She turned back, keeping her gaze down. “I’m sorry, did you need something?” Her voice was devoid of all emotion. Yep, she’d completely shut herself off. Damn it.
He sighed. “No.”
Tara walked off, her body stiff.
“Wow, you’re just popular with everyone tonight,” a light-hearted voice joked. “Smart. Who needs friends? They just get in the way with all that caring and crap.”
Alex sighed. Great, his night was getting better and better. He turned to look at the blond man standing at the bar. “Sam, what are you doing here?”
Sam raised his eyebrows. “My Master owns this club. I wasn’t aware I needed a reason to be here.”
Alex frowned. Sam was Roarke’s submissive, but he had a decided lack of respect toward any other Dom. He was irreverent and funny and usually ended up charming everyone around him. Alex had never envied Roarke the job of dominating him.
“Where is Roarke?” Alex asked. “You’re not here alone are you?”
Roarke didn’t like Sam and Ava being in the club without him. The one time Ava had come here by herself she’d nearly been hurt. By Sloan. It had been a set up and Sloan hadn’t meant to frighten her, but Ava hadn’t entered the club without Roarke again.
“My Master is here. Luckily for you he missed the show. He had to take a call in Dylan’s office. Although I’m sure someone will fill him in on the drama.”
“That someone being you.”
Sam just grinned.
Alex sighed. He absolutely detested being made a fool of. His ex-wife had done that often enough. Now it seemed he was doing it to himself.
“Hey, don’t worry about it, Alex. We all do stupid things when we’re in love.” The other man frowned. “Although, I don’t like the way you’re treating Tara. She doesn’t deserve to be taken for granted.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do.”
A tall, dark-haired man stepped up behind Sam. Placing his arms around his waist, he pulled him close. Sam snuggled back against his chest with a familiarity that Alex both envied and feared.
“Causing trouble, love?” Roarke drawled.
“Always,” Sam replied.
“Hmm, perhaps it’s been too long since you were punished.”
Sam grinned and winked at Alex, letting him know he wasn’t concerned by the idea of punishment at all. Brat.
Alex decided it was best to come clean with Roarke before someone else did. He didn’t need this job. He earned a good wage as a software engineer for a computer company. He’d taken this job as a favor to Roarke, but he found he really enjoyed managing the team of submissives that worked for club Decadence. He respected Roarke and he didn’t like the thought of letting him down.
“Roarke, can I talk to you in private?” he asked.
Roarke looked at him. “This about the little scene you just had with Sloan?”
Alex raised his eyebrows. “Someone told you already.”
Roarke chuckled. “You should know by now that everyone here is a terrible gossip.”
“I’m sorry—”
“It was a matter of time before someone got in Sloan’s face. The man is a mouthy bastard. Didn’t expect it to be you, but then I didn’t factor in Tara.”
Alex frowned. “What do you mean you didn’t factor in Tara?”
Roarke sighed and looked down at Sam. “Stay here, Sam. And keep out of trouble, hear me?”