Tied to the Billionaire(59)

“So who were you looking at really?”

Jade’s eyes were automatically drawn back towards the blond man. She snapped her gaze back to the table, but Piper had already noticed, her own eyes narrowing teasingly.

“Oh, him! Well, try not to break him.”

“He wouldn’t touch me with a barge pole.”

Piper cocked her head appraisingly, still looking at the blond man. “I don’t think he’s anywhere near a barge pole. Maybe a baguette.”

“Fuck off.”

Piper responded by raising her glass in a toast, and Jade mentally began to count down to the moment when her friend would be too drunk to carry on. It wouldn’t take much more. Piper liked a drink, but was something of a lightweight, especially with champagne.

Half an hour later, her predictions came true.

“I need to go upstairs. You coming?”

“Nah. I’ll have another before I go up.”

Jade stood to let Piper out of the booth, hiding a grin as her friend wobbled on her heels. Piper turned and laid a hand on her shoulder, looking at her with slightly drunken concern.

“I don’t like leaving you down here on your own.”

“Relax, Piper. I’m not going to die.”

Piper leant down to hug her, whispering in her ear as she did so. “Make sure you f*ck him.”

Oh, Piper. Jade shook her head indulgently as Piper stumbled away from the table. Always looking out for my welfare—or my sex life.

Instinctively she glanced across the bar to where the blond man had been standing. He had disappeared. All that remained was an empty wine glass on the counter.

Oh, well. That’s that then.

There was still some champagne left in the bottle. Jade refilled her glass and let her mind wander, picturing the man in her head.

Tall. Firm-bodied. A trail of blond curls leading to a hard, jutting cock. Holding her wrists, holding her down—instinctively knowing what she would want, never doubting, but never pushing her too far. Nudging her thighs apart, thrusting inside her, pinning her arms as she moaned and writhed, and she knew, she knew he would release her if she asked, but would hold her and tie her and restrain her and finally—

It was impossible. No man could be trusted that far. Jade tipped her head back and swallowed the last drops of champagne, blinking as the room swirled.

Okay, that was enough. Any more to drink and she would collapse. She slid out of the booth and made her way towards the far door. She had seen earlier that it opened into a corridor that, after leading past the bathrooms, turned a corner and came out in front of the elevator, which saved having to stagger drunkenly across reception.

As she reached the doorway, she heard noises in the corridor. Voices. The language was Spanish, but the accent was too heavy for her to pick out more than a few words. It sounded…angry.

And then she saw it.

Halfway down the corridor were two men, one with his back to her, pinning the other to the wall. His hand was held to the other man’s throat. Jade recognised the tell-tale glint of a knife.

She also recognised his victim. It was the blond man from the bar.

As silently as she could, she moved through the open doorway towards the pair. The blond man’s eyes widened slightly, but she didn’t allow herself to meet his gaze—if his attacker noticed, she would lose the advantage.

And this was dangerous enough as it was, although the alcohol coursing through her system seemed to make that thought much less important than it should be.

The attacker was now directly in front of her. His dark hair was tousled, his skin sweaty. Jade could smell smoke on him, mixed with the tang of too much aftershave. He wore a black shirt and trousers, all the better to conceal him if he made a break for it in the dark.

“Look.” The blond man spoke, his eyes focused on the man. He’s holding his attention. “I don’t carry cash. This is pointless.”

“Cash?” the other man sneered, not moving, the knife still glinting against the blond man’s throat. “That doesn’t—”

Jade moved.

In one sharp motion she gripped his right arm and pulled it back, using her other hand to force his wrist into an unnatural bend. The man cried out, either in shock or in pain, and the knife fell from his hand.

Leave it.

Jade already knew what his next move would be. The man spun round, his left arm raised, ready to strike. Jade’s arm was already up, blocking the blow. She kicked out with one foot, catching his ankle, and with an angry shout the man was falling, his legs swept out from under him.

Before he could recover, Jade had dropped to the ground behind him, wrapping one arm tightly around his neck.

“Jesus Christ,” said a breathless voice behind her. “Fuck.”


Yeah, I know, Jade thought grimly, tightening her hold as the man struggled against her. Skinny little chick saved your neck. How terrible.

There were footsteps behind her, and the voice spoke again, this time angrily.

“Oh, now you rock up? Where the f*ck have you been? This * had a knife! Get him out of here!”

“I’m sorry, sir.” The second voice was also male, deeper, with a curious timbre to it that suggested military, or ex-military at least. Someone squatted down beside Jade. Turning, she saw there were two more men, both in dark uniforms, carrying walkie-talkies and weapons on their belts.