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.
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