Page 9 of Compelled Obedience

However, within seconds, twenty people stood, providing a well-deserved ovation. Then thirty more.

Finally, the entire room was shamed into standing and offering their support. The leader of the quintet was obviously embarrassed, finally managing to encourage the others to stand and take a bow.

When the hubbub started to quiet down, my companion for the evening tugged on the jacket of my tux.

“Well done, darling Grant.” Her sultry tone was over the top, her words in jest given her heightened amusement.

“These people are entitled pigs.”

“Yes, but you need them.”

Candace had a way of cutting right to the chase. I did need them, which sickened me. A solid third of the men if not more in the room were members of my kink club. They also knew better than to cross me. I was a man who enjoyed taking control, my dominant personality fueling every decision I made. With women? I took what I wanted without hesitation. However, my fake date for the evening was one of the few people who knew how unhappy I was.

She helped ensure that I remained aloof and unavailable to the masses.

Especially to my ex.

“Let me guess. Your bad mood is because of a call Elizabeth made. Right?”

Lifting an eyebrow, I gritted my teeth. She knew me better than almost anyone.

“Typical. Either she’s intoxicated and feeling sorry for herself, or Daddy put her up to trying to get us to reconcile so he’ll win the upcoming election.”

“I wouldn’t mind handling her for you,” she purred.

At least I was able to laugh. “I know how you’d do that. It won’t work.”

She dragged her tongue across her lips. “You don’t have any idea how masterful I am with my tongue.”

“Uh-huh.”

I sat down, immediately grabbing my glass of bourbon while the presenter made his way to the stage. Finally, we were getting to the goddamn award. I sat back as he introduced himself. Why he’d been selected as host for the evening was beyond me. Brian Barkley hadn’t contributed a penny to any charity in his entire life.

Unfortunately, he and I went way back, his hatred of me stemming from my refusal to approve his membership to Carnal Sins. Since then, things had gotten ugly. Anyone who thought they were someone or wanted to pretend they were had fought to get an invitation, including the man I’d met with earlier at the club. Silas Young’s desire to become a member of Carnal Sins was all about putting another notch on his belt of power. I hadn’t turned him down but given the way he was dissecting my every move, I would like to do so just to piss him off.

At this point maybe I would.

Silas was an up and coming prosecuting attorney from an extremely wealthy family out of Washington State. He’d been recruited right from a pristine New York firm less than six months ago. With his haughty pedigree, he expected all doors to open to him including mine. Men like that irritated the fuck out of me. When he turned his head, noticing I was studying him, he smiled then lifted his glass.

Why did I have a feeling the man had an ulterior motive for becoming a member? It was entirely possible it had nothing to do with me personally or the club but one of my members. The way of the world. The man needed to make his mark quickly or be tossed aside, fed to the wolves.

“A friend of yours?” Candace asked, noticing my angry gaze.

“Not my type.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Relax, my adorable plus one. Just smile and it’ll be over with quickly,” she cooed in my ear as she patted me on the shoulder.

“Hmmm… The last time I checked, Miss Candy Cane, you were my plus one.” I knew she hated when I used the moniker I’d given her the very first day we’d met.

“Careful. Your dick is showing.”

Chuckling, I drummed my fingers on the table as Brian read from the script prepared for him. Then I shifted my attention to the alluring musician, catching her glancing in my direction. What was it about women lately? One look and they all hated me.

Maybe because you’re an asshole most of the time.

The speaker was winding up the crowd of four hundred guests, the ballroom packed to the gills with powerful, influential, and extremely wealthy individuals. Donations were pouring in, the neon lit board reflecting the changes as pledges were made during the pompous celebration. It would seem my call to match my charitable contributions had worked.

I glanced in Candace’s direction, trying to keep from laughing. My plus one was dressed to the nines, regal in a pussy cat kind of way. She was one of the most stunning women in Hollywood, her popularity commanding twenty-two million dollars for her last movie. She was beautiful, evocative, feisty, and charming when she wanted to be, a vixen when required.

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