Page 53 of Wicked Player

I stared at him dumbfounded. The French and his expression confused me.

“I’ll be good,” I promised, unsure it was the correct response. At his nod, he touched my shoulder. “Take care,chérie. Enjoy your evening.”

A voice from the man I wasn’t looking forward to seeing spoke behind me. “I wasn’t sure you’d come, but I’m glad to see you.”

Turning slowly, I took the quick moment to gather my nerves and school my expression. “I didn’t come for you, Connor.”

His head tilted in that cocky way of his. “Oh? Then why did you?”

“I came to clear the air. I’m seeing someone else.” It was a partial lie. I had no idea what Gage and I were to each other. “And even if we weren’t, I’m here tonight because the other times you’ve approached me we’ve been at work.”

“I know. And that was foolish. I apologize, but—“

“No buts.” I shook my head. “I loved you.” At the confession, Connor jerked back. “I loved you and I wasn’t afraid to admit it. Your job was to take care of me, always. And you neglected to do the one thing you’re supposed to. Leaving me on that cross while you high-tailed it out of that room was humiliating.”

“I know I didn’t handle it well. It, well it shocked me.”

“You treated me like crap and for that reason alone, I’d never have anything to do with you again. But I’ve also learned a lot about myself in the last six months and honestly, it’s that what we had wasn’t love. I confused it with love, but now that I’ve been with someone else, I see it clearly. I don’t want you. For a night. Or for anything. So I’m asking you to drop this so we can still maintain a working relationship when we have to see each other.”

I stepped away from him so he couldn’t reach for me. My gaze scanned the area. Was Tristan still close? I didn’t see him, and I looked for one of the security men walking around. They were noticeable by their headsets, but I didn’t see any of them either.

“Connor, I’m sorry.” I wasn’t. I was still looking for someone to help if needed. Instead, I landed on someone else.

No. I’d recognize him anywhere, even if he had a strip of black across his eyes and over his nose. His haircut, something I’d studied along with this build made him unmistakable.

That and the fact he was gliding directly toward me, lips pressed together with vivid intent.

Oh shit.

I turned to Connor. “I wish you well. But I’m not the one for you, and even if I were, I truly don’t appreciate how you’ve handled any of this. I was at a minimum, owed respect for our previous relationship and not only are you not listening to me, you’re trying to manipulate me into giving you what you want. None of it’s with thought of me, or what’s best for me in your mind. Take care.”

I didn’t mean that either, but the angry growly mountain of a man was looming closer and I was intent on escaping.

Not that I actually believed I could run from him. His long stride could eat up my shorter one in a millisecond.

I didn’t look back at Connor, but I darted into the crowd. I weaved back and forth until I came to why I had really shown up at Velvet that night.

To watch. It’d always fascinated me. People who had the confidence to fully immerse themselves in such a private experience and either not be bothered by potentially hundreds of strangers watching them, or get offbecauseof hundreds of strangers watching them impressed me.

I was comfortable with sex. I liked it in a wide variety of ways. But still, even if it was with a man I didn’t know, I still demanded that privacy for such intimacy. But what would it be like?

I stopped in front of the lit up room. The room was on the other side of the gathering than where I knew the one I always used was, but it was so similar, almost exactly the same except this one still had the St. Andrew’s Cross in the corner and not the potted plant.

But it wasn’t the cross that grabbed my attention and pulled me closer. It was the woman strapped to it.

Chocolate brown hair gleamed from soft overhead lighting. It was braided, draped over one of her shoulders. Her arms were lifted high and wide, secured to the top by wrist cuffs and her feet were the same at the bottom with her ankles.

She was fixed to the cross with her back facing it, full frontal view of her body displayed and completely naked.

The man with her, from the back, reminded me so much of Gage. Large, wide shoulders. Muscles galore all over his back and shoulders. Veins popped down his arms. He held nothing in his hands, but his arms were crossed. Furrowed brows showed focused attention on the woman in front of him as he spoke to her.

Her eyes lit with joy as he spoke. Green orbs sparkled as she answered. He moved toward her and gently settled his hand at the side of her throat. She leaned in close and spoke to him.

His response was a smile that shone. This couple weren’t strangers. They weren’t even play partners. They were in love and the depth of that love sent an ache to my gut.

I felt Gage come up behind me. How it was him, I didn’t know except I expected him. And I seemed to have a Gage Bryant beacon attached to my libido. He came for a purpose and based on the way he’d move toward me, the way he scowled at Connor and me earlier, I had no doubt he was here to stop me from doing something stupid.

Silly man. He didn’t know me at all. The only thing I planned on doing tonight was him. I wasn’t raised to toss away a gift, and I certainly wasn’t about to start.

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