Teased (Captured by the Billionaire #3)(5)
Author: Julia Sykes

“Do you want some more champagne?”  Jake asked kindly.

“Yes, please,” she gratefully accepted.  But there were no longer any waiters circulating the room with drinks trays.

Jake placed a finger under her chin, lifting her face so that her eyes met his.  “I’m going to go find us some drinks.  Will you be okay here for a few minutes?”

Mallory wanted to go with him, but she didn’t want to seem like some needy child who had to be monitored at all times.  So she schooled her face to an impassive expression and nodded that she would be fine.  She felt a pang of panic as he walked away, but pride made her stay put.  Hovering at the edge of the room, she tried her best for nonchalance.

“So you enjoy wax play, then?”  Mallory jumped at the sudden proximity of a deep, Irish-accented voice.  She turned and found herself staring up into a pair of cold black eyes, which were peering out at her through a frowning black mask that covered the man’s entire face.  It was the horned man that she had noticed when she had first arrived.  She took a step back, unnerved by his closeness.

“Um,” she began dumbly, realizing that a long moment had passed without her answering.  “It’s okay.”

The cold eyes crinkled in amusement.  “I’d say you like it more than just ‘okay’ judging by your screaming.”

Mallory’s face turned beet red, and this time there was no twinge in her sex accompanying her embarrassment; she just felt disconcerted.  She tried to peer around the towering man.  Where is Jake?  She wondered, anxious for him to return.  She had no idea how she was supposed to act around this man.  What were the social rules at this kind of party?

The horned man took a step toward her, and she took an involuntary step back, her back bumping up against the curtained wall behind her.  “This is beautiful work,” he said admiringly, gesturing at the wax that was splattered across her br**sts.  He reached out to brush his gloved hand over it.

Okay, rules or no rules, in no scenario was it alright with Mallory for someone to touch her without her consent.  She slapped his hand away with her own.

“Excuse me,” she said coldly, moving to step around him.

Strong hands were gripping her shoulders, restraining her, pinning her to the wall.  Mallory’s eyes widened in shock.  Surely this wasn’t acceptable behavior?  This man was a complete stranger!  Just because she had come to this party as Jake’s submissive didn’t mean that just anyone could manhandle her.  His touch made her skin crawl.

“Let me go,” she forced her voice to remain carefully controlled, not wanting to betray her fear.  Where was Jake?  He should be back by now.

“You’re a fiery one, aren’t you lass?”  He said condescendingly.  His amused tone was much like Jake’s when he toyed with her, but there was no rush of warmth to her sex this time; the man’s words just left Mallory feeling cold.

“I’ll show you fiery if you don’t let me go,” she snapped at him, her hackles rising.

One of his hands left her shoulder to grip her jaw tightly, using almost bruising force.  Mallory’s eyes watered from the pain.

“Don’t worry, little one,” he said silkily.  “I’ll be able to take you in hand.”

Mallory was close to panicking now.  Jake didn’t seem to be coming to her rescue, and this guy was hurting her.

“Take this, ass**le,” she hissed as she brought up her knee as sharply as she could.  Although her skirts encumbered her, she managed to get a good shot in.  The man cursed, releasing her instantly as he dropped to his knees.  She dodged around him, but his hands grasped at her full skirt.

“You bitch,” he snarled.

She lashed out, her high heel connecting with his doughy gut.  All of the wind rushed out of him as he doubled over, releasing her.  She darted away from him before he could grab her again.

Her eyes quickly roved over the crowd, searching for Jake.  Her molester was cursing so loudly that he was drawing attention.  People were staring at her, judging her.  Wanting nothing more than to get out of there, Mallory began shoving her way through the crowd, heading for the exit.  Finally, she burst through the double doors and into the foyer, closing them sharply behind her and leaning on them for support.

“What are you doing out here?”  Asked a hard, cold voice.

Relief washed over Mallory as she looked up.  “Jake!”  She sighed in relief, moving towards him.  But he stepped back from her.  She met his eyes, and they were cold and forbidding.

“Don’t try to play me, Mallory,” he said harshly.  “I saw you in there.”

What?  Was he mad that she had given that ass**le what he deserved?

“Jake,” she began tentatively, worried that she had embarrassed him.  “I’m sorry if I-”

“Sorry for what, Mallory?”  He asked acerbically, his eyes flashing with anger and something else that was harder to define.  Was it betrayal?  “For using me for my money or for being a slut?”

Mallory gasped, the word hitting her like a slap to the face.  Hurt came before anger did.  “What are you talking about?”  Her voice quavered.

“I saw you with him, Mallory.”  His stare was glacial, wrapping ice around her heart.  “You looked very cozy together.  So why don’t we stop this charade now before you embarrass yourself any further?”

Now Mallory’s anger bubbled up at the injustice of his assumption.  “Cozy?!”  She had to stop herself from shrieking.  “Did you not see me nail the bastard in the balls for touching me?”

The lines of anger on Jake’s face gave way to surprise.  “What?”  He asked faintly.

Oh, now Mallory was really pissed.  “You left me alone to be molested by a random stranger, and you’re angry with me?!  I don’t know what kind of world you live in, Jake, but where I come from what he was doing is not considered consensual.”

“Mallory, I-”

“You what?”  She cut him off, seething.  “Are you going to call me a s-slut again?”  She stumbled over the word.  “Or accuse me of being a gold-digger?  Might I remind you that I didn’t even want to come on this trip.  And now it’s becoming pretty clear that I should have trusted my instincts.”