Playing Hard to Master (Masters Unleashed 2)

“Obvious usually works just fine for me.”

Konstantin grimaced and waved Ambrose away. “Then, for your sake, I hope she doesn’t scare easily.”

She hadn’t seen him yet. He rose and pushed his way amiably through the crowd while thinking about Kon’s advice. He tried looking friendly instead of intense, but when people started flinching away from him, he guessed it wasn’t working. It’d been too long since he’d fucked a woman on a bar. Or against a wall or on a bed, for that matter. Plenty of women had tried, but for the past few months he’d cut himself off. No wonder he couldn’t manage an expression other than horny. This was the first girl he’d been seriously attracted to in a long time.

His track record had sucked for the past couple of years.

Shae had left him first, and then Kate. Shae had been his, though, and so he’d given himself permission to be a moping ass about her leaving him. Admittedly, it was so long ago now that maybe it was just a habit.

Kate, on the other hand, was his best friend’s slave and soon-to-be wife. Half falling in love with her when he was trying to get her and Banner back together had, in hindsight, been stupid and self-destructive. He’d known they were going to patch things up eventually, but sleeping with Banner’s exes had become so second nature that he’d fallen into the same old pattern. He seemed to have an involuntary attraction to dysfunctional relationships.

Everly’s back was to him. She was watching a bound and suspended sub writhe and scream as she was tickled by a grinning Dom. Although he was close enough to touch Everly, he watched her watching the scene, enjoying her expressions and reactions. A perfume company could make a fortune selling her pheromones.

Don’t think about fucking her on the bar.

Damned Konstantin. Like he needed any more ideas about what he’d like to do to the poor girl.

He moved up beside her instead of touching her shoulder to get her attention. There was no knowing if she had triggers, and he didn’t want to fuck this up.

Almost immediately, she turned her gaze to him, but had to look up to see his face. He hadn’t realized how much taller he was.

Her eyes rounded, and for a second he was worried she was going to run away screaming.

“Oh . . . hi!” Her laugh sounded slightly nervous, but then she smiled and drew him away from the scene.

“Hi. See something you like?”

“Um . . .” Her cheeks turned pink enough to notice even in the low light.

“I meant the scene you were watching.”

She laughed loud, a rippling sound that made him want to laugh too. “For a minute, I thought you were fishing for a compliment.”

He snorted. “Yes, well, I have major self-esteem issues because my friends are always reminding me that I’m ugly. I have to ask pretty girls to feed my poor, starving ego.”

“Aww . . . poor little ego. I would pat it for you, but I’m not that kind of girl.” Her impish grin suggested that if he played his cards right, he might change her mind.

“I was wondering if you were actually going to show up.”

“I said I would. If I weren’t interested, I would have said no.”

She shifted her stance, wincing a bit then looking down at her shoes. He knew enough about fashion to guess the heels were probably uncomfortable. Where were his manners? He wasn’t doing a good job impressing her. “Do you want to sit down? I’m at a table with Konstantin and his women.”

“Sitting sounds good.” She smiled.

They went back to the table, where Ambrose introduced the three of them. After a few pleasantries, Kon and his girls wandered off to play. As they left, Konstantin passed behind Everly and gave Ambrose the thumbs-up.

Idiot. Some wingman. He was making things a little obvious, leaving them alone so soon.

“So how was the rest of your day?”

“Oh, you know. The usual. Cut a million people’s hair, got a few tips. Then I went home and took a bath, and now I’m here.”

“No dinner?”

She snorted. “You look so horrified.”

He thought of the herb-butter-rubbed prime rib he’d had earlier. “You don’t understand how much I love food.”