by Alexia Praks
Suddenly, he was on top of me, which surprised me, his muscular weight pressing me deep into the mattress. His lips soon found mine and scorched me with a passionate kiss. I responded and wrapped my arms around him, kissing him back, opening my mouth for him like a flower blooming in spring.
When he finally terminated our wild kiss, I was breathless and dazed once again.
It was a few moments later when I found myself comfortably cocooned in James's arm between the sheets, my face buried deep against his chest. Of course, I had no recollection of how I got there, but I sighed nonetheless and closed my eyes, exhausted and content.
James kissed my forehead and said, "You are amazing, Mia. Our relationship will only get better from here on in."
I bit my lip at his statement and felt a sort of joy and ache within my heart. I was pleased he found me amazing in the sex department of our relationship. At the same time, however, I felt empty. I wanted him to love me and find me amazing for being me, for being Mia Donovan, for my love for him and his love for me. I wanted our sex to be second in our unconventional relationship. I wanted to experience unconditional love, just like how Dad had loved Mom.
But of course, I knew that type of love between us was still a long way off yet, and I was okay with that. Eventually, he'd come to love me. Eventually, he'd come to realize his love for me and couldn't bear to lose me. At least that was what I was hoping for.
I sighed at that thought and snuggled closer to him as I drifted off into an exhausted slumber.
Chapter 26
Four Days Later
James
The cell phone rang insistently as James waited patiently for his daughter to pick up. It was going on to the fourth ring now, and he wondered if Aria was busy with her lessons or if she might have forgotten her cell phone while she was out playing with the dogs.
He glanced at his gold wristwatch and noted it was just after three thirty in the afternoon. It wasn't their usual time to talk while he was away from home, but it couldn't be helped. As of last week, he'd had no choice but to call her after her school hours instead of their usual time around eight. He'd been getting busier with work and other personal business since the incident with Andy and the Mexican. Needless to say, there was a lot of deep, dark underground affairs he and Matt had to deal with in order to keep things under control. Of course, despite that taking up most of his days, he'd never forgotten his time with his daughter.
Fuck, he really missed her, and he'd never been away from her this long, ever. It had been well over two weeks now, and he wanted to hug her tiny body in his arms and give her little kisses.
The phone was still ringing, and James glanced at his watch again. Her piano lesson wasn't until four, so there was still plenty of time before the session started.
James hung up when it went to voicemail. He dialed again and waited as the phone started ringing. Normally, he would've waited until after five when the lesson was over if Aria didn't pick up. Tonight, however, he was going to be damn busy, as he had for the past weeks, more so during the last four days.
Fuck, he hadn't even had a proper kiss with Mia for what felt like an eternity. And he hadn't made love to her since that evening four days ago, when he felt as though the earth had shaken beneath his feet. That had been the day she'd found Matt confessing his love for her brother. That had been the day she'd cried in his arms on the rooftop of the hospital and made his heart ache. The day she'd made him feel he wanted more between them than just sex.
Mia Donovan was innocently snuggling her way into his heart, and fuck, James knew he couldn't control it... couldn't stop it from happening. He had no will power to defend himself against her invasion. Her soft, innocent personality mixed with her wise, hard temperament, and her unexpected actions and words that easily escaped her mouth really were a breath of fresh air. She enticed him, and he knew he liked her, doted on her more than he should.
If the truth were told, he felt more than a little guilty lately about his promise to his daughter where the young Mia was concerned. He'd promised Aria he'd bring her home as soon as he found her. That, of course, had been several weeks ago, and so far, he hadn't fulfilled that obligation yet. Furthermore, he'd been keeping the young woman all to himself and had been enjoying her to his heart's content whenever he desired.
Personally, he had no idea why Aria was so drawn to Mia in the first place. His daughter had never liked anyone that much to become such fast friends with her and even request he find her and bring her home immediately. That type of magnetism was unnatural, surely? Just look at the way they had chatted on the phone after he'd told Aria he'd found Mia and she was with him. It was as if they had known each other for ages, laughing and giggling with one another. Aria had taken in Mia as though the young woman were some sort of lost, injured little animal who needed tender care and a warm home.
No! Scratch that. Mia Donovan was definitely a lost little animal who needed a warm home and tender care, preferably in his bed. And then again, James himself couldn't deny the fact that his own attraction to Mia was anything but unnatural. Overpoweringly so. The moment he laid eyes on her, he'd wanted her. He'd wanted to kiss her, to fuck her. And now?
Fuck! Now he felt as though his indulgence in her, kissing her and making love to her, just wasn't enough. He was addicted; he knew that. Yep. He was so fucking screwed.
The phone went to voicemail again, and James hung up. He glanced at his watch for the third time and then decided to give it one more go. He dialed the number and waited patiently as the phone started ringing insistently. Still, it wasn't picked up. Aria was probably busy playing, he thought, and he was about to hang up when the ringing stopped abruptly and a voice came through.
"Hi, Mr. Maxwell?" It was Sophie's voice, his daughter's nanny, on the other end of the line.
"Sophie?" he asked. "Is Aria there?"
Sophie paused before replying, her voice soft and warm. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Maxwell. She just left. I mean, she went downstairs to play with the dogs. Do you want me to get her for you?"
"That would be great, Sophie," James said.
"Sure, Mr. Maxwell," she said. "Just hold on a minute."
James waited as the phone went silent. A moment later, Sophie's voice came through again.
"So," she asked lightly, her tone flirtatious almost. "How's Las Vegas?"
"It's fine," he said. "Nice city." Of course he didn't tell her he spent most of his youth here, prowling the busy streets with his comrades Matt, William, Tory, and Mark.
"It is, isn't it?" She agreed softly. "I may go there again on my next vacation. Speaking of which, I assume Aria has never been to Las Vegas?"
James replied, "No. But I'll be bringing her on my next business trip." He thought it'd be a nice change for Aria, and it was a given Mia would be accompanying them. It would be just the three of them traveling. He and his two darlings. Of course, while he was busy with work during the day, Mia and Aria could spend time together doing whatever girls do.
The picture of them together in the hotel suite just spending time together, be it reading in bed or having a pillow fight, made him smile. The thought made his heart glow with delight, and fuck, he wanted to witness it for real--his daughter and his mistress cooped up in bed, laughing.
The sound of Sophie's delight reached James's ear. "That's great, Mr. Maxwell. Oh my gosh! Aria would be so pleased." She laughed merrily. "Oh, and by the way, I've got lots to report to you, Mr. Maxwell." She paused for a moment to take in some breath and then continued. "Aria is doing very well with her school." She chuckled. "Oh, she's such a lovely little girl. Her math is great and so is her reading and writing."
James smiled. "That's splendid."
"Oh." Sophie hurried on. "And her friends came for a playdate yesterday. They had a lot of fun." She giggled. "It's nice to be young, isn't it?"
"Yes," James said, wondering how far away his daughter was. Sophie, on the other hand, was still going on about Aria and how much fun they'd h
ad together during the last few weeks.
He appreciated the fact that Sophie liked and took care of his daughter. It was her job as the nanny, after all. And he knew Aria liked her. That was why he'd hired her in the first place. Of course, there was also the fact that the woman was very enthusiastic during her interview and had shown every sign of motherly affection toward Aria, which he desperately wanted for his daughter. He didn't want her to grow up feeling like she was missing out. Personally, he thought it was important for the growth of a child, and no child of his was going to lack anything, especially where love and affection was concerned.
"Sophie?" He finally decided to cut her short because he was about to have a meeting with an important client he couldn't miss.
"Yes, Mr. Maxwell?" Sophie asked innocently.
"Aria?" he asked. "You haven't found her yet?"
Sophie paused and then sighed deeply. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Maxwell. I was sure she was in the living area or the piano room. But she's in neither of those places. Hold on a second. I'll just go and have a look in the kitchen."
"Please do," James said.
Not a moment later, Sophie went on to ask him about his business, to which James simply replied, "It is fine, as usual."
James had no idea the woman liked to talk. Truth be told, this was the first time he'd conversed so much with her during the two years since she'd become his employee.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Maxwell," Sophie said a moment later. "She's not here either."
James said, "That's fine, Sophie. I'll call again later."
"Are you sure?" she asked. "If you could just hold on, I'll find her in no time."
"No," he said. "That's fine. I'll call again later this evening."
"Oh, okay," Sophie said. "Bye, then."
"Hmm." James hung up.
Dismissing the thought of his daughter and Sophie from his mind, James got ready to leave his office. He was at the door when his cell rang, attracting his attention.
He picked up and said, "Cole, what's up?"
Cole got straight to the point. "I got some information on the whereabouts of Herbert Weston."
"Yeah?"
"He was in Mystic Spring yesterday, but he already left when we checked the place out. He's on the move again. I suspect he'll be going to the West Coast. Either Las Angeles or Las Vegas."
The moment Cole said that, James felt a little sick to his stomach. "He's after Mia and Andy."
"Yep. Looks that way," Cole said. "Got a call from one of the waitresses back in Mystic Spring. She said a suspicious-looking man came in yesterday, asking about Mia. She told me the man said he's her relative."
"I see," James said. "Keep tracking him, Cole. We can't let him get away. And we can't let him get near either Mia or Andy."
"Sure, boss," Cole said. "I'll call again to keep you posted."
"Yeah. We'll talk soon."
"Yeah. Bye for now," Cole said and then hung up.
James flipped the phone shut and sighed. "Fuck!" he swore under his breath.
It was a few hours later, after he had his meeting with the important client, when he met up with Matt for a drink in one of their favorite bars in the city. They were sitting in their favorite spot at the back, sipping beer, when James brought up the subject.
"Herbert's after Mia and Andy."
Matt nearly choked on his drink. "Fuck me!" he said. "If he lays his hands on Andy, he's as good as dead." He shook his head in disbelief that such a bastard of a man was so persistent in getting his claws on his prey. "He's on his way here?"
James nodded.
"Guess the bastard doesn't realize the siblings are under our protection." He chuckled. "Fuck. He's in for a big surprise."
James nodded. "A damn big surprise."
"Come on," Matt said, sliding off his seat. "Time to go. Another damn dinner meeting. Shit, James, when the hell is this going to end? It's like this every time you're in town." He shook his head. "From now on, you're not welcome in Las Vegas," he teased. "Go back to L.A."
James chuckled. "Glad to. Once the shit's over."
"Aria must really miss you, huh?" Matt asked.
He gave a quick glance at his friend and nodded. "Yep. Though I couldn't get ahold of her today."
"There's always tomorrow," Matt said.
James didn't comment on that statement.
They were just at door, leaving, when James remembered he hadn't told Mia about the fact that he wouldn't be able to join her tonight, again. They were walking along the busy footpath as he dialed Mia's number.
Matt glanced over and shook his head. "Fuck, James. You act like the world is going to end if you can't hear her voice for a day."
"Shut up," James snapped, a little irritated the comment hit right on the mark. Fuck! He knew he shouldn't act like Mia meant so much to him, but hell, he couldn't help himself.
It was on the fourth ring now, and Mia still hadn't picked up the phone. Then it went to voicemail, and he cursed.
Matt gave a long, loud whistle and then laughed. "She's not your wife, James."
James gave Matt a dark frown. Dismissing his friend, he quickly sent Mia a text. Once done, he said, "I don't want her to wait on me. Fuck, quit jumping to conclusions."
Matt shrugged. "Sure," he said, secretly smiling.
Chapter 27
Mia
It was nearly five that evening by the time I finally said good-bye to Savanah. This had been the second time I'd had a proper coffee date with her, and I had to admit both times had been wonderful. Not only that, but being able to spend time with her along with Andy had helped ease my loneliness for the past four days while James had been so busy with his work.
During our seemingly very short teatime, we gossiped about men in general. Especially James and William, of course. It was fun, and we couldn't help but giggle like schoolgirls. By the sound of things, Savanah seemed smitten with William. Her eyes glowed and her cheeks blushed pink every time she mentioned his name. I wondered if I looked like her every time I thought or talked about James.
Then of course we chitchatted about random subjects such as fashion, beauty, movies, and of course books, which to my surprise were some of Savanah's favorite topics. I was glad she was an avid reader and loved books of all sorts, especially mystery and travelling. She'd said she'd love to travel around the world one day, as I did. We promised each other we'd be travelling buddies when the time came.
That reminder stopped me short as I made my way back to the car in the parking lot.
Travelling buddies, huh? I sighed.
That innocent, enthusiastic plan wasn't likely to happen, at least until five years later, when my contract with James expired. When I was no longer his mistress. When I'd be free.
My heart raced at the thought, and instantly, I felt both saddened and confused.
"I'll no longer be with James," I murmured under my breath, my eyes on the toes of my shoes.
I was so used to being with him already. So used to having him around, doting on me and kissing me. I was so used to sharing a bed with him, eating with him, and talking nonsense with him. It was like I'd known him so long, and I knew our relationship would only grow deeper within the next five years. Not to mention the fact that it had only been four days since I hadn't seen him properly, and already, I felt I'd been starved of him. I felt like my world had turned gray and dull, as if I were missing something very important. The blue sky, the Prussian blue I loved. The Prussian blue of James's eyes.
I was already lonely and slightly depressed, and hence, the thought that we'd part in the future only made my heart ache even more.
So many questions popped up in my head then. What would I do after the contract ended? What of James? Would he have fallen in love with me already? Would he want to let me go?
Instantly, I thought no. I didn't want him to let me go, regardless that our unconventional contract had expired. Yes, I was selfish, but--
"Miss Donovan."
Patrick's voice c
ame my way, which made me jump back to reality. I blinked, only just realizing I had actually reached the car without knowing.
I said in a fluster, "Patrick, you surprised me."
Patrick chuckled and said, "You look a little troubled there."
I gave him a bright smile, pretending nothing of the sort was happening to me. That I was totally and awesomely fine.
"I'm fine, thank you. No trouble at all." I confirmed.
Patrick nodded and opened the car door for me. "That's good, then. Here you go."
"Thanks," I said as I slipped inside.
I was just putting on my seatbelt when my cell phone beeped, telling me I had a message. I dug into my handbag and found the phone. Flipping it on, I saw I did indeed have a message from James.
My heart skipped a beat, wondering what he was texting me about. Oh God, I'd missed him. God, please let him tell me he'll be free tonight, that he'll be having dinner with me, that we'll spend the evening together and maybe...
I nervously clicked on the message and started reading. After I finished, my heart felt as if it had sunk to bottom of the ocean like a bombed submarine.
So he was busy again tonight. And wouldn't be back until well into the night.
Billionaires, huh? Weren't they always busy? Not to mention the fact that James was multibillionaire, and surely, he'd be even busier than most.
My heart felt crushed within my chest.
No. No. No. I snorted at my own stupidity. Of course James was a busy man. For him to able to join me for dinner every other night was a miracle indeed. I shouldn't be down just because I wasn't going to be with him for a while.
"Is everything all right, Miss Donovan?" Patrick asked, his eyes watching me with concern.
I raised my head to him and nodded, along with a smile. "Yes."
He didn't look convinced, but nodded nonetheless. "Back to the hotel, then?"
I was about to agree when I thought of something better. "Actually..." I began, smiling broadly now. "How about the supermarket?"
Patrick raised a brow. "The supermarket?"
I nodded. "I thought I'd make Andy and myself something nice to eat. I haven't cooked for a while now."