MiaDinner had been delicious, and my company wonderful. Of course, it was even better that Sophie had excused herself from joining us by informing James she had a dinner date with someone else. This meant I had a fine time enjoying my meal with James and Aria and not having to worry about the woman hurling insults at me whenever she had the chance.Now that dinner was over, I was once again in my own bedroom, getting changed into my sleeping garments. As I was doing so, I suddenly felt exhausted and simply wanted to drop into bed and sleep. The day had finally caught up to me.Thinking back, a lot had happened today.My mind drifted back to the park this morning, where I’d blurted out my dark past to James. I simply couldn’t believe he’d understand, that he’d comfort me like that, as if he really cared about me.That thought made my heart once again glow with delight, and I couldn’t help but smile like a loon. Then I thought about Aria and how the little girl truly craved her father’
JamesJames impassively watched Sophie turn on her heel and leave the room, her steps quick and decisive. He had coldly dismissed her from her position as Aria’s nanny, and fuck, he felt relieved. Of course, there was no need for him to give her an explanation as to why, and oddly enough, the woman hadn’t asked for any either.He had given her two weeks’ notice, as this would help her adjust and give her time to seek new employment. The woman had refused him on the spot and stated she’d be gone from the house by tomorrow morning.Fuck! He still couldn’t believe he had employed a woman such as Sophie to look after his daughter. The very thought that she’d fed Aria all those lies and fear still pissed him off.Once again, his mind flashed back to yesterday when Aria had poured her heart out to him, telling him of her love for him, her loneliness whenever he was away, and her fear that he’d run away from her like Whitney had.The thought that his adorable six-year-old daughter had to go
MiaThe moment the chauffeur parked the car at the front of St. Peter Elementary School, I felt my heart skip a beat. This would be the first time I was picking Aria up by myself, though it hadn’t been the first I’d been here. The previous two had been with James when he allowed me to tag along simply because the three of us had to go out shopping afterward.“I won’t be long, John,” I said to the chauffeur.The driver said, “Take your time, Miss Donovan.”A few moments later, I was making my way toward the main building where reception was situated. As I was doing so, I couldn’t help but feel more than a little nervous. After all, I wasn’t used to doing this sort of thing, going on errands and picking kids up after school. It was completely new to me for sure.“Hi,” I said the moment I was in front of the reception desk.The elderly woman looked up and gave me a bright smile. “Hello, dear,” she said. “How can I help you?”I licked my lips and said, “My name is Mia, and I’m here to pic
MiaOnce she was close, she threw herself into my arms, and I hugged her tight. “Hello, Aria. How was school today?” I asked, grinning in adoration.“Good,” she said hyperactively. “I had so much fun today. We did heaps of cool stuff like painting and stuff. I’m gonna show you my painting when we get home. It’s the coolest painting ever!”I couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. “That’s good,” I said. “I can’t wait to see it.”“Now that’s something I don’t see every day,” the elderly receptionist said behind me.I turned to her and asked, “What do you mean?”She chuckled. “Aria is never like this when that Sophie woman comes to pick her up.”“Really?” I asked, turning my eyes to Aria once again, feeling my heart ache for the little girl at the reminder of Sophie’s mistreatment.Aria excitedly carried on, telling me about all the wonderful things she’d done at school today while I encouraged her by smiling and nodding. A moment later, another little girl showed up. The cutie with a
MiaAfter Aria had enthusiastically showed me her painting, which to my pleasant surprise turned out to be of us playing in the park on Sunday, I headed back to my room to shower and change for dinner while Aria had her private piano lesson with Mrs. West.Twenty minutes later, I had finished showering and was about to put on my cute dress when I heard Aria’s voice in the distance, across the hallway.“Is Uncle Scott and Uncle Eric really coming tonight? I can’t wait to see them. I missed them so much ’cause I haven’t seen them for a while. Will Grandpa be coming as well? Will he? Will he?”I didn’t miss the urgent excitement in her voice. I heard James chuckle and then say, “Yes, sweetheart, Uncle Scott and Uncle Eric are coming but not Grandpa. He’s still in Japan.”“In Japan? Again? Oh, I know. Next time when he goes to Japan, maybe we all can go there too. Like as a family. Grandpa, Uncle Scott, Uncle Eric, Daddy, me, and Mia. Like a very big family. It’s gonna be so much fun, rig
MiaScott and Eric Maxwell were nothing like I’d imagined. I thought they’d be similar to James, both in looks and behavior. When I finally got to meet them, however, I was pleasantly surprised they weren’t. Sure, they had that elite aura about them like James, which awed anyone who happened to encounter them. And physically, they were tall and muscular like James too, but that was where the resemblance ended.Scott was a hunky, blond-haired, light-brown-eyed charming man that screamed sex appeal like a lion on testosterone. I had to do a double take because he was so gorgeous—as in drop-dead gorgeous—even I found it hard to tear my gaze from him. He was the type that could make a girl come in ecstasy with just a cheeky smile or wink. The moment I saw him, I knew he was both the easiest to get along with yet the hardest to get close to of all three brothers.I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but my instincts told me Scott had many layers and much depth in terms of his personality,
MiaI chose to wear my ballet flats for easy walking, though I didn’t change my clothes. I thought this dress—cute, frilly, and short—was fine for now, as I was only going out for a bit and the meeting was just down the road.With my cell phone in hand, I headed out the door. As I descended the stairs, I wondered if I should tell James. Yes, that was a good idea since I didn’t want him to worry about me. After all, he was always apprehensive that I’d be a target because of him, just like Matt where Andy was concerned.I went toward the living room, but at the door, I was about to open my mouth to speak when I changed my mind. The Maxwell brothers were in a deep discussion of some sort about something serious. I heard the words Alice, bride, Japan, Dad, wedding, and a lot of profanity from Eric. Because I didn’t want to interrupt them and assuming James wouldn’t notice if I was gone for only five minutes, I changed my mind and retraced my steps. Then I headed out the front door and dow
James“I’m going to check up on Aria and Mia for a bit,” James said, getting up from his seat. “I think that’s enough gossiping about Dad and his new bride.”Eric snorted. “That woman is not Dad’s new bride. Don’t be ridiculous, James.”Scott chuckled. “We’ll get to meet her soon, no doubt. Our old man is coming home next month, isn’t he?”“Yeah,” James said as he headed toward the door. As he was about to exit, he added, “You’re about to meet your new stepmother, Eric. You should be elated about that.”Eric shouted, “Fuck you, James. It’s not funny.”James laughed, shaking his head as he headed up the stairs.He couldn’t believe how sensitive Eric was where the new bride Alice was concerned.New bride, he thought, his mind turning to Mia. Fuck, he’d said the four-letter word to her this evening, and he still couldn’t believe it. Once again, he felt elated, simply elated when he’d finally recognized his feelings for Mia and said those wonderful words to her. Not to mention that quick
MiaThe day had been long and exhausting for me, especially after James, Aria, and I had started that lunch with Liam, Scott, Eric, Alice, and Yuki. Then, of course, once we were done with that, Liam had suggested we stay for dinner as well since Alice, Yuki, Aria, and I seemed to get along so well. He had said that the sisters needed company near their ages, someone they felt comfortable with, since America was so new and different to them. Of course, I had fun spending time with the sisters, but I must say both Scott and Eric—well, mostly Eric—had behaved poorly, a side of them I had not seen before.Boy, was I glad we were finally home. After helping Aria bathe and dress, I lay beside her—along with Sammy and Alfie, who were being very nice and obedient, snuggling comfortably near Aria—reading them a bedtime story. When I finished the book, I tucked Aria in.I was about to kiss her good night when Aria asked, “Mia? Do you love Daddy?”That took me by surprise, and I blushed intense
MiaWilliam arrived to pick up Savannah at eleven that morning for their return flight to Vegas.After Savannah and I had hugged tightly, Savannah said, “You have to come to Vegas again soon.”Beside me, Aria was excited. “We can ask Daddy. He did promise to take me there soon.” She turned to her father standing not too far away. “Isn’t that right, Daddy?”James nodded. “Yes, sweetheart.”Once William and Savannah departed, James, Aria, and I went to have lunch with Liam, Scott, and Eric at the main house. Of course, I had no idea this was happening until this morning after breakfast when James happened to just casually mention it. And to be honest, I wasn’t exactly prepared for it. Wasn’t it like my boyfriend taking me to meet his parents for the first time? Which freaked most girls out because they had to give a good first impression. But then again, what was there for me to prepare for? I had already met Liam last night, after all.Aria seemed excited to see her grandfather again,
JamesThe moment their father appeared at the door, James knew for a fact that Eric wasn’t happy. He knew also that, soon, the youngest brother would bring up the subject of their father’s future young bride and demand details. Of course, James had no idea why Eric was so riled up about something this trivial. After all, their father was very popular with the opposite sex, regardless of age, and for him to tie the knot again, with a twenty-five-year-old woman at that, wasn’t all that surprising.Currently, they were drinking, nibbling, and chatting about various topics—social and business. They even talked about Herbert Weston and the Mexican mafia, which didn’t much interest James. To him, what was done was done. Of course, what really interested James was Mia.Fuck! He wanted to kiss her and make passionate love to her, but alas, he obviously couldn’t do that until everyone left.It was around midnight when Eric finally brought up the much-anticipated subject. Of course, James was q
MiaI dismissed the thought of my brother and Matt from my mind and headed into the bathroom to shower. When I was done, dressed in a lovely loose, long-sleeved blouse and trousers, my makeup lightly done, since my bruised skin was still too sensitive, I headed out the door.I found Savannah sitting on my bed, waiting for me.“Hey,” I said. “Sorry, I think I might have overslept a little.”Savannah chuckled. “No worries. I did that this morning as well. I was so tired.”I nodded. Of course, her having found out about my kidnapping had really scared her, and the whole situation must have exhausted her. Now that I was safe and sound, everything had just kind of caught up to her. I didn’t miss the dark circles under her eyes, either.I was so moved by the fact that she had been so good to me, especially since we had only been friends for a short time, that I gave her a tight hug again. “Thank you for coming all the way here and helping out.”“It’s fine, Mia,” Savannah said. “You’re my fr
MiaThe next day, I was finally discharged from the hospital, and James, with Andy tagging along, came to pick me up that afternoon. Of course, both men watched over me like mother hens as I slipped out of bed and began to get myself ready.I was just reaching out for the luggage to start packing when Andy said, “I’ll do that for you. You go and get changed.”I nodded and headed into the bathroom, a dress in my hand.While Andy packed my stuff into the bag Savannah had brought for me, James was in the bathroom, aiding me with getting dressed since my movement was slow. Of course, I didn’t mind the fact that I was half naked in front of him, in just undies and bra and my bare skin marked with dark bruises everywhere. After all, he had seen me naked last night when he was making love to me, albeit under the dimness of the wall light.“Raise your arms,” he instructed as if I were his daughter. I thought he was being very parental toward me.I smiled as I obeyed him, raising my arms high
MiaI was finally judged to be well enough to allow a proper shower by myself instead of the occasional sponge bath by the nurse, which, to be honest, was rather embarrassing to say the least. And of course, now that I didn’t have an IV line connected to me, it was even better.After retrieving a towel and the bathroom essentials that Savannah had considerately brought for me yesterday evening, I headed into the bathroom. I took my time brushing my teeth and cleaning myself thoroughly, and, of course, enjoying the warm water on my skin. By the time I was done, I smiled with glee at the fact that I now smelled like the Garden of Eden.After donning the undesirable hospital gown once again and putting on some night cream over my still lightly bruised face, I headed back out, humming to myself.“You sound like you’re having a fine time showering,” the night shift nurse, Laura, said, chuckling.“Hello there. Yes, it’s the first time in five days I’ve showered, so…”Laura nodded. “I can un
MiaWhen I woke again, I felt a lot better. The headache was gone, as was the exhaustion.After cleaning myself up for the second time that day, I returned to my bed with renewed determination. I will no longer allow the thought of Herbert Weston to affect me. I will not cry remembering the trauma he inflicted on me nor the distress he caused me—physically, mentally, and emotionally. I will be free from that bastard!With that, I settled myself to read some magazines Brenda had left for me, and it wasn’t long before lunch arrived. It was also around then that Andy appeared at the door again. With my mouth still full of food, I stared at him wide-eyed as he walked toward me.“Hey,” he said. “Feeling better?”I quickly swallowed my food and reached my arms out for him, begging for a great big hug again.Andy came over and took me into his arms as I wrapped mine around his torso.I chuckled as I raised my eyes to look at him. “I hope you’re not driving Matt crazy because you’re so worrie
MiaWhen I woke, my hands were resting on the empty space on the side of my bed, and I wondered why it felt so warm, as if someone had been there only moments before. I shifted my body and then inhaled deeply. The scent that was unique to James caressed my nostrils, and I smiled.He had been here, hadn’t he? Sleeping next to me. My heart soared at the thought, though at the same time, I was a little disappointed that he didn’t wake me when he had arrived. We could have had a little chat and kiss.“Good morning.” A nurse I didn’t recognize greeted me as she came into the room. “How are you feeling this morning, love?”I gave her a bright smile, my lips and mouth a little sore in the process. Obviously, my wounds had not yet healed properly. “I’m good. A little pain, but it’s fine.”“That’s good,” she said, grinning brightly. Then she came over to stand at the end of the bed and picked up my medical record. She quickly scanned over the documents, and a moment later, looking rather satis
JamesWhen James came in through the door after a long day at the office and headed toward Mia’s bed in the hospital that night, he found her deep in slumber. Standing by her side, he gazed at her long and hard, noting the bruises on her beautiful face. Fuck! He wanted those unsightly marks gone as soon as possible. The sight of them reminded him of Herbert Weston and what the bastard had done to Mia, and once again, he felt rage erupting in his being.For perhaps the hundredth time, he swore nothing like that would ever happen to Mia again. He’d protect her. He’d cherish her.For now, she looked peaceful in her sleep, but he knew it wouldn’t last long. Soon, it would start, the nightmare, as it had the past three nights. She’d start crying and screaming and begging in her sleep as that terrifying episode of her kidnapping returned to haunt her. She’d scream for Herbert Weston to let her go. She’d beg for him to stop hurting her, and fuck, but the sheer fear and panic in her voice bro