Page 45 of Bid For Me
He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t pull back. “Not with me,” he says simply. “You don’t have to fight me, Elle. Ever.”
The sincerity in his voice wraps around me, disarming me completely. Tears sting my eyes again, and I blink them away, frustrated by my own emotions.
“You make it sound so easy,” I mutter, looking down at where my fingers toy with the edge of the blanket.
“It’s not,” he says, surprising me. “It’s messy. It’s complicated. But that’s what makes it real. And I’m not going anywhere.”
His words settle into me, a quiet promise that feels both terrifying and exhilarating.
“You say that now,” I murmur, my voice barely audible. “But what happens when I screw things up?”What happens when the contract ends?
Seb’s fingers gently tip my chin up, forcing me to meet his gaze again. His expression is steady, unyielding. “Then I’ll remind you that I can handle you, Elle. I’m not afraid of your edges or your walls. I’ll keep coming back until you believe that you’re worth it.”
My breath catches, the weight of his words sinking into the cracks I’ve tried so hard to keep sealed. No one’s ever said anything like that to me. No one’s ever wanted all of me – the good, the bad, the broken.
“I don’t know if I can give you everything,” I confess, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. My virginity? Easy. Have my body, my submission, my trust even. But my heart? Well, it’s already his, but can I let him know that? I don’t think so.
This is just temporary. Always doesn’t mean forever. This is him upholding his end of the contract only. Nothing more. Do not fall any harder Elle.
Seb smiles faintly, his thumb brushing against my lower lip. “I’m not asking for everything all at once. Just start with what you can. We’ll figure out the rest together.”
His calm, steady assurance is infuriating and comforting all at once, and I find myself leaning into it despite myself.
“Okay,” I whisper, the word fragile but real.
Seb’s arms tighten around me, and he presses a lingering kiss to my forehead. “That’s all I need,” he says softly.
For a moment, we lie there in silence, his hand tracing lazy circles on my back, my head tucked under his chin. The quiet feels heavy, full of unspoken promises and possibilities I can’t quite wrap my mind around.
“You’re not what I expected,” I finally say, breaking the stillness.
He chuckles, the sound warm and low. “Neither are you, Elle.”
I glance up at him, a small smile tugging at my lips despite myself. “That’s not necessarily a compliment.”
Seb smirks, his hand trailing up to cup my cheek. “With you, it is.”
His lips brush against mine, soft and lingering, a kiss that feels more like a claim than an invitation. And this time, I don’t resist.
As I sink back into his arms, something shifts inside me – a tiny crack in the walls I’ve built. It’s terrifying, this idea of letting him in, of giving him pieces of me I’ve kept hidden for so long. But as his warmth surrounds me, his steady heartbeat anchoring me, I think maybe – just maybe – I’m ready to try.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Seb
Elle’s bodyis soft and warm against mine, her breathing evening out as she rests in my arms. Her trust, her vulnerability – it’s like a drug I can’t resist. Even back then, when she was just Aiden’s little sister, there was something about her that made me take notice – her sharp wit, her stubbornness, the way she never tried to be anyone but herself. She wasn’t like the polished debutantes my father paraded in front of me. Elle was real. But I never let myself look at her too closely, not until now.
I stare at the ceiling, my fingers absently stroking her bare shoulder, but my mind is anything but calm.
What the hell was I thinking? Losing control like that, pushing her so far, only to pull her back into my arms as though I could keep her safe from the very chaos I unleashed. It was intoxicating, watching her unravel beneath me, giving me everything. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met – strong-willed, infuriating, and yet so achingly perfect for me that it terrifies me.
Perfect. The word sticks in my head like a stubborn splinter. Elle, with her defiance, her sharp tongue, and that fire in her eyes. She isn’t just someone I want; she’s someone I need. Thewomen I’ve been with before were flawless on paper – polished, poised, and perfect in a way that felt suffocating. They played by the rules, followed the script, and expected me to do the same. But Elle...Elle burns through the script. She rewrites the damn thing and dares me to keep up. It’s maddening and exhilarating, and I’ve never felt so alive. Knowing that her bedroom tastes are as wild and unrestrained as her personality, only confirms what I’ve always suspected – she’s perfect for me in ways no one else could ever be.
I was supposed to keep this simple. Take her virginity, fulfill my end of the bargain, and walk away from the marriage in twelve months. No complications. No emotions.
But the idea of anyone else touching her, seeing her the way I have, even a year from now, makes my stomach twist into knots.
I told myself this was just a deal. A business arrangement. But the thought of walking away now, feels like a blade twisting in my chest. I can’t let her go – not now, not ever.