I’d seen in the brochure was shoved out of them. He shuffled across the stage to the podium, nervously looking at the crowd from the corners of his eyes. He wasn’t wearing much, probably for our benefit, only a pair of black shorts that might as well have been briefs, and a matching tank top. When he made it to Mikey, he crossed his arms over his stomach and glared out at the people surrounding him.
“Isn’t he just adorable?” Mikey went to touch Mark’s hair, but Mark slapped his hand away and turned narrowed eyes on him. “And feisty!” Mikey bounced on his toes again and wriggled like an overenergetic kid. “He’s gay, sorry, ladies. We do try to respect preferences, so we’ll only be taking bids from the men. Let’s start the bidding at ten thousand.”
I stood back and let the other men fight it out. There looked to be some serious bidders, and I checked them out through the sea of bodies. I waited for the perfect time, and when the paddles popping into the air slowed down, the wager was at forty-five grand.
“Do we have fifty? Come on, boys. Mark here needs some lovin’!” Mikey did a twirl in front of Mark, and Mark’s gaze followed him, mouth pursed in displeasure. He smoothed his hand down the tight black tank top he had on and stared out at the crowd again. Our gazes locked, and that’s all it took for me to hunger for him. I imagined him in my bed, all pale skin and bright red hair against my sheets, and I knew he had to be mine.
I raised my paddle, and Mikey squealed.
“We have fifty. What about fifty-five?”
The bidding ended up being between me and another man in the corner, a tall blond who switched between glaring at me and making gooey eyes at Mark. By the time I raised my paddle for seventy, though, he sighed and shook his head when Mikey looked at him with interest.
“Going once.”
Excitement shot through me, an impossible thrill that carried the heat of a good chase, and it took all my effort not to pump my chest out in a typical alpha move.
“Going twice.”
Mark’s gaze settled on me and he stared, cocking his head as though curious about me. When I smiled at him, he turned his head away.
“And sold to bidder number thirteen!”
The crowd clapped. Someone patted me on the shoulder, and I smiled at him in thanks.
One of the attendants came rushing to me, her face flushed when she reached me. “Congratulations, sir,” she said. “How would you like to pay for your night?”
“Madam Winters said she’d take care of it for me.”
“Oh.” She grinned and bobbed her head. Her blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail and swished as she clutched a clipboard in her hand, topped with a piece of paper she scribbled on. “Of course. You’re one of the madam’s special guests. I just have to go through a few quick details with you. You’ve already signed our nondisclosure form?”
“I have,” I said, my gaze sliding to Mark, who loped off the stage and started heading in my direction, his cheeks blazing almost as red as his straight, short hair.
“Okay, if I could just get you to sign this. It’s a form that says you agree to pay the fees, which doesn’t affect you, and that you are aware you only have one night with Mark. If he doesn’t wish to see you again, you will not commit any illegal actions against him, including stalking or harassment.”
I jolted and grabbed the pen out of her hand when she turned the clipboard at me. I signed the document just as Mark reached us. She nodded with a smile and bustled off, leaving me and Mark alone.
He still had his arms crossed, mouth pursed and nostrils flaring. “I never wanted this.”
“What?” I frowned at him, taking in the soft lines of his face and the freckles splattered across his cheeks and nose. It was fucking adorable.
“I’m not… one of those people. A prostitute,” he leaned forward to say softly.
“Yes, the people being auctioned tonight aren’t professionals,” I said, not quite sure what he was getting at.
He huffed and pouted. His stare slid to Madam Winters, where she stood holding court in a corner, and I followed it, but she had her back to us. “This was her doing.”
I laughed. “Let’s start again. I’m Camden, and you’re Mark.”
He pressed his hands over his hair as though patting it flat, but it was already straight. Maybe too straight. Some of the strands curled slightly, like their natural state wasn’t meant to be the way it currently was. “Fuck this. I’m not doing this.”
He was gone so fast that by the time I realized he’d escaped for the exit he was halfway across the ballroom. I followed him, a spike of exhilaration pumping through my veins. He was already running. Excited goose bumps rose on my arms as I followed him through the doorway and into the extravagant hallway outside the ballroom. Below a perfect example of a Gothic Revival vaulted ceiling, long golden curtains bracketed open arched windows, and the airy cloth shimmered and danced inward on a light breeze as if it also wanted to pursue Mark. I seized his arm before he could get much farther and slammed him against the wall, eliciting a gasp of surprise from him when I got in nice and close to his face with mine.
“Don’t run,” I growled out, my voice deeper than usual. “Unless you really want to, but I enjoy a chase.”
His hazel eyes widened, and he threw his head back, bumping it against the wall behind him. “I’m not running.” His voice wavered, and his tongue darted across his lips. My gaze followed that pink tongue and the way he dampened his mouth with his saliva, and I wanted to devour him—eat him all up like the prey he was.
“You are.” I leaned forward a little more and smiled dangerously. I ran my fingers over his cheekbone and followed the path his tongue had taken across his lips, and he gasped again. “You’re mine for the night, Mark, and I’m going to consume you. Make you crave every touch and kiss. Do you want that?”
A whimper escaped his mouth and his pretty red eyelashes fluttered. “I….” He chewed on his bottom lip and nodded fast. “Yes. Yes.”
“Good. Then let’s go to your room. Lead the way.”
Mark’s body trembled as he slithered out from between the wall and me, and he hesitantly started walking down the hallway, throwing a cautious glance over his shoulder. Like the hungry man I was, I followed my cute little prey, eyes glued to the way his tight ass bounced in his barely there shorts.