Bowles, Jan - Love Slave to the Sicilian Billionaire [Guilty Pleasures 4] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic) by Jan Bowles Page A

awoke, panic began to fill her lungs, until she realized Max lay next to her, fast asleep. The sound of his heavy breathing was of great comfort, and she relaxed her stiffened shoulders. She glanced at her watch. It was just past two thirty in the morning.
    She stared at the man she’d known as a friend for more than a decade. Things had changed between them. Now he was her lover. She reached out to smooth a hand into his disheveled hair, but decided against it. Best not wake him after his sexual exertions. Instead, she took her time, enjoying looking at his naked body as he lay next to her, sleeping peacefully.
    Max had a body to die for. He was well muscled, with strong forearms and biceps. Evidence of his long workouts formed in the ridges and planes of his washboard stomach. Dark, masculine hair covered his well-developed legs. A small tattoo decorated his right hip. She’d never seen it before. The letters M and D had been woven on top of one another in some sort of tribal design. In sleep, he had an angelic smile to his handsome face. Yet it was no angel who’d made love to her in this very bed just a few hours ago. Max had a wicked, sexy streak coursing through his veins. She figured he had some exciting plans for her in the near future. Although she felt scared, her whole body throbbed right down to her very core. More than anything, Ella wanted to know what made Max tick. It was obvious he was into domination, but what really made him passionate? She had no doubt she would enjoy finding out.
    The tranquil and relaxing sounds of the fountains in the courtyard drifted through the partly opened glass doorway. She saw the pretty lights dotted around in the undergrowth, casting their magical glow over the inner garden. This really was a great place to relax. She actually felt free of the emotional burden that had plagued her for the last few weeks. Since Kirk had died, it had been a stressful time. If she could just sort out the house and sell it, she knew that everything would be okay. She hoped Max would ask her to move in with him. If he did, she’d go home and pack some more clothes and toiletries. If everything failed with Max, she still had a small amount of cash left. Then she could rent herself an apartment locally, and find a job.
    With her imagination beginning to work overtime again, she decided to walk across to her room and check her cell phone. There might be a message from Sara. After all, the blind date her friend had arranged had gone disastrously wrong. Ella smiled. For Kevin McCreedy it had, but for her, it had been the best thing that could possibly happen. Max had literally taken control—and she liked it.
    Slipping quietly from the bed, so as not to wake Max, she retrieved her blue silk gown from the floor. For a moment she thought she’d woken him, as he turned and rolled onto his side, but he began breathing heavily once again. Quickly, she wrapped the robe around her shoulders and tied it at the waist. Then she slipped through the gap in the large glass door and stepped into the inner courtyard.
    Ella walked across to her room. Her cell phone was where she left it, on the bedside table. There were two messages, both from Sara. Kevin is seriously pissed , and Where r u ?
    Ella replied with a single “?”. There was no way she’d tell Sara she’d just had awesome sex with Maximiliano D’Alesandro. Although, she suspected her friend already knew. Tomorrow she’d ask her if she knew of a good piercing specialist. The way Max described the benefits of a clit ring turned her on. The idea she could achieve multiple orgasms really appealed to her. And the fact that she knew Max liked genital jewelry seemed as good a reason as any to go ahead with it.
    Once she’d finished with her text messages, Ella stepped back into the cool courtyard. Her eyes were drawn to the only room she’d never been allowed in—the playroom. Unlike the other rooms in Max’s home, the giant windows were always dark