He gently unclasped the strap of Mailah's emerald high heel, slipping the shoe off her foot and resting her small foot on his knee. He began to rub her soft arch with his large, warm thumb.
"Grayson!" Mailah whispered, her cheeks turning bright red as several high-society ladies gasped in surprise nearby. "People are looking at us!"
"Let them look," Grayson declared proudly, looking up at her with big, devoted dark eyes. "Let the entire world see how a dark lord serves his queen. Is the pressure acceptable, my love?"
Mailah let out a soft, helpless laugh, leaning back against the comfortable sofa cushions. "The pressure is perfect, you ridiculous demon."
"Good," Grayson smiled, his sharp, aristocratic features lighting up with a swoon-worthy grin that could melt a glacier.
By midnight, the grand event was over, and the Ashford estate was peaceful once again.
