Page 21 of Wickedly Played (Checkmate #1)

I stop in the doorway to turn to him. “Nope. And I’m sure there will be plenty of other women who will be checking you out. Maybe some dudes,” I sass.

If he’s going to play with my emotions like this and promise me all of the sexiness, I’m going to play with him. Fuck Max.

“Yeah, right. I guarantee I’m going to have fun throwing people out of the way who are stopping to try and talk to you.”

Deciding to ramp up the attitude for tonight, I hit him with a flirty grin before throwing my shoulders back. “Is this any way to speak to your mistress?”

My back slams against the wall with a hard thud, causing my breath to get stuck in my lungs. “You want to play, sweetness?”

I smirk at him. “Sure, pet. Get on your knees,” I simply demand.

My jaw drops as I see Max’s big body assume the position in front of me. He looks so sexy like this. A wave of heat floods through my body at seeing him like this.

“Yes, Mistress,” he murmurs.

I should get him all riled up like he keeps getting me. I should make him want me just as much as I like him. I should do a lot of things, but I don’t want him to feel obligated to do it.

“Do you like being on your knees in front of me, Max?” I taunt.

He’s looking up at me under his hooded eyelids. His lashes fan across his cheeks, but it is his blown pupils that promise me something. It is the only thing that tells me I’m not entirely crazy, and he wants me, too.

“As long as I’m in front of you, Mistress.”

Right damn answer.

My hand reaches out to grab the back of his hair, yanking his head back hard. I’m standing in front of him, which puts his mouth almost at my pussy. “Then why do you keep fighting me?” I lean over at the waist, looking him in the eye. “I know how much you want me, pet.”

He fights against the hold I have on him. I can tell he’s trying to break the spell I have on him, but I’m not ready to let him go. Max opens his mouth and then slams it shut.

“You have permission to speak,” I allow.

“Serena-”

I slap him with enough force across his cheek to get him to know I mean business. “What did you call me?” My eyebrow raises to meet my hairline. I pull his head back even more so he’s looking straight up at me from this angle. “I thought you knew better than that,” I chide.

“Mistress-”

My phone going off officially severed our moment. I pull my hand with his hair back once more to see his eyes flood with lust. “What a shame. We were just getting to the good stuff.” I let him go.

I’m reaching the bottom step when Max falls into step behind me.

Like the gentleman he is, he opens the front door and then the car door for me to slide into the car.

I buckle my seatbelt as I wait for him to get into the car.

I can see him taking a deep breath for some reason before getting into the front seat.

“Is something wrong?” I ask with a quirk of my eyebrow. “You seem upset about something.”

He shrugs after he starts my vehicle. “I’m fine.”

Clearing my throat, I try my best to calm my nerves. Even though I’m a Domme, it doesn’t mean this function doesn’t make me nervous. Especially functions where my stalker might be hiding. And I’m going with my super sexy bodyguard, whom I can’t stop thinking about.

“If you aren’t up to going, I’m sure I can bring a different guard,” I offer. “I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

He scoffs. “That’s not a problem. I’m happy to go with you.”

“But are you?”

“Get in the car, Serena,” he commands.

Wanting to step up the game, I square my shoulders to him. “There is only one person who delivers the orders, and it sure as shit is not you. If you want to play, then do something about it.”

The undefined feeling coursing through my chest is something I can’t describe. If I had to put a name on it, I would say maybe red-hot lust? Or is this hate?

I know my clients adore me. I fill a role that every one of them needs.

I can be their disciplinarian, the nurturer, their entire universe, their listener, their primary source of pleasure, and everything in between.

However, I am aware of the role I play with them.

This role I play with Max is unknown to me.

We finish the rest of the drive in companionable silence.

At least I’m hoping it is. There is something about looking at his side profile as he drives.

He has so much control over my Maybach - his hand flexes on the gearshift while the other one controls the wheel.

He takes the curves of the road masterfully.

I can tell by the little smirk in his eyes that he knows I’m watching him. I can’t help it.

“Serena,” he murmurs.

“Yes?”

“What are you doing?”

I really don’t know. “Nothing.” I clear my throat and then look in front of us.

Max jumps out of the car after we are parked in the valet section, flicking his hand at the valet worker to move on. “I got her,” he decrees.

My insides feel gooey like a cooked marshmallow.

I place my hand in his to allow him to help me out of my seat.

Max has adjusted himself to stand in front of me and leads me through the crowd with one of his hands wrapped around my little hand.

His powerful hand dwarfs mine. He is scanning the crowd to make sure there aren’t any threats.

“Serena! Serena!”

I wave at everyone as I enter the venue space. Max drops my hand, helping me shrug out of my little coat. I watch his hand clutch my jacket, and I point to where our seats are. Stella and Deacon are waiting for us at our table.

Both Stella and Deacon stand up when they see us, and I throw my arms around them both. “You look beautiful,” I compliment Stella.

“Your bodyguard’s eyes are glued to your ass,” she whispers in my ear.

“You need glasses,” I mumble back. I’m sure they are. I’m sure he’s imagining doing all the things that we both want him to do, but neither of us is going to make the move.

Stella smirks, a devious one. “I think it is you who needs glasses, Mistress.” She taps me on the ass, and I kiss Deacon on the cheek.

“Everyone, thank you for coming!” Bill, the club owner, is standing on the stage with a microphone in his hand. “I’m so glad to see so many of our patrons here. Your support has been amazing in helping grow our club’s membership and continues to be the best club.”

A round of applause rings through the room. Bill has been kind enough to let me showcase my skills to the new members. He has been a big supporter of me doing cams, too.

“I would like for the demonstrators to please stand up!” Bill calls out.

I stand with a wave, and one of my subs, Katie, comes over to hand me a bouquet.

I kiss her cheek, causing her to blush. “Our club’s mission was to bring people together who love to do the same thing and maybe want to learn something new.

We are thankful that Mistress Aphrodite continues to be involved in our club. Please give her a round of applause.”

I smile and wave again.

The rest of the evening goes off without a hitch. Max has not relaxed at all since we left my house. I don’t miss the way his hand is resting on the back of my chair, observing the room as much as he can. “Relax,” I whisper over the crowd.

He doesn’t respond.

Oh, well. I tried.

“Everyone in this room has had to walk through a metal detector before coming in,” I remind him.

His head whips to me with a look of something I haven’t seen from him. “Sweetness, you think you need a weapon to do damage to someone?”

My bones start to rattle a little. “I’m sure you don’t, but…”

“I’m not taking chances when it comes to you. The quicker you realize that the better off we’ll be,” he snaps.

My stupid heart starts to race with him saying this. I know it doesn’t mean what I’m hoping it means… Even though I would love it to mean that he likes me.

“Everyone! Enjoy the music. Please dance. Please drink responsibly! No demonstrations tonight,” Bill finishes with a bow. “With that being said, private acts can be carried out in the rooms.”

He makes his way over to me, gripping my forearms to pull me up to hug me. I feel Max standing behind me. Bill’s arms wrap around me, but I feel the tension in his muscles at seeing my bodyguard.

“We good?” Bill asks Max.

Max’s hand wraps around my waist to pull me out of the embrace. My eyes lock onto Stella’s. What the hell? I mouth. She sits back in her seat to watch what happens next with a sassy quirk of an eyebrow.

“We’re good now,” he throws out.

“Serena, can I speak to you privately?” Bill’s voice is clear over the music.

“No. She has a bodyguard for a reason. I can’t guard if I don’t have a body. If you want to speak to her, you’ll have to do it in front of me,” Max snaps.

Bill drops his hold on me and I spin to look at my bodyguard. “What the hell was that about?” I demand.

He smiles wolfishly at me. “Nothing.”

“I’m going to dance with my sub now,” I blurt. My hand grabs Stella’s arm to pull her up.

We smile at the crowd, who begin to whistle and cheer as they see us on the floor. Stella falls into her role perfectly, bowing in front of me with a sincere smile. “Mistress Aphrodite, may I serve you?”

“You may,” I answer. I wrap my arm around her waist to pull her to me, and her arms snake around my neck. “You look beautiful tonight.”

“You are breathtaking, Mistress. Everyone is looking at you and wondering how I got so lucky to be here with you.”

“You’re perfect.”

We dance for a couple more songs, with others joining us on the dance floor.

Stella’s a little tipsy from the champagne, which is upsetting since I don’t like my subs to drink.

I collared her a few years ago when I joined the club.

She’s allowed to see others, hence Deacon, but I don’t allow her to sub for others.

She understands the rules and has abided by them ever since.

“How many glasses did you have?” I command.

“Four, Mistress. I’m not drunk,” she hiccups.

I grip her chin in between my fingers to look into her eyes. “You better not be.”

After one more song, we separate until I feel his presence behind me. My body tingles from anticipation. “May I have this dance?”

I turn to look at Max standing before me. I place my hand in his, and the other on his chest. “You may.” I try to lead our dance, but he continues to take over.

“No, sweetness. I lead.”

His eyes are watching my face in between scanning the room. “Are you having a good time?”

“It isn’t bad. I’m not having a bad time. I’m just weird about crowds.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” I ask. I hope to get to know him a little better. He’s actually being pleasant right now. I’m not used to this at all.

He shakes his head. “I don’t want my darkness to touch you.”

Smirking, I grab his beard to pull him down to look at me. “I like a little darkness.”

As quickly as the dance begins, the song changes, and I miss the warmth of Max when he drops my arms. I lift my head to look at him to ask why he stopped. He is also looking at me as if he were to say something, and our lips meet in the middle.

I love the feel of his silky, soft lips against mine. My fingers curled in his jacket to pull him closer to me. I love the way this man kisses me. Max is sexiness embodied.

“Max,” I moan against his lips, trying to sneak my tongue into his mouth.

To my horror, he leaves me and goes back to sit in the chair he was in before the dance. This is now the second time he has done this to me.

I am Mistress Aphrodite. I’m not a fucking toy!

Max is a total fucking asshole.

I’m fuming with anger that cannot be controlled.