Love Slave to the Sicilian Billionaire (Guilty Pleasures #4) By Jan Bowles
Chapter One
Maximiliano D’Alesandro politely declined the offer of a glass of sherry from the pretty, dark-haired waitress. Instead, he glanced at his watch, wondering when a suitable moment would arise so he could leave without bringing too much attention to himself. From his position by the magnificent Louis XIV fireplace, he surveyed the elegant drawing room of the hotel, and adjusted his stance. The classy room was crammed full of people wearing black. He disliked funerals intensely, much preferring the living to the dead, but this was one funeral he couldn’t avoid.
His best friend, Kirk Williams, had tragically died some five days earlier. It had been totally unexpected. He felt like a rug had been pulled from under him. Stunned, his world had shattered, tilting on its axis to undermine everything he believed in. The constant was no longer a certainty. People died. Best friends perished in the blink of an eye.
Both aged thirty-four, they’d grown up together. They’d played football together. They’d shared a lifetime together, but sadly, no more. His heart ached for the loss of his best friend, but he was filled with anger, too.
At that moment he let his gaze drift to Kirk’s wife, Ella, and the cause of all his anguish. There she sat on the plush brocade sofa, looking every inch the grieving widow.
In the ten years he’d known her, he’d always believed her to be sweet natured and totally loyal to his best friend. He felt his mouth firming into a thin line of disapproval as he moodily studied her. Yes, she might have lost a few pounds. Maybe guilt had made her shed them? The black sleeveless dress only served to accentuate her slim arms and pale complexion. Her hands clasped nervously around the handkerchief resting on her lap. Every so often he saw her squeeze the linen square tightly in her grasp.
Normally, Ella wore her hair in a ponytail, but today she’d let it down, and it trailed around her shoulders in a glossy black mane. He thought her flamboyant hairstyle seemed wholly inappropriate for a funeral. Her shiny locks almost hid from view the black velvet choker adorning her elegant, slender neck. It reminded him of a slave collar he’d use on a number of his subs. That one thought alone kept his interest squarely on her. Up until a few months ago he’d thought Ella Williams would make the perfect slave. Her fiery, opinionated temperament was ideally suited to being trained to submit. It wouldn’t be an easy task. He knew she’d be rebellious, but those kinds of slaves gave him the greatest pleasure when they finally submitted to his will. Of course, he would never have entered into such a relationship with her, even if she were so inclined. As the wife of his best friend, Ella had always been strictly off-limits.
Anger flared once more through his body, and he eased his shoulders, releasing the tension.
Everything had changed.
Even from this distance he could see the tears brimming in her bright blue eyes. One trickled down her cheek and ran to the corner of her mouth. He watched her wipe it away, and sighed to himself. Ella deserved an Oscar. She really was good at faking this grieving shit. He wondered how long she could keep it up. Almost forever, he figured, until the last guest had left. No doubt her lover was just waiting for the moment when he could slip into her bed unnoticed. A sudden thought struck him, and he looked around the room. Perhaps the f*ck
er was already here. No one immediately came to mind as he scanned the dozen or so men standing close by.
Kirk had been really agitated after returning from duty in Afghanistan. Max had known something was amiss in the Williams household. By chance he’d seen Ella driving in a particularly seedy part of town. With his curiosity piqued, he’d followed her in his car, to a cheap motel, where she’d met a guy. They’d both disappeared into one of the run-down rooms, only for her to emerge alone several hours later, with a guilty look on her face. He guessed Kirk had known she was having an affair, too. After serving unselfishly in Afghanistan, and winning a Purple Heart for bravery, he’d come home to this shit.
Max knew it was time to leave. His body felt stiff, and he flexed his hands. Better to go now, before he said something he might later regret.
There was no doubt in his mind that Ella Williams had caused his best friend to commit suicide.
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