billion book
Chapter 13: 13
Chapter 13: 13
The curtain is due to go up at any second as we take our seats back in the box, Alexi guiding me to sit between him and Mr Demagio, and as I do so the older man slides a concealed stroke over my thigh out of Alexi's viewpoint with his thumb. I do not react at all, just keep my cool and plaster a smile on my face but my skin is recoiling across my body and my insides are clenching up on me.
I have been out of this game too long it would appear, and my short stint working in Alexi’s club has dampened my immunity to unsolicited male groping. I have a lost a little of my edge and not as immune as I used to be.
His young friend on the other side sits forward to peer over the balcony, completely oblivious to her dirty old escort and I hope for her sake it is her father and their relationship is innocent. I don’t see any facial similarities that suggest this is her Daddy, but you never know.
‘‘You’re a charming creature Miss Walters, most alluring. Mr Carrero you are a lucky man to get to delight in this beautiful morsel every moment of the day.’’ He leans over me to talk to Alexi and breathes down my cleavage as his face gets that close.
I sit back, leaning so my breasts are prominent, and try not to recoil with the contact, making a good show of an innocent manoeuvre that gives him a boner. It’s hardly concealed in his tight trousers and open jacket, and I glance at Alexi to see if he has noticed it too. Demagio is practically humping my leg like a dog in heat and I guess he is a little sex starved judging by his behaviour.
He’s an easy play; heck, I could probably get him to strip naked and do the deed right here if I coaxed him a little more. Eating out of my hand so effortlessly, because he is about ten seconds away from coming in his pants over a pair of perky breasts; that suggests he hasn’t had sex that he didn’t pay for in a very long time.
Alexi looks mildly pleased and yet somehow not. He’s giving me some mixed signals and I cannot tell if he’s being hostile or happy, but there’s an aura. He tenses a little as Demagio lays a hand on my knee
to push himself back and conceal some of the obvious trouser tenting he has going on. Alexi isn’t making it obvious if he has noticed, so I am guessing he has not.
‘‘So lucky …’’ He says with a slight hint of sarcasm and I narrow my eyes at him with attitude. I know his sarcastic tone very well, I get it on a daily basis. That smug look and twitch of a brow as he mocks me.
So much for being jealous. Prick!
The curtains start lifting as the band warms up and the house lights start to drop. I have no idea when Alexi plans to secure all that he wants to with this man, so I need to keep up this act of extreme interest until he does. I smile softly Demagio’s way, sexy looks, suggestive body positioning and place a hand on his thigh very lightly to give it a little tap. It’s all the fine details.
‘’You’re quite charming yourself. Your wife is the lucky one.’’ I wink, making it obvious that it’s for his eyes only as I tilt my head away from Alexi and conceal my face slightly. He almost beams in delight as the room darkens and I go back to sitting upright, waiting to endure the crescendo of noise coming my way and bracing myself for this awful entertainment once more.
I’ll just be glad when we are done and I can go home and unstrap myself from this lung restricting dress.
For a girl who likes expensive things and opulence, I have always hated the opera. It’s just noise and over dramatic acting for me and I would rather put pins in my eyes than do this on purpose.
I jump slightly as a warm hand slides cheekily into the side split of my dress which comes to hip level when I am seated and it’s pulled up. Fingers curve my skin and squeeze suggestively on my upper thigh, fingertips curling around to graze the lace edge of my underwear and I freeze instinctively, knowing I should not openly react.
I squirm in my seat a little; wholly uncomfortable with the unwanted searing touch of a man who thinks he has a right. Trying not to make it obvious, I glance over to Alexi to see if he has noticed, his eyes are forward and on the stage, sitting casually and effortlessly owning his space and I wonder if he is deliberately ignoring this. He wants favour with Demagio, but I don’t think he will break his own code of ‘’touch not what is mine’’. If he could see this I think we would see his psycho side come out to play very quickly.
‘’I need to use the powder room, excuse me.’’ I stand, the hand dropping away discreetly and I make sure I don’t look his way. I agreed to play flirty but if the creep thinks he’s going to get his hand in my G- string a foot away from Alexi, then I am all out. I don’t need that kind of drama and Alexi will flip his shit if Demagio disrespects him so blatantly. It’s obvious the guy has had too much to drink and has lost his freaking mind and sense of self-preservation. Alexi will snap his neck in the blink of an eye for touching what is his, right here beside him in such a sexual way. There are lines that even I know you do not cross and I won’t be slaughtered along with Mr Stupid over there.
As far as Demagio knows—I belong to Alexi. Even though I don’t, well I sort of do.
Fuck!
Alexi throws me a look that says absolutely nothing, maybe a little question as to why after an interlude I wait until now to use the bathroom and then nods with an irritated look; giving me permission to leave and I make my way out of the box.
I pass the curtains and his two burly bouncers without making eye contact before heading for the sanctuary of the bathroom to get this shit under control. Face flaming, heart rate elevated, moving fast and glad that cooling off time might give Demagio some thinking space to realise he is trying to play with fire.
My heart is hammering like a war drum and my palms are clammy with that very close call. I can pretend all I like that Alexi is just an arsehole who annoys me most of the time, but it’s in moments like this when I fly too close to the sun that it’s obvious there is a whole lot of fear in me from that man. His unpredictability that lingers below the surface is something I am eternally wary of.
I cannot dismiss the reputation of the man, even if at times he seems completely stable and normal. Demagio clearly has a death wish tonight.