Chained to You
Volume 5: Seduced
Alexia Praks
Xia Press
Contents
Seduced
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chained to You Reading Order
Get More of the Vegas Billionaires
Other Books in the Vegas Billionaires Series
Also by Alexia Praks
About the Author
Copyright (c) 2017 by Alexia Praks All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without agreement and written permission of the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Published by Xia Press The author can be reached at: www.alexiapraks.com.
Seduced
Dark. Powerful. Dangerous.
James Maxwell is one of the billionaire elites who rules Las Vegas with an iron fist.
My name is Mia Donovan, a twenty-two-year-old, small-town girl who has signed a contract with the billionaire elite James Maxwell in exchange for protection and my brother's freedom. Since I've become James's mistress, my world has changed--both for better and worse. I'm falling even deeper in love with the man who makes me cry in pleasure at night, for he has shown me his kind and caring characteristics, the traits he hides from the outside world. My days with him are filled with contentment and happiness. But alas, I know this will not last because danger is lurking just around the corner.
And so our story continues...
If you like insta-love, possessive alpha billionaire, a cute heroine with tragic past, and wildly sexy story, this is for you!
*PLEASE NOTE that each Vegas Billionaires story is published in light novels serialized volumes (between 3 to 6 volumes per story) and has an HEA at the end.
Chapter 1
Mia
When I woke, it was to the sound of a child giggling delightfully and a light, warm breeze caressing my face. It was as if the little girl was teasing me, deliberately blowing air on my skin to annoy me with the intention of raising me from my slumber. I immediately knew who the culprit was. After all, this playful scenario had happened quite frequently since I'd arrived here in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, to live with the billionaire James Maxwell in his million-dollar mansion.
My eyes fluttered open, an amused smile playing across my lips.
"Morning, Aria," I said softly.
The little girl giggled some more, pleased I was finally awake as she had wanted.
She enthusiastically replied, "Good morning, Mia. I'm so excited today. Oh, I can't wait! I can't wait!" She wiggled her little body in my bed. "Aren't you excited too?" she asked. She had refused to leave since the first night I'd unintentionally become a part of this household--a part of this rich and influential family.
That day had been the day I'd felt both out of place yet warmly welcomed at the same time by none other than Aria herself.
That evening when James and I had arrived, I'd stood there in front of this million-dollar mansion, the house I'd first ventured into when I'd come here to negotiate with James about my brother's debt. I had felt awkward while I watched James hugging his daughter Aria and kissing her fondly. The handsome expression on his face was that of tenderness, a kind of deep love and affection that could never be broken, the likes of which I had never seen him exhibit before. It was heartwarming, sweet, and it tugged deep on my heartstrings. It was a side of James that made me fall for him even more.
Once Aria had finished hugging her father, she'd taken a step back, and her gaze drifted toward me. Once she had fully recognized me, she raced toward me and threw herself into my arms as if I were her long-lost mother.
In that instant, I felt something warm and fluttery touching my heart. As I impulsively wrapped my arms around her in response, I felt my body weaken in surrender. It was odd that I didn't want to let her go, and I didn't understand why.
Was it because Aria was so cute? Or was it because I had never hugged a little girl before, and when I had the chance, I found I liked it?
When Aria finally drew back, she giggled and shrieked in delight. Then she said, "Mia! Yay! Daddy finally brought you home." She turned her attention to her father and said, "Thank you, Daddy."
The dad must have found the situation entertaining, because his Prussian-blue eyes were twinkling.
"You're welcome, sweetheart," he said. The smug expression on his face and that soft tone of voice made me feel I were a gift for his daughter, completely wrapped in beautiful, glossy paper with a bow on top.
Back to me, Aria said, "Let's go and make spaghetti Bolognese together and have it for dinner. Come on!"
With that, she grabbed my hand in her tiny one and pulled me along. Her eager actions almost made me lose my balance.
All that happened while both Alfie and Sammy, Aria's two naughty, adorable canines, were enthusiastically barking at James and me in greeting, jumping about us in excitement.
Once I was steady on my feet, Aria led me toward the house, the dogs happily tagging along behind us.
As we passed James, I looked at him in mild confusion, pleading with my expression as to how I should deal with such a new situation. How should I react to his overexcited daughter's behavior? After all, I had no experience with children and had no idea how I should behave with one around.
The blasted billionaire simply smiled at me with amusement as he watched his daughter drag me to slave away in the kitchen with her that evening.
Once dinner was over, James showed me to my bedroom, which I found out was right next to his.
How very convenient for him, especially for his intended nightly bedroom adventures with me. Not that we'd had any of those since our return, because the presence of his beloved little daughter ensured that. Every time he started making seductive advances toward me, Aria would appear, interrupting any further sexy, amorous acts between us. In fact, we hadn't even had one good, passionate kiss since we'd arrived, let alone one hot, zealous night of mindless sex where James would drive me insane with pleasure as he had back in Vegas. Oddly enough, I found this vastly amusing, though James didn't.
He was frustrated sexually; I could tell. But there was nothing we could do since protecting his daughter's innocence was important.
I turned on my side so I could face Aria in the large bed. Then I made myself comfortable by wiggling my body and shuffling the duvet about us. Aria giggled and aided me. In the end, she was comfortably in my arms, her cute face snuggling close against my shoulder. She was small and cozy to hug, I thought fondly as I pulled her so she was almost squeezed in my arms.
Smiling, I gazed at her, marveling at how much she resembled James. Gosh, but the child was pretty with long, dark hair, pale skin, and those Prussian-blue eyes that never ceased to fascinate me. They were James's eyes, and I loved the color dearly.
"Are you excited to go to Disneyland?"
Aria asked again because I hadn't answered her the first time.
"Yes, I'm excited to go," I said, nodding. "After all, I've never been to Disneyland before."
In fact, I'd never been to any sort of land ever, not the fun, adventurous kind. The last enjoyable thing I remembered I had done with my family had been ten years ago when we'd gone on a summer vacation to that beach back in New Hampshire. The one just before the car accident that had claimed both my parents' lives.
I immediately dismissed the thought about my dark past and listened to Aria asking me curiously, her eyes large in disbelief, "You've never been to Disneyland before?"
I shook my head and confirmed that cold, hard fact. "I haven't."
Her reaction was instant, changing from that of shocked disbelief to that of excitement once again.
"Then you're so going to like it," she said in her hyperactive, childish tone. "It's so much fun. Daddy took me there twice before with my friends. It's the best thing ever. And we've been to Dreamworld, Water World, and um... all sorts of fun places. Have you been to Dreamworld and Water World? And have you been to Aus-tra-lia, Mia? Daddy took me to Aus-tra-lia last year with Uncle Scott and Uncle Eric. It was so much fun. There's cool animals like kangaroos and koalas. The koalas are so cute. Do you like koalas, Mia? We have to tell Daddy to take you there. To Dreamworld and Water World, I mean. It's going to be so much fun... Then Uncle Scott and Uncle Eric could come as well 'cause we haven't been to fun places together for so long."
I couldn't help myself and had to laugh. Aria's pronunciation of Australia was so cute. And really, she was asking a lot of questions, but because she was so excited, she never allowed time for me to answer.
Aria nodded enthusiastically as she continued. "Yes. Yes. It's gonna be so much fun." She giggled as she snuggled her face against my neck, which tickled and made me laugh as well.
Aria and I must have been loud and so into our own happy, childlike world that we didn't hear the door open. Loud noises of dogs barking drew our attention, which halted our laughter. I raised my head and eyed the door with curiosity.
The moment I saw the handsome man standing there, my heart skipped a beat--or maybe two or three. Then it continued to race furiously. My cheeks flushed red, and my eyes were bright as I smiled in greeting at the billionaire James Maxwell.
Aria, who had her body so close to mine, must have felt my racing heart and looked at me curiously.
"What's wrong, Mia? You're going red, and your heart is going so fast," she asked innocently, concerned for my well-being. "Look, I can hear it. Boom! Boom! Woo... It's so fast."
My blush intensified. Lord! How do I explain this sort of reaction to an innocent six-year-old girl? That this sort of response--the heart racing, the rising of the body temperature, the intense blushing, and the bright eyes were all due to love. That when a woman saw the person she was in love with, this was how her body reacted? How?
Luckily, Aria's demand for my answer was interrupted by Alfie and Sammy, who naughtily jumped onto the bed and started messing around, invading our space. Alfie barked loudly as he snuggled his little body between us while Sammy came and made himself comfortable on top of me.
Sammy wasn't that big, but he was still heavy. I sighed and said, "Sammy! You naughty dog. Get off! You're heavy." I growled, shaking my body and trying to make the dog leave by pushing him away.
The canine refused to obey my pathetic command and snuggled closer, licking my cheek with adoration.
Aria started laughing because of my look of frustration. Soon both Alfie and Sammy joined in, barking outrageously loud. I thought the happy noise could be heard from outside the house, miles away. I was sure the rest of the people who were occupying the house, Ms. Lane, the prim and proper housekeeper, and Sophie, Aria's beautiful nanny, must wonder what the heck was going on up here.
The master of the house himself, the notoriously handsome billionaire James Maxwell, simply stood there at the door with his arms folded across his chest, his body leaning slightly on the doorframe as he watched us with amusement. He seemed to enjoy the show, because he'd been doing that numerous times since our return.
Most mornings, he'd open the door and simply stand there, watching Aria and me giggle or talking nonsense before he ushered Aria to get ready for the day.
I sat up now, sliding Sammy down from my belly to my lap. I hugged the dog in adoration and said, "Morning, Sammy."
Sammy gave me a bark in greeting and then licked my cheek again. I laughed as I slowly drifted my eyes to James, my heart still racing.
"Morning, James," I said.
A snort from the arrogant billionaire came my way, which was followed by, "Morning, sunshine."
Every time he referred to me as sunshine, I felt warm in my belly and a beautiful sensation passed along my spine. I tightened my arms around Sammy and asked, "What time are we leaving again?"
"Nine," he replied. "Better get up and get ready."
I nodded in agreement. It was seven thirty in the morning now, and Aria and I needed to shower, get dressed, and then have breakfast before departing.
Aria jumped up then and shrieked excitedly. "It's nearly time to go. It's nearly time to go." To James she said, "Good morning, Daddy."
James laughed and returned the greeting. "Morning, sweetheart."
Aria continued to giggle, repeatedly chanting, "It's time to go to Disneyland! It's time to go to Disneyland!"
Alfie enthusiastically joined the chorus with his barking, even though he wasn't going anywhere today. Not to Disneyland where James, Aria, and I were heading. And of course Aria's beautiful nanny, Sophie.
On cue, the elegant brunette magically appeared at the doorway. Already dressed in a sexy summer dress with her hair chicly done and her face beautifully made up, she was dazzling standing there next to James. From where I was in bed, the sight of the two of them side by side was breathtaking. Now, this was the type of woman James should be with. Beautiful. Sexy. Confident.
Simply put, everything I wasn't.
I swallowed at the enchanted vista before me and felt my heart wrench in pain.
Chapter 2
Mia
I gritted my teeth and frowned darkly as I turned away in disgust. Surely the sight of the perfect woman reminded me just how lowly and unwelcome I was in this household where Sophie was concerned. Ever since the first day I'd met her, she had given me the cold shoulder, and now that I had returned--and furthermore, was living with James as his mistress--I was treated by her as a thing of abhorrence.
I understood being a mistress to a billionaire was regarded as low taste, a profession similar to a prostitute, a vocation the majority found absolutely disgusting. I knew not only Sophie, but Ms. Lane, the cook, the two maids, as well as the gardeners and security guards who worked in this mansion were thinking along the same lines--that I was a leech, using my body to lure James into my clutches so I could suck his money from him for the sake of my new extravagant, luxurious lifestyle. Not that I had ever thought of doing such a selfish thing to James, or that this lifestyle I was leading was extravagant or luxurious in any way. All I had ever wanted was to be able to support myself, to stand on my own two feet and live freely.
It sucked to be misjudged and treated like a second citizen in this household by James's staff. I wondered if it would be better if I were to live somewhere else. Like a small, one-bedroom apartment or something that I could very easily afford. After all, I did intend on finding myself a proper job, as I had discussed with James back in Vegas. The idea was certainly viable, and all I needed to do was to find a good time to bring up the subject with James.
Thinking about that now made me all the more determined to leave. Of course, I was going to miss Aria, but she could always visit me during the weekend and we could have a sleepover.
I flicked my gaze back to Sophie. Then, I thought in triumph, I wouldn't have to put up with this very beautiful yet nasty woman anymore. It would certainly end her sarcastic, belittling
insults she routinely hurled at me almost on a daily basis. Most of the time, I'd let the hurtful words fly past my head, pretending I hadn't heard any of it. Other times, however, the expressions truly hit their mark, and they were very painful.
I was doing my best to keep it all in. After all, I was very good at that. Ten years of being constantly ridiculed, abused, and molested by my aunt and uncle did that to me.
I'd put up a barrier. I'd thickened my skin against the constant onslaught--physically, mentally, and emotionally. Over the years, I had met with many of those types of people: the abuser, the tormentor. There were my aunt and uncle, as well as that PE teacher who liked to pick on me for some reason, and the popular girl in school and her group of worshippers who thought I was beneath their feet. Not to mention my bastard of an ex-boss at the restaurant, as well as the small staff who didn't seem to like me one bit, back in Mystic Spring.
And now Sophie. She was just another of those people, an abuser. A tormentor. An initiator. A bully. And I'd known how to put up with those types of people by ignoring them, by putting up a wall, by pretending their words didn't hurt me--couldn't hurt me.
"Good morning, Aria," Sophie said sweetly, which drew the little girl's attention. It did mine, too, away from my deep thoughts of the vile woman.
Aria stopped her giggling and said, too soberly for my liking, "Are we going to get ready now?"
I thought she sounded reluctant, almost as if the light just went out of her voice, which affected me in a negative way. I felt pissed all of a sudden. Aria had been having so much fun with me, and suddenly, when this woman appeared, everything changed. I knew I had no right to feel this way. God, I knew I had no right to even get involved with this family, with this household. Sophie was Aria's nanny, a highly regarded and noble profession in the childcare sector. The total opposite from mine--that was if one even regarded a mistress to a billionaire as a job of sorts.
Sophie had all the rights to be involved with Aria, taking care of the little girl and teaching her the proper manners and all that sort, the motherly position so to speak. Whereas I, on the other hand, was simply an outsider.