Page 96 of Risk

I don’t want to. I want to run. Hide.

Crawl under a rock.

Run into traffic.

Anything to save him from embarrassment.

So much for my confidence streak.

“Holy crap.” Nicole drops back down in my seat. “I mean, no judgement, right? You do you, but holy shit. Mason, if your mother—”

Inwardly, I’m squirming like a worm impaled on a fishhook. But Mason’s calm, powerful demeanor makes me rethink myself. He’s not ashamed of what I do. He fucking loves it.

And so do I.

“Scarlet,” he says in a deadly tone, “can think and say whatever she wants. It won’t change a damn thing. My girl is incredible, smart, and has more kindness and sincerity in her pinky than all the people in this room combined. Whether she flaunts her assets on camera, scrubs toilets, or is the CEO of a billion-dollar enterprise, Leah’s got more integrity than everyone in this fucking room. Including me.”

I think I’m going to pass out.

Nicole’s eyes shine, and her cheeks turn pink, even under several layers of her foundation. “Wow, Mase.” Her voice isn’t chipper and sweet anymore. It’s softer, more… real. “You’ve won.”

Won what?

There’s an exchange between them I don’t understand. Before I can ask, a server picks up our salad plates and replaces them with the main course.

“Nicole?” A man in a pink bow tie taps her shoulder. “You’re needed over at your table.”

“Oh, okay.” Nicole’s attitude goes back to light and bubbly. Fake. “Well, duty calls.” Before leaving, she kisses my cheek. “I’m really glad we met. Save a dance for me, will ya?”

She hops up and I’m back to trying to climb out of Mason’s lap. “I think I better sit in my chair. Too many people are staring.”

“Let them.”

Of course, he’d say that. He likes when people want what he has. But that’s not how this feels. “I don’t like being a part of your game, Mason.”

He stills under me. Then he drops his hands, silently telling me I’m free to get off his lap.

Except I don’t.

We’re all making a stand tonight, right? Staking our land. Claiming our titles.

Landon, Gage, and Kerrington are outcasts. They don’t give a fuck about any of this and, yup, Landon’s pulled DoorDash up on his phone already. Nicole just put a powerful woman in her place, slapping her pride by claiming Mason one-upped her at her own damn charade.

Mason, who has been dejected, humiliated, and disowned, still showed up because he kept a promise. He’s front and center, so everyone sees that not only is he out of the Finch’s good graces, but out of their family and their social circle. The table with only half the chairs filled, will be the talk of the night.

It’s incredibly gratifying to see how little they care about the opinions of others.

So, I stay on his motherfucking lap.

I like it here. I like the way he holds me in this position. I love knowing that half the women in this room probably wish they were me. And if being a maid got in me into Mason’s life, and being a camgirl was how we both shared our favorite kinks, then so fucking be it.

I have no regrets.

I’m not ashamed of who I am or what I do.

I love my life. I’ve worked hard for everything I have.

I’m not going to be a part of this game. I’m going to be a player in it myself.