Chapter 17

Mia

Back in the days before I turned twelve, my life was beautiful. We weren’t well-off. In fact, my parents always worried about money, about how we were going to pay off that next bill, how we’d have enough to put food on the table. But it was a worry we shared, a combined effort to make ends meet, and we were happy.

My parents had been childhood sweethearts and were married straight after they’d graduated college. They had loved each other dearly, and they had cherished me and my brother Andy with all their hearts.

Yes, my life had been beautiful back then, before that fateful summer day when a truck drove into our car on Interstate 93 as we made our way back to Mystic Spring, when both my parents’ lives were abruptly snatched from this world.

I felt tears sting my eyes as I stared up at the ceiling, watching the shadows of the room playing about. My chest tightened with sorrow at the thought of my parents, at the thought of how unfair the world was.

“Mommy?” I remembered my eleven-year-old self asking my mother one spring day as we were sitting under the cherry tree at the back of our old home, having a picnic. “Will I get myself a nice husband who loves me like Daddy loves Mommy?”

She chuckled away merrily, as if she hadn’t a care in the world. She was beautiful, both inside and out, and I so wanted to be like her.

She patted my dark head, very much like hers, and then stroked my pale cheek, also very much like hers, and said, “Of course you will, my love. When you meet him, you’ll know. He will love and cherish you until the day you’re both gone from this earth.”

I had smiled with delight at the prospect, my eyes bright with anticipation.

“What’s it like? Being loved?” I asked. I couldn’t help myself, being so curious and all. I wanted to know all there was to know about love.

She chuckled again, perhaps amused at my enthusiasm, as she looked up to watch her beloved husband playing baseball with her young son Andy. Her eyes were bright, just like mine, when she said, “It’s a beautiful feeling, Mia. It’s like the sun is always shining even when it rains.” Then she turned to me, and I saw in her eyes what she meant. “You’ll know the feeling when you meet him. It’s the most glorious feeling you could ever imagine.”

I had smiled then. I couldn’t wait until that time came for me when I’d meet someone who’d make me as happy as Dad had made Mom.

Dad and Andy returned from their game, and Dad went straight to his wife. He caught her slender form into his arms and kissed her passionately. I giggled with delight, and Andy rolled his eyes as if to say, There they go again.

“Get a room, you two,” he muttered.

As I watched them kiss, I wondered what it must have felt like. Was it really like the sun was always shining? Was it really that feeling of gloriousness all the time even if life dealt you a big blow?

I shut my eyes for a moment and then took a deep breath. Then I turned my head to the right and gazed at the man beside me, at the billionaire with whom I’d signed a contract.

James Christopher Maxwell was my lover, my master.

I observed him long and hard, remembering our kisses and sex. I wouldn’t describe our arrangement as anything sunny or glorious. Rather, what I’d gone through with him thus far was a mixture of rain and a lot of storms and lightning.

Yes, there was definitely a lot of the lightning bits for sure. Perhaps, I wondered, the sunny and glorious feelings only happened when there was love involved?

I doubted those wonderful feelings would ever happen between James and me. In five years’ time, it’d be over between us. In five years’ time, he’d forget all about me and carry on living his very successful life. I, on the other hand, would return to Mystic Spring, and who knew what’d happen after that?

I sighed and turned on my side, away from the handsome man comfortable in his sleep. I couldn’t understand why he didn’t bother to go back to his own room after he’d had his way with me, ravishing me to his heart’s content.

I was very unaccustomed to sharing a bed with anyone. It was quite hard to keep to one side and not roll into the middle where I’d bump into him, that solid rock of a warm body that only made me want to snuggle against and hug him.

I sighed again and then shut my eyes, forcing myself to go back to sleep. Instantly, I felt a large strong hand wrap around my arm, followed by a forceful tug. I was involuntarily rolled over and landed on top of the billionaire. My face rested against the nape of his neck while my naked body was intimately wrapped over him. He was totally naked as well, and I could feel his whole length against me.

I blinked, wondering if the man was still asleep. Perhaps he happened to pull me, thinking I was a pillow? I wouldn’t be surprised since I was quite small compared to this man who was over six feet tall. I doubt I weighed much in his arms.

I moved slowly, so as not to wake him, and glanced up to get a peek at him. My soul nearly jumped out of my skin the moment I saw him watching me.

“Why do you keep moving away from me?” he asked.

I licked my lips. There was no point in lying. “I’m not used to sharing a bed,” I replied low, my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

He tightened his grasp on me, his palm branding my skin at the small of my back. “That’s too bad. Get used to it, sweetheart,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Huh?” I watched as he closed his eyes once again, indicating I should do the same and just sleep.

Good Lord, how could I possibly sleep in this odd position? I’d be suffocated, for God’s sake. He was squeezing me against him with his ironlike grip. At least I wasn’t under him; otherwise, I wouldn’t think I’d survive the night.

Tired as I was, I followed his instruction and shut my eyes. Then I drifted off into a slumber in the billionaire’s arms.

In the depth of my sleep, I dreamed of myself floating in a ray of sunshine. It was warm and lovely, and it reminded me of my late mother’s words of love and kisses. Petals of cherry blossom rained all around me, and a field of wildflowers stretched beyond the endless horizon before me. It was a beautiful place, and I was in paradise. I felt so relaxed and so wonderful. I wanted to be here like this forever. Nothing to worry about. No one to bother me.

Then it came. A jolt of electricity coursed through my being. I gasped at the same time a lightning strike split the bright-blue sky. My body buzzed with thrilling heat, and then I groaned and gasped as another lightning strike hit. This time it was stronger, and I wanted to scream with both delight and fright.

In the distance, I saw a storm coming toward me fast, spreading far and wide. Suddenly, it enveloped me in its embrace, hugging me tight within its darkness. Then came another lightning strike.

I screamed, my voice echoing within the captivating capsule of my dream. Suddenly, I came fully awake. I blinked as my body shook in ardor. My heart raced and my inside burned with need. I felt a hot, wet tongue licking my nipple, a mouth hungrily sucking my breast.

I bit my lip, trying not to groan out in beautiful agony as my body was lovingly tortured. I glanced down and saw James before me, busy devouring my body with hunger.

“James,” I whispered.

He lifted his head then, his eyes on me.