Page 48 of Wickedly Played

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!