Intense

In short, I’m safe, and I’m about to be some man’s property. I can hear more talking, but I don’t know what they’re saying. I wish I could hear them. I wish I could see them.

What if he’s unattractive? I can fake it, of course. I can handle that. But what if he wants something that I can’t do? It’s possible that I won’t make him happy. I don’t want to fail at this. I have no other options.

“Aria, please turn.”

The voice is sudden and startles me. After a second, I turn around.

“Spread your legs, please.”

I obey, spreading my legs wide.

“Thank you. Turn back around and stand naturally, please.”

I listen again, turning all the way around and get back into my normal stance. I feel strange. I thought I might feel like a piece of meat, but because I can’t see the men that are bidding on me, I don’t really feel like they’re even out there.

But I know they are. This dress, these heels, I never wear this sort of clothing. I’m a simple girl, never had much money. Especially after my demons pushed me into hole after hole and dug me into this pit of bad debt that I find myself in now.

The lights drop off as suddenly as they had come on and a side door opens. I blink, trying to get my vision back, and that man with the ponytail is back.

“This way,” he says softly, taking my arm.

“What happened?” I ask, suddenly panicking. “Did I make a mistake?”

“No,” he says, and I can see that he’s smiling. “Not at all. You did great.”

“Really?”

“Really. I think you’ll be pleased, actually.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see.”

He leads me down another hallway, past large paintings and statues, and places me into another room. It’s a lounge room, like the one before, but much smaller and without a bar. There’s one table and some couches.

“Go ahead and have a seat,” he says. “Your client will be in soon.”

“My client?” I ask. “Someone bought me?”

“Someone bought you.”

“How much did he pay?”

The man smiles. “Be patient. He’ll be here soon.”

He leaves and I’m left alone. I sit down at the table, heart hammering in my chest.

Someone really bought me. I have to admit, I never thought someone really would. Not after seeing all those other beautiful girls in the other room. They’re the kind of women that I thought men would want, not a plain girl like me. I’m five foot three and nothing special. My dark hair is thick and long, which I think is my best feature, although boyfriends have told me that it’s my ass. I don’t really know about that. I haven’t had a boyfriend in a few years now. I’m twenty-four, didn’t go to college, and wasted the prime years of my life.

I tap my nails on the tabletop, nervous as hell, not sure what to expect. Frankly, I’m afraid. The man that comes through the door will be the man that owns me for the next month. What if I hate him? I don’t know what I’m going to do. I don’t know how I can do this for a whole month. I’m going to be someone’s toy, someone’s property. I’m going to submit to him because I need this money, and this is the best way I could find to get it.

I’m freaking out and I know it, but I can’t help myself. It’s overwhelming and so new. I want to get up and run away, get the hell out, but I know what’s waiting for me out in the real world is much worse.

I need this. It’s that simple. I can’t run away.

As I look up, the door slowly opens. My heart starts to beat erratically out of nerves and I feel like I might faint.

And then he steps into the room.

Tall and broad. Bright green eyes. Handsome as hell. He looks muscular under that perfectly tailored suit. He’s young, maybe in his early thirties, and I can’t help but stare at him.

This is the man who owns me. I know it deep down inside of me. He smiles at me and shuts the door behind him.

This can’t be real. He’s too handsome. He’s way too handsome, and young, and gorgeous, and oh crap, he’s looking at me with this sexy cocky grin that’s driving me insane.

“Hello, Aria,” he says, his voice rich and deep. “My name is Ethan. And I just spent a lot of money to make you mine.”

I can only nod, heart hammering in my chest, and I feel like I might pass out at any second.

3

Ethan

The first time I saw Aria, she was standing in the middle of a stage with lights glowing down all around her.

She looked perfect. That’s the only way I can describe it. The way she folded her hands in front of her and looked nervously at the ground made me instantly fascinated by her. I didn’t expect to actually bid, and really thought I wasn’t going to, not until I actually hit the button and wrote down a number.