Eric was getting out of hand where their father's new twenty-five-year-old bride, Alice Ota, was concerned. Obviously, he hadn't been satisfied with just going to Japan to take a sneak peek at the young woman and telling her, "Hell No," to becoming their new stepmother. Of course, he hadn't been able to find Alice, let alone tell her to fuck off, being the hotheaded Eric he was.
Still, their youngest was right that the woman was barely a year older than Eric himself and the age difference between her and their notorious father Liam Maxwell was just too much for anyone to fathom.
It would only be a few more months before Alice, who was currently residing in Japan, arrived. If Scott had his information right, which was 99 percent of the time, then Alice was all American, having been born in this country nearly twenty-six years ago to a pair of American Caucasian parents. He remembered Scott said Alice's mother had divorced her biological father when she was three years old and migrated to Japan due to her job. Although James suspected it probably had something to do with more than just the woman's job.
There in Japan, Scott had continued the tale while they'd been drinking last night during one of their weekly catch-up sessions. The woman met with Mr. Ota, and as one might say, the rest was history.
Scott continued that Alice also happened to have a younger half-sibling named Yuki Ota, who was half-Japanese and half-American, and this sibling would be migrating to America as well, along with Alice.
Fuck! No matter how one looked at this, as Eric had stated, it sounded like a fucking mail-order bride situation. This one was also attached with a sibling in the contract.
Like Scott had said while Eric was half-drunk, "There's nothing we can do about it. We just have to go with the flow like always."
Go with the flow, James thought as Aria led him around the corner. He and his brothers had always done that where their notorious father Liam Maxwell was concerned, such as with his early retirement as CEO from their multibillion-dollar hotel, resort, and casino chain operation as well as his leading role as the big boss in the underground market of Las Vegas, both of which were now James's. Everyone knew when Liam made a decision, he wasn't going to change it. That was why it was best to go with the flow where Liam was concerned, whether it is in regard to business or personal matters. Eric should know that better than anyone else and not get involved. James himself wasn't stupid and neither was Scott. The more they thought about the whole situation, the fishier it smelled.
The suspicion was rooted in Scott, who had revealed it was tough shit trying to dig up any dirt about Alice Ota. Fuck, it had taken him months and a whole lot of expensive resources just to find out what her name was. It was as if someone powerful were covering her background and tracks. Why? What the fuck for? She was just a normal citizen, wasn't she?
The second thing that raised a very suspicious red flag was their father had regularly disappeared off to Japan like it was his fucking second home. In the past, it had been once every year. Recently, that routine had changed to something like once every other month. Not to mention the trips lasted longer every time. Since James himself had returned to LA two weeks ago, their father had hastily left for Japan again. This time he had gruffly informed them he'd be returning with Alice, which would be in a month's time.
On the surface, this all seemed to make sense. He was visiting his beloved future bride and would be helping her prepare for the move. But why the hell take a bunch of highly trained, ruthless bodyguards? Furthermore, when he had returned to America, it was without them. That was fucking fishy.
Fuck! James wouldn't be surprised if this whole new bride thing turned out to be something entirely different. The best they could do now was to wait and see when their father returned. Hopefully, Eric would stay put and behave himself for the duration of the forthcoming month.
Thinking about his family's situation hurt his brain like a bitch. Because he knew shit was going to hit the fan when their father returned with Alice and her younger sibling Yuki, who they'd presumed to be a teenaged boy, he tried not to get too involved. He had his own shit to worry about. More specifically, shit in regard to Herbert Weston, Mia's bastard of an uncle.
Herbert had somehow disappeared from his radar, even with his men working on the case, tracking the blasted man's every move. The last time Cole, one of his best men, reported Hebert's whereabouts, he'd been in LA. And fuck, James could hardly believe this, but the man had been sighted at the same shopping mall where he and Mia had made a pit stop two weeks ago after they had landed in LA. The thought that the disgusting man might have seen Mia that day made him feel sick to his stomach.
James was a very protective man when it came to something he considered his, especially when that was a woman he had strong feelings for. As a precaution, he had increased security around the house and even gone as far as enlisting a bodyguard to watch over Mia whenever she happened to step outside the house, which, thank God, hadn't been that often.
He hated it. He hated the fact he didn't know what that fuckhead of a bastard Herbert Weston was up to. Whether he had in fact seen Mia that day, and if he had, then had he been stalking her all this time? If that were true, it should have been easy for his men to spot the man, but so far, they'd seen no one suspicious.
He switched his thoughts to the woman who had always been foremost on his mind. Thinking about her made him smile. Fuck, thinking about her made his cock hard. This James decided to blame on their abstinence, not the fact that he was having fucking deep feelings for her and he was obsessed with her.
For these past few weeks, he'd been going with the flow where she was concerned. In fact, he'd barely had the opportunity to kiss her, and it was driving him insane.
He knew their timing was all wrong, and Mia had her apprehension where Aria's innocence was concerned. Not to mention their relationship, which was unconventional at best. But hell, that didn't mean he had to go without tasting her.
Fuck! But he missed kissing her and fucking her until she was breathless and he was completely mindless.
James licked his lips, inadvertently tasting his mistress's sweetness. Instantly his blood ran hot with lust. Fuck, oh fuck! Tonight. He'd take her tonight, because he knew he couldn't hold on much longer without tasting every inch of her and driving his hardened cock into the deepest part of her.
Chapter 4
James
Once he was in Aria's bedroom, James concentrated on helping his daughter choose her wardrobe for the day, not that he was any good at it. He didn't quite understand little girls' tastes, not like he understood women's fashion. He personally appreciated a woman's body, Mia's especially. And buying garments to fit that beautiful figure was a pleasure. His mistress might not know it, but she suited most clothing he bought for her. Seeing her wearing what he'd chosen made his heart glow with delight. Not that he had any qualms about ripping the expensive material to pieces simply to get his hands on her naked body either. It was thrilling and so fucking satisfying as he worked his way through what was keeping him away from what he desired most--the smooth, sensuality of her skin.
He had just finished going through the wardrobe with his daughter when Sophie appeared, having finished drawing a bath for Aria. James noticed her shy smile, which was directed at him, and her nervous movements as she came over and ushered Aria away into the bathroom. He didn't miss the fact that the woman was giving him sidelong looks either.
James wasn't stupid. Sophie was personally interested in him. Sure, he'd always appreciated her breathtakingly beautiful face and gorgeous figure,
but there was nothing in the woman that sparked his interest. There were no raw thrills that coursed hot in his veins. Not like when he looked at Mia.
Mia, James thought with a dark smile, made the blood in his veins erupt in excitement and stirred his cock into life. She was deeply sincere, fucking innocent, and beautifully refreshing. She had depth. She had substance. She was what he wanted in a woman.
Sophie? When did he start to realize she was just... superficial? There was nothing sincere about her, as if there were no depth or substance to her, as if she were merely a one-dimensional person.
When did he start to suspect she wasn't all perfect? That she might have an underlying agenda?
Fuck! He was a notorious businessman, and sizing up his competitors' true intentions had always been his instinct. But with Sophie, how the hell did he miss the fact that she had more than just looking after Aria in mind?
Thinking back, it had been the day he and Mia had returned to LA that started it off. It was when Mia had unthinkingly told him Aria had lost her cell phone only to find it again in his bedroom. Flicking through his mind, the timing was right, which was why he hadn't been able to get through to Aria and only to encounter Sophie receiving the call.
What was her purpose? Fuck! But surely the woman was dangerously playing with fire.
His mind flashed back to that day he had confronted her about the incident. Of course she had denied any responsibility for the unusual incident and, in fact, had firmly told him in an arrogant manner that he was jumping to conclusions and it was probably another staff member who had done it.
When he'd challenged her about the timing, which fit perfectly, she became flustered and nervous. It had been then he'd placed a warning on her. He doubted she was pleased with the fact that if she were to again overstep her boundaries where Aria was concerned, he had no choice but to let her go.
In the end, the woman sincerely apologized if she had caused any trouble and would ensure nothing of the sort would ever happen again. Though she stuck with her innocence where intercepting Aria's cell phone was concerned.