Page 18 of Sugar (Gilded #1)

Guppy

MADDIE

E aston stood upright and took a step back, giving me room to breathe. “Technically multiple.”

He wants to date me?

But of course that wasn’t it. “I have a calendar full of social engagements, and they’re a nightmare to attend as a single man. You’ll accompany me.”

That sounded like a disaster—and not only for my bruised ego and the unrequited crush I harbored.

If I didn’t belong in Gilded—a place where everyone seemed accepting or at least nonjudgmental—I certainly didn’t belong at whatever upper echelon events he was invited to.

Even with my privileged upbringing, I wasn’t the kind of person who would be invited to dinners with the mayor.

People would talk, that much I knew.

Misreading my silence as uncertainty, Easton sweetened a deal that already benefited me too much. “It’ll be good networking. You’ll make connections.”

There were only a few things he could’ve said to pique my interest through my self-preservation, and that was pretty damn high on the list. “That seems like payment enough, so you can keep your money.”

“No.”

“You can’t just say no. You’re a lawyer. You’re supposed to negotiate.”

“I’m also a tyrant, remember? The payment is non-negotiable.”

“Okay, then let’s discuss a decrease.”

“No.”

“Some dinners are not worth what you?—”

“You underestimate how annoying single women and conniving matchmakers can be at these events.”

I thought about what he proposed. The business arrangement he was suggesting.

“Give me tomorrow night at least,” he said when I remained silent. If I didn’t know better, I would think there was a hint of pleading that lined his words. “If you hate it, the contract will be terminated. If it works, we’ll review the terms.”

“What’s tomorrow?”

“A fundraiser dinner.” There was a weighty pause before he lifted his hand to run his thumb along one side of his jaw. “Unless you’re busy.”

If I was smart, I would’ve taken that out. Claimed to be busy, blocked his number, and moved on with my life.

But if I was smart, I also wouldn’t have been there in the first place.

“I’m available.” I held up my index finger. “But if it doesn’t work, the contract is terminated, and the money is returned.”

The last part would be happening regardless, I just needed to figure out how.

“You drive a hard bargain.” He held out a hand.

I accepted it with a firm shake. “I could say the same about you, Tyrant.”

He kept hold of my hand for a few beats before releasing it. Once I stepped away from the wall, he pressed his palm to my back, and another wave of disappointment crashed over me.

All that obsessing.

All that daydreaming.

All that anticipation.

I’d barely thought of anything else for a week, and the night was already over. And it had gone nothing like I’d expected.

When Easton steered me back into the main room—lifting his chin when we passed the security guard I hadn’t noticed from my previously upside-down vantage point—I assumed he would keep going straight out the exit. Instead, he stopped us at the corner of the bar. He tugged an empty stool out. “Sit.”

As soon as I did, one of the sharply dressed bartenders came right over and set a napkin in front of me, but his focus was on Easton when he asked, “What can I get you two?”

“Two waters.”

“And I’ll have a Cosmo,” I put in even though no one bothered to ask me.

Ruder still, the bartender looked at Easton and waited for his nod of approval before going to make my drink.

The tyrant next to me pinched the bridge of his nose. “I can’t believe I’m fucking asking this, but are you even old enough to drink?”

“Yes,” I scoffed. “I’m twenty-two.”

He dropped his head back, adding to his exasperated body language. And also, unfortunately, his sexiness since it showed off his jaw and neck.

I never knew either could be particularly attractive, yet there we were.

“Great,” he muttered to the ceiling. “That makes me feel much better.”

And that makes me glad I ordered a Cosmopolitan…

The drink wasn’t my favorite, but I wasn’t about to ask for a Dirty Shirley—a Shirley Temple with vodka—when I was trying not to appear like the silly little girl he clearly thought I was.

A Cosmo was probably more cliché than sophisticated, and I should’ve ordered a vodka tonic or something simple, but there was only so much I could tolerate.

When the drinks were set in front of us, Easton waved off my attempt to hand over a card. “One, drinks are free here. Two, even if they weren’t, you don’t pay. Ever.”

I ignored his unhinged second statement since it didn’t matter. “Free drinks doesn’t seem like a sustainable business plan.”

“The membership fee more than covers any alcohol costs.”

Yikes.

There goes any shot I had of extending this free trial into something long-term.

Not that I’d ever really considered that a possibility. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to join. I’d kind of been banking on the auction to give me some clarity, but that wasn’t how it was playing out.

With a sigh, I knocked my drink back in a few hefty chugs that would make the frat bros proud before setting the empty glass down.

The bartender glanced at Easton, who simply shook his head.

My face warmed from the alcohol and indignation. “Okay, what the hell is with that?”

“I’m assuming you’re driving?”

“Yes, but?—”

“Then that’s all you’re drinking. Or I’m driving you home.”

“No. Not that. I only planned to have one.” I flung my hand out toward the bartender. “But why is he only addressing you like I’m not even here?”

His voice sounded off when he stated, “I bought you.”

My outrage at the perceived chauvinism died in an instant. Torched in a blaze of fire that had nothing to do with alcohol or anger.

I bought you.

The lava in my veins from those three words heated me from the inside out, sending a surge of intense lust to my instantly drenched sex. It fed into those dark desires that’d drawn me to the auction in the first place.

I snuck a peek up at Easton to see if he was as affected by his statement, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t even looking at me. The oddness in his voice was because he was distracted. His blank gaze was aimed over my head as he scanned the room.

In another blip of a moment, a dozen possibilities went through my head.

Who was he looking for?

Had he been attending for someone else before his misguided attempt to protect me had thrown a wrench in it?

Would I have to listen to him explain to them that buying me was nothing?

And if he tried that, how fast would security grab me when I inevitably kicked him in the junk?

It seemed like I was about to find out because his gaze landed on someone, and Easton jerked his head to summon them.

Oh hell.

Easton

As Atlas approached, I nudged Maddie’s untouched water closer before telling her, “Drink this.”

“I’d rather have another Cosmo,” she muttered.

“The one you choked down while grimacing? Yeah, guppy, it seemed you loved that.”

Her full lips parted as she glared up at me. It made me want to kiss her. The voice in my head—and my dick—that reminded me that I could wasn’t helping the situation.

It screamed I could do whatever I wanted. That I’d bought her.

That she was mine .

“Hey,” Atlas greeted, his curious gaze dropping briefly to Maddie before returning to me. He didn’t introduce himself to her. He wouldn’t. Not until I gave the okay.

It wasn’t how I usually operated with subs. Nothing was ever that serious outside of a bedroom. But Maddie was different, and Atlas was smart enough to know that.

I dipped my head toward her. “This is Maddie. Keep an eye on her for a minute.”

“That’s unnecessary,” she huffed.

His expression and body language both softened as he finally acknowledged her with a small smile. “Hey, Maddie. You need another drink?”

“More than I need a babysitter,” she said.

At the same time, I bit out, “No.”

He went with my answer. “Water it is.”

I caught sight of Cohen and quickly lifted Maddie’s chin so she was looking at me. “I’ll be right back. Be good.”

“Never,” she said with a pout that I didn’t want to kiss off her face.

I wanted to fuck it off.

And remembering why I shouldn’t do that was going to be increasingly difficult thanks to the target of my ire.

I stormed through the bar toward him as he was about to disappear down the hall toward the specialty rooms. “A word.”

He just grinned as he punched a code into a door and opened it for me to enter. We followed the narrow hall shortcut until it opened up near his office.

Once we were inside, he flopped into his desk chair and gave it a spin. “What’s up?”

I tossed the sheet I’d stashed in my back pocket onto his desk. “How the fuck did you let this happen?”

He didn’t glance at it. “I thought the printer did a helluva job. The font choice was an especially nice touch. Very classy.”

“You know that’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Your issue is with the paper choice? We paid extra for the thicker stock.”

“I swear to Christ.” I stabbed a finger onto the paper—right at Maddie’s mostly blank hard limits. “How did you let her get away with giving these kinds of answers?”

For the handful of years I’d known them, Cohen and Atlas had created and run Gilded with an emphasis on safe exploration. They were especially cautious with someone as new to the scene as Maddie.

He echoed as much. “She doesn’t know what she’s looking for yet.”

“Did you even try to talk to her about setting some damn boundaries?”

“Nope. She didn’t ask for my opinion.”

I threw my arm out toward the door. It was that or throw a punch.

“So you thought letting her offer herself up to a room of hungry wolves was a better option than overstepping? I don’t even want to think about what would’ve happened if I hadn’t shown up.

Someone could’ve taken advantage of her inexperience. ”

“Right, that’s all this is. Moral outrage. Not that you want to be the only one corrupting pretty little Maddie.”

I clenched my jaw.

He took in my reaction and silence before smirking. “Lemme reiterate what I texted since you don’t seem to get it. She’s an adult. She can make her own choices. If she wants someone to teach her, I’m not going to stop it.”

“She doesn’t even fucking know what she signed up for,” I gritted out. “If someone like Stavros or Tripp had won her, they’d have torn her apart before she even knew what was happening.”

“She’s not their type.”

Usually, that was true. Stavros liked his women experienced and masochistic. Tripp was a friend, but he was also a narcissist who wanted someone to fawn over him. He made it easy by being likable, which left a trail of broken hearts when he moved on the next night.

Or occasionally the same night.

Maddie might not have fit their typical criteria, but the fact remained…

“She’s everyone’s type.”

“Even yours?” he tossed back.

I clenched my jaw again.

It was answer enough for him.

“As fun as fucking with you normally is,” he said as he grabbed a program booklet from the desk.

“It’s less fun when you’re being a dumbass.

” He flipped through the pages that contained an information sheet for every participant, similar to the kind that would be available for antiques at an auction house. He ended on Maddie’s and set it down.

“You sent me that,” I said, unsure why he was giving a repeat viewing.

“Look again.”

I skimmed the minimal answers, and her choice in safe word hit me in the chest and dick again.

Guppy.

Depending on when Cohen sent the form, the visit with my office fishes could’ve been fresh in her mind.

She’d even mentioned her own fish—which had underscored how damn young she was that she’d won them in high school, and they were still alive.

But coincidence or not, I knew the connection to me would still be on my mind when I stroked myself later that night.

Not seeing anything else noteworthy, my gaze returned to her name at the top of the page.

And the asterisk next to it.

Snatching the booklet up, I flipped to the list that he’d sent me initially. There was an asterisk next to a few of the names, including hers.

“You dickhead,” I bit out.

“Oh no. Did my strategically positioned pen accidentally block that part out? My bad.”

I might not have attended auctions, but I knew an asterisk meant that the participant wasn’t available for anyone but their already agreed-upon buyer.

“But someone else bid,” I pointed out.

“Because you’re being a dumbass and need to suffer for it.”

Of course it was Cohen .

“What if I wouldn’t have countered?”

“I knew you would. But even if you hadn’t, I would’ve happily paid that twenty-k just to torment you some more.” He shrugged. “Sue me.”

“I’m tempted to.”

“Yeah. I made you get your head out of your ass and pursue the woman you’re in denial about. You’ve got a solid case.” He kept the booklet but flicked the contract closer. “What’s your plan?”

I pocketed the folded paper as I scowled down at him. “None of your business.”

“Want to reserve a room?”

Fuck yes.

“It’s not like that.” If I was a good man, it would be nothing. I would’ve forced her out of the agreement. Instead, I’d offered her a plea deal that still kept her close. One she seemed relieved by since she would still get to keep the money. “She’s going to be my event date.”

His face twisted in outrage. “And you were worried about Niko or Tripp being sadistic. What the hell did she do to deserve that kind of cruelty?”

“If you’re done, I need to get her home.”

“I’m done.” He waited until I was nearly out the door before adding, “I can’t guarantee Maddie is, though.”

I whipped around. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It means she’s not as naive as you seem to think.

And if you don’t learn that, she’ll be back to find someone willing.

” He met my angry gaze and didn’t flinch the way every attorney I’d gone against always did.

“I’ll happily waive her membership fee, too.

You know I’m all about exceptions when it’s good for business. ”

“Try it and see what happens,” I said as I stormed out of the office.

And back to what was mine.

Bought and paid for.