The moment I heard that voice, my stomach fluttered with delight and my heart did a somersault. Clutching the dress even tighter against my chest, partly to hide my nakedness against the arrogant man who appeared without invitation and mostly because I was nervous around him, I turned to look at him. I tried my best to look pissed, but I didn’t know if I could manage that. I really just wanted to throw myself into his arms, naked and all.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my throat dryer than it should be.
“Checking on you,” he said, leaning against the doorframe and folding his arms across his chest as if he had all the time in the world.
I frowned. “I’m half naked here,” I said. “It’s the female changing room. I suggest you leave before Rose calls security.”
He smiled, his eyes twinkling. “She won’t.”
He sounded confident in his statement, which irritated me. I bit my lip and said, “You’ll be sorry when you get an ear blasting from one of those guys.”
He laughed and came into the small space. He even had the gall to close the door behind him. Shit! I felt trapped all of a sudden. But not in a bad way. I was with James, the man who made my body sing when he touched and kissed me.
“If that happens, they’ll risk losing their jobs, don’t you think?” he said.
I took a step back, and my body bumped against the cool mirror behind me. I shivered a little.
James cocked his head to one side. “You’d know, wouldn’t you, Mia? You wouldn’t go against your own boss? You’d risk losing your job.”
No, I thought sourly. I would never go against my own boss, especially back home in Mystic Spring. He’d sack me for even thinking about retaliating against him.
Flicking my mind back to James, a realization suddenly hit me. I swallowed hard. That bastard. So that meant he owned this particular establishment? No, wait. He probably owned this fancy shopping mall.
I glared at him. I should have guessed.
He must have realized I had finally caught on, and he laughed.
“You’re a mean bastard, James Maxwell,” I snapped. “Now get out. I need to change.”
Instead of leaving like I told him to, he grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. I gasped in confusion when he wrapped one hand at the nape of my neck and brought his face close.
“Shut up and let me kiss you,” he said.
I blinked as his lips found mine and then kissed me warmly. I melted into him and closed my eyes. I couldn’t help myself, groaning softly.
I loosened my grip on the dress in my hands as I further unraveled myself within his arms. Suddenly, he became wilder and slipped his tongue into my mouth.
I quivered in delight as his tongue stroked and played with me passionately. I was so weak with desire that I wanted to cry out in agony when he pulled back.
“James,” I whispered softly. I wanted to tell him not to leave. I wanted him to continue kissing me until I couldn’t bear it anymore and begged him to take me in every which way he wanted.
He took the dress from my hands and threw it to the floor. At least, I thought in relief, he didn’t rip it to pieces like he did with my other clothes.
He went down to his knees, his hands holding me close about the waist. He was facing right into my breasts, and I had to control myself not to draw him in against me and make him do those exquisite things with his lips and tongue.
He flicked his gaze up to me, and a sly smile played about his lips. “This is for torturing me last night.”
I blinked. “Huh?” Then I understood. Oh shit! He hadn’t been asleep while I’d molested him last night. I blushed profusely and bit my lip in embarrassment.
He chuckled with amusement, and I reacted a little, with a mixture of anticipation and worry.
“I thought you were asleep,” I said in defense. “I was only—”
He stuck out his tongue, placed it against my bare nipple, and licked. Once. Twice. Thrice.
He was licking my nipple like I’d done with his last night. Then he kissed it and sucked at it. All the while I groaned and clutched his head against me. My core burned for him.
“James…” I whispered softly. “James… Ngh…”
He turned his attention to the other one and gave it the same loving, ruthless treatment—torturing my nipple with his lips and tongue, licking, kissing, and sucking at it until it, too, was fully aroused, glistening, rosy, and beautifully sore.
Once he was satisfied and let it go, he stood and kissed me again, wildly and passionately, his tongue exquisitely uninhibited inside my mouth. When he let me go, I was breathless and dazed, gazing up at him, wanting more.
He snorted at my reaction, pleased. Then he turned his attention to my panties, and slowly and seductively he pulled them down over my hips and legs. I was completely naked in the changing room, and James palmed his hand against my pussy, pressing hard against my wetness.
I licked my lip deliciously. “Mmm…” I cried out in pleasure as he slipped his finger into my eager tunnel.
He was kissing me again as he continued to pleasure me. God! I hoped Rose wouldn’t happen to pass by and hear my cries. I hoped like hell she didn’t come barging in on us. The thought cooled down my desire for James a little, and I pulled back.
He was still playing with me, and the pleasure was just so indescribable I couldn’t think straight. But I knew we had to stop. This was a public place after all.
“J-James,” I squeaked out breathlessly.
“Hmm?”
I gazed at him. He seemed to be in full control of himself, unlike me.
“We have to stop,” I said.
“Why?” he asked bluntly, removing his hand to massage my breast instead.
“You know why,” I said, shivering deliciously. “We have to stop. The clothes. We’ll ruin the clothes.”
He chuckled. “We’re not stopping,” he said.
I widened my eyes in shocked surprise. “But, James!”
I couldn’t protest anymore as he slammed his lips against mine, shutting me up. Then he proceeded to slip his tongue into my mouth and worked on making me lose my mind once again.
I was so lost in the wild, passionate sex in this public place and the beautiful, intoxicated feelings James was giving me that I didn’t realize he was ready for me until he inserted his hardened shaft into me.
I groaned sweetly in satisfaction.
I was riding him, my back against the now-warm mirror and James squeezing me, plunging in and out smoothly, driving me insane.
“Oh God!” I moaned continuously.
I got to the point I just didn’t care who could hear me anymore nor who could see me in this wanton position. James made me this way. James made me wild, and I loved being this person. I loved being in his arms and him fucking me.
I clutched him as he pounded into me, his hard manhood hot inside me.
“Fuck, Mia,” he said, breathless. “Wrap your legs around me.”
I hugged him tighter against me and did as he told me, wrapping my legs around him.
I groaned. The contact was even greater in this position. I felt him—all of him—inside me, and I was wrapped around him tightly and seductively.
James continued to pulsate into me while he kissed me passionately.
“Oh James!” I cried out loudly. “I’m coming. I’m coming,” I groaned.
James lifted me higher and did one last, hard drive in and released me from my exquisite torture.
I groaned, clutching him tight against me. I came, long and hard, my core tightening inside me and my body tensing.
I collapsed on James, my whole body shaking from the experience. I had my face buried deep in the crook of his muscular neck, inhaling his scent, loving it.
He moved slightly and kissed my neck and then buried his nose in my hair. He was breathing quite hard as well, so it wasn’t only me who was exhausted from this particular session.
Then I came back to reality. Shit! We’d just had sex in public, in a shop’s changing room!
I drew back from him at lightning speed and just stared up at him, my face red with embarrassment. I licked my lips. “James! We just did it here!”
He understood my statement and smiled. “It was nice, wasn’t it?”
I frowned. “It’s indecent,” I snapped as I unwrapped myself from him, struggling to stand on my own two feet. Thank God for the mirror behind me, supporting me. Otherwise, I knew I’d collapse to my knees the moment I let him go.
He took a step back and picked up my panties amongst the expensive dresses. I quickly grabbed them from him and said, “I’m getting dressed.”
He chuckled. “Do it quickly.” He gave me a hasty kiss on the lips before exiting, leaving me alone to sort myself out.
MiaI stared, wide-eyed, at the ten or so boutique shopping bags sitting prettily on the sofa and felt more than a little awed. Those were all for me. I couldn’t believe it. James had bought all those for me, those clothes I’d tried on three or so hours ago back at Fleur.After that unexpected, intense lovemaking session in the changing room, after I’d finished organizing myself into some sort of a decent girl who hadn’t gotten ravished by a billionaire in public, he’d purchased every single item given to me to try on, including, of course, some undergarments.And now…now he expected me to get ready for dinner? With him and Tory and his other friends? I suspected William was one of those friends mentioned.I made a sour face and thought it would have been nice if he’d told me earlier instead of just a few minutes ago before he left to attend to his business once again.I sighed and grabbed a bag. I peeked inside, and instantly my eyes brightened with delight. It was the pink dress I l
MiaWe were definitely late for dinner as we stepped into one of the fanciest Japanese restaurants in Vegas called Nihon Restaurant and Bar. Of course, after our quick sex session, James had himself ready in fifteen minutes, while I had to redo my hair and makeup and rearrange my dress completely.As we came through the door, a waiter greeted us. “Irasshaimase.”James nodded and simply said, “Tory.”The Japanese waiter understood immediately and politely ushered us up a grand staircase to the next level. It was very quiet here, with only the soothing, light music of Japanese instruments. The decor and lighting here were also designed in a very traditional Japanese style. The atmosphere was beautiful and relaxing.The waiter slid open a door and bowed as we walked in.“James,” I heard a man said. “Finally made it, eh?”“Mm-hmm,” James replied.As I stepped to the side, I finally realized who spoke. Darkly handsome, Tory came and gave James a manly hug and handshake. Then he turned his
MiaThe moment James shut the door to our hotel room, he said, “Take the dress off before I ruin it.”I glanced at him over my shoulder, a perplexed look on my face. “Excuse me?”He chuckled. “You like that dress, don’t you?” At my nod, he continued. “Or would you rather I tear it off you?”I understood the meaning behind his words immediately and blushed profusely. “How rude. You’re not allowed to destroy any more of my new clothes,” I said clearly.He raised a brow at me in challenge. “I paid for them.”I folded my arms across my chest. Heck, I knew I looked insignificant and small compared to him, but I wasn’t about to let him annihilate my beloved new garments, even though he did pay for them.He came to stand right in front of me and said, “Go on. Take that dress off.” He was lightly caressing my collarbone as he stared down at my cleavage. His fingers trailed down toward that area of interest as he said, “I can’t trust myself not to damage your new dress.”I swallowed. I was bec
MiaWhen I told Andy to have fun at work yesterday evening, when he’d kissed me on the forehead fondly and said, “See you tomorrow then,” I thought of nothing but the fact that yes, I’d see him again tomorrow. It’d be just like our life previously, when we used to live together, going about our daily routine. We’d been poor and struggling financially, but at least we were free and content.How naïve I was.I was still green in this cutthroat, dark, and dangerous world I’d just entered when I had decided to come here to the West Coast of America, first to Los Angeles and then Las Vegas. It was the world of James Maxwell, my brother’s creditor and, more recently, my master and lover.At first I had no idea why I suddenly awoke. I was a light sleeper, always waking up in the middle of the night, my eyes wide open as I stared at the ceiling in the dark, my mind alert and my body tense. It was hard to change old habits, especially when fear played a huge part of your daily life. When your
MiaJames cupped my face with his large hand. I wasn’t sure whether it was to shut me up or comfort me. I preferred to think it was the latter. At least I hoped it was.Warmth radiated from his body to mine, and I did indeed feel comforted, if only a little.“We’re looking for him,” he said.He pulled me into his arms, and I rested my face against his thick, muscular chest. I felt him burying his nose against my hair.I took in a slow, deep breath, inhaling oxygen into my lungs to calm myself, to think logically. James’ warm, masculine scent tantalized my senses, which only made me want to bury myself deeper into him. He made me want to entomb myself within him and never let go.“Go back to bed,” he instructed.Go back to bed? Like I’d be able to relax, knowing my brother was missing. God only knew what was happening to him now.Suddenly my mind flicked to the Mexican and the Albanian.I pulled back from James’ arms in a rush and said, “The Mexican! The Albanian!”James only stared do
JamesThe Mexican mob was going to fucking pay for the stupid mistake they made by kidnapping Andy for a deal they demanded, which they weren’t going to get. James wasn’t a very nice man when it came to that sort of bullshit. Anyone who dared to even step foot into his territory, cross the line, and hurt one of his boys, especially if that particular boy happens to be his good friend’s lover, more especially if that particular boy happens to be his lover’s brother, was something James could never forgive.James was usually a very reasonable man, famed for his trustworthiness when dealing with any business. When they crossed the line, however, the ruthless predator came out and nothing was going to stop the catastrophe heading their way.In the sleek black limo, sitting beside James in the back seat was Matt. The man looked as dark and dangerous as ever. He wore a scowl so fearsome that most of the men who were accompanying them for the operation were silently praying he wouldn’t mista
JamesJames eyed the Mexican coldly and noted, not so surprisingly, every one of them had firearms in their hands, pointing the dangerous weapons at him and his friends, ready for action.The four billionaires didn’t bat an eyelid at the fact that they were severely outnumbered.Carlos entered the scene at that moment. Short, stocky, bald-headed, and with a thick black moustache, he was oozing confidence over where this eerie nighttime conference was heading. He was fucking positive he was going to get his way—a piece of the real estate pie in Sin City where his cartel was so going to soar like a fucking eagle.“Bienvenido! Bienvenido!” He chuckled, his arms spread out. “I can’t believe you actually came because of a boy.” He laughed out merrily. “And all four of you too.”Matt couldn’t stand the sarcastic greeting and growled out, “Where the fuck is Andy?”Carlos shrugged. “We’re here to do a deal, are we not, Señor Caine?” He cocked his head to one side arrogantly. “No deal, no boy.
MiaDespite the fact James had told me to return to sleep, I simply couldn’t. My eyes were wide open as I lay there, staring up at the ceiling, my mind on my brother.Have they found Andy yet? I wondered. Was Andy okay? Was he wounded?Questions after questions kept echoing in my head, demanding answers I couldn’t offer.It was seven thirty in the morning when I decided to get out of bed and do something about my hunger. I quickly ordered room service, and while I waited for my breakfast to turn up, I showered to clear my head. Once I was finished and had a new dress on James had bought for me from Fleur, I headed into the living area and waited some more. My mind was still on Andy, James, and Matt when the knock came. I had entirely forgotten about breakfast.I hastily went to open the door and found a maid there rolling in the trolley filled with delicious sustenance. She left again after asking me if I wanted anything else.Alone, I sat and ate because it was something I could do t
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