Chapter 2

Ever since I heard Daddy's business partner talking about this auction at my family's annual Christmas party, I knew this was where I'd end up. I haven't seen any of Budapest, except for the airport and this warehouse, but I'm ready for my adventure to begin.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but it's already been more exciting than any day back home in New York. When my perfect sister, Riley, announced she was marrying the man I had been in love with since childhood, Bryan Williamson. He never looked at me twice and I get why. Riley is thin and gorgeous. I am… not. I know that. She's also vicious, and I know he'll be unhappy, but that's not my problem. The Jacobson's are New York royalty, and we know it. Over the last hundred years, we've accumulated wealth through various real estate holdings and other business ventures. I'm a trust fund baby and had the best of everything growing up. I don't need to work, but I want to.

My parents, mostly my mother, could never understand why I never used our money to ensure I was rail thin. I don't want to be a carbon copy of everyone we know. I'm sure I could stand to lose a few pounds, but right now, I don't want to. Sure, it would make teaching sixth grade easier because sixth graders are vicious, but despite that, I love my job and I love my body.

That Christmas party changed everything for me. Riley and Bryan announced their engagement, and my brother, Jay, and his wife, Skylar, announced that they were pregnant with their first baby. Everyone looked to me for some kind of announcement, but I had none. Instead, I was going to town on some shrimp cocktail like a starving savage. I heard the murmurings about how pitiful I was and the suffering my poor parents must have gone through with me. I had had enough, and then Mr. Klein spoke in hushed whispers near me to some older man I'd never met. Of course, I thought he was talking about me, but I was surprised to hear that he wasn't. No. He was talking about an auction where rich men buy girls sight unseen. No one pays any attention to me, so I was able to hear their whole sordid conversation. I was able to discern that two kinds of auctions are held. One is above board; while not at all legal, it's at least more palatable than what happens in the basement. I gathered that the basement was not for me. I got the name of the auction and contacted them through their quite deceptive website. I learned the location of the first auction that takes place once the school year is over. I didn't make any plans for next year yet. All of that was months ago now. Keeping my secret was easy. I haven't made a social media post in days. That's not the norm for me, but I didn't want to let anything slip. Being a Jacobson, even a lesser one, I have a pretty big social media following. I talk about plus-size fashion, makeup, teaching, my family's charities, and anything else I might want to discuss. Sure, I definitely get negative comments, but I get a lot of positive ones, too. Honestly, I can handle anything when I have a family like the one I have. I love my family, and I'm sure they love me too somewhere deep down, but they can suck sometimes.

I didn't tell anyone where I was going or what I was doing. They wouldn't have cared anyway. This adventure is for me, and it will be an adventure. I could end up married, de-virginized, or dead. Anything is better than this. I know I sound dramatic, but I can't help it. I sound like a poor little rich girl, but you try getting talked to like you are less than simply because you carry around some extra weight. It's exhausting. I nervously wait in the room they told me to. It's private and nicely decorated. There's a bed in one corner, but I definitely don't want to sit on that for some reason. I can't hear what's going on in the auction. I don't know what place I'm being auctioned off in or anything. The premise behind this is neat, if disgusting, but I chose this. I'm sitting in the chair when the door opens.

"You've been bought, Alice," Misty, my sweet English handler, says, coming in. She's carrying a blindfold.

"What's that for?" I ask, momentarily frightened.

"It's just for the initial meeting with the man that purchased you. It's standard procedure. He's wearing one too. It keeps with the allure of the sight unseen."

"I see; well, I guess I don't," I say, giggling nervously. She laughs, too, but makes quick work of the blindfold.

"Just wait here."

"Where would I go?"

"That's the spirit."

I reach out and grab her hand before she moves away from me. "Is he… nice?"

"He seems to be, but honestly, love, they are on their best behavior here or we wouldn't let buy from us again."

"Right. Makes sense."

"I will tell you that you are his first purchase."

"Thank you." I don't know why, but that does make me feel better. "Do… Do I look okay?" I ask at the very last second.

"You look beautiful," a man's deep voice says, making me jump, and goosebumps erupt all over my body. Reaching up, I rip my blindfold off and open my eyes.

"Holy shit," I whisper. He's a freaking Viking. A fucking Viking is staring at me like I'm his dinner. My God, he's tall, maybe a foot taller than me. His stubble is already impressive, and I just know the beard he can grow is impressive. He's, in a word, gorgeous. His green eyes haven't left my face. Suddenly, I'm glad I opted to stay fully dressed. There's no way in hell he wouldn't see how wet I am right now if I put on that slinky robe they gave me.

"You can go," he says to Misty without even looking at her. She hurries out of the room like a rabbit, shutting the door behind her. He's American. I'm relieved about that. I was afraid I would need to learn a language I didn't know. English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Pirate are all I know.

"Hi. I'm Alice," I say, extending my hand to him.

"Magnus." His large hand engulfs mine, and my knees weaken. "We should leave here. This place…"

"Does it creep you out too?"

"Yes," he replies, visibly relieved.

"Let me get my things," I say, moving over to my bag. "They took my passport."

"They gave it to me when I… made payment. Here," he says, taking it from his suit jacket. I put it in my purse and put it across my body. My designer overnight bag is in my hand.

"For some reason, I didn't expect you to give that back to me. I thought it would keep me bound to you." He steps closer to me, right in my space. He puts one big hand on my hip and uses the other to take my bag from my hand.

"You can leave me anytime you want to, elskan, but trust me, you won't to."

"You sound awfully sure of yourself," I reply, taking a ragged breath. No one has ever looked at me the way he's looking at me. I feel exposed and vulnerable, but instinctively, I know he won't hurt me. How do I know that?

"I always get what I want." He takes my hand in his.

"I don't doubt that," I say, following him out, realizing I'd follow him anywhere.