Chained to You Vol. 2: Trapped and Entwined (Dark Billionaires #2) Page 12
Out of the blue, he was right there beside me, embracing me. I took the opportunity to be close to him, inhaling his wonderful scent and burying my face against his massive chest. He felt warm and wonderful, and I wanted to stay there in his arms forever.
“What’s the matter?” he asked softly. I noted the concern in his voice, and I felt glad he was worried about me. So glad.
I chuckled a little, and with my face still half hidden against his chest, I said, “Nothing.”
James glanced at the door. Then, as if he understood what was going on and why I suddenly became like this, he returned his attention to me and stroked my head as if to comfort me.
“Let’s get some fresh air,” he said.
Some moments later, we were on the hospital rooftop nicely designed like a courtyard for patients and guests to enjoy the sun. There were pots of shrubs and flowerbeds and park-type chairs for people to sit in. The view overlooking Las Vegas was amazing, too. The air was cool and wonderful, brushing and dancing against us. It made me feel at ease.
Both of us standing there made me feel like I was on top of the world. Of course, I found myself in James’s arms once again, my face buried against his chest as I felt tears sting my eyes.
James seemed content to just stand there, allowing me to use him as a type of comfort to relieve my emotions.
Why was I feeling this way all of a sudden? Why were tears brewing in my eyes? It was because I was so relieved and happy for my brother. Finally, he had found someone who really cared for him and loved him. Someone who’d always be there for him come hell or high water. Someone who he loved in return, and surely, that was the best feeling in the world.
I raised my eyes to look up at James and felt my heart both full to the rim yet empty at the same time. I loved James, I knew that, but my love was unrequited. That was okay for me, for now at least. It was enough for me to be this close to him, to have him make love to me, to feel him against me and savor the small affection I received from him. Deep down, however, I knew I wanted more, and I wondered if I’d ever get to feel this wonderful thing called love like Andy was experiencing.
I smiled sadly at the thought as I raised myself up and stood on tip-toes. I pleadingly, joyfully offered my face to James. We were close, and I could feel the warmth of his breath fanning my skin. Slowly and eagerly, I searched for his kiss, for his love.
James seemed to understand my wanton desire and chuckled with amusement. Slowly, as though he were savoring the moment, as though he were prolonging the inevitable, he lowered his head toward me.
My lips found his, and I kissed him, slow and soft and gentle, pressing my flesh against his, inhaling his scent and licking his taste. Take me, I said internally. Love me, James. Please love me. I give you all my heart no matter that you’re a dark, ruthless billionaire who lives in such a nefarious and dangerous side of the world that everyone deludes themselves into believing doesn’t existed. A world where he killed without second thought. A world where his enemies surrounded him, where his life was in constant danger, and where his affection for me would also put my life in danger. I don’t care because… because… I love you. I love you… Please… love me back.
Chapter 21
Mystic Spring
Oh fuck! He was getting close. So damn close, and he was so fucking excited. Herbert Weston chuckled in excitement and anticipation as he stared at the one and only restaurant in the town of Mystic Spring.
He inhaled deeply as he tried to calm the thrill that was coursing through his veins. Fuck! He couldn’t wait to get a peek at Mia Donovan, his so-called niece. It had taken him two years to track her this far. That was a fucking long time, which of course involved a lot of his effort and time in the process on his part. Not to mention it had broken his marriage as well.
Oh what the fuck! That marriage had already been broken the moment he had proposed to the damn woman who he had never loved anyway.
Herbert had been obsessed the moment he’d first met with Mia Donovan all those years ago, when the girl had been a mere twelve-year-old, after her parents’ accident. When he and his ex-wife had first become her and her brother’s guardians. Why? Because she looked and acted just like her mother, Rose, the woman he’d never stopped loving. Yes, Rose was his first love and would always be his only love. It was unfortunate she was already engaged to Michael Donovan by the time he’d met with her. She had already been snatched away before he even had the chance.
But not ever again. He was in love with Mia Donovan now, and he wasn’t going to lose her like he did Rose.
His thoughts drifted to the girl’s glossy dark hair and pale skin. Instantly, he was turned on, and his cock hardened in eagerness.
“Fuck!” he muttered under his breath. “Just a little longer, Mia. Uncle will find you and make you mine.”
He had waited for so long, hadn’t he? He had touched her, caressed her, and stroked her beautiful, soft young skin. Yet, he could never go any further than that. He had wanted to wait until she was ripe for the picking. He had waited until she was eighteen, and only then, he had promised himself, only then will he fuck her.
But he had been too late. The little slut had run off from home with her brother, Andy, when she turned sixteen. Of course, his ex-wife had known and couldn’t even bother to stop them, the stupid bitch. She had known he’d loved Mia and did things to her, but she refused to utter a word, which was a blessing for him.
He closed his eyes and tried to calm down.
A few moments later, he got out of the car and headed into the restaurant. His mission was to find Mia’s address, and then…
Oh sweet Jesus, he was going to have the time of his life fucking her to his heart’s content. Shit! He hoped she was still a virgin. Then he’d be the first to enter her sweet pussy. He chuckled at the thought as he made his way through the door, his feet light and a big smile plastered on his face.
Part 4: Entwined
Chapter 22
Mia
It was nearly noon by the time I woke up. James had left for work once he’d had his way with me very early this morning. I, on the other hand, was too exhausted from his deep, enthusiastic thrusting to get up for the day. After James had tenderly given me a departing kiss, I eagerly returned to sleep, falling into a deep slumber in an instant.
Now fully awake, I felt cold and empty without the billionaire beside me. It was as if there were something missing in my life. Of course, there was also the fact that I had wanted to talk to him last night. If not before that overwhelming wonderful sex session we’d had, then after. But then again, I had no time before he’d started his seduction, or after for that matter, as by then, I’d been exhausted. The passion between us had really exerted my strength, and I’d fallen asleep as soon as James cradled me in his arms and my eyes were closed.
I sighed. If I wanted to get James to emotionally connect with me, I had to get to know him better by talking to him more instead of indulging our time together simply being physical. I wasn’t going to win over his heart any time soon by doing that. Sex was simply a form of physical pleasure. Nothing more. Love, however, was a different story. There was emotional connection involved, and spending most of what little time I had with him wasn’t going to help.
Tonight, I thought determinedly, I’d talk to him, including the subject I dreaded most, which was returning to Mystic Spring after leaving Las Vegas.
I flipped the duvet away, intending to get myself ready for what was left of the day. The moment I did so, however, I saw my own naked body. There were new bruises on my skin, one on my right breast and one on my belly. I glanced lower and my gaze lingered on my left thigh, where there were fresh teeth marks from early this morning. Afterward, of course, James had seductively licked me as if he were some sort of wildcat to soothe my pain and heal my new wound.
I shuddered at the thought. When he bit and then licked me, my core twisted in a frenzy of heat and my nectar excitedly flowed into his awaiting mouth.
With a smile on my lips, I got out of bed and headed into the bathroom to get ready. About twenty minutes later, I was dressed in a pretty white blouse and short skirt. My face was made up neutrally with a hint of dark mascara and pink lip-gloss, my hair in a loose bun atop my head.
After having breakfast, I headed to the foyer. With Patrick once again my chauffer, I headed over to the hospital.
After a half-hour drive, we arrived.
As soon as I’d taken my seat beside his bed, Andy declared, “I’m going to be discharged in two days.”
I smiled, pleased at the news. “That’s good,” I said. “And how are you this morning?” I noted he looked better today. He had more color to his skin, and the bruises on his handsome face were fast disappearing.
My brother shrugged as if the pain didn’t bother him as much as before. “Better than yesterday,” he said matter-of-fact. “I can’t wait to get out of here. This place is boring me stiff.”
I chuckled. I could understand that. Andy was a very active young man. Being cooped up in bed just wasn’t his thing.
Suddenly, my thoughts went to yesterday’s scenario.
I hadn’t stayed long, just barely half an hour. How could I after what I’d witnessed? Matt confessing his love to my brother and kissing him passionately, the way James kissed me, with that uninhibited hunger that could never be satisfied. Furthermore, Matt orbited around Andy, his eyes sharp like a mother hen, concerned about almost every groaning pain that escaped his mouth.
I wanted to ask Andy about his relationship with Matt. I wanted to hear it from him that they were serious, that they were… gay. I wanted to know Andy was okay with being that way, with having that type of sexual relationship.
Of course it was okay with me. I supported him in every type of relationship he wanted… desired. I’d never judged him, or anybody for that matter, for who they were or what they wanted or chose to be. This included individual sexual interests and orientation.
“Andy?” I started slowly, gazing at him. “Umm…”
Andy looked at me, eyes questioning. “What?”
I licked my lips nervously. Gosh! This was harder than I thought. I took a deep breath and tried again. “Are you…?” I licked my lips again. “Are you and Matt… in a relationship?”
Andy frowned and stiffened. “What? You…”
I shook my head in the negative, afraid he thought I was judging him, that I despised him for being that way.
“No, Andy,” I said quickly, shaking my head furiously. “I’m not against it. I’ll support you in every relationship.”
Andy watched me for a moment, and then he seemed to relax. He cast his eyes downward and smiled slightly. “I thought you’d…”
I shook my head again. “You’re my brother, Andy,” I said. “There’s no way I’d do anything to upset you.”
He gritted his teeth, and as if he couldn’t help himself, he grabbed me into his arms and hugged me tight. “This relationship between me and Matt,” he said into my hair, his voice hoarse, emotional. “It’s complicated.”
I nodded because I knew what he said was true. It was complicated, and it would take time for them to work it out. They were two very different people, after all, with very different personalities and completely different upbringings. Andy had been an orphan who’d lived in a shitty, poor neighborhood with an aunt who’d never loved him and an uncle who’d abused and sexually molested him. As for Matt, well, one could only surmise he was born on a silver platter, with his every need and desire fulfilled to perfection by those below him.
Come to think of it, James and I were kind of in the same boat as Andy and Matt. James and I had completely different personalities and polar opposite upbringings. To further our unconventional relationship into one of love would be very difficult, tempered with misunderstandings and miscommunication. Those troubled thoughts, of course, depressed me.
When I finally moved back from Andy’s embrace, I gazed at him. Yes, I thought, Andy and I would always be cautious people. Though he would be more so than me because of what he’d been through.
“You know, Andy, I don’t like Matt very much. He’s an overbearing man.”
Andy chuckled at my declaration. He seemed to agree with me. “He is, isn’t he?”
I noted the softness of his eyes and the slight smile on his lips, however. This told me he either found Matt’s personality amusing or he didn’t mind.
Sometime later, while Andy and I were chatting about Matt, or more like gossiping behind the man’s back, telling one another what we thought about him and bringing up his many bad points, my cell rang. I noted that it was Savanah.
“I have to get this,” I said, picking up the phone.
“Sure. Take your time,” he replied, relaxing back in his bed and picking up a magazine.
I swiped the phone on and answered, “Hey, Savanah.”
“Mia?” came her voice on the other end of the line. “Are you free? Can we catch up this afternoon?”
I nodded as I said, “Yeah. I’m free. Where do you want to meet up?”
“What about the café in the mall?”
“That sounds good. I’ll see you in forty-five minutes, then?”
“Yes, please,” Savanah said.
A moment later, we hung up. After putting the phone back into my satchel, I turned to Andy and announced, “I have a coffee date.”
He raised a brow. “Not with Mr. Maxwell, I’m sure.”
I smiled, curious. “How do you know?”
“Because you wouldn’t speak like that to him,” he said. “You’re talking to a girlfriend.”
I grinned. “Oh, my baby brother is so perceptive.”
Andy eyed me with interest. “You’ve made a friend?”
I nodded my head, a big grin playing about my lips. “Her name is Savanah White. She’s very pretty and nice.” Then I thought, And she’s stuck in a pickle just like me. A pet to a billionaire.
Oh God! I prayed William was kind to her. I surely hoped. If not, I’d give that man a piece of my mind.
Andy smiled. “Good for you. I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever make any friends at all.”
I folded my arms across my chest and harrumphed in indignation. “How rude. Speak for yourself.”
The moment I spoke those words, I cursed myself silently. It hadn’t been that long since those so-called friends of his had fucked him up with that two million-dollar loan? I knew it had hurt and upset him greatly, and for me to have brought it up so sarcastically like that, it was uncalled for.
Andy tried not to show just how upset he was. He put the magazine on the bedside table and moved over to sleep, turning his back to me.
I sighed, my heart retching at my own stupidity. “Andy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
He shook his head. “It’s okay, Mia. It’s true. Everything was my fault. I was stupid and gullible because I wanted to make money, because I wanted to make things better for us. I was blind…”
I took in a shaky breath. Yes, he’d scarified so much, hadn’t he? He’d gone through so much just trying to better our lives. But it had backfired. Life was so unfair.
“I even got you involved,” he added. “Some brother I am.”
I sat on the side of the bed, pulled him into my arms, and hugged him tight. “It’s okay, Andy. It’s okay.”
He turned to me then, and I noted the anger within his eyes. “But I’m not okay with it, Mia.” His voice was hard and hoarse with emotion. “I’m so fucking not okay with it. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have to be here. You wouldn’t have to suffer… You wouldn’t have to be in such a weird relationship with Mr. Maxwell.”
I frowned and said darkl
y, “Andy, you listen to me, young man. You’re my brother. We’ve been through thick and thin together. I love you. You know that, right? I would take a bullet for you, you understand?”
Andy’s body shook. He nodded as he gritted his teeth. “I love you, too, Mia. I’d take a bullet for you, too. I’d die for you. You mean so much to me… That’s why… That’s why it hurts me you have to go through shit just because of me.”
He tightened his arms about me as I buried my face against his chest.
“I know,” I said. “I know. I understand. Please, Andy, don’t blame yourself anymore. What’s done is done. We can’t change the past.”
He kissed my forehead. “Five years… It’s a long time. What if you start hating it? Being with Mr. Maxwell. Wouldn’t it be like when we were with that sick bastard?”
I blinked as tears brewed in my eyes. His words struck deep within my heart. That bastard Andy referred to was Uncle Herbert. The man who’d abused and molested us.
Andy was right. Five years was indeed a long time. What if I started hating being with James? What if I started hating him? Would it be very terrible? Like with Uncle Herbert?
I shook my head. No. No. No. I didn’t what to think about that. I didn’t want to think what would happen if I started hating James. What I should fear most was the fact that I’d start loving him too much, knowing my love for him was unrequited. That was by far more painful and dangerous, wasn’t it? Being so close to him yet feeling so far, having my love go unfulfilled.
I said slowly and carefully, my mind in a muddle, “I don’t think I’ll ever come to hate James, Andy.” I drew myself back and gave my brother a sad smile. “Rather,” I said, licking my lips. “Rather… it might be the opposite. I’m so afraid. What if I can’t take being with him because… What if I confess and he rejects me? What would happen to our contract then? And I don’t want anything to happen until the five years is up because… that means we’d have to find enough money to repay him, and…”