Captured by the Billionaire

Pursued Part 3

To make up for my late night, I didn't wake up until mid-morning the next day. It'd been almost three A.M. when I'd left Jake's, and I hadn't been able to fall asleep until the beginnings of dawn's rays were peeking through my curtains. I'd been too incensed to sleep. I simply couldn't believe what Jake had done to me. Not only had he gotten me fired, but he'd tried to seduce me with only a few words, like I was some floozy who was going to flop down on his desk and let him take me.

And that was nearly what had happened, which just made me even angrier with myself. I'd never experienced that sort of passion with any man, and I'd most certainly never had a one-night stand. I enjoyed sex, but I was far from a nymphomaniac. There'd been a couple of boyfriends in college, but none of my experiences with them even began to measure up to those few steamy minutes in Jake's study.

I couldn't blame myself entirely. The man was so gorgeous it was practically sinful. And although I resented him for his high-handed treatment, I couldn't deny that his confidence was a major turn-on.

I found myself padding around my modest apartment glumly, automatically showering and getting ready for the day, despite having nothing on my agenda. With no job to go to and no more teaching positions to apply for, there were few activities to fill my day. I felt like I was stagnating, being lazy. I despised laziness.

I supposed I could go to the mall and see if any of the shops were hiring. Retail might be better than serving. Having some company while I inquired about job openings wouldn't hurt, either. Making up my mind, I picked up my phone and called Sally.

"Hey, bestie," she greeted brightly. "How was last night?"

"Awful," I said, recalling Carly's harsh censure. Then I remembered the reason I'd been fired, and my anger at Jake swelled back to the fore.

"What happened?"

"Well, I was fired for spilling champagne on Jake Cleary. And apparently, he bumped into me on purpose so he'd have the excuse to meet me. Then he called me into his study, and I thought he was going to reprimand me. But it was worse."

"Worse how? What did he do?"

"He kissed me," I sighed.

"Oh my god!" she squealed. I winced and held the phone away from my ear. "He's like, really hot," she continued. "So freaking hot. And he's a billionaire. Holy hell, Mallory. I need details."

I hesitated, considering. "It was pretty hot," I admitted. "But he did get me fired. Also, I might have called him an entitled douchebag. Or something to that effect."

"What? Are you crazy? You should have banged him. Can you imagine having that notch in your belt? It's Jake Cleary we're talking about."

"You know I don't do one night stands," I replied. "I don't need a conquest." I thought back to my most recent relationship. It hadn't ended well. And after being cheated on, I wasn't feeling particularly sexy. I'd been rejected, and the betrayal still stung.

But those few minutes in Jake's strong arms had far surpassed anything I'd ever felt with Matt.

"Come on, live a little," Sally urged. "Do you think you'll get the chance to hook up again? Or did you bruise his ego too badly for him to pursue you? I mean, he bumped into you so he'd have the excuse to talk to you. He must be attracted."

"I doubt I'll ever see him again. Besides, I'm not sure I want to." My body certainly didn't agree with that statement. Just the thought of our scorching kiss made my lips tingle and my sex clench.