Page 148 of Awakened by Sin

She leaned back against Carter’s chest and allowed his hands to move over her, tugging at her clothes and pawing at her breasts. She reached up and looped her arms around his neck as she ground on him. He groaned and shifted restlessly beneath her. One guard took a step forward before he caught himself, drawing Angel’s attention. The guard cleared his throat and looked away.

The music in the club built to a crescendo while she undulated her body, using every feminine wile she had picked up in her years. The Hispanic woman who sucked off the attorney general was curled up in a ball on the couch, forgotten. She allowed the men to use and wring her dry. Amateur move.

She spread Carter’s legs wide so she could brace her feet on the ground and swiveled her hips against his dick. Angel shifted. It was a small movement, but she knew what it meant. Mission accomplished. He was aroused. She kept up the charade until Carter had an arm banded around her waist and was basically trying to fuck her through his clothes.

“How much do you want?” he growled in her ear.

“What?”

“How much do I have to pay to fuck you?”

“You can’t afford me,” she whispered before she tapped his arm to be released.

“What do you want?”

“I’m sure you can find someone to finish you.” She looked up and gave him an arched eyebrow. “Let me go.”

His eyes narrowed, but something over the top of her head caught his attention and he released her instantly. She smoothed her dress down and calmly walked toward Mickey who had beads of sweat on his forehead. She grabbed her clutch and raised a brow, completely ignoring the wall of guards staring at her.

“Let’s go,” she said.

For a moment, no one moved but then Mickey made a path through the motionless men. They gave way reluctantly. She felt hands brush against her as she passed. Mickey led her away from Angel’s alcove. The other VIPs weren’t nearly as risqué as Angel. He made the rappers look like old women knitting.

“What was that?” Frederick growled.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.

“You’re fucking with him.” Frederick sounded pissed.

She glanced at him. “So?”

“You don’t fuck with men like him, especially in front of his men.”

“Angel didn’t do anything.”

“He will. Later.”

“Don’t be dramatic.”

Angel taunted her by bending that woman to his will in front of her. It was his way of showing her what he could do to her if she submitted to him. She slammed his suggestion back in his face by showing him he wasn’t the only player in the room. She wasn’t a toy to be played with. She was a woman, one who would spit in his face if he tried shit like that on her. Being objectified like that in front of other men to be used and discarded wasn’t something she would sink low enough to participate in.

“There’s Fletcher,” Mickey said, sounding relieved.

She followed his gaze and spotted Marcus talking to Bridgette Mackee, who was now married to an A list actor. She had definitely come up in the world since her days of seeking out publicity. Bridgette noticed her and waved. Marcus turned and scanned her appreciatively. She did air kisses with Bridgette and shook her husband’s hand before she stood beside Marcus.

“Glad you found me in this crush,” Marcus said and nodded to the couple. “Have a great night.”

Marcus took her hand and led her from the fourth tier and paused on the third. He pulled her against him and leaned in close.

“I have two people to talk to and then we can go,” he said.

Classy sin teased her senses. His presence made that tight, destructive ball in her chest ease. He had a numbing effect on her pain. It didn’t cure her, but it was something. She followed him into the fray. He talked to a bunch of politicians and lawyers and introduced her while he kept their hands clasped. She spoke when she needed to and even managed a smile although she couldn’t hold it long since her head was all messed up and her insides were mangled and heavy.

That lascivious scene with Angel fed her dark cravings. She couldn’t deny that it gave her a degree of satisfaction to arouse Carter, Angel, and the other men, but … now what? Depraved, erotic needs swamped her. Involuntarily, she squeezed Marcus’s hand. He squeezed back and shot her a reassuring smile. She focused on his smooth, polished voice. He was good at what he did—making everyone feel welcome and important, extracting information, offering future services, and solidifying their relationship with personal tidbits. Marcus was a natural. Vinny worked hard to maintain that level of poise. Vinny … She forced her mind away from that dangerous path and took in Marcus’s thick eyelashes she would have stolen if she could. He was freshly shaved and well-groomed, as usual. Being on the arm of another COO, it should have felt like Deja vu, but it didn’t. Marcus was definitely his own person, and she wasn’t the carefree, vivacious woman who once graced Vinny’s arm. She felt like a shadow of the woman she used to be, a stitched together version that could fall apart at any moment.

Marcus wrapped his arm around her waist. “Let’s get out of here.”

Frederick made a way through the main floor with Mickey following behind. Marcus paused to talk to the nightclub manager before they reached the casino.

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