On the second floor, Aria stopped at a door and opened it. "You can use this shower. It's for guests," she said.
I peeked inside, and sure enough, saw it was a bathroom. A very large and flashy one. Marble floor. Marble basin bench. Multi-head shower. The stuff in a five-star hotel.
"Thanks, Aria," I said, feeling a bit overwhelmed. I was actually thinking I'd get a quick wash with the hose in the backyard. And Sammy beside me, who was suddenly very friendly to me, snuggling at my legs, would join me.
"That's okay," she replied. "You can come to my sitting room when you're done."
"Actually, I have a meeting with your grandfather," I said.
"Oh?" she cocked her head to one side. "Okay. But you can come to see me in my sitting room anyway. We can have dinner together. The housekeeper is making us spag--" She paused and tried again. "Spaghetti bolognese."
The word dinner and spaghetti bolognese caught my attention, and my eyes brightened immediately. I couldn't really turn down a meal offer, now could I? After all, Aria looked like she needed company.
"Okay," I said, walking into the bathroom. "See you later, then."
She nodded at me with a big grin. "Have a nice shower," she said. Then to Sammy, she encouraged, "Come on, boy."
* * * * *
CHAPTER 5
Mia
Once she was out of sight, I shut the door and busied myself finding a pair of clean jeans and T-shirt. Personal stuff fell out of the backpack in the process, including a packet of muesli bars I'd made myself two days ago back home in Mystic Spring, a small town no one knew existed in America.
On cue, the sound of my empty stomach churning reached my ears, and I hastily unwrapped the packet. I quickly munched one up as I stripped myself naked. I hadn't eaten since yesterday evening, my last meal, and it had been more than fifteen hours.
Still chewing, tasting the sweetness of cereal, dried fruits, and nuts in my mouth, I turned my attention to the shower. Twisting the handle to the right, a burst of cold water sprayed at me, making me jump. I turned it a little farther to the warm section. A few seconds later, it was at the right temperature, and I sighed in relief.
It felt so good, and the water temperature was just right. Sticky brown goo ran down my body, leaving my skin once again clean and milky white. I unbraided my long, black tresses and rinsed away the dirt. I wished I could shampoo my hair. As if God had finally for once answered my prayers, I happened to turn and see the bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. There was even a body sponge. My heart sang. Well, Ms. Lane did say she'd tell a maid to prepare the necessities for my shower.
"Thank you, Ms. Lane," I said softly. "Thank you, maid."
I quickly grabbed the shampoo and then thoroughly washed out my long hair. Once it was rinsed, I proceeded to condition it. Then I turned my attention to the body wash. A few minutes later, I was nearly done. But what the heck? I didn't want to get out. I just wanted to stay in there forever. I was just closing my eyes when a bark came at the closed door. I blinked. Odd, this one sounded a little different from Sammy's.
"Dogs," I murmured to myself. I wasn't a fan of them. Even since I was a child, I'd been afraid of them, regardless of the size. The encounter with Sammy previously hadn't been pleasant. Though the dog did warm up to me, and it kept nosing at my backpack.
The sound of barks grew more aggressive, followed by a low growl. I wondered if Aria was outside with the dog. Perhaps I should have stayed put, at least until the barking stopped, but I was stupid and I didn't. I quickly turned off the shower, grabbed a towel, and wrapped it around me. Then I tentatively headed to the door.
The barking stopped then, and relief swept through me. I'd always been a curious girl, and against my better judgement, I grabbed the knob and opened the door slightly.
That was when all hell broke loose. Loud barks blasted at me, followed by a whirlwind of a white fluffy body throwing itself at me. Freaked out, I staggered back, landing on my backside--hard--on the marble floor. I groaned and swore under my breath.
Pain fled my mind the moment I saw the dog heading my way, baring its sharp canines. It followed me until I was cornered between the basin and the toilet. Suddenly, it cocked its head to one side as it stared at me, its black eyes glistening against the light.
I was told if you want to make a dog your friend, let it smell you out by giving it your hand. Well, if I wanted to get out of this bizarre spot, I had better become friends with this little beast right now.
So with hand shaking, I reached out, letting it sniff at me. It watched me for a moment, and I thought it was going great. That was until it started barking again and growling at me, snapping its mouth at me as if it were about to bite off my hand.
I withdrew with lightning speed. Suddenly, it turned its attention to my backpack, sniffing at the thing with interest.
"What are you doing?" I asked the dog. It was a stupid thing, of course, since the canine wouldn't have been able to understand me.
I leaned over, more concerned it was interested in my bag. It turned and growled at me again. Then it dipped its head into the bag and stuff flew out--my panties, bras, T-shirts, shorts. You name it. Then it got what it wanted. My bars. My delicious muesli bars.
"Hey, give it back!" I demanded passionately. That was my only source of food for the next few days. When they ran out, I'd resort to spending a tiny portion of my three hundred dollars for buying burgers and chips to survive until I went home. The return flight to Mystic Spring was in five days. I hoped to get this two million dollars business sorted out by then.
The dog turned its attention to me, and knowing I'd fight it to the death for my belongings, it grabbed onto my backpack and sprinted out the door.
"Shit!" I swore under my breath and hastily got up. Clutching the towel against my chest so it wouldn't unwrap itself from me, I slipped out the door and raced after the little thing.
"Come back here!" I demanded. "Give it back to me!"
The little beast refused to heed my pathetic commands and sprinted even faster across the hall. It turned and then was out of my sight. I forced my legs to go faster, too, and turned before realizing it was climbing the stairs. I went after him, my anger flaring at the little canine who'd stolen my belongings.
Finally, I came onto the next floor and, without thinking, raced after the little beast. It turned a corner and then slipped in through a slightly ajar door.
"Come back here, you little beast!" I ordered. "Give me back my backpack!"
I burst through the door, and before I could catch my breath, I slammed hard against a male body. I closed my eyes as I puffed out a sound and bounced back from the brick wall of pure muscle. I felt myself falling backward, when suddenly, warm hands wrapped around my waist, pulling me back. In the process, I automatically let go of my hands about the towel and wrapped them around the muscular, hard body. The towel slid down and landed in a pool of fabric on the soft carpet around my feet.
Finally, I opened my eyes and stared at the pale-blue shirt that seemed oddly familiar to me. My heart pumped loudly within my chest as I drifted my eyes from the broad chest up to the muscular neck, to the firm jawline, the sensuous lips, and then the aquiline nose.
I stopped there because I knew I just couldn't go any farther. I knew I'd seen that face already, a mere hour ago, in fact. I knew if I were to go farther and meet those Prussian blue eyes, I'd become breathless again with a sort of electrifying excitement as well as foreboding apprehension. Of course I wouldn't be able to think clearly.
To be sure, I wasn't thinking clearly now. I mean, I never even thought about why the man with gorgeous Prussian blue eyes, the man who had nearly driven into me, was here in this house that belonged to Mr. Maxwell in the first place. Or the fact that I was in his arms, naked and dripping wet. I didn't consider it was odd I found nothing wrong with the situation and, rather, felt very natural. I felt like I belonged there, naked and in his arms.
The dog barked again, securin
g my attention. I turned my gaze to it and glared. Butchered pieces of my bars were scattered on the floor and the dog's mouth, evidence of the beast devouring my limited resources for survival. My backpack was ripped and torn, with damaged panties and bras and other pieces of clothing lying haphazardly on the floor.
I was pissed. Had no one in this humongous, expensive house fed this starving little beast of a dog? And my clothing and one and only backpack was ruined.
I stepped back and rushed out of the tight embrace of the man. I didn't even care to even think what I'd look like as I rushed over to the dog, naked, bending down on my hands and knees, with my rear on full display for the hot stranger to see.
I realized my mistake after I'd gathered my clothes, clutching them in front of me. The moment I lifted myself and met his eyes, I wanted to die.
There was blue fire there. His gaze was hot and intense, and it made my body respond in a way I could never be able to describe. A hot rush of excitement and pure agony and dread whirled through my being, making me want to be anywhere but here. I swallowed, my whole body now trembling as he paced toward me.
His gait, powerful and sexy, made me take a step back, ready to bolt.
He stopped right in front of me. When I just stood there, staring at the broadness of his amazing chest, he said, "Mia Donovan?"
I slowly tilted back my head and stared at his chin. That strong, beautiful chin that suddenly made me want to touch and stroke it. The urge in me was so strong that I felt pure pain aching within me.
"Yes?" I replied slowly, my throat dry.
"You're so timid and juvenile." He described my flaws to me. His next words made me want to stab a knife into his heart. "How the fuck are you going to find me that two million?"
I flashed my eyes to him, anger flooding through me. My whole body trembled as I said, "Mr. J. Maxwell?"
His response was, "You've messed up my room."
I held my head high and snapped, "It was the dog's fault. It took my bag and destroyed my clothes. It even ate my food."
He narrowed his eyes at me, and I suddenly realized I was treading on thin ice. Any moment now, I would fall into the hell he had Andy in.
Yes, I'd come to the realization this man--this very hot, amazingly handsome man with beautiful Prussian blue eyes--was the Mr. J. Maxwell, the man I'd dreaded meeting. The man Andy owed two million dollars. The man who would have Andy shot dead in an instant just because he wanted to and had the power to, without even the police stepping in and tarnishing his pristine and powerful image.
The dog chose that moment to run to its master, whimpering at the man with a cuteness no person could ever resist, including me, who'd never liked dogs.
Mr. J. Maxwell bent down and lifted the canine. "What have you been eating, Alfie? You'll get sick from it."
I was offended. "It's a healthy, nutritious bar," I said firmly.
He turned his attention to me, one handsome brow raised. "Oh?"
I noticed him eyeing me again, which I didn't want. I suddenly felt self-conscious. Trying to cover myself from his intense and interested gaze with pieces of ripped clothing wasn't going to do it. Thus, I looked to the towel near his feet. Without thinking, I rushed forward, bent low, and retrieved the white thing, avoiding master and dog as much as I could.
I turned my back to him as I awkwardly wrapped the towel around me. When I returned my attention to him, he was looking at me, his face stern.
I waited as he continued to stare, which really unsettled me. I was about to say something when he quipped, "Get dressed and meet me in my office."
He walked past me to the door, and I remembered to asked him, "Where's your office?"
"Ms. Lane will show you there," he said over his shoulder and then closed the door with a click.
* * * * *
CHAPTER 6
Mia
"I messed up his room," I murmured to myself. I glanced at that king-size bed with the expensive duvet cover of grayish-blue and black and felt a delicious shiver pass down my spine. Then I turned my attention to the floor. My ripped clothes were everywhere. I sighed and proceed to find a pair of jeans and T-shirt that was still intact. No such luck, of course.
I was midway through pulling my ripped T-shirt on when three knocks came at the door. I quickly pulled the rest of the thin gray material down my body and said, "Come in."
The door cracked open and Ms. Lane silently entered. She stood straight as she faced me, her hands clasped before her as she addressed me. "Are you ready to see Mr. Maxwell?"
If wearing ripped jeans and shirt without a bra--because that very last one lying on the floor was torn beyond repair and unwearable--was ready, then yes, I was as ready as I could be to face the billionaire my brother owed two million dollars, the man who'd seen me with my naked backside in the air.
I murmured, "Yes," followed by a nod of my head.
"Follow me," she said and turned on her heel, expecting me to trail her like she expected a lower staff member to obey her order to perfection.
The moment Ms. Lane knocked and then opened a door, my heart skipped a beat. When she stepped aside to let me in, I hesitated. I was suddenly shaking, and I knew I had to get a grip of myself. This was what I was here for. To negotiate for my brother's release.
I took a deep breath when Ms. Lane nudged me to hurry up by saying, "He's waiting."
Before my nerves got any worse, I took a step in and then another.
Standing before me was the gorgeous Mr. J. Maxwell. He had his arms folded across his chest and his backside resting slightly on the edge of the desk. He looked relaxed and casual, but the very sight of him took my breath away. It annoyed me that he should have such a strong, inexplicably powerful impression on me.
The moment my eyes met his, a gasp escaped my lips. I felt uncomfortable and was very aware my breasts and nipples were jutting out against the thin material of my ripped shirt. I really did hope he didn't notice.
"Sit," he said, nodding at the chair before him.
I hesitantly did as he commanded. Yes, there was nothing else in his tone but authority. He had that magical aura within him, that self-confidence that had the power to take charge, shout out orders, and give commands. Indeed, people would listen and follow his every word. Even the little beast named Alfie was quiet on the other side of the room, snuggling cozily as it watched me with its beady eyes.
I gazed up at him, not knowing how to proceed. Yes, he'd requested--No!--demanded I be presented here before him, along with his expected two million. Well, all I had was three hundred dollars.
He leaned forward and began. "I was expecting someone much older."
"I'm twenty-two," I said sternly. "I'm old enough. Where's my brother?"
He ignored my demanding question. "Your father allow you to come here knowing my reputation?"
Reputation? I knew nothing of his reputation. His rhetorical question, however, planted a seed of apprehension within my mind. Of course I'd dreaded coming here and facing him about the two million dollars. But now that he mentioned his reputation, I wondered if I'd be able to walk out of here alive.
However, the sudden change in subject got me angry. This showed in my voice, which was trembling, along with my pissed-off face, red and stern.
"My father died eleven years ago in a car accident, along with my mother. The only person Andy has is me, his older sister."
He raised a brow at me, as if he found my tragic back-story rather bland and uninteresting, like he'd heard that particular story a hundred times before. I'll admit it was rather a common back-story, but when it happens to you, when every possible shit you could imagine got thrown at you, then it wasn't so common anymore.
"Where's my brother?" I asked again, trying very hard to calm myself, trying hard not to jump to the conclusion that this Mr. J. Maxwell had already executed Andy with a bullet to my baby brother's handsome head.
He looked at me long and hard. "I applaud your brother and his friends, Ms. Donovan,"
he said, easing his arms from their crossed position and resting them casually on the edge of the desk. "They've managed to cheat two million out of me." He leaned forward, his eyes sharp, his face so close to me that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my skin, which both pleased and unsettled me at the same time.
"And trust me. I rarely allow anyone to cheat me."
He flashed me a dark smile that made me want to run and hide and at the same time made me want to kiss him. It was a stupid desire, of course, and I'd never felt like that toward any man before. I felt like I actually wanted to throw myself at him and let him do exquisite, unspeakable things to me. Things that were frowned upon. Things people didn't talk about outside the bedroom. Things a virgin like me had never experienced.
"So?" he asked softly, drifting his eyes slowly to my breasts and then back to my face. "What will you do? You look like a resourceful young woman." He flashed a grin at me that would have made any woman spread her legs wide for him. Not me. It made me want to punch the smirk off his face, because he was implying something that hurt my pride.
"You're here to negotiate for your brother's release. Then let's do it. The closing date is Friday this week, Ms. Donovan. Two million cash. I get my money; you get your brother back."
I was so tense; when he suddenly touched my cheek, I jumped in my seat.
"What if I don't... don't get the two million?" And in my mind, I shouted, How the heck do I get two million? There was no way that was possible. I get paid minimum wage, and I worked seven days a week to make ends meet. So how the heck would I be able to make two million in two days?
"Oh, I'm sure you'll find a way, Ms. Donovan," he said, drifting his eyes from my face to my breasts again, his fingers caressing my cheek.
Heat rushed to my face as the meaning of his words drummed deep into my mind.
"I don't fuck men for money!" I said through gritted teeth.
I'd never used the word fuck in the open before. I reserved that severely execrable word for dire situations, but he left me no choice. His assumption of my character pissed me off, and I couldn't control myself.