The Auction (Club Indulgence Duet, #1)(21)

Everything about the vision in front of me makes my dick hard. She's pure perfection, and now I own her.

As much as I like her dark hair with purple highlights, I'm still not totally used to it. I toss my board on the sand and sit next to her. I twirl a lock of purple around my finger, asking, "When did you change your hair?"

She shrugs. "A few years ago. I'm kind of tired of it though. I've been thinking of going back to blonde."

I make a mental note to take more pictures of her to send to Hugh before she changes it. Everything about her hair color with the purple streaks will send him into a tailspin. He'll hate that she's with somebody he doesn't know, but it might bug him more how she changed her hair to something he deems inappropriate.

She takes my silence as disapproval, but her lips twitch. "Is that okay? Or do I have to get your approval to do my hair?"

I struggle with my inner demon, who wants total control of her, and the part of me that suddenly wants to see her back to her natural state. I finally reply, "You're beautiful either way. If you want to change it, I'll make an appointment for you."

She shakes her head. "There's no need for that. I can do it myself."

I snort. "No, you're with me, Blakely. That means you get the best."

She declares, "That's not necessary. I've learned to do a lot of things for myself. It saves money."

I know all about scrimping and saving money. But the last thing I'm about to do is return to that situation. I respond, "Yeah, well, I have lots of it, so you don't need to worry about that."

She hugs her knees tighter to her chest and stares at the ocean. I can't tell if my answer pissed her off, but I can see that she has a lot more questions. Instead of asking her what's on her mind, I decide I'll ask later, and now is the time to push. I want answers that I didn't get last night, and she's going to tell me.

I turn her chin toward me, demanding, "Blakely, why were you running on the L.A. streets last night?"

She freezes, then slowly answers, "I told you, I was late to the auction. I didn't want to run in my stilettos. They're not exactly easy to trot around in."

"You could have stepped on a needle or some other dangerous thing. I'm not buying it, Blakely. Why were you running?" I ask again.

Nervousness fills her expression, and I know it's true. She didn't tell me everything. Yet she also isn't ready to come clean.

I interrogate her further. "Something happened, Blakely. I know it did. So, either tell me, or I'll find out on my own. And if I do that, you won't be happy with the consequences."

She tilts her head and pins her eyebrows together. "What does that mean, Riggs?"

"You don't want to find out," I threaten.

She exhales deeply, glancing back at the water.

I repeat, "Now, tell me what happened."

She groans, scrubbing her hands over her face, confessing, "My father's men were chasing me."

Confused, I ask, "He knows where you're at?" Hugh never told me that he had any idea he knew where she was, not that I should put anything past him. There's obviously a lot he's not informing me on.

She answers, "No, I didn't know he did. His men showed up at Cheeks the other night and followed me to my apartment. Last night, I was at work, and the new bouncer named Snake lured me outside. He claimed his friend was an agent who heard me sing over at the Lizard Lounge. When I went outside, the two men my father hired were there. They tossed me into an SUV, then got a flat tire. I jumped out of the trunk and ran when they were fixing it. It's why I had to take my shoes off. And that's how I ended up at the club."

I remain silent, processing everything. My gut churns as I ask, "So, you weren't on stage at the club to find a Dom? You were clueless about the auction?"

Her face turns red. She nods, admitting, "Yes."

"And you went with a stranger to sign a contract?" I question, getting angrier but trying to stay calm so she can't see it.

She claims, "I didn't know what to do. They know where I live. I figured I could go wherever the club's driver took me. The people at the club said it was a few towns over from L.A. I don't..." She glances around. "Where are we, Riggs? I don't even know where I'm at."

"You're in Malibu," I inform her.

She glances around again. "Malibu. Okay."

More anger fills me, not at her, but that she was in this situation because of her father. Based on what she's telling me, she had no right to be on stage. I ask, "So you were going to show up at my house, not knowing it was me, and do what, Blakely? Give yourself to some man when you didn't even know what you were getting into?"

"Don't judge me. Especially when you're the one buying women on stage at a sex club," she reprimands.

I take a deep breath. "I'm not judging you. I'm trying to understand what's going on here."

"They told me that I didn't have to sign the contract. They said they would bring me back if I wanted. I figured I'd go to wherever they were taking me to get out of L.A. Then I could figure out my next move. And I wasn't planning on signing the contract."

This is bad. So bad. My blood pounds between my ears. I question, "Blakely, do you know what a sub is?"