"You're insufferable." I murmur, standing to my feet as the crowd at the large, round table begins to disintegrate. Similar to what he does all the time, he helps me out of my chair with no worries, and I step aside as he pushes it back under.

I can hear the cracks of his smile due to how quiet it has gotten since a few minutes ago. "And you love me for it." Yes, I do. He slides his hand across my back as reflex, but hurriedly pulls it back down as to keep our disguised image.

He manages to keep his hand to himself as we follow the still murmuring, probably about what he spilled, crowd, through a single door and along the freshly waxed floors. The table had gone quiet until my father announced that the 'Bid Auction' would be held in the room just beside this one. Two lovely men dressed in black dress pants and white suit shirts stand on either side of the arches in the doorway as we enter. It is a completely different scene from the dining area we've just left. The floors are thinly carpeted, the walls are dark blue, and the seats and tables are silver and white. My father's done well.

I make a swift turn to look at my father behind me, making his feet stop trailing for the next step. His brows lift as to ask me of what I need. "Is there any reason you've hidden the details of what will be set up for auction this evening?" I ask. I turn back around and begin to walk forward, walking between my mother and father. Xyle has quickly noticed my absence, but keeps moving further, going deeper into the room.

"Yes, sweetheart, but I can tell you one thing," he leans closer to my ear and lowers his voice "someone will be lucky to rent out one of my old homes for a vacation." He says and my eyes go wide. He'd only ever rent out one location, his best one. He got a place in Georgia where he and my mother would vacay to when they wanted to get away from everyone. I've never been, but I hear there's a large pool, at home movie theater, and pool room all in one house.

I smile, giddy on my feet before I take a few quick steps away from him. I wonder who that lucky person will be.

My eyes immediately search the room for Xyle, and I find him standing near a table, a hand touching a fresh piece of fruit out on the small bouquet each table has. I go over to him, and take a strawberry. Biting into it, I look at those gray eyes, seeing the happiness in them. He's the only man I know to be happy after getting everyone's underwear in a bunch at the dinner table.

"I want to use the bathroom before the auctioning starts. Can you promise me you'll be good?" I ask, pulling the strawberry away from my mouth. He raises an eyebrow. I hurry to turn away.

"Can't make any promises." His voice grows faint as I walk the opposite way from him. The sound of the music grows faint as well, and it really disappears when I walk into the bathroom. I can hear the short sounds of a small cry that subtly sucks itself up the moment I arrive. The tall and beautiful brunette Caliver arrived with stands by the mirror, her eyes unshed with tears.

I can tell she feels utterly embarrassed by the way she gives me a quick smile as she brings her hand to her face to wipe away her tears from her eyes. "Sorry," she chuckles "I'm a mess." she murmurs. She pulls a napkin from her purse. "I hope you don't think I knew any of that stuff Xyle mentioned. I mean, God. I knew he was crazy, but his wife's ring?".

I don't know what encouraged Caliver to ever do such a thing, but he must know his actions are horrendous. Eleanor being sixteen, him abusing her, him not giving her a proper burial. It is all so disgusting.

"The right thing to do would be to give this to Xyle, right? He can return it to his mother and make things right." She sniffles as she turns away from the mirror and looks at me. "Or maybe, you could have it. I'm sure he won't mind."

My heart stops at the thought of wearing his mother's ring. It's her property, she deserves it more than anyone. "Why me?" I ask.

A small smile rises on her face. "I think she wouldn't mind. I hear the things about her sometimes, and I know you're her God Daughter. I'm sure if she had one of her own, she'd want her to have it, but since she doesn't, it should go to you."

I would only ever take the ring to wear if it was given to me by Xyle himself, but I reach my hand over as she slips it off of her finger. "I'll give it Xyle to see what he wants to do with it. He did mention returning it to her." I say. Her silver ring looks so much alike the one Xyle wears, I believe he must have made a replica.

She nods, swallowing as she runs her fingers through her hair. "He's given me so much shit. I'm starting to think this ring is not the only thing of hers I have. I have more jewelry, clothes, he even gave me quilts."

My heart stills.

"I'll just return whatever he's gotten me. I can't deal with him anymore. I'm sorry to let all of this out. I'll just say goodbye to you, I have a feeling you won't see me around again." She takes her purse from the bathroom sink and walks to the door to exit. I stand there for a moment, in shock and appalled at what I've heard her say. It takes me a few minutes to remember why I came inside in the first place, and I quickly do my duties before leaving.

My mother catches me, standing beside a large white board. "Come here for a second, babydoll." She quickly fans me over. I oblige and go over to look at what she's seeing. There are a few words in writing. "Your father and I are putting down names according to the bid cards. Which number would you like?"

I look at the words again and back to her, shaking my head. "I won't be buying anything. I've just ordered a bunch of clothes from a website and it's definitely succeeded my monthly spending." I admit.

She frowns. "Honey, this stuff is for charity. Your father isn't keeping a dime of this money. Please, take a bid card. You don't have to purchase anything if you don't want, but I'd like it if you participated."

I sigh, holding my hand out. "I'll take bid card number twenty four." She smiles and jots my name down on the board. She gives me a quick thank you before I turn around and find my way over to the table where my father and Xyle are sitting. I take a seat in the absent seat between the two men. "I have your mother's ring." I whisper to him.

His eyebrows crease. I feel oddly guilty. I hold my hand out and show him the silver ring resting on my palm. From the angle I'm at, I can see what's engraved on the inside.

Xyle 7-26- 94

His ring holds the day her life ended. Her ring holds the day her life began.

I gently smile as he takes it. "Grace have this to you?" He asks, checking to see if it would fit on his pinky finger since it was the smallest. It didn't.

I nod. "She says Caliver gave her a lot of things, things she will be returning to him soon. Do you think you'll check to see if there is anything else of Eleanor's she has?" I ask gently.

He shrugs, twisting the ring around the part of his finger where the ring stops. "I have what I want. I have you. It's all I need right now." He murmurs.

My smile deepens and I feel my eyes shine with passion, a type of feeling only Xyle has made to be normal within my body. "I love you." I mouth as more chatter fills the room, the man on the stage grabbing a microphone to begin.

"I love you." He mouths back to me. He makes it so hard to resist kissing him, but I do.

I turn myself towards the stage, catching a glimpse of my mother as she kisses my father on the cheek before taking her seat. By now the room has filled with almost everyone from the dinner room, and we all have bid cards. I should have gotten myself something to drink. The man sitting across from me at the table has some delicious looking pink drink in his clear cup. I reach over and take a grape just as the man begins talking.

"In Good Graces, Maverick and his beautiful wife, Amina, are the two people who deserve full credit for how lovely this event has become. Striving to make this an annual thing, the lovely couple has put fourth their most prized possessions to have entered into an auction where all proceedings go to charity."

The man's deep voice slowly begins to drown out as I feel the warmth of Xyle's hand on my leg. It is far different than what he did earlier today, now having his hand slid underneath the fabric of my dress. My lips slightly part and my breathing stills for a moment. I lift my head to glance at him, only to have him give me a small and innocent smile before he looks ahead of him and back at the man on the stage.

"We'll have a few words shared and the bidding will begin." I look at my father as he stands to make his way to the stage.

"None of this would be possible without the love of my life and the light of my life. My wife, Amina, and my beautiful daughter Celeste are my greatest joys. I imagine them in a position of need and the magic appears. I want to help people around world, and what better way to start off than charity." My father murmurs.

I close my eyes as his hand trails further up my leg. He leans his head closer to me, letting his warm breath tantalize my skin. "He has no clue of the things I'll do to you when we get away from everyone, nor can anyone begin to think about how fucking soaked you probably are right now."

Arousal dances and morphes it's way into my veins. "You're such a pain in my ass, Xyle." I whisper, letting a slight breath fall from my mouth.

"I can be a pain in your ass if that's what you want. Thought you'd want to explore more with your pussy before you were ready, but that's my fault for assuming."

The ache for him that is oh so familiar between my legs is making itself well known. No matter the occasion, he made me so wet and ready for him. I open my eyes again and try my best to focus on my father on stage without thinking of Xyle.

I feel bad for missing most of what he's had to say. Applause erupts the room now. I pull my hands up and clap as he comes down the stage and back to his seat. He quickly leans over and kisses my cheek before he turns to my mother to talk again.

The man returns to the stage again. "We'll start with Art piece number five since it is the smallest. Seven thousand dollars." He's starting off big. I don't even bother to touch my bid card.

"Seven thousand dollars." One woman chimes.

The man on stage smiles. "Do I hear eight thousand dollars?"

"Nine thousand dollars." A man challenges.

"Ten thousand dollars." The woman says.

"The bid is now up to ten thousand dollars. Do I hear eleven thousand dollars?" The man asks.

"Thirteen thousand dollars." The woman says. She's going in for the kill.

"Sold." The man says.

The room erupts in applause and the man moves on to the next thing. My smile deepens. A ceramic bowl donated by my mother.

"A beautiful ceramic bowl that can be used for eating, decor, and so much more. Starting off at five thousand dollars."

I look over to the older gentleman. "Sixteen thousand dollars."

I gasp. I'd rather eat out of my own hands before I paid that much. My father must know a bunch of wealthy people, surely more than I thought he did.

"Eighteen thousand dollars." Another man says.

"Eighteen thousand dollars for the ceramic bowl, handmade by Amina Abano."

"Nineteen thousand dollars." A woman says.

I smile. That's right. No one else bids, so the man gives it to the woman who bid the highest. I'm proud of her.

"I was looking forward to having you grind on me during the dance." Xyle whispers.

I flush, turning my head to look at him. "Trying to blow our cover?"

"No, trying to get you to blow me."

I shake my head. "I'm not putting my mouth anywhere near your penis."

He grows amused at my words. "We'll see about that, Angel."

My core tightens as he pushes his hand right between my legs and rubs his thumb right over the thin fabric, touching my clitoris softly. I lean forward, jittery at the contact and gasp as the feeling shoots through me.

"Any louder and everyone will be looking at you." He whispers, leaning close to me and smirking. "Wouldn't want daddy to see his sweet daughter like this, huh?"

He wants to play a game. A game I feel I am better at.

I close my legs around his hand as tight as I can, but that only encourages him to do more than before. He brushes his finger across my clitoris a few more times, nearly making me squirm in pleasure right at the table. A small sob of pain escapes my mouth as I am relieved when he finally pulls his hand away.

The sound of the man's voice doesn't sound muffled anymore.

"This is a great one. Mrs. Cole has auctioned herself. Who wants to be the first to take her hand and dance with her?"

"Eighteen thousand dollars." A man bids.

I giggle, turning to look at him. Mr. Cole sure is bidding high for his woman.

"I hear eighteen thousand dollars, do I hear nineteen thousand?"

"Nineteen thousand dollars." A woman chimes.

"Twenty thousand."

"Twenty two thousand."

I don't know what possesses me, but I reach over and grab Xyle's bidding card, raising my hand. "Thirty thousand dollars.".

Xyle turns his head and looks at me, fury and shock morphed onto his face. Yes. Two can play at a game like yours, Xyle. I feel smart, thinking of a quick and subtle way to fuck with him. Thirty thousand dollars out of his bank account. Win for me.

"Sold."

I smile, pulling the card down as my mother and father turns to look at me. My mother raises an eyebrow. "Thirty thousand dollars? I should have bid myself."

My father shakes his head. "We would have gone broke because I'm not letting anyone dance with my wife."

I slide the bidding card back over to Xyle and try my hardest not to make eye contact with him, feeling his eyes burn a gaze into the side of my face.

"I'm contemplating my options." He whispers, but I keep my eyes forward "I can spank you again since you didn't get the hint and decided to test my patience again... or I can be a very patient man and wait until we get to my place to break your body into pieces."

I can't help that my lips curl into a thin smile. "If you're tight on money I could lend you something." I say, teasing him even further.

He lets out a very menacing chuckle. "I've never been tight on money, darling. I'll pay the thirty thousand, not a cent less. I'll be sure to get thirty thousand worth of your pussy clenching around me, too."

I glance over at him. "I hope the dance is fun."

He slides his chair back. "I hope you've had your fun." And then he's off to dance with the woman I bid him for. The pale skinned, slender bodied, blond haired woman. She takes his hand and they move as the music slowly plays.

I look away from him and over at my father who is starting to stand. "I saved the last bid for you, sweetheart." He says.

I shake my head. "I told Mother I wasn't buying anything."

He takes my hand anyways and pulls me up with him. He guides me to the side of the stage, walking me past where the other people are standing to get information sorted for their bidding. My father pulls out a single hair clip, something I've saw in a picture before. My heart sparkles when I realize.

"I gave this to your mother as a push gift. I didn't have much, I spent my last on this. It was very expensive back then, probably not worth much. I couldn't auction it off. I want you to have it."

He opens the clip and sticks it into my hair, letting the silver butterfly clamp around my thick hair.

"Saying how grateful I am for such a gift like this is an understatement. I love this. It's so thoughtful." I throw my arms around his neck and he returns, hugging me close.

"Pass it down to your first born. I want this to stay in the family forever. This is when I knew my love for you and your mother would overpower the love I had for myself."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Celeste."

My father can't stay for long, so he begins to help with getting the information sorted out for the bidding. I watch for a few as they write the names down and exchange information with the others before I see Xyle's height growing on me.

"Tell your parents goodbye, I'm ready to get you home." He doesn't even linger, just walks right past as he's murmuring the words, never stopping.

I do as he says, and give my mother and father a hug before I leave the building and catch sight of Tyler. I'm not even able to look at him clearly before Xyle catches my attention. He steps behind me, pressing his body against mine and turning us opposite of Tyler.

"Remember what I said earlier?" He asks me, letting his hand grasp my neck.

I shake my head. "You said a lot of things earlier."

He hums. "I want you to be clear of what I expect when we get to my place. I'll be running a quick shower, and I'll fuck you directly afterwards. That okay with you?"

"Yes." I breathe.

"Good girl. Now, get in your car and follow me to my place. I expect you to be there no shorter than I arrive."

He lets me go and I feel I can't breathe for a moment. It takes me a second to make my legs feel like legs again. When they gain their feeling back, I walk over to my car and get inside. Starting my engine, I hear Xyle's car roar right past mine. I hurry to put my car into drive and I manage to place myself right behind him, not wanting him to make fun of my driving skills for any longer. Once we reach the interstate, I press the gas harder to keep up with him. He beats me to his place, me arriving a few minutes later than him. Upon getting inside, the lights turn on automatically, illuminating what was once dark.

He pops the button of his suit jacket and frees it from his arms before pulling his shirt from his waistband. Take me now. This fucker has on a sleeve garter. I never knew something so small could be so sexy. He reaches his hand into his pocket and pulls his wallet out, shooting a glance to me. "Don't strain your eyeballs, love. The shower is waiting for you. Take a quick one, please, I'm really pent up."

I stare at him for a moment, realizing that he's more than serious as he raises his eyebrows, questioning me in silence.

I don't bother questioning him. I scurry off up the stairs and into his bedroom where I go into the bathroom connected to it. There's nothing like taking a hot shower in a shower that's the size of my guest bathroom. I squeeze my wash cloth out once done and step out, pulling a fresh towel from the rack and tying it underneath my arms. Without a thought, I go over to the little box of feminine products he has resting at the back of his toilet and grab a tampon to insert. I figured since I hadn't heard any movement since I turned the shower off that Xyle was maybe in another part of his house, but I was mistaken.

The bathroom door bursts open, sending a cool shiver down my body as I meet eyes with the tall, gray eyed man who's staring at me as if I had done a horrendous act against him. His entire body nearly naked, him only wearing those black boxer briefs, he walks over to me and sticks his pointer finger into the edge of my towel and without thinking rips it away from my body.

My mouth dries as my mind sobers up from the shower I had just taken, and I glue my eyes onto his body, feeling a ache deep down in my core as I stare at how beautiful his chest is.

As he moves closer to me, letting his height tower over me, I look into his eyes, and