I drove into my narrow driveway and hit the button on my keys. The garage door slid up, and I parked in the two-car bay. Mark stayed very still, even after I turned the truck off, and for a moment I didn’t know what to say to him. The garage door closed, and he still didn’t move a muscle.
“Would you like to come inside?” I asked after the silence stretched out too long.
He finally looked at me, eyes burning with a fire that had my body buzzing, much to my shame. I’d always had a hard-on for men who fought against me, gave me a run for my money, and Mark would do exactly those things—I could tell.
I wanted him.
“Do I have a choice?” he snapped, face flushing in anger.
“Yes, but I’d really like you to come in so we can talk.” It took all my effort not to drag him inside by his arm and throw him over my lap and spank him. He wasn’t my sub, and even though I’d bought him for the night, he clearly had no desire to be part of this. I didn’t force men into participating in things they had no desire to do, and even though Mark had obviously been aroused by what had happened tonight, that wasn’t consent. I’d just assumed…. Assumption—that had been my issue. I’d trusted the madam that this man was a consenting adult.
He nodded and opened the door, and I got out at the same time. I guided him through the attached door that led into the house and flipped on the light switch. The garage went straight past the pantry and into the kitchen, a design I’d never really liked but Liv had loved. She’d always said it was easier to get groceries in that way.
I stopped by the kitchen counter to toss my keys onto it before I walked past the dining area and into the family room. Liv left a lot of the furniture, opting to buy different stuff for her new home, which meant I was left with a large L-shaped beige couch I’d never really liked to begin with but was comfy all the same. Some weeks, especially during summer, I wasn’t home enough to care. I worked long hours as a construction foreman.
I fell onto the soft cushions and sighed, patting the spot beside me. “Come sit down.”
Mark hesitated, gaze flicking to the short hallway that led to the front door. He huffed and walked around to the couch, dropping into a spot two spaces away from me, as though he was afraid to get close. “I’m here. So talk.”
“I want to know the truth. From the beginning.” I lowered my voice, adding an order to my tone, like I did for any fiery sub who wanted to be told what to do. “How did you end up at the Courtesan?”
He heaved a sigh and glanced toward the fireplace. I had pictures of me, Liv, and the girls on the mantelpiece, and I didn’t miss the way his mouth curled into a poisonous scowl. “Do you make a habit of cheating on your wife?”
I pressed my lips together to hold back the laughter that threatened to pour from me. He definitely needed a spanking for the attitude. “That’s Olivia, but she’s my ex-wife now.” Standing, I grabbed one of my favorite photos from when we went to Disney World in Florida last year. I passed the frame to him as I sat back down right beside him. Pointing at my oldest girl, I said, “That’s Adelaide. We call her Addy, and she’s got a smart mouth. Likes to argue, and she’s only seven.”
Mark’s lips quirked in a half smile.
I tapped on my youngest’s vibrant face next. “And that’s Eloise. My Ellie. She’s five and stubborn as a bull. Liv tried to make Addy wear dresses when she was four, and she resisted. Eloise refused in solidarity for a few months. Addy has only worn boys’ clothes since then. She’s a particular fan of Marvel.” We never wanted our girls to be unhappy, so the moment we’d realized Addy didn’t want to wear feminine clothing, we hadn’t made her. Liv took her shopping with her instead, so Addy could choose her own look. She liked everything I expected a son would—baseball, superheroes, toy cars, trains—and I didn’t want her any other way. She was my little star.
He ran his thumb around the gold frame, dark red eyebrows dipped thoughtfully. “You have a beautiful family.”
“I do. I love them very much.” I took the photo from him again and placed it on my other side on the couch before I turned back to him. I tucked my leg under me and rested my elbow on the back of the couch, staring intently at him. “So, are you going to answer my question or avoid it again? Why were you at the Courtesan?”
He shrugged, and the predatory part of me wanted to grab his arm and lay him across my lap, but I shoved down the urge. “Long story short? I was there for a friend’s party Thursday night. I made a comment about… professionals. Ms. Winters took it personally. She said that she wanted me to know what it’sreallylike, so she put me in this damned auction.”
“Against your will?” I asked carefully.
“What do you think I’ve been saying?” he asked sharply, glaring at me.
I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “I didn’t know. I’m sorry. Madam Winters doesn’t seem like the person to do that kind of thing, or I wouldn’t have… done what I did.”
Mark cleared his throat and glared for a moment before he sighed. “I might not have thought it was too bad.” His eyes narrowed on me and he pointed a finger. “But that doesn’t mean I forgive you.” He lowered his hand again. “You’re also really hot. Not the type of guy I’d usually spend a night with, though. I… am used to geeky guys like me. Not….” He made a wild gesture my way. “Guys like you. What do you do, anyway?”
“I’m a foreman for Ledecky and Dressel Construction. It’s part of the Devine Conglomerate. You’ve probably noticed the signs for them. I’m working on those new bank offices in the city. You might have seen the building going up.”
He snorted. “I haven’t just seen it, I worked with the people in city hall to approve it. The building design was unique, and we wanted to make the city more contemporary.”
I cocked my head with a smile. “You work at city hall?”
He flushed as bright as his hair and shrugged. “I do. I’m the personal assistant to the mayor.”
“The one who got shitcanned?” I asked without thinking. I wasn’t into politics, but it was hard to miss the hype about Ross Midberry being arrested and jailed for fucking a whore. The controversy had made national news, and the new mayor, Vane Elwood, had multiple interviews trying to douse the flames with sweet words and promises of continued support for the New Gothenburg people. As far as I was concerned, though, I didn’t see the issue. Prostitutes were doing their job, like everyone else.
Mark’s face soured and he glared so hard I expected my shirt to catch on fire. “Ross did nothingwrong,” he hissed, before frowning and sighing. “No, that’s a lie. He had sex in the city hall stairwell, and that wasn’t a good idea, but they shouldn’t have thrown him in prison. It’s stupid. The cops and DA had it out for him. They wanted to make an example of him because he didn’t tolerate their abusive behavior.”
I held up my palms to him. “I just asked. Not any of my business what happened.”
He slumped forward. “Then yes, he wasfired.”
