Authors: Jan Bowles
He followed her up the stairs and along a narrow corridor on the seventh floor. Every door that they passed had TVs blaring and people arguing.
Finally they reached her apartment, and she let them in. She flicked a switch and light flooded the room, revealing a tidy if run-down interior. At first he thought she had a two-roomed apartment until he noticed the fold-up bed attached to the wall.
He looked at the woman who’d impressed him with newfound energy and hope. Her charm had seduced him into believing what he wanted to see. If she could do that knowing she lived in a place like this, then surely he had to help her out of this never-ending cycle of despair.
Trent remembered the note she’d left him. Her words,
“Really, I’m not worth it
,” surfaced in his brain. That night, she had been worth it. Working on instinct, he said, “You can’t stay here, Mia. This is no place for a woman like you.”
“But, Trent, where will I go?” She looked pale and fragile in the harsh light from the overhead bulb.
“I’ve plenty of room. You can stay with me until we can arrange something more suitable. You shouldn’t have to live like this.”
“I’ve really no way of paying you back.”
“Forget about the money. I just want to get you away from here.”
* * * *
Mia stared at the dramatic skyline of New York. Her life had suddenly taken on a new direction. A couple of hours ago, she would have been sitting alone in her rundown room in the Bronx. Now here she stood looking at the glittering lights in the luxurious surroundings of Trent’s penthouse apartment. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass. He’d given her a guest bedroom just down the hallway from his.
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself for comfort. It had all happened in a flash. Within a half hour, she’d packed her possessions into two large suitcases, and now here she was standing in his open-plan living room. How crazy was that?
There had been very few words exchanged between them since they’d arrived at Trent’s place. She knew full well that he was still annoyed by the deception. She glanced at the clock, it had just gone two in the morning and she couldn’t sleep. With all the thoughts rattling around in her head, it was virtually impossible.
What she would give to have that wonderful night she’d shared with Trent once more. It had been so magical. She caught her reflection in the large pane of glass and laughed nervously. What would Trent see in her now? Her clothes had seen better days. Even the nightdress she wore had frayed lace around the edges. She just didn’t fit in with her opulent surroundings, and she spoke out loud in Swedish, “You stupid girl,” echoing the sentiments of her ex boss, Monica Weston.
Still, at least she didn’t have to work in that oppressive dry cleaners anymore. No. Instead she owed Trent twenty thousand dollars. He’d said he didn’t want it back, but twenty-thousand dollars was a huge amount of money to just pay out on a whim. What would he want in return? Her body? She repeated her words out loud once more, “
Du dum flicka.
”
The sound of movement behind her made her whirl around. Trent stood by the large kitchen area in just a pair of jogging pants. His bare chest rippled as he moved, every muscle clearly defined.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He opened the fridge and pulled out a carton of milk. “Couldn’t sleep either, I guess.”
“It’s been quite a day.” She sighed.
“Would you like some?” he asked, taking a box of Cheerios from the cupboard. He shook some into a bowl, added a little milk, and then began spooning cereal to his mouth. He then sprawled onto the leather sofa.
Mia shook her head, feeling incredibly conspicuous in her tatty nightdress. She stared down at her bare feet and self-consciously curled her toes up. “I’ll leave you in peace,” she said as she began to walk from the room.
“No, stay. I’d like you to.” He patted the empty space beside him. “What were you saying to yourself just as I came in?”
“Oh?” She smiled as she sat down and folded her legs under her. “Just repeating something I heard today.”
“Which is?” he prompted.
“
Du dum flicka
.”
“What does that mean?” He looked confused. “I speak fluent French, German, and Italian, but sadly my grasp of the Swedish language is very shaky.”
“It means, you stupid girl.”
They both laughed, breaking the tension between them.
“Ah, I see you’re referring to that gorgon of an employer at Madam Monique’s. Well, rest assured, Mia, you’ll never have to go back there again.”
He finished his cereal and placed the empty bowl on the side table. When he turned back to her, his gaze took in every detail of her body. She knew her hardened nipples were clearly visible through the rather unflattering nightdress she wore. He smiled. “Now what are we going to do with you, Ms. Mia Johansson?”
“I don’t know. What would you suggest? I owe you twenty thousand dollars. I need to pay you back.”
“Please forget about the money. I already have. It’s worth every cent if I get to see your beautiful smile once more.”
“Do you mean that, Trent? I thought you were angry with me?”
“I’m only angry that you didn’t feel able to trust me with the truth.” He gently kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry if I came across as an insensitive bastard.”
Mia shook her head and wrung her hands nervously together. “Oh, no, Trent…” She paused trying to find the right words to explain how she felt about him. In the end she blurted everything out in a garbled rush. “You were so wonderful. I thought the evening would end badly, if I told you I was just a poor girl who worked in a dry cleaners.”
He tenderly brushed the hair from her eyes as he stared intently at her. “Ah, Mia, you underestimate yourself. If you had been wearing just rags, I would still have invited you home. You have a rare beauty that other women simply don’t possess, because it transcends your psyche, too. It was the first thing I noticed about you.”
Mia felt a warm glow spread through her body. Trent wasn’t angry with her anymore. In fact he actually liked her. As she stared into his eyes, a smile formed on her lips.
He stroked her cheek, grazing her mouth with his thumb. “That’s better. Your smile is worth a small fortune to me. Now, if you could do anything, what would you do?”
“Oh, that’s easy.” She rested her head back against the leather sofa and breathed in. Her dreams always made her feel at peace. She smiled. “I’d travel the whole world. I’d visit the seven wonders. There’s so much I want to see,” she sighed wistfully, “and as I travel, I’d seek out new artists and then showcase them in my very own gallery. I would discover the next Picasso, Renoir, and Van Gogh. They would be more than happy to display their work in my new studio…” She paused, almost breathless with excitement before continuing, “Of course, it would be
the
place to admire new talent. Everyone would want to pay a visit to Studio Utopia
,
with its young proprietor, Mia Johansson, from Sweden.”
Trent laughed. “I’m impressed, Mia. So you’ve even named your gallery?”
“Yes, it pleases me to think about it in great detail. It doesn’t matter if it never happens because I have lived it in here.” She tapped her temple with a finger. “Dreams are to be enjoyed, not feared.”
Trent stared at her for a moment, his amber eyes delving deep into her soul. He nodded and then smiled as his gaze swept over her. He placed an arm along the backrest and said, “Come a little closer, Mia.”
She rested against his side, her gaze drawn to his strong, muscular chest. “Yes, Trent, what is it?”
“I really like you, Mia, even if you did wear that dress when you shouldn’t have. You have an innocent charm about you that I find intoxicating.”
“I like you, too, Trent, I really do, and I’m sorry I caused you so much trouble.”
He squeezed her shoulder. “That’s okay. It just shows you have ideas, even if a little misguided.”
Mia had to agree. She hadn’t meant any harm, and the ripped Bellini was just an unfortunate accident.
“I’ve been thinking, Mia. Why don’t you stay here until you get back on your feet?”
“I couldn’t do that, Trent. I owe you so much already.”
“I’ve already said forget about the money. I really don’t want it back.”
“Oh, I’d have to insist on paying you back sometime. I don’t know when, but as soon as I can, I will.”
He shrugged. “Okay, when you can. In the meantime, stay here. You make me smile. So what do you say?”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”
“You wouldn’t be imposing, Mia. We could get to know each other a little better. If I asked you to share my bed tonight, would you?”
Just the thought of being in his arms again made the breath seize in her lungs. “Yes,” she answered truthfully.
He breathed in. “Here’s the rub, Mia. When it comes to sex, I need to be in control.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “I guess it’s something that’s been hard wired into me.” He smiled at her. “Now answer truthfully. Did it turn you on when I tied you to the bed last night?”
She felt a little embarrassed and could feel her cheeks burn with heat, before answering, “Yes, it was wonderful.” She liked Trent, and she liked the way he’d mastered her during sex. Truth be known, she couldn’t wait to be in his bed again, and it wasn’t just because she owed him a lot of money, either. She truly found him irresistible.
He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close so she snuggled against his warm, bare chest. He tenderly kissed her forehead. “I already knew that, Mia, but I guess I wanted to hear it from your own lips.” He stroked a hand into her hair. “So will you stay?”
When he looked at her like that, Mia felt her entire soul starting to melt. How could she resist his masculine charm and devil-may-care personality? “Yes.”
Chapter Ten
Trent relaxed as he carried her into his bedroom. Like a puff of smoke, the anger he’d felt toward Mia had disappeared. How could he remain angry with a woman who made his flesh and bones ache for her? He craved her with an intensity that both shocked and excited him.
He had already promised himself that he would make sure he set her on the path to achieve her ambitions. A woman like Mia deserved the very best.
In the meantime, they would both gain pleasure from each other’s company. Perhaps someone looking from the outside would think he was taking advantage, but he reasoned he knew Mia before any money had exchanged hands. All he’d done was just help her out of a crisis. He sat down on the bed and pulled her onto his lap so that she straddled his thighs. Already he could see her pupils dilate, and her breathing increase. Satisfaction coursed through him. He’d finally found someone who enjoyed sex just the way he did. He had an overwhelming desire to possess her, all of her, mind, body, and soul.
He rubbed his fingers over the frayed lace of her nightdress. From now on, it would be only the best for his little Mia. “This needs to go,” he murmured, ripping the garment at the neckline to expose her pert breasts.
A gasp left her lips as he tugged it down her shoulders, trapping her arms in the ruined garment.
“Trent, what will I wear now?”
He grinned. “For the moment, you don’t need to wear anything. Besides, a woman like you deserves better, much better.”
He held her chin and forced her to meet his gaze. “Now, little Mia, you are mine to do with as I please. Say it.”
She stared at him. With his hand cupping her chin, he felt her pulse rate accelerate. She licked her lips and then swallowed. “I’m yours, Trent, to do with as you please.” Her sexy Swedish accent had become more pronounced. It turned him on even more, and his cock lengthened and hardened beneath her.