Mia (6 page)

Mia
slept the whole day and at 5:00 Paul finally went to her room to check on her.  Entering, he could see Mia still asleep on the bed, lying on her back, one arm resting on her stomach the other thrown over her head as her hair framed her lovely face.  The covers were pushed down slightly and he could see that she wore no clothes as one of her lovely breasts protruded from the sheet.  His eyes closed gently as a rush of desire ran through him, her young body exciting him.  Moving closer he lifted the sheet to cover Mia before waking her.  Stepping back slightly he called her name, not trusting himself to touch this woman, as even the small action of  replacing the cover sent unexpected shivers throughout his body.

As she woke to his voice she
smiled up at him, until with a start Mia realised that she wore no clothes, her mind questioning how she had got there, before remembering the breakfast, her cheeks reddening.  “What time is it?”, she asked softly, her head no longer pounding, much to her relief.  “After 5:00”, he responded, “Mrs Mac says dinner will be ready in an hour”

Mia
sat up in the bed wrapping the sheet around her and pulling her legs up against her chest.  “Paul”, she called softly.  As he turned back to look at her, she once more felt the now all too familiar shudders running through her as his handsome face looked down on her his eyes brighter with a strange glint in them.  “I know you think I’m a coward…”, she began, as he sighed, shaking his head before sitting down beside her to better look into her wide pained eyes.

“I don’t think that
Mia…What he put you through would have destroyed a lesser person…but you stood up to him and the rest of this village”, he said, his eyes looking at her with respect.  “You just need to move past it…And you are more capable than you know…I don’t know many women who could calmly carry out negotiations with armed men”, he chuckled softly.  She smiled in thanks.  “I’m just still not ready to deal with this…And now that he’s free…”. 

Paul could
not tell her what he had seen the previous night.  He knew that it would be too much for her to deal with at that moment but gently asked, “How long have you been having the nightmares?”  Mia looked at him in surprise. “How did you know?…”, she asked her eyes looking at him with shock.  “I can hear you”, he replied softly.  Looking down at her hands she murmured almost inaudibly.   “I had them for over a year after the attack…then when I moved away they stopped…Coming back here just brought back all the old memories…and the bad dreams….When I’m gone I’m sure they will stop again”

“I hope so”
, he whispered back at her, his eyes holding hers, both feeling the strange emotions flying between them.   “I don’t know why, but being here…I feel safe somehow”, she said softly.  He blinked in surprise at this statement, even more so when her hand nervously moved to touch his cheek.

With a soft sigh he
captured her small hand in his and lifted it to gently kiss the inside of her wrist.  Mia closed her eyes at the pleasure this caused, making him lick the small vein throbbing against his mouth, feeling her shuddering beside him.  Mia gave a small groan, her mouth opening slightly in invitation as his head moved forward to capture her lips.  She went up like a Roman candle, the flames of desire licking her body making her wind her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss.  She felt his exploring tongue inside her mouth as she nibbled it playfully making him moan.  Rising, he laid her back down on the bed her body still covered by the sheet, her hardened nipples visible through the thin material.

Gently he
kissed along her cheek, licking the lobe of her ear as she moaned with pleasure, her body moving sensually beneath him.  As he lowered his head, his teeth captured the hardness protruding so invitingly, causing her to gasp in wonder at the sudden rush of sensations which flooded her whole body.  Her hands moved to touch his chest, searching fingers moving down the hardness of his contoured body as he groaned back. 

As
Paul moved to lay over her, the sound of the doorbell caused the two of them to stiffen.  He gave a long frustrated moan, momentarily dropping his head between her breasts as she slowly regained control of herself.  “Who?”, she began, looking into his eyes questioningly as he raised himself. “I invited Jim for dinner”, he replied softly, “I thought you might want to have all the paperwork signed before we left so you didn’t have to come back here again”

Mia
looked at him with amazement. “You did that for me?”, she said, suddenly wanting so badly to kiss him again.  Looking down on her he chuckled gently, “His timing is bad…Exactly on time”  He sighed, pulling himself off the bed to look at her with the fire still so evident in his eyes. “This time I’m not sorry”, he said softly before leaving the room with a strange look in his eyes.

Rising from the bed,
Mia moved into the shower, closing her eyes as she thought of his mouth on hers, shuddering as the memory excited her.  She had never known a man to raise her to such a level of need and she thought about Paul James.  He was a confirmed bachelor… His comments the previous night proved that, and did she want to get involved with a man who was only interested in a casual affair?  Mia frowned, knowing that she did not need that kind of complexity in her life.

Dressing quickly, taking a little care to ensure her new
hairstyle was sitting correctly, she descended the stairs.  As she joined the two men in the study Jim leapt up from where he and Paul sat talking so intently grabbing her in a bear hug.  “Thank God you’re OK”, he cried, relief filling his voice. “I was going out of my mind with worry when that Colin carted you away”, his tone growing angry. “Thankfully Paul had contacts, because not one of those damned judges would sign a warrant for you to be left in my care” He flashed a warm smile at Paul, who returned one to the kindly lawyer.

“Mary
sends her best…Says to let you know that lots of people are behind you”  Mia thanked him before settling down to sign all of the papers she had been unable to the day she had gone to his office.  Then the three of them moved to the dining room where Mrs Mac served them up one of her delicious meals.  As they ate, Jim filled her in on all that had gone on in the past six years including how Lucas had been granted early release. 

“There are a lot of women worried about that”
, he said.  “As far as we can see he hasn’t changed…he is still the same sick…”, before stopping remembering that Mia was sitting beside him, apologising quickly to her, embarrassed at the thought of upsetting her.  “But I hear that right after the court you’re away to California”, he asked more brightly “will you be coming back?”  He regarded her sympathetically as she shook her head, discomfort clear in her features. “Maybe that’s for the best” he murmured softly.  Paul however, was frowning as he lifted his glass, his expression unfathomable.

It was nearly midnight when Jim
left, telling her that he would see her in court the following morning.  After going over what she should expect the following day he handed Paul copies of all the paperwork for safe-keeping as the younger man had earlier requested.

Finally for the first time since their kiss they were alone.  Paul
walked her to the stairs trapping her fingers in his hand before raising it and dropping his lips to the soft skin, Mia once more so aware of the small shiver which skittered through her.  With a small smile he wished her a good night.  Pausing, looking as though she wanted to say something to him, Mia finally gave a return smile before wishing him too a goodnight and moving up the stairs as he watched her with dark hooded eyes.

Paul
continued to watch Mia until she moved out of sight, his body fighting hard the urge to follow her, to once more hold her in his arms as he had earlier, the memory causing a small moan to escape him.  Sighing while combing his fingers through his hair he went back to his study to catch up on some paperwork and answer the many emails which came back with the answers to questions he had sent to different specialists.  After an hour he finished and as he reached out to shut down his computer, he jumped slightly as the phone rang.  Paul frowned wondering who could be phoning at nearly 2:00 in the morning and answering he was surprised to hear Jim on the other end.

With a sombre expression on his face he
listened as Jim told him that his office had been broken into and ransacked, the files relating to Mia stolen.  After several moments of thought Paul told Jim to call the police, but not to mention that he had provided copies of all of the paperwork to him.  Jim agreed, his voice angry.  Calling off, Paul sat back, his brow furrowed deep in thought.  Somebody was going to a lot of trouble to make sure that Mia did not leave, and for the first time he was glad that he had taken such stringent security precautions and ensured that she would be taken away to safety, at least he thought until his detectives completed their investigations.

That night Paul
systematically moved around the house double-checking that the doors and windows were securely locked and closed.  Logically he told himself that whoever had carried out the break-in was none the wiser as to his having spare copies, which should not make them a target and would give them some time.

The next day
Mia thought how tired Paul seemed.  When she asked if he was OK he smiled brightly at her, ensuring that she had her passport as they were leaving for the airport the minute her case was dismissed.

Mia
smiled at him, reassured by his belief that it was only a formality.  One of the suits which had been purchased at Claris’s shop had been delivered to the estate the day before and she pulled it on, enjoying the softness of the material and the way it seemed to lengthen her legs, showing off her figure in a way she was not used to.

As she
descended the stairs Paul was waiting for her, wearing a dark suit which made her heart flutter in her chest.  In his arm he carried a folder full of papers which he held onto tightly.  He flashed an admiring look as had Mrs Mac, who lifted her hands to her mouth in admiration.  “I hardly recognised you Mia”, she said in awe.   “I always knew that you would wash up well”

Mia
giggled softly before being led out to the car which was parked almost across the door.  Seeing her look of surprise he joked that he didn’t want her new shoes getting dirty, making her laugh.

When they reached the court building, Jim
met them in a state of agitation which he tried his best to hide from Mia.  She frowned, concern rising within her as he pulled Paul to the side.  Watching carefully, she noticed as Paul handed over the folder to Jim, his face serious as he listened to what the older man had to say.  Finally the two men shook hands and Jim moved into the court while Paul returned to her taking her arm as he led her into the imposing building.  “What’s going on Paul?”, she asked, fear in her voice.  “Everything is OK now”, he replied, looking deeply into her eyes. “Please believe me Mia”

She
bit her lip, looking at him with concern.  However, with relief everything had gone to plan.  The judge looked at the papers and listened to Jim, dismissing the case instantly before pulling the police to the side for a private discussion with regard to her arrest.  She was amused to see how confused Colin looked, almost as if he had expected the appeal to go against her.  As the case had been dismissed she turned to Paul, throwing her arms around him with delight.  He lifted her off her feet as he hugged her back, smiling down as he grinned telling her that he had told her everything would be OK.

In the shadows a man watched
, his fists clenched in anger.  His eyes narrowed as he watched Mia throw herself into the large man’s arms, his lust for her rising, along with a hatred for the man who she allowed to hold her.  Lucas Mathers was going to make sure that Mia Drake didn’t escape from him a third time.  He knew where she was staying and it was only a matter of time before she would be alone.

After the court session, Mia kissed Jim on the cheek, thanking him for all his help and support.  The older man smiled back at her, “If you change your mind about coming back Mia, there are a lot of people here who support you, please believe that”, his voice full of such sincerity that she hugged him, too choked up to reply.  Paul then shook hands with Jim before holding open the door for her, both waving to the lawyer, Mia once more feeling so strange at leaving the village she had grown up in.

On reaching the airport, she
discovered that Paul had booked the two of them into business class and Mia enjoyed the luxury of the travel.  She had been in a playful mood with the village left behind her and the case over, and the two of them laughed and joked for much of the journey.  When they reached California, she was glad that the suit was lightweight as the heat hit her.  Neither of them had any luggage, all of which, he informed her, had been delivered straight to their hotel.  Therefore, they were quickly whisked away in the luxurious limo which was waiting for them.

Mia
had never been to California before, and looked out of the window in excitement as they passed landmarks she had only seen in pictures or on the television.  Each time she excitedly pointed them out to him, as he enjoyed watching her child-like enthusiasm.  He also enjoyed as her whole body relaxed, his eyes admiring the way her hair had fallen around her shoulders.  Idly, he wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through it, feeling the strongest desire to pull her head down to him, to feel her softness against him.  Shaking himself he was so aware of how her presence aroused him as he remembered the kiss in her room, a kiss neither of them had mentioned since.

When they
entered the five star hotel, Mia stared wide-eyed at the luxurious foyer as the manager himself welcomed Paul, ensuring that they had everything they needed.  He put them in a suite with two rooms as requested by Paul, much to Mia's surprise.

“More room to work”
, he explained, throwing her a mock serious look. “We’re not on holiday young lady”  She giggled back at him, still staring around her with large eyes that sparkled.  Their suite was huge.  Two large bedrooms led into a spacious shared living room with access to a private balcony which afforded a wonderful view of the city below.  Mia gasped in pleasure as she moved quickly around the area opening doors and cupboards.  In the large walk-in closet in her room she found all her clothes already neatly hanging from hangers.  Finally she sat down long enough for him to speak to her.

“OK
Mia, tomorrow the conference starts…So today and tonight we can do the tourist thing if you want?”  This set her off again, as she jumped onto the seat beside him to look at the brochures.

Mia
, her eyes glowing brightly, wanted to go to Disney and with a ‘big kid’ comment Paul laughed, suddenly looking forward to the day.  Despite having been to California on many occasions he had never been to Disney he realised, finding himself quite excited at the thought of going, especially with her.

After loo
king through the clothes Claris had sent for her she frowned. “There doesn’t seem to be anything in here suitable for a theme park”, she exclaimed with a sigh, as chuckling he took her by the hand and led her down to the foyer.  In the gift shop they both found shorts and t-shirts and trainers, laughing together as they brought their spoils back to the room, before changing and organising to be taken to the park.

The two of them
walked around the park for the whole day, both enjoying the many rides and sights.  Mia was fearless, loving even the most daring rides, showing him her adventurous side as he enjoyed the adrenaline rushes of the many roller coasters.  They both had their picture taken with Mickey Mouse and Paul laughed as she bought some of the tackiest presents for him to give to her friends on his return.  The thought that she did not intend returning with him once more caused him to frown, as he found himself enjoying just being with her in a way he had never experienced with any other woman.

At night they
ate at one of the character diners, a million miles from the restaurant he had taken her to when she had gone shopping.  While the food was not of the same standard, they both enjoyed their meal, hungry after their day walking around the park.  Finally they returned to the hotel, both happy but tired.

As she
stood by her door Mia felt suddenly shy, as he reached down to drop a gentle kiss on her cheek. “I had a really good time today”, he said softly against her skin, his closeness sending tremors throughout her, Mia feeling her body shiver as she looked into his eyes, hers suddenly very serious.  “I…I’m glad”, she stammered, her eyes involuntarily drawn to his mouth as she found herself suddenly very nervous to have him so near, her whole body reacting to him in a very personal manner.

“
Mia”, he whispered against her hair as with a small step he moved closer to her.  Clearing her throat her voice suddenly faltered, her mouth becoming so dry.  “How long are we going to ignore this?”, he asked pulling back to look into her eyes.  “Ignore what?”, she replied, her eyes wide with confusion.  “This”, he said softly as his mouth descended to find hers in such a devastating kiss that her whole body shuddered against him.  With a whimper she wound her arms around his neck kissing him back, leaning into him as she stood on tiptoes to reach him.

As the passion between the two
erupted like wildfire, both clung to the other, Mia allowing her fingers to rake through his hair, Paul pulling her hard into him, his hands stroking her back and side.  Mia had never felt such a need for a man, never wanting him to let her go, feeling as his mouth moved from hers, whimpering, wanting it back.

“Come to bed with me”
, he whispered gently against her cheek, Mia feeling the throbbing for him running through her as she bit back the ‘Yes’ that rushed to her lips.  With a small groan she allowed her hands to fall between them, to splay out against his chest.  Shaking her head softly she remembered that they would only be together for a few days, the realisation giving her the strength to free herself from his arms, her eyes still showing the desire her body felt.

“I can’t”
, she whispered softly, “I just can’t Paul…I’m not ready for a casual affair…”  “Who says it has to be a…”, he began, as she shook her head.  “By next Tuesday I will be heading anywhere but back to the village, and you…you have a hotel to build”  He looked pleadingly into her eyes.  “We can work something out Mia”, he said huskily. “You don’t have to go to the village, you can stay anywhere you want”

Again she
shook her head sadly.  “And you would come and visit me whenever you could make time?”, she prompted gently, seeing understanding come to his eyes.   “I’m not cut out to be a mistress Paul”  Delving deeply into her eyes, his darkly hooded, he looked as though he was struggling with some inner turmoil before with a small sigh he stepped away from her.

“I’m sorry
Mia - I can’t offer you anything else”, his voice soft, as with a small understanding nod she gave him a tremulous half-smile.  “I know that Paul… You have been very honest with me…And this is for the best.  We both know it”  His features solemn, Paul looked away, sighing with frustration.  “I wish I felt that way Mia”, he murmured gently before moving further from her.  “Sleep well Mia Drake”, he said, a look of understanding crossing between the two before turning, she escaped into her room.

That night as she lay in bed knowing Paul was so close
, her body mocked her for rejecting him.  She groaned, knowing that she wanted to feel him touch her, kiss her, possess her.  As she closed her eyes she could see his dark ones looking into hers with a smouldering fire which was disrupting her whole being, the need for him shocking.  He had offered her…what exactly she asked herself…To be a temporary part of his life?  Paul James was not a man to be tied down to any one woman, however part of her still yearned for that little time.  As she finally drifted into sleep she dreamt of being held within his strong safe arms, and with a gentle smile on her lips she enjoyed an undisturbed sleep, protected by his presence in her dreams.

The next morning she
woke early, showering before choosing a chic summer dress which clung to her figure while giving her an air of elegance.  When she left her bedroom, Paul was already sitting at the table working on his computer.  “Good morning”, he said looking up at her with approval in his eyes.  “Sleep well?”, he asked, another question implied in his words.  Mia smiled shyly at him.  “Yes...Thanks…Told you, just get me away from the village and I’m fine”

He
nodded gently.  “Well fancy going down for breakfast?”  She nodded once more enthusiastically, suddenly feeling hungry as he closed his machine and rose to walk over to her.  As he stood so close, dressed in a blue suit with lighter shirt and matching tie, she felt the flutter in her stomach once more at having him so near, feeling the way her own body once again reacted to him.  His dark eyes smiled down on her and Mia had to avert hers, feeling just how much his presence was affecting her, her legs suddenly feeling like jelly.

Get a grip of yourself she
thought with annoyance, scolding herself that she was behaving like some love-sick school girl as she turned away from him to move to the door of the suite.

In the restaurant he
became very business-like, reminding her of why she was there.  She was being paid to do a job and Mia listened carefully as he explained who the key players of the conference where, their roles and which language they mainly spoke.  Working in Africa Mia had needed to assimilate information quickly and she had developed techniques to remember facts, figures and faces which she knew would stand her in good stead.

Paul
was impressed at the quick way she took in the many details he fired at her, asking only sensible and relevant questions.  He appreciated her quick mind and added this to the many desirable attributes of Mia Drake.

As they entered the conference area, Paul
was quickly surrounded by different men and women.  He introduced Mia to everybody as his assistant and she had very quickly been put to work translating for those who were not so good at English, although most had some ability.

Paul
had been asked to give the opening and closing keynote speeches of the event, and she listened in fascination as he talked with wit and conviction about the hotel industry and the way it needed to meet the needs of the local communities as well as the needs of the customers.  His voice held her in an almost trance-like state as it washed warmly over her.  As he finished, the room exploded into applause and the floor was opened to questions.

When lunch
time came about, he smiled at Mia telling her that he had to speak with an important client and would meet her in two hours.  Mia smiled back assuring him that she would be fine, her look turning to a frown as he moved over to a beautiful tall woman who placed a hand on his cheek as he placed one on her hip and gave her a small kiss.  He then led her away to somewhere that she could not see.

As she
ate what she could from the delicious buffet, she sat alone drinking her coffee, and felt the emotions within her swirling round and round.  She could feel the jealousy sitting heavily in the pit of her stomach, knowing that she had no right to feel that way after she had rejected him.  Paul was a desirable and red-blooded man and she closed her eyes in pain at the memory of his kiss.  She had no right to feel anything she told herself again as a realisation suddenly hit her.  Savaging her lips she groaned with the inescapable realisation hitting her.  Mia was falling in love with Paul James.

“Are you OK?”
His voice by her side made Mia jump, her coffee spilling from the cup as she spun around.  “I thought you were going to be a couple of hours”, she stuttered in surprise.  “He got called away to some emergency” Paul replied lightly, giving her a lopsided smile.

“He
…”, she asked in surprise “I thought you were with a woman”, she replied acidly before she could bite back the caustic comment.  Paul looked at her quickly, a small flicker of a smile on his face.  “Jealous Mia?”, he asked gently, his head moving closer as he whispered the words so sensually into her ear.  Mia straightened her back sitting stiffly as he mocked her.  “No…Of course not”, she said haughtily in a clipped voice.  “It’s up to you what you do Paul”, she replied, not able to meet his eyes, not willing to let him see the tell-tale pain in them at how quickly she had been replaced.

He
chuckled, moving back from her before adding, “His daughter Anya, who I have known since she was a child, took me to see her father and husband at their table”  He pointed to where the woman she saw earlier was now sitting with a good-looking man Mia assumed to be her husband.  “Oh…”, she said softly, still not able to meet his gaze but feeling the relief fill her.  Paul watched as Mia’s expressive features showed her confusion and he smiled as she rose to get a fresh cup of coffee.

That evening
Mia took her time choosing from the wonderful cocktail dresses, finally deciding on a coral one which fell to her feet.  The small gold open-toe sandals were visible as she walked due to the slit in the front of the dress which reached her knees and showed her shapely legs to their full effect.  She had scooped her hair into a soft knot as she had been shown in the salon using the accessories they gave to her, the final result showing her long graceful neck.  Finally, Mia finished by applying light makeup to her lovely features to accentuate her full lips and large warm eyes.