Sabrina escorted Eliza through the house to a bedroom hidden just off the staircase. She opened the door, ushering Eliza inside, and dropped a handful of bills on the dresser beside the door. Closing the door wordlessly, Sabrina vanished.
Eliza spun around, her heart hammering, and ripped the door open. At least Sabrina hadn’t locked her in.
Sabrina stopped halfway down the hallway and turned, a quizzical expression on her face. “Is something wrong?”
“What if I want to leave?”
“You can leave tomorrow,” she replied dismissively, turning around again, and sashayed down the hallway. She entered a door on the far end, closing it with a light click.
Sighing, Eliza entered the bedroom again and collected the money from the dresser, her eyes slid over the room. Royal blue and light cream leapt from the four-poster bed, dark mahogany wood accenting the rich colors. The curtains, a checkered mixture of blue and white, parted to reveal the inky night.
Eliza crept over to the window seat, craning her neck to stare up at the hundreds of brilliantly glowing stars. Sinking onto the bench, she pressed her forehead against the cool glass, sighing heavily. Her hands fidgeted with the stack of one-hundred-dollar bills, half the promised disbursement from Sabrina.
Drawing her legs up onto the small bench, Eliza tucked them under her body. She spoke to one star in particular, watching it twinkle through the frosted glass.
“What do you think I should do?” she asked aloud. “Barring the insane car ride, the charity seems legitimate, and ten thousand dollars is a lot of cash. With that amount, I can continue heading north, although I’m not sure how much farther you want me to travel.”
She twisted her hands around the money, a tear escaping. She swiped at it.
“I’m tired, Mom,” she pressed her hand to the glass and hiccupped, “and I can’t keep running, but I need the money. I’m out of my league here, just look at this room.” She swiped her arm backward. “It’s like a museum. I’m afraid to touch anything. I wasn’t raised around this kind of wealth. I have no idea how to act. I’m going to make a fool of myself.”
Eliza fell silent, waiting for an answer. The star winked in response.
“Alright, I’ll sleep on it.” She nodded and yawned, pulling the curtain closed. The room plunged into darkness.
Shuffling blindly toward the bed, she stripped off her shoes, socks, and jeans. She stacked the clothing on a nightstand, tucking the money into a pocket of her old coat. Unhooking her bra from underneath her shirt, she dropped it onto the pile and crawled into the bed, wearing only a shirt and panties. Sinking into the mattress’ softness with an audible sigh, her eyes fluttered closed. Within moments, the nightmare took hold.
She bunched herself into a ball, wrapping her long limbs around the cold metal pipes. Muted voices argued, followed by a loud bang. Near her head, the u-bend pipe burst, spraying her with water. She pressed her palm to her mouth as two more cracks rang out in rapid succession. Holding her breath, she waited, frozen, her stiff muscles protesting.
The cupboard door ripped open and a faceless man reached into the darkness…
A heavy weight landed on her chest, pinning her to the mattress. Eliza screamed, her eyelids flying open. The room was pitch black. Panicking, her hands felt along her torso, closing around the object. It was an arm! She flung the limb with a shriek, kicking her feet against the unknown bulk attached to the arm. Its owner toppled off the bed, landing on the floor with a grunt.
“Hey!” shouted a deep voice. Fumbling sounds followed. The lamp beside to the bed clicked on, bathing the room in dim light, and a dark, rumpled head popped up from the floor. “What are you doing in my bed?”
“Your bed?” Eliza sat up quickly. Her stomach flipped over, an unexpected reaction to the half-naked male peering at her over the edge of the mattress.
“Yes, my bed. Obviously, I was sleeping in it.”
“I was sleeping in it.” She folded her arms across her chest. “How did you not notice me?”
“I was half asleep when I arrived, the room was pitch-black, and I wasn’t expecting to find anybody else already in it. Besides, this is my room. Why are you in here at all?”
“Sabrina told me I could sleep here.”
He glanced upward at the ceiling, muttering curses under his breath. After a moment, he leveled his gaze, his cobalt blue eyes blazing. “You must be participating in the auction.”
Eliza licked her lips. “Well, I haven’t decided yet.”
“Really?” His eyebrows raised in surprise. Rising, he gestured at the bed. “Do you mind if I sit?”
Eliza shook her head, pulling the sheet up and tucking it under her arms, her stomach continuing to flip-flop. He propped up two pillows, climbed onto the mattress, and then leaned against them. Digging his bare shoulders into the pillow, he sighed contentedly and pulled the corner of the blanket over his lap, covering his boxers. He turned toward Eliza with a friendly smile.
“Hello. My name is Nate.”
“Hi, Nate.” Eliza replied, fighting the blush which threatened to break out across her face. Her tongue glued itself to her mouth, her eyes sliding over his muscles.
“What do they call you?” he asked, politely, oblivious to her ogling.
“Eliza.”
“Eliza, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He stuck out his arm.
Gingerly, Eliza took his hand and shook it. It warmed in her palm, sending a small spark zipping up her arm. “Oh!” She pulled her hand from his, shocked by her reaction to his touch.
“Eliza,” said Nate, a curious expression flitted across his face, “we have a slight problem.”
“What’s that?” Eliza swallowed.
“There are currently no other unoccupied bedrooms in this house tonight. As this used to be my room, I assumed it would be free.”
“Sabrina said you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow morning,” interrupted Eliza.
“Yes, she would have assumed that.” Nate grimaced. “On any other occasion, she would have been correct. However, my business concluded early, and here I am.”
“I can find a couch.” Eliza rolled the cover down to her stomach, thinking perhaps this was sign she should refuse Sabrina’s offer.
Would she be able to find a taxi this far away from the city?
“No, you’re a guest.” Nate placed a hand on her shoulder. Another bout of electricity rippled through her body.
“This is your room.”
Nate considered her argument, lifting his hand from her arm and stroking his chin. “I’ll make you a proposal. Since neither of us have anywhere else to sleep tonight and neither of us wants to sleep on the cold floor, I suggest I remain on this side of the bed, and you stay on that side.”
“And we just go to sleep?” Eliza eyed him skeptically, trying to ignore the part of her brain screaming with delight.
“I was already asleep before you rudely shoved me off the bed.”
“I didn’t shove you. I pushed your arm off my chest. You fell on your own.”
“I stand corrected, or sit, as it were.” Nate’s face crinkled with humor. “However, tomorrow we have an early launch, so I suggest we try to get some rest.” He leaned over and clicked off the lamp.
Squishing to her right, Eliza curled onto her side. Her mind careened wildly around the evening’s events, refusing to quiet. A myriad of thoughts tumbled through her brain, circling around the nightmare—the same one she’d been dreaming since her parents’ murders.
An irrational part of her longed to reach out and touch Nate’s hand, desiring comfort. She rolled onto her back, nervous energy zipping through her limbs. Staring up at the inky ceiling, her eyes focused on tiny, magically glowing lights sprinkled across the ceiling in a familiar pattern.
“Are those stars?” she asked.
“Yes.” Nate flipped onto his back as well. “I’m surprised you can still see them. They’ve been up there for nearly a decade.” He fell silent, his breathing even.
“Nate?”
“Yes?”
“Should I participate in the auction?” The real question worrying Eliza hovered on her tongue.
Nate sighed heavily. “Do you plan to keep me up all night?”
“No. I just haven’t made up my mind yet. I’m not really comfortable with the idea of someone owning me.”
“You’re not selling your free will,” replied Nate. “If it makes you feel any better, I’ll buy you tomorrow.”
Eliza swallowed anxiously, turmoil bubbled in her chest.
“Why?” Her voice squeaked. A hand slid across the mattress, lightly wrapping around her fingers. The electric jolt whipped up her arm.
“Breathe,” he said softly.
Nodding, Eliza inhaled slowly and concentrated on the glowing ceiling.
“Now, what exactly is bothering you so much that you’ve decided to keep me awake?”
“Sabrina had me fired this evening.” Eliza blurted out, the words tumbling uncontrollably from her lips. “I have to move, again, and I don’t know where I’m headed. I’m exhausted from continually relocating, starting over. I just want to stop somewhere. I don’t even unpack anymore, I leave everything in the suitcase. Plus, a few hours ago, I nearly lost my life in the most terrifying car ride I’ve ever experienced.”
Nate snorted and apologized immediately, giving her hand another squeeze. “You couldn’t pay me to get into a car with Frankie.” He fell silent for a moment. “Is that everything?”
“I’m also holding five thousand dollars in cash.”
“Right now?” Nate whistled. “That is quite a large amount of money. Why do you have it?”
“Sabrina paid me to participate in the auction.”
“That sneaky little cheater.”
“What are you talking about?”
He scooted onto his left side, propping his head on his hand. “My brother, my sister, and I are having a friendly competition to raise the most money.”
Repeating the same action, Eliza rolled onto her right side, her eyes seeking his in the darkness. “How does paying me help Sabrina win?”
“She gets credit for the amount of money you fetch; if you raise ten thousand dollars, she gets that in addition to the total amount she paid you.”
“Why?”
“The cost to secure your time is part of the donation.” Nate shrugged.
“That sounds like a loophole.”
“It is.” Nate laughed. “There are a few in the rules, and she managed to take advantage of this one.”
“If it helps, she admitted your father told her to invite me.”
“That’s not possible,” Nate shook his head. “Father would never interfere with a bet; he believes in fairness above all else.”
Eliza snuggled into her pillow, her eyes studying Nate’s dim outline. “Isn’t it in your best interest if I don’t participate?”
“Not if I buy you.” Nate grinned widely. “My donation, my credit.”
“Is that another loophole?”
“Most definitely. You can expect my brother will purchase someone as well.”
“Can’t Sabrina just do the same thing?”
Nate snorted again. “Frankie never allows it, not even to win a bet—she’s very possessive.”
Eliza chewed on her lip. “What if I don’t want you to buy me?”
Clicking on the lamp again, Nate sat up. “You don’t like me?”
“I don’t know you.” Eliza glanced down at the bed, embarrassment creeping into her skin.
He reached out, lifting her chin. “You won’t know anyone at the auction.”
“Thus, my misgivings.”
“My father is a well-respected man in this community. He would never allow any of his guests to suffer any harm.” Nate tilted his head, studying Eliza. “You do know, you’re not required to have sex, right?”
“But it happens.”
“Of course, it does. However, it’s a mutual choice between both parties.”
“Have you?”
“Have I what?”
Eliza’s blush darkened, her face burning. She rotated onto her back, focusing on the ceiling. “Have you had sex with someone you purchased?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.” Eliza rolled away from him, slowly tugging her hand from his grasp.
“She was my girlfriend at the time, not that I owe you any explanation.” Nate leaned over Eliza, deliberately grabbing her hand. A salty scent washed over her, like the beach on a warm day. He tugged lightly, and Eliza followed, rolling onto her back and staring up into his glowing eyes. His thumb traced a slow circle over the back of her hand. Eliza shivered. “Do you have any further questions?”
“No,” she mumbled, her voice barely a whisper. Her gaze slid to the left.
Gently, he drew her chin back. “If I buy you tomorrow, I swear I won’t touch you... Not unless you beg me.”
“You’ll be waiting a long time,” Eliza retorted, regaining some of her moxie.
“You don’t know what you’re missing.” His lips curved into a smile.
“That’s a very bold statement.”
“Oh, I can back it up.”
“Really?” Eliza raised an eyebrow, her stomach clenched, flooding her body with desire. “Alright, show me.”
“With pleasure.”