Out Foxed by Fox novel Chapter 2

The room they were led into was almost empty despite the fact that it was large enough to hold a multitude of people. It reminded Ella of her history lessons, when they'd studied ancient earth and the royalty that had ruled over the time period. There was even a dais at one end of the room, a slightly raised platform on which there was a table. Chairs were scattered around the table, six in all, but only one man was currently seated there.

Ella's breath caught in her throat. No one had ever seen a picture of Fox, no one even knew what his real name was or where he had originated from, but everyone knew the description. Tall, dark hair that had been allowed to go silver at the temples (shocking in an age where almost no one retained their true hair color past the age of forty, preferring to use the various applications that were available to keep the appearance of youth), bright piercing green eyes that were hard as jade, muscular, and with cruel lips. She'd always wondered how lips could be described as "cruel," but seeing this man she suddenly understood. They were thin, mobile, and yet the smile upon them was somehow threateningly cold.

She shivered, and not just because of the chill in the room or because she was naked. In fact, she'd almost forgotten about her nude state, she'd been so ensnared by the powerful man at the end of the room. Now she shivered again, hunching her shoulders forward, all too aware of the ropes that kept her hands behind her, of the hobbles that kept her from fleeing.

Beside her, Ander growled under his breath. She flicked a glance at him, trying desperately not look anywhere below his shoulders. Beyond her boyfriend - now ex - she didn't have a whole lot of experience with men so she hadn't seen a lot of penises. The urge to look at one which was swinging so close to her was nearly over whelming, but it felt way too intrusive since it wasn't exactly like he was unclothed by choice. And she could tell that he'd been doing his best not to look at her or the blonde young woman.

Jackson was leading them by the blonde, his hand wrapped almost possessively around her upper arm, towering over her in a way that might have seemed protective in another situation. Right now Ella didn't know what to think of it. She really didn't know what to think of anything... her head rang with the words "We should have stayed at the hotel" over and over again, but it's not like hindsight was any help to them now.

"Jackson..." The man behind the desk stood as they approached, his gaze flicking over each one of them in turn. It was a quick visual inspection, but it felt very thorough; Ella quailed a bit, automatically leaning towards Ander for comfort. He was already chafing at the bit, angling himself forward so that she was slightly behind him. The sharp jade eyes noted his movement and Ella wondered if Ander's obvious protectiveness had just helped or hurt them. The smile across Fox's face - she was sure it was Fox - wasn't at all reassuring. "So what have you brought me today? A present?"

Fox's voice was low, gravelly, and almost hypnotically seductive. Ella frankly stared, shocked to hear such an appealing sound coming from the mouth of a man who was completely physically intimidating.

"You did say you wanted a replacement for Izzy soon," Jackson said, his voice indifferent. The big man didn't seem at all intimidated by Fox, although something about his stance said that he respected the other man a great deal and that he would follow where he led. Izzy... Ella remembered the name and the face, a young woman with coppery red hair and big grey eyes, assumed taken by Fox while on holiday on Earth in Old Europa. Her picture and information had been on the newsfeed for months, not because people were worried about her return once a young man who had been taken for a couple of days had confirmed her whereabouts, but because everyone was so fascinated by Fox and his... predilections.

"Mm... I could be persuaded to take a blonde... it would make a contrast from Izzy," Fox said, his face serious although somehow Ella got the impression that he was teasing Jackson. It was obvious where the big blonde man's interests lay. When he didn't get a reaction, Fox continued. "Then again, it has been a while since I've had a couple."

"We're not a couple!" Ella blurted out, immediately, without thinking. Her only coherent instinct was to find some way to get out of this situation and if Fox wanted a couple... then she was immediately horrified as the blonde's face turned to her with an expression of shock and despair. Had she just thrown the other woman under the bus? Would she really do such a thing to save herself?

"Not... a couple..." Fox said, almost as if tasting the words as he said them, examining them more closely now, obviously taking note of Ander's protective stance and the way she leaned towards him for support. Ella's cheeks flushed as that intense gaze traveled over her body again, realizing that her nipples had hardened in the cool air of the room and praying that the man didn't read anything into that. She kept her mouth firmly clamped shut.

Maybe it was too late for the blonde, especially with the way Jackson had been acting towards her, but Ella wasn't going to do anything further to push the other woman to her fate. She wasn't - wouldn't be - that kind of person.

"Driver said there was another couple following them out of the hotel, begging for a second chance," Jackson said, sounding both amused and smug. "From what I understand, these two caught their partners together. I thought you might find the dynamic intriguing."

God... had it really only been earlier today that she and Ander had discovered Mitch and Freya together? It felt like ages and ages ago. It also felt small and insignificant compared to what she and Ander were facing now, although when it had happened it had felt like the end of the world.

Ella blinked and realized that Fox was now looking at her and Ander was an increasingly arrested expression, his feigned interest in Jackson completely abandoned. A sick feeling rose inside of her gut as she realized that Jackson had known exactly what would cause Fox to lose interest in the other young woman. And that her own words had confirmed Jackson's supposition.

"You may have the blonde," Fox said, waving his hand at her, his cat-like eyes roving over her and Ander, very much like a large and dangerous predator.

Beside her, Ander growled "Emilia!" and tried to move. Ella didn't know if it was to protect her or the other woman - Emilia, she realized her name must be. Immediately several men who had been standing on the sidelines - practically unnoticed compared to Fox's overwhelming presence, and to a lesser extent, Jackson's - converged on him. One of them grabbed Ella's ropes, holding her in place as well as Fox came down off the dais to examine them more closely. Ander struggled, the three men holding him forced him down to his knees.

Next to them, Jackson pulled the young blonde woman away, lowering his head to whisper in her ear as he held her against his chest in an almost comforting manner that was only belied by the way his hand traveled down her naked back to caress her ass. She could hear the young woman start sobbing again, but she couldn't focus on that. Not with Fox walking towards her.

Up close he was even more intimidating. The grace with which he moved was both elegant while giving off the impression of being deadly. Her comparison of him to a large cat-like predator wasn't far off. Almost strange that they called him Fox really, although she knew it was more for his behavior than for his looks. In looks, in the way he moved, he was more like the holo-vids she'd seen of panthers, before they became extinct.

Her breathing shallowed, panted, as he circled around her, looking over every inch of her naked body. Closing her eyes, she tried to pretend that she was... well anywhere but here really. Anywhere else in the entire universe.

"Quite nice."

Ella's eyes flew open and she squeaked as two hands hefted her breasts, causing her to look directly into Fox's amused emerald eyes. Beside her, Ander shouted. She would have cringed back, but the man holding her ropes had shifted behind her, making it impossible for her to move away from Fox's explorations.

"I do enjoy a curvy woman," Fox said, smiling down at her in approval. Her mouth was so dry, she couldn't have answered even if she could have thought of anything to say. The moment he'd touched her, her mind had completely blanked, and as he gently squeezed her breasts to see her reaction, all she could do was whimper.