Chained to You, Vol. 3-4

by Alexia Praks

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath. It was a good thing, he thought, that Mia had come into his life. He'd protect her. He'd provide for her. He'd make sure nothing like the past would ever happen to her again.

  A knock came at the door, and James opened his eyes to Matt coming in.

  "What's up?" Matt asked, cocking his head to one side. "You look pissed off."

  James couldn't deny that. "Yeah. I'm very pissed off," he said.

  "Something to do with Mia?" Matt asked as he took a seat on the couch.

  James got off his chair and went to sit on the couch opposite his friend.

  "Hmm," he responded. "The uncle has disappeared."

  "Not surprised," Matt said. "Fuck-head like him don't stay in one place."

  James nodded. "My men did some digging," he said. "He needs to be put away for good."

  Matt nodded. "I know he really fuck Andy up." He scowled and his eyes were dark when he said, "Andy never told me how old he was when he was first raped. I'm not going to push him, but I think it's important for him to trust me and tell me about his past."

  James raised a brow. "I'm not surprised if he have truth issue."

  Matt leaned forward and raked his large hand over his hair. "Fuck, I'm tired." He chuckled, though there were both sadness and irritation within the tone.

  The two men were quiet as they sat there, thinking about the siblings who came into their lives and slowly changing them.

  Matt said, his voice weak and low, "I love him, James. It hurts when he's like this. It nearly killed me when I saw him in that basement..."

  James knew his friend was referring to his love for Andy, and of course, the scene they had witnessed when they had finally managed to saved Andy.

  "I thought I was going to lose him..." Matt continued. "I never thought... I never thought I'd come to love anybody like that... Not in the least bit that rascal ten years my junior."

  James came over and slapped his hand on Matt's shoulder. "Show him," he said. "I'm not one to give advice on this sort of things considering my previous relationship. You don't need to listen to what I have to say but talking to him is probably the best method. Show him how much he means to you."

  Matt stared up at James and chuckled. "Wow. Where the shit did all that come from, James? It's not like you to give me advice on relationship."

  James shrugged. "It's usually Mark, isn't it? He's the oldest and more in tune with that department out of all of us," he said. "Why don't you give him a call?"

  "Yeah, the oldest by a mere few months," Matt said. "But you're right. I'll give him a call later."

  Matt left a few minutes later, and James had no doubt his friend would be with Andy again tonight.

  Love, huh? Relationship. He had experienced it once with Whitney. But was that really love? Had their relationship ever been serious? Had Whitney ever loved him? Fuck no. He knew that for certain. The woman had never loved him.

  He dismissed the thought of love and Whitney from his mind and headed back to his desk. He was intending to do a bit more work when he noticed the time. It was nearly six. He smiled and the image of Mia in sexy lingerie came into his mind.

  Love, he thought. Mia Donovan. Could he love her? Could he give his heart to her? Would she cherish it?

  He didn't have any doubt that she would, just like the way she cherished her love for Andy as her siblings. His heart warmed, and James smiled.

  "Fuck," he swore under his breath, chuckling. Oh shit, his chest felt full and light at the same time.

  He shut the laptop and headed out the door, a smile still lingering on his lips. Along the corridor, James felt as though he was walking on air.

  Chapter 15

  Mia

  The soapy, warm water soothed me, and I laid there in the huge marble bathtub, staring up at the chandelier, trying not to think about anything. Not especially about that lingerie I was supposed to wear tonight. I couldn't possibly disobey James again, could I? Since I had already done so yesterday, and he had noticed and specifically told me that I must this time.

  I groaned under my breath.

  I procrastinated for another half an hour by pretending to be busy in the bathtub, cleaning myself. At six o'clock, I knew I really had to get out and get ready before I got too nervous. Besides, James might return soon and he'd need the bathroom.

  I sighed and reluctantly got out. After having a quick rinse in the shower, I dapped myself dry with a big, fluffy white towel and then wrapped myself in a robe. I headed over to the basin area and started blow drying my hair and doing my makeup.

  Some fifteen minutes later, with my hair dry, the long length resting all the way down to my waist, and my makeup done neutrally, I stood there at the foot of the bed, glaring at the lingerie as if I was about to start an all-out battle with my enemy.

  It was going to be fine, I told myself. I'd get used to it, that see-through flimsy material.

  Determinedly, I snapped the panty up and slid it through my legs. Once it was on, I thought that it didn't feel too bad. Of course, I refused to see what I look like in the mirror.

  I took off the robe and then put the bra on, too. The material was soft and silky, completely different from my usual cheap underwear which was made out of cotton.

  Still refusing to look at myself, I grabbed for the blue cocktail dress. I was just unzipping the back when a manly voice said, "Hello."

  I jumped on my spot and hastily twisted around. Standing there at the bedroom door was James, looking as amazingly handsome as ever.

  I felt my throat go dry all of a sudden, and I unconsciously licked my lips. My body reacted at the mere sight of him, quietly squirming away in a sort of delicious sensation.

  "Hi," I said, having thought of nothing else to say.

  He smiled, and I noted that his eyes were twinkling. "Is that the dress you're going to wear for tonight?"

  I nodded. I didn't missed the spark in his eyes nor the way he was looking at me, either. That dark, sensual gaze that told me he was delighted to see me and approved of what I had on me.

  So he liked the lingerie on me?

  The thought made me deliriously happy, and my heart glowed with delight. I must not look too bad with the garment on then, and now I was eager to see myself in the mirror. Did I look as sexy as those hot models who wore Victoria Secret lingerie on the runway? I doubt it because I wasn't tall nor was I beautiful. But still, if it pleased James, my look must be above average for sure.

  James stepped to stand within an inch in front of me and took the dress from my hands, which surprised me.

  "Let me help you with that," he said softly.

  I obliged because, really, I couldn't do anything else. My whole body was weak at the nearness of him. He smelt good, too. He smelt just so James Maxwell, and I sighed in content, basking in his presence, savoring his nearness; his warmth, his smell, the sight of him, and of course, his touches.

  James kneeled on the floor and urged me to step into the dress. God, I felt like a helpless little girl who was now being aid into her clothes by her guardian. Though I must admit the feeling wasn't bad, and I sort of liked it; being pampered by a billionaire.

  I obeyed, and James slowly and seductively glided the material up my legs, his hands were lightly brushing against my skin as he did so. I held my breath because his action, slow and gently as it were, were sensually erotic which made my core dance with excitement.

  Once he made me slip my arms through the sleeves, he adjusted the dress about me. Then he said, "Turn around," of which I did. As he zipped up the dress around my back, he had his nose buried in my hair about the nape of my neck.

  "Hmm..." He chuckled. "You smell good."

  He kissed me there, and I groaned, my tummy fluttering deliciously. Then he moved back and said, "I won't be long."

  I turned and watched him disappearing into the bathroom, my heart racing. Unexpectedly, I was really looking forward to after dinner when we'd return, when he'd make love to me like he had promised. My cor
e burned in anticipation and excitement. Would he make me cry whilst he fuck me again? I wondered.

  Oh my God! I had just realized I had used the word 'fuck' without thinking. What have become of me? My vocabulary had changed, hadn't it? Was it because I was with James and got influence by him.

  I secretly smiled. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing, after all. Using that particular word during our wild sex session had been a definite turned-on for sure.

  At exactly seven o'clock, James--dressed in another sleek three piece suit that made him looked like a powerful, ruthless billionaire on top of the world, which he was--escorted me down the main entrance of the hotel and into a flashy silver Jaguar sports car. It was breathtakingly sexy was the word that I came up with to describe the vehicle. And of course, I gave up trying to figure out how many cars James owned. Every time when we go out, it'd be a different one. I also didn't missed the fact that every single person was staring at the car and James either, with me tagging along with him like a lost little duckling. I felt more than a little self-conscious at all the attention. I still wasn't used to this since I had always been the one in the background, the invisible Mia Donovan where no one new existed, and I liked it that way. Becoming well known and being the center of attention wasn't something I aspired to have.

  Some twenty minutes later, we arrived at another fancy hotel, and after the car was taken away to be parked safely by the valet, James took my hand and led me in.

  This hotel wasn't much different from the one that James and Matt owned. There was a large, grand foyer with reception, high chandelier, wall and columns made of marbles, and the furnishing was of the finest quality. It was busy, with peopled everywhere.

  I couldn't help but take everything in. Needless to say, I was enjoying myself by taking in the sight of the scenery and the scent that was around me.

  James was leading me up the grand stairs to the first floor where I assume the restaurant was when I thought I saw someone familiar. More specially, a girl I had just bumped into this afternoon, Savanah White. I wanted to make sure, and so I searched amongst the countless people amongst us. And then there she was, dressed in a pale peach cocktail dress and her long hair down, she was a pretty little thing.

  I wanted to get her attention, and did my best trying to make eye contact with her. Still, she didn't see me. She looked lost, I thought, even though she was being escorted by a blonde, tall male of lean built in an expensively tailored suit. Oddly enough, I thought this man looked familiar to me, too. Where had I seen him? I was pretty sure I've seen him before. But at the moment, I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

  A moment later, I was a little annoyed when both Savanah and her escort disappeared from my sight. It must have showed on my face because James chuckled, drawing my attention to him.

  I blushed and said, "What?"

  "Trying to find a friend?" he asked.

  I nodded. "I thought I saw someone I knew."

  "Oh?" There was a tease within his voice I didn't missed.

  "Well," I corrected. "A girl I've met this afternoon. She was awfully nice. I thought..."

  "That you might become friends?" he finished off for me.

  My blush deepened. "Am I not allowed to do that?" I retorted. If he really did mean I wasn't allowed to have friends, I'd be so pissed. After all, my personal life and the friends I made had nothing to do with our unconventional relationship nor did it had anything to do with our contract, right?

  "I didn't say that," he said. "In fact, I encourage it."

  My eyes brightened immediately at his statement. "Really?" I asked, pleased.

  Jesus, why was I behaving like this? It wasn't like he owned me and that he had complete control over me, after all. It was a free country, and I had my rights to make friends as I pleased.

  "Having friends is a good thing," he said. "Did you have any back in Mystic Spring?"

  Sadly enough I shook my head. I had always been a loner back during my high school year, and then after that, I started work at the restaurant immediately. The colleague at work weren't friends, and of course I had no life outside of work. Nor friends for that matter. The only person I had ever had to console with about my dilemma and the sort or had any fun hanging around with was Andy. So technically, he was both my brother and my best friend.

  "Only Andy," I said.

  "I see," was his response.

  We were entering the restaurant now, and I simply stared wide eyes at the sight before me. Wow! Just wow! It was indeed a grand hall, three stories high with massive chandeliers. The main hall was wide open and jammed-pack with clients. Around the left, right, and toward the back were two floors more of seats also jammed-pack with customers. They must be very famous here, I thought in awe. And the food must be very good. My stomach eagerly agreed with that by making a tiny sound as if to tell me it was ready for action.

  A maitre d' greeted us a good evening, and without even James uttering a word, the man said, "Ah, Mr. Maxwell, welcome sir. I have your table ready for you."

  James must be a regular here, I thought, for the maitre d' to recognize him so. Then of course, it was the man's job, too, to know who his customers were. After all, James was no doubt famous where billionaire elites were concerned.

  The maitre d' snapped his fingers for one of the waiter's attention, and a brief moment later, we were taken up the stairs onto the first floor landing of the restaurant.

  I took my seat the waiter slid out for me, and James sat opposite me. After James had ordered an expensive bottle of wine and I had taken a couple of sip, I scanned over the menu. Everything sounded so appetizing and my mouth started watering. James must have seen the spark in my eyes because he chuckled.

  "Have whatever you want and as much as you want," he said. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he continued, "You'll need the strength for tonight."

  My face flushed red at the unwelcome suggestion. I lowered my eyes and nibbled on my lower lip, my heart racing. Honestly, I thought annoyingly at myself, I had been with James for a while now and I should be used to his presence. My heart shouldn't race every time he made such sensual suggestive statement.

  I frowned as I now glared at the menu, trying to concentrate, trying to calm my racing heart and eliminate the blush that was lingering on my face.

  Warm hand touched my cheek, and I jolted at the unexpected contact. I flicked my gaze to see James smiling at me.

  "Something bothering you?" he asked. "You're frowning."

  I snapped back, "I'm frowning because you're saying things you shouldn't be saying in public."

  He cocked his head to one side as he retrieve back his hand. "Why are you shy all of a sudden?"

  "I'm not shy," I muttered, which was a lie.

  "You blushing is adorable," he said.

  My heart skipped a beat. Why did he say that? Did he know that he was making it worst? That the nicer he was to me, the more I'd drown into his dark embrace? Or was that his way of showing his affection toward his mistress? His pet? His toy? Which was me.

  He changed the subject. "What would you like to have?"

  "Lobster," I said eagerly. "It sounds so good." I exaggerated the 'so' by extending the 'o' to tell him I really wanted to have that one for dinner.

  He raised a brow. "What else is so good?" he asked.

  I replied immediately, "Hmm... the steak sounds good, too."

  He laughed. "You're still innocent, aren't you?"

  I was confused. "What do you mean?"

  He shook his head. "Never mind," he said. "Let's order."

  I nodded my head.

  Chapter 16

  Mia

  The lobster was amazing. The meat was succulent, juicy and sweet, along with the white sauce and roasted vegetable that accompanied it. Of course the entre of an array of seafood such as prawn, oyster, and mussel were delicious as well. James, not surprisingly enough, had the steak for his mains. He seemed to like it, which was great. It made dinner even better when your companion wa
s in a good mood and enjoying his meal.

  As usual, James finished his food before I did, and he sat there watching me. I was used to that by now, used to him savoring every action I made when I ate my meal. I wondered if that was common for a man to watch his companion eat. Then of course, because I was a curious beings, I couldn't help myself and decided to ask.

  "So," I said, putting my knife and fork down. "I was just wondering... do you enjoy watching me eat?"

  That brought a smile on his lips. Gosh! The man was truly handsome when he smiled. There was that something about him, that dark radiant that drew you in like a magnet, and that you had no willpower of your own to escape.

  As always, he was blunt. "Yes I do," he said. "I enjoy watching you eat. You love food. You appreciate food, and I like that. You're adorable when you eat."

  Adorable? Again? He had used the word adorable on me twice already within a few hours. Should I be basking in delight that he had used that particular endearing word to describe me? I had thought the word adorable was only used in relation to cute, little beings and things such as babies, kittens, and puppies.

  I touched my hand to my face and wondered contritely if James thought I was like puppies and kittens. Pets! I was his pet, wasn't I? That was why he kept referring to me as adorable.

  "What's the matter?" he asked.

  I shook my head. "Nothing," I said, my voice a little broken. "I need to use the restroom."

  "Sure," he said.

  I hastily got up from my seat, said, "I won't be long," and then rushed away.

  In the restroom, I was pleased that there wasn't anyone around and went to wash my hands. Hesitantly, I glanced up to look at myself through the mirror.

  Gosh, but my face was more than a little red.

  "Adorable," I murmured under my breath. "I'm adorable."

  I dried my hands with some paper towel and sighed. I didn't know if I wanted James to refer to me as adorable or not. Pet! I was his pet.

  "Hi," a soft voice said, interrupting my thoughts.

  I turned to see Savanah smiling at me, her green eyes large and bright.

  "Hey," I said, pleased all of sudden. "Oh my Gosh, I thought I saw you before and I wasn't wrong. What are you doing here?"

  Savanah blushed. "I'm out having dinner with..." She tucked her hair behind her ear.