The smile she gave him was almost evil. “Is that so? Well, honey boy, I’m letting you know now, that ain’t the truth of the matter. Darcy,” she called, and he gave Mark an anxious look.
“Yes, Mother?”
“Find accommodations for our friend here,” she said, casually pointing at Mark.
“Excuse me?” He stood up straighter and gaped. She carefully used two fingers to tip his mouth shut and then turned toward me. “Your charming friend here got misdirected and never arrived at your party tonight. You haven’t seen him, should the police take an interest. Isn’t that right?”
Dumbly, I nodded, though real worry squirmed in my gut.
“Uh… Madam Winters?” Lane said, finally stepping forward. “What do you have in mind?”
She cupped her hands under her chin with a wide smile. “Two nights from now we’re holding the summer auction.” She turned and dazzled her happiness toward Lane, and that must have meant something to him because his shoulders eased down and he gave her a smug smile in return—but it only wound me up.
“What is that?”
“You didn’t know about it because you didn’t have enough cash to participate,” Vane said. I startled because I hadn’t noticed him sliding in beside me. “It’s a lot of fun. Cute little things with perky asses all lined up in their best underwear, and the rich and the bored bid on them for the night. They’re not regular Courtesans, right, Madam? That’s the draw for the customers.”
She smiled. “No, it’s not well-known, but the men and women auctioned off are people who pay for the privilege of being used for a night. Part of the proceeds go to fight human trafficking,” she said seriously to Mark, who looked absolutely appalled. “Strictly volunteers. We give them some training and pointers first, of course.” She stepped closer to Mark. “However, sugar, I believe we’ll give you a taste of the life for free. Bless your heart, you’ve earned it.”
Vane snorted. “You’re being voluntold.”
“What?” Mark swallowed and glanced wildly at me as if I could yank him out of this fire.
“Madam—”
“Oh no.” She held up a finger at me. “I’m decided. This adorable redhead is about to find out how easy it is to spread his legs for strangers. How little work being beautiful twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty-five days a year is. Obviously it’s nothingat alland anyone can accomplish it.”
“You can’t make me do anything.” Mark’s bottom lip jutted and he hugged himself.
She gave him a dazzling smile.
“Of course not.” As she spoke, she turned and pointed toward two large men waiting near the ballroom doors. “They, on the other hand, will do whatever I tell them, and they certainly can make you do whatever I wish.”
Mark sputtered.
“You’ll be given absolutely lovely accommodations until Saturday evening.” She waved a hand at him.
Mark stared at me, and I only shrugged.
“Work!” he blurted. “I have work.”
“I’m his boss,” Vane said casually, though his face was flushed and his smile was too wide. “I’ll let HR know he’s sick.”
“I can’t believe you!” Mark hissed at Vane.
He raised his eyebrows. “What do you think I can do about it?” It didn’t seem to help Mark’s temper that Vane looked to be on the verge of dying of laughter. He only barely held it in by pretending to cough.
The two men from the doorway moved toward us with barely a flick of Madam Winters’s fingers in their direction. Mark, red-faced and glaring for all he was worth, allowed himself to be escorted out of the ballroom by Darcy and what I could only assume were her personal bodyguards.
Madam Winters hummed and then smiled at Lane. “I have a few things to attend to, but your surprise is all set up,” she said and patted him on the shoulder as she made her way past him after her son. We all watched her glide away.
“Do you think she’ll really make him fuck a stranger?” I asked.
Lane huffed and then chuckled. “When she’s done with him, he’ll be lucky if he isn’t working here full-time. What the madam wants, the madam gets. I wondered what the Four of Cups meant when I pulled it this morning.”
I drew him in for a kiss. “Please, never stop being weird. She mentioned a surprise? Is it for me? I love surprises,” I said and looked at him. He grinned at me and dragged me off toward the last window on the edge of the ballroom, nearest the string quartet that was still diligently filling the air with beautiful music. The curtains were the same soft, expensive silk as outside in the hallway. Lane went behind a wide, long curtain with a flourish. The volume of fabric covered him so well that I could barely tell he was back there. I let out an amused snort and followed him in. Our world shrank down to the music, the delicate, shiny silk shielding us from view, and each other.
“Someone will definitely notice us back here,” I whispered.
