Chapter 15

Mia

“Where are we going?” I felt the need to ask again as I stared at his large hand wrapped firmly around mine.

I had no idea why I found this man’s hands so fascinating, why I suddenly felt this overwhelming need to be touched and caressed by them. Why my inside suddenly burned with desire so deep I felt weak. Only moments before, I was scared and my body became rigid when he kissed me, but now? Because of James’ gentle and warm touches?

I blamed my body.

“Shopping,” he responded.

“Now?” I couldn’t help myself.

It wasn’t the fact that I didn’t like shopping. Heck, I’d like to shop until I dropped. There were heaps of clothing I’d like to try on and buy. But shopping was usually done with girlfriends, which I didn’t have, and doing this sort of fun stuff with James just didn’t seem right. There was also the fact that I didn’t have any money.

I pulled my wrist free from his clutch and stood there in the middle of the living room, watching him. He turned his gaze to me and cocked his head to one side.

“You don’t want to go shopping?” he asked.

I licked my lips. “I… Not really,” I said. “I’d rather stay here and…” I gazed at him through my lashes.

I’ll admit I was a timid creature at times. It was my way to get people to understand me, to tell him what I wanted. It was a habit. I guess it was a way of saying, Please be nice to me. It had worked effectively in the past, and I was sure it would work with James now.

At this moment, I wanted to stay here. I was tired, both mentally and physically, and more importantly, I didn’t want to spend any more time with him today because…

Heck, I wasn’t even sure my mind and body were working right whenever he was around. Yes, I was very tired. After all, I’d only arrived in Los Angeles after a six-hour flight across America from New Hampshire. Furthermore, those few hours by bus and the hike up that steep hill to get to Mr. Maxwell’s mansion. Not to mention the drama with Mr. Maxwell himself, as well as with that hunk William and his men. All I wanted to do now was lie in that very comfortable king-size bed and sleep the day away and not think about anything—not Andy, not the two million, and definitely not Mr. James Maxwell.

James raised his eyebrows. “You want to stay here?”

I slowly licked my lips again and nodded. “Yes, please.”

“What the fuck are you doing to me, woman!” he growled roughly.

I blinked at the horrid statement and widened my eyes in shock. “Excuse me?” I uttered, confused.

Oh no, my coy tactic didn’t work with James, and I panicked, searching my brain for another way to appease him. He sounded pissed, and I certainly didn’t want that between us, especially now that our weird relationship had just started.

Within a flash, he caught my wrist, pulled me to him, and then scooped me into his powerful arms.

I was both bewildered and shocked.

“James!” I shrieked. “What are you doing?”

He was heading upstairs now, taking two steps at a time, with me in his arms. “For God’s sake, woman, make up your mind. Your idea of consent is fucking confusing.”

I blinked again. Consent? What did he mean by that? Suddenly, it dawned on me when I saw him heading toward his bedroom.

I panicked. “James! Please put me down. I think you misunderstood me.”

He stepped across the threshold of the great bedroom and banged the door shut with his foot. He gently dropped me onto the king-size bed and then stood back.

He looked frustrated and angry, and I didn’t know what to do. Heck, I didn’t even know what I’d done to make him so pissed in the first place. All I wanted before we seriously began our relationship was to have a day to rest. Was my method ineffective? It was meant to come across sweet and pleasant when I wanted something.

I stared up at him with large eyes, blushing profusely as I continued to search my brain for words.

“Shit!” he snapped as he raked his fingers through his hair, his eyes dark on me.

“James? What’s wrong?” I asked, my heart racing. I hated when men got angry. When men got mad, they did horrendous things. The only male I knew who never did was my brother Andy. He just kept quiet and stayed in his room.

The moment I saw the dangerous look in James Maxwell’s eyes, my stomach knotted.

Is he like Uncle Herbert? I wondered fearfully. Would he too whip me when he was upset? The thought didn’t sit well with me, and I eyed the door in dread, searching for a way of escape.

Suddenly, he swore again. “Fuck!”

I jolted.

James came to kneel on the floor in front of me and began unbuttoning my shirt.

“James?” My voice shook as I watched his hands working on my clothes. He was so close. “James?” I squeaked again.

“Mia, look at me,” he demanded.

I hesitantly shifted my gaze to his face. The hot frustration and anger I’d seen earlier were gone. Now there was only the twinkling in the Prussian blue.

“I don’t want to see you looking at me like that again,” he said coldly.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, confused and distracted at the same time. He was peeling the material of my shirt away from my skin. I panicked even more, and my hands flew there, clutching the material against my chest.

“Just now, the way you looked at me and then at the door. Fuck, Mia. I don’t want to see you like that again, understood? It’s fucking sick. I’m not going to hurt you.”

He must have seen the fear on my face. But how could I stop myself from showing the fright when…

He moved one hand and cupped my face, his fingers entangled within my hair. “I’ll make sure you won’t ever wear that look again,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Are we going to make love now?” I asked. I had no idea how it came to this.

He chuckled. “Do you expect anything else? The way you were looking at me before… We’re only going to do the basic today, Mia,” he explained. “It will be a bit unpleasant for you since it’s your first time.”

The way I’d looked at him before? Then it hit me. I was gazing at him through my lashes and had done my best to be pleasant so he’d drop the idea of taking me shopping.

“Oh,” I murmured.

“Oh, what?” he asked.

“Huh? Oh, I mean, I know,” I said, referring to the sex part now. “I’ve heard.” I paused and then added, “That is, I thought we’d wait until…”

He laughed. “Mia, do you know how hard it is for me to be around you?”

I stared at him. Obviously, I didn’t and told him so with my confused expression. Of course, I was too focused on my own confusion and attraction toward him that I didn’t pay any attention to his attraction and frustration toward me.

He looked pissed that I was so naïve. He grabbed my wrist, which took me by surprise, and made me touch him there. My fingers pressed against his hot, hard bulge, and my body shook deliciously in reaction. I blushed in embarrassment and tried to move my hand away. He, however, wouldn’t let me. He made me spread my palm out, even with me resisting him, and cup him through his jeans. The evidence of him craving me grew more obvious as it got warmer and harder and larger.

“James,” I squeaked, my heart racing.

He chuckled, and by the time I managed to escape his hold, I realized he had my borrowed shirt down and I was sitting in front of him, totally naked from the waist up. He was working on my jeans next, and I couldn’t do anything except watch him. I felt as if I were in a dream, seeing everything but unable to do anything. My body felt so weak and warm and so obedient. It was submitting to his every command.

James pulled off my jeans and then my panties. I blinked as I suddenly realized I was totally and utterly bare as a newborn baby.

“You have a beautiful body, Mia,” he said softly as he gazed at me, taking in every little detail.

My tummy knotted the longer he gawked at me. When he finally lifted his eyes, my heart did a somersault.

Oh shit! I wanted to cry out. Those Prussian blues were on fire, and instantly my inside reacted by tightening.

I didn’t reply to his compliment, and I assumed he didn’t want any since, as soon as he finished that proclamation, he dipped his head and took my nipple into his hot mouth.

The moment I felt the intense sensation, I sucked in my breath. My body shook as he nibbled and then sucked the sensitive bud. He took his fine time torturing that one, playing with it in fascination. When he was done, he did the same to the other, sucking, nibbling, and licking the flesh. As he was doing that, his hand moved down and cupped me, his palm spreading wide, his fingers warm and hard against my pussy. He rubbed against me, back and forth, as his mouth continued to suckle my nipple.

I couldn’t help myself. My body and voice danced along in tune with his command. I groaned and whimpered. It just happened. I wanted to stay quiet, but I couldn’t. I had no control over my own body. It sang out in pleasure as he continued to seductively ravish me.

Then his finger went into me, and I cried out, “James! Ahh… I… James… Ngh…”

His finger thrust in, and I became mindless. I clung to him as I cried out more. Then suddenly he made me lie back, and my body weakly and obediently followed his demand. I knew I must have looked like a little slut waiting to be pleasured. My mind, however, was too far gone from logic to even think that, to know that. From my unrestrained, wanton position, I watched blankly but with fascination as James undid his belt and then his zipper.

When he pulled down his jeans and underpants, the beast sprang out, and I cried out, my voice weak. It was a long giant of a thing. He was right. My small hand could never wrap around that beast.

I sucked in my breath and felt myself stiffen. That was supposed to go into me. But how would it fit? I hadn’t a clue.

When I managed to tear away my gaze and lift my eyes to his face, I noted him smiling. He was so pleased with himself.

“Don’t worry, Mia. It’ll fit,” he said.

Shit! He knew what I was thinking. I was too busy feeling stupid to register he was on his knees once again and was pulling me toward him. By the time I realized this, he was lifting my hips, his large hands supporting the small of my back. Then he inserted the beast.

He was hot and hard and enormous, and I held my breath as he pushed in a little more and then more. I held on to the bedsheet as if my life depended on it. Suddenly, a hot, intense pain erupted within me, and I gasped.

“Fuck!” he burst out. “Mia. You’re so tight.”

I bit my lip as he started thrusting faster and harder, and my pain slowly disappeared. I relaxed as I grew used to him inside me. Then I couldn’t help myself and lifted my head, simply because I was curious. I swallowed hard when I saw him and me joining.

Oh my God! He wasn’t even in halfway yet.

“James,” I whispered, my voice shaking.

He was watching me and spread my legs out even farther to accommodate him. As he did, he slid into me deeper and then started thrusting in again. Slowly, I started feeling the pleasure take over my body and mind.

“James,” I groaned softly. “Oh God,” I murmured. “Ngh…”

I clung to the duvet as he continued to drive in and out, and then suddenly I came, just like that. My inside tightened and then shattered as my body spasmed and my vision went dark. It was a quick, exquisitely torturous spark.

I was breathing hard when I opened my eyes.

James’ face was in front of me, watching. “You’re not hurt, are you?” he asked.

I said breathlessly, “No, not really.”

He smiled. “Good,” he said and then leaned toward me and planted a gentle kiss on my forehead.

***

James

“I don’t like your fucking good mood, James,” Eric muttered in irritation. “And don’t even dare try stopping me from going to Japan.”

The three brothers were at Scott’s apartment, sitting around on the veranda outside, taking in the great view and the sun while they ate lunch.

Eric’s mention of his good mood put a smile on James’ face, and once again, he thought about Mia. Fuck, he couldn’t help himself. That sex had been great. It had only been their first time together, and he was hooked. He couldn’t wait to spend more time with her.

That sex was also Mia’s first time. He wondered if it lived up to her expectations. The thought it possibly didn’t caused his stomach to twist in dread a little. No, it was definitely great for her; no doubt about that. The look on her face when she came was complete satisfaction for him.

“Hello? Anybody home?” Scott chuckled, waving his hand in front of his brother.

James blinked and laughed. “My bad. Sorry.”

Eric got even more irritated at James’ lack of enthusiasm about his trip and more so at the fact the brother was against it. “Snap out of it, James. I said don’t even try to stop me—”

James cut him off. “Nobody can ever stop you when you put your mind to something,” he said, both with admiration and annoyance.

Eric laughed while Scott just stared at James.

“James?” Scott’s voice held a warning. His tone made it clear they had to stop Eric at all costs.

James took a sip of his beer and then rested his head back against the chair. He stared up at the bright-blue sky as he said, “So what’s your plan once you’re in Japan?”

“Find what’s her name and put a stop to the wedding,” Eric said confidently.

James laughed and turned his eyes to the youngest brother. “How the heck are you going to stop her?”

“You don’t even know what she looks like,” Scott said sourly. “Don’t be such a kid and just deal with it, Eric.”

“I’m not acting like a kid, Scott!” Eric snapped. “Like hell I’m going to accept a twenty-five-year-old child for a fucking stepmother. She’s practically my age.”

Scott and James looked at each other. They both knew Eric was very passionate about the subject, but shit, there was simply no way they could do anything about it. It was the old man’s business.

“And FYI,” Eric said, staring at Scott, “I do know what she looks like.”

Scott raised his brow with interest. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Eric said. “Now if you’ll excuse me, brothers, I have business to attend to.”

With that, their youngest brother took off, his expression dark.

Scott turned his attention to James and glared. “What the fuck, James? I thought you were going to stop him.”

James laughed. “You and I know there’s no stopping that smart-ass.”

Scott nodded. “He’s a Maxwell.”

James sighed. “Yep, he’s a Maxwell.”

“Shit,” Scott muttered under his breath. “Dad’s going to flip if his bride doesn’t turn up.”

James laughed. “Like you actually care.”

Scott shrugged. “I don’t. Fact is I hope Eric succeeds, but…”

“He will,” James said.