Page 8 of The Delta’s Rogue (Crescent Lake #4)

The door shuts behind us as we enter the lobby of the club. Sarina clings to my arm with shaking hands. Her eyes dart around the space, examining every inch of the sleek, luxurious decor that surrounds us, but my eyes remain forward, my mask already falling into place.

The pack doesn’t own this business, so I can’t barge into the club and demand to be seen. If Lennox is inside, that will only alert him to our presence.

No. We have to stay undercover and incognito for as long as possible.

“Mr. Stone!” The bouncer, Gerald, extends his hand in greeting.

I shake it and offer him a tight, polite smile.

“A pleasure to see you here, as always,” Gerald says as he releases my hand. “And who might this be?” He turns his attention to Sarina.

She peers up at me with wide eyes, a hint of demure hesitance playing across her features.

I take her hand in mine, removing it from my elbow so I can wrap my arm around her waist. My palm rests casually yet possessively on her hip, which I give a reassuring squeeze.

“This is Sarina.” My voice is laced with pride as I gaze down at her with heated eyes.

Gerald nods at her. “You look lovely tonight, Sarina.”

She continues to stare at me, and I can hear and feel her heart pounding.

I squeeze her hip harder and lean into her, raising my brows slightly. “What do you say?” I ask her, almost too quietly for him to hear.

She swallows and ducks her head, lowering her eyes to the floor. “Thank you. ”

“You must be very special,” he continues, flicking his eyes to me. “Mr. Stone has never brought anyone with him before.”

Sarina glances at me again, waiting for me to speak.

“This is a first for both of us,” I admit, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Sarina is a little nervous. She’s never been to a place like this.

I brought her here tonight so she can observe and get a feel for what it’s like.

” My fingers trail along her jaw to her chin, and my thumb rubs under her lower lip as she peers at me through her lashes.

“I’d also hoped I might speak with Forrest,” I say to the bouncer, tearing my eyes from Sarina’s.

“I’ll let him know you’re here.” He glances once more at Sarina. His eyes linger on the straps of her heels before they land on the collar I placed around her neck before we entered. “Would you like to have someone give you a tour, miss? Or will Mr. Stone be showing you around tonight?”

She glances at him, then flicks her eyes towards the curtained doorway. “I—”

I pinch her hip and raise my brow at her, clearing my throat. She shuts her mouth, her cheeks heating, as her hand curls into a fist behind my back.

I lift her gaze to mine with my hand on her chin. “Which one would you prefer, Baby Girl?”

Her body tenses with my utterance of her new nickname, her neck arching subtly just like at the dance club. My cock twitches in my pants, and my hold on her tightens, my body tensing too as I work to hide my growing desire for her.

We’re not even inside the club’s main area, and I’m already unsure how much of this is an act and how much of it is real.

Perhaps this wasn’t such a great idea after all.

“You,” she says, her voice a raspy whisper. “I want you to show me around, Sir.”

I smile at her, and her eyes light up, a spark of her sass shining through the act of submissiveness.

Goddess, she’s fucking stunning. It takes everything in me to not push her up against the wall and slam my mouth down on hers, to kiss her and reward her for playing her part so well.

“Let’s look around then,” I say instead, guiding us through the curtained archway and away from the bouncer .

My hand is still around her waist, almost on her ass. She exhales as the curtain falls closed behind us and shakes her hands out in front of herself.

“I’m sorry,” she says out of the corner of her mouth.

I frown and slow our pace. “Why?”

“I messed up. I almost spoke to him without your permission, and—”

I stand in front of her, facing her, my hands on her shoulders to stop her in her path.

“You were perfect.” I step closer, mimicking our stance from the dance floor, with me towering over her and Sarina only an inch away from being in my arms and against my body.

“You are perfect,” I repeat, lowering my lips to her ear.

She laughs. “You can pause the act,” she says, adjusting my tie. “It’s just you and me right now.”

“There are always people watching.” I jerk my head towards the end of the hall, where it splits off in two directions, just as three members walk by.

Sarina freezes, her eyes locking on mine as I back away from her ear. Her hands remain on my tie, and she swallows then rushes to finish tightening the knot with trembling fingers.

I grab them both in one of mine and tug her closer, wrapping my free hand around her neck to cover her racing pulse with my thumb. “Relax,” I murmur. “Breathe. I’ve got you.”

She takes a deep breath, holds it, then exhales. “I’m sorry.”

I press a finger to her lips. “Stop apologizing.”

“But—”

“If I hear you say ‘I’m sorry’ one more time”—my grip on her neck tightens—“I will have to punish you when we are done here.”

She arches a brow at me, and a teasing smile forms under my finger, that mischievous glint back in her eyes. “Oh?” Her lashes flutter. “And what might that punishment be, Sir?”

I chuckle and dip my head to her neck, replacing my thumb with my lips. “If you push my buttons enough, you’ll find out, won’t you, Little Rogue?”

A laugh mixed with a moan falls from her lips as I nip at her throat.

“But you’re going to be a good girl, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Sir. ”

Fuck. This—pretending and acting like we’re in a dominant-submissive relationship—is way too easy to do with her. Then again, I’m not certain either of us is pretending anymore.

“Of course you are.” I back away from her and lead her down the hall towards the split.

The dim lights cast a seductive glow on the dark painted walls, and the framed gilded mirrors add an extra depth to the sensuality lingering about the club. It’s an elegant eroticism, aimed at those who wish to hide their proclivities from the public.

We reach the end, where we can only go right or left, just as the trio who passed only moments ago stops in front of a door.

Sarina peeks around me as the two males and one female exit the hallway into the room, the door clicking shut behind them and locking. Then she glances up at me, her eyes holding both curiosity and intrigue.

I smile down at her, looping her hand through my elbow, and tug her closer as I turn us down the hall.

“These are private rooms,” I whisper, my head dipped low.

The rooms are soundproof to aid those who wish for complete privacy, but the atmosphere down this hall always feels incredibly secretive.

We pause in front of a vacant room, and she looks inside, her eyes eagerly taking in the space and examining the furnishings.

“Club members can choose to leave the door open or close it. If it’s closed, that means they want to be alone. But if it’s open—”

“Others are free to join?” she asks, and I nod. “And the windows?”

“There are shades between the glass panes.” I push the button on the wall inside, and a black panel descends, hiding the room from the hall and vice versa. “Some people like to leave them open, to let others watch while they play.”

She leans away from the door and takes tentative steps further down the hall, towards the room the trio went into.

I put my hands in my pockets and lean against the wall, watching her.

An amused smile plays on my lips as my little rogue creeps along towards the window of the room, like a teenager sneaking back into their house after being out past curfew.

She reaches the window and stops, then pouts.

I chuckle at her expression. “Is it closed?”

She crosses her arms. “Yes. ”

I push off from the wall and stroll towards her, stopping behind her. “Are you disappointed?”

She shrugs. “A little.”

My hands ghost over her hips and settle at her waist. “Do you like to watch, Little Rogue?”

Her breath quivers as she inhales. “I don’t know. I’ve never— I don’t—” She licks her lips and glances back at me. “I was just curious.”

“Mm-hmm.” I drop a kiss to her shoulder. “Come on.” Taking her hand again, I guide her away from the private rooms. “There is still more to see.”

Her gaze is on me as we head back the way we came and pass the entrance hallway, making our way into the club’s main area.

A long bar sits at one end, with doorways on either side.

A mirrored wall behind the bar reflects the room back at its occupants.

Sparkling crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling, and tables—some small and some large—dot the floor.

Darkened booths line the remaining walls, each with semi-sheer curtains that guests can shut for a more secluded experience.

With it being a Friday night, the club is quite full, with only two of the private booths and a handful of tables remaining unoccupied.

Sarina stops at my side, both of her hands wrapped around my arm as she clings to me, her submissive mask back in place.

Her body presses closer. Her tits shove together and lift higher with the movement, giving me an unhindered view of her cleavage.

The tops of her breasts almost spill out of her bodice, held back only by the lace peeking over the V-neck of her little black dress.

I imagine burying my face in them, running my nose along the curving expanse of each one, and planting kisses to them as I travel across her chest before I peel her dress off her shoulders.

The noises she would make as I explored her body, the expressions that would appear on her face… Goddess, it would be heaven.

Her grip on my arm tightens, bringing me back to reality. My nostrils flare, and I clench my jaw, once again reminding myself that this is fake.

Fake. Fake. Fake.