She may not have liked the plan he concocted with Shane, but she’d fallen for him hard. Mia didn’t normally give her heart lightly; hence, why she’d remained single for so long. Cody was different; handsome, funny, and with a hot body.
Now she’d have to face him again. Was she strong enough? Or would she melt as she looked into those pale-blue eyes of his?
“Time will tell, I guess,” she muttered, opening her apartment’s door.
“Mia, Mia I hate to trouble you, but your rent’s late,” an elderly woman’s voice shouted.
Mia turned to see Mrs. Stanley, her landlady hurrying toward her.
“Really? Goddamn it. I thought I paid it Mrs. Stanley.” Mia smiled. She liked her landlady; she’d always been kind to Mia and fair.
“No dear you haven’t; I’m so sorry to bother to you as I know you’ve just come home from work,” Mrs. Stanley replied.
“It’s fine, Mrs. Stanley, honestly, I’m so sorry I forgot. I really thought I’d already paid. Just let me put my purse indoors, and I’ll grab my wallet,” Mia said going into her apartment.
She threw her purse down and hunted around for her wallet; luckily, there was enough cash to pay Mrs. Stanley, and she went away with a smile on her face.
Mia had lived in the apartment for a while now. She didn’t really see many of the other tenants, but the building seemed to be safe, and Mia was happy enough living there. It was only a short bus ride to downtown Vancouver where she worked.
“What a shit day!” she muttered into her empty apartment. Her mind was racing, and as much as she wasn’t looking forward to the trip to Banff, part of her was excited about seeing Cody once again. It was as though she needed to work him out of her system. Mia had considered contacting him but had always convinced herself to leave him alone.
He’d not attempted to get in touch with her so what was the point?
She flicked on her laptop and put a TV dinner in the oven; Mia would often cook for herself, but tonight there was packing to do so the TV dinner won over all other options.
Making a coffee, she smiled to herself as she thought about the person she was going to contact on the laptop, Eliza. The girls had remained in touch and become good mates. They’d often chat via Facebook and Skype.
“Let’s try and get you on Skype girl!” Mia whispered; she was always muttering to herself and simply put it down to living alone.
She called Eliza from her small contacts list, and within minutes, the girls were chatting happily.
“Hey, what the fuck did you do to your hair now?” Mia giggled, the 16-year-old had changed her hair color at least half-a-dozen times since Thrill Seekers and was now sporting red hair. She’d kept the cute pixie style and all the facial piercings.
“You like? Dwayne’s new nickname for me is now Firecracker!” Eliza laughed.
“It’s so cool, really suits you, how are you?” Mia asked, sipping her coffee.
“All’s good here. How about you?”
“Shit day. Guess what?”
“What? Spill!” Eliza asked excitedly.
“I’m going back to Thrill Seekers tomorrow,” Mia said quietly as though she didn’t want anyone else to hear the news.
“Shut-up you’re not, are you?”
Mia nodded her head slowly, “Sure am. Stuart wants me to report on Cody’s apparent partnership with Doctor Robert Gregory.”
“Yeah, I heard something about that, not sure where I heard it, but I did.”
Mia hadn’t even spilled the beans to Eliza about the plan Cody and Shane invented; Eliza simply thought Mia and Cody had a row, and Mia left for home quickly.
“So I’m off in the morning, wish me luck.”
“Hey, you’ll be cool. You’re Mia, the great journalist; just remember to keep Cody in check. Have you guys been in touch? Does he know you’ll be there tomorrow?”
“Nope. Well, I’ve not told him, but I guess my company may have informed him cos I’ll be staying there.” She hadn’t actually thought about this until she just mentioned it to Eliza and was hoping for the upper hand and element of surprise with Cody tomorrow.
“Wish I could be with you for moral support, Mia.”
“Me too, but you’ve got high school, I’ll keep in touch, girl.”
“Yeah, you better or I’ll kick your ass!” Eliza laughed. She lived in Gastown, which being situated in the Northeast region of downtown Vancouver was within reachable distance from Mia’s work. They’d often meet up for a coffee and a chat. Eliza and Dwayne had stayed together and always seemed happy; this pleased Mia, as she liked Dwayne.
“Right, I’m signing off cos I better get packed. Be good, and I’ll catch you later.”
“You be good, and don’t let that hot Cody get to you, okay?”
“I won’t. I’m over him Eliza; it’s all good.”
Mia turned the laptop off and thought about her words to Eliza. Was she over him? Were they ever a thing anyhow? She decided not to ponder about it too much and ate her dinner, packed, and fell into bed where she was troubled with images of Stuart groping her pert naked breasts.
Why can’t I imagine Cody caressing my sweetly curved mounds and gently capturing my erect nipples between his soft lips, instead of Stuart and his sweaty, groping hands?
9. Chapter Nine
The alarm clock’s shrill ringing awoke Mia, and as she glanced at the time, she groaned as the red illuminated numbers read 5 a.m.
God, I need a shower; all those thoughts of Stuart touching me make me feel dirty. If Izzy was happy to let him grope her eager and heavy breasts, then that was her choice; there was no way on earth Mia was doing the same.
She’d packed the night before: throwing a complete mixture of clothing into her bright yellow travel trolley; it’d been a gift from her folks. Their idea was that it’d stand out on the luggage carousel if she flew to any destinations; yep, they weren’t wrong there!
Mia had packed Capri pants, shorts, a dress, and jeans. Sexy tops, casual tops, and smart tops. She’d no idea why the sexy tops had gone in, but they had; in the back of her mind, Mia was still trying to impress Cody. She knew this; she just didn’t like admitting it, not even to herself.
She’d even squeezed a pair of sexy high-heeled strappy sandals in. God knows why as I can barely walk in the stupid friggin things.
She was traveling by a Greyhound bus to Banff because even though she’d negotiated a deal through Stuart for an all-expenses paid trip, they wouldn’t bend on paying for an air ticket. Mia hadn’t wanted to push for too much so had accepted the bus ticket graciously while secretly dreading the 18-hour long bus ride.
Mia showered then ate a hurried breakfast before running out the door pulling her bright yellow trolley behind her. She was dressed in a pair of cropped skinny-fit jeans in a faded blue denim shade with a pale red vest top. Her black hair was in a tidy plait, and her makeup was minimal due to the ungodly hour of day. She figured she could always apply a quick touch of makeup in a bus station along the way somewhere. Her journey would include overnight travel, so really what was the point of putting on makeup prior to going anyhow?
She caught a taxi-cab to the Pacific Central bus station; her bus was due to leave at 7 a.m., and she’d plenty of time to spare.
Great kids, kids and yet more screaming kids. Some quiet journey this will be!
Luckily, Mia found herself seated next to an elderly man who was reasonably quiet; they exchanged small talk for a while then Mia found her earphones and lost herself to the dulcet tones of Taylor Swift; for some reason she found herself feeling decidedly girly right now.
The journey was long and boring, but she did find time to create a plan in her mind about how to approach Cody.
Head-on was her game-plan: no fussing around being polite.
I mean you were hardly friggin polite to me when we first met, were you?
Mia managed to catch some sleep although it was broken by bouts of very loud snoring from her seating companion.
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After an arduous 18 hours, the bus pulled into the KWT bus terminal in Banff; the time was now 1 a.m., and Mia was exhausted. She made her way to the restroom pulling her trolley behind her.
“Good God, girl you look like shit!” she exclaimed, looking into the sparkling clean mirror on the wall.
No point bothering with any makeup, it’s friggin 1 a.m., but then what if Cody’s up to see me in? Really? does it matter? You’re not there to impress him, and do you even care what he thinks anyhow?
Mia tried to reason with the little voice in her head telling herself that she always liked to look good and that it was a pride thing. She knew the real reason and tried to deny it, even to herself. She wanted to look good for Cody, and she did care what he thought.
She searched in her trolley finding her makeup bag. Just applying a simple coat of mascara made her feel instantly better.
Mia shivered. It was friggin cold; even though it was toward the end of July, the nights were still chilly. She hunted through her clothes until she found her warm cuddly black hoodie top and sighed as she felt the warm embrace of the soft material caressing her bare arms and shoulders.
Checking her cell, she noticed a text message from Stuart, ‘Mia yr room will be ready for u & Cody insists on meeting u when u arrive, sorry it’s prob not what u want.’
No shit, Stuart!
“So why you smiling?” she mumbled cursing her weakness under her breath. She hated the way he got to her, the way he crept under her soft skin and into her head. He’d become her weakness. She needed to stay strong and in control.
Why insist on meeting me? All this time no call, no text, no nothing. It’s been as though I don’t even exist, but now I’m back here, you insist on meeting me.
Mia was going to leave her makeup at just the mascara, but as soon as she discovered Cody’s intentions, she reached into her make-up bag again and pulled out a bright red lipstick. She was so confused by the way he made her feel; she shouldn’t give a shit what he thought about her, but she did.
Her long plait had survived the bus journey, and as she glanced at her reflection now, she smiled, that’s better, girl.
Jumping into a taxi-cab, she felt in control once again, funny how a coat of bright red lipstick made you feel powerful.
“Thrill Seekers Adventure Center please,” she said to the driver as he helped her into the back of the car with her trolley.
“No problem, miss,” the driver said, setting the meter.
Mia began to relax.
Peering out of the taxi cab’s window, there was nothing to see but total darkness. Mia craned her slim neck and put her cute button nose against the cold glass to look up at the star-studded night’s sky. It was beautiful with a myriad of twinkling lights.
So romantic, if only there were someone special to share the view with.
Mia sighed softly as she pushed her earphones into her ears and listened to Nickelback. She drifted off to a peaceful place, with just her and Cody. See there you are again you bastard, hijacking my personal thoughts and sharing my romantic moment.
It didn’t take long to reach the center as the traffic was quiet in the early hours.
“Here we go, miss, is someone meeting you?” the driver asked, taking Mia’s money.
“Yes, they’re supposed to be,” she replied, removing her earphones.
“Ah, here you go, the main guy himself, Mr. Cody Wilson,” the driver said as Cody approached the car.
“Terrific, here we go. You’ve got this girl,” Mia mumbled, taking her change and thanking the driver.
Cody stretched out a hand to take her trolley for her, but Mia claimed it first and began walking toward the center.
“Mia wait!” Cody shouted after her.
“Wait, wait for what exactly, Cody? I’ve waited since the day I left here nearly a year ago for word from you, and guess what? Nothing,” Mia snapped, stopping abruptly.
“You could’ve contacted me, Mia; it works both ways.”
“Oh really? You did the wrong thing with Shane you jerk, and you didn’t even offer an explanation.”
Cody walked toward her now, his strong legs covering the ground quickly. God, you’re so hot. “I tried the morning you stormed off, Mia; I tried to apologize, but you wouldn’t wait.”
“And you couldn’t text or call?”
“You made it clear you didn’t want to talk to me.”
“Jeez, you made such an effort, Cody, well done for that!” Mia turned sharply, picking her trolley handle up and pulling it behind her quickly.
The center doors were locked, so she waited in front of them for Cody to catch up.
“You look terrific by the way,” he said huskily as he unlocked the doors to let them in.
His compliment caught her totally off guard, and she smiled at him.
“Okay, this way; I’ll show you to your room. The company has paid for one of the best rooms for you, Mia,” he said, leading the way to the elevator. Mia enjoyed the sexy view ahead of her of his powerfully muscular frame and his tight buttocks. She’d almost forgotten just how sexy he was; almost, but not quite as she remembered the moments on her own when she’d thought about his body.
A small, naughty smile crossed her bright red lips as her green eyes absorbed every movement he made. He was only wearing a T-shirt, and when he opened the room’s door for her, she noticed the bunching muscles in his broad shoulders and the way his arms rippled with muscles.
Cody turned to look at her, and Mia felt her soft cheeks glowing; the cheeky smile on his handsome face showed that he’d caught her staring at him.
She lowered her gaze to the ground and started to walk toward the room, “Thank you, will I see you tomorrow?” stupid cow; honestly, talk about sounding desperate.
Cody looked surprised by her question and replied, “Of course, Mia: after all, how are we going to conduct an interview if we don’t see one another?”
“I didn’t think sorry, you’re right,” now she felt foolish. Entering the room, she turned once inside to see he’d followed her and was now standing by the door, “So I’ll catch you tomorrow; goodnight Cody.”
“Ummm Mia, can we talk for a minute?”
“Really, now? Can’t it wait until the morning? I’m so tired Cody,” she replied.
He looked awkward, “Now it’s my turn to apologize to you for not thinking. Of course you’ve had a long bus ride and must be exhausted, I’ll catch you tomorrow, Mia.”
He smiled at her, and she felt a pang of guilt for not talking to him now. Cody left, and the room fell silent.
Mia flopped on the soft bed and sighed. You’ve been here all of half an hour or so and already you’re letting him off the hook.
“Perhaps you wanna explain why you and Shane did what you did,” she mumbled, beginning to fall asleep.
By 5 a.m., Mia was fully awake: somewhere in-between falling asleep and now, she’d successfully managed to get changed into her pajamas, which was quite an achievement. She’d crashed for a couple of hours, but that was it as her mind was filled with Cody.
Damn you and all you stand for; here I am, trying to forget about you, and there you are, Mr. friggin perfect body and sexy eyes. How’s a girl ever meant to forget you or not want you?
Her room was certainly better than the one she’d stayed in previously at the center. The furniture was more modern, and the whole feel of the room was nicer.
Mia padded barefoot to the window and opened the curtains to be greeted by a dry morning just being joined by the bright sunshine. She could see why so many people moved to the province of Alberta and especially to such beautiful locations such as Banff.
She stretched her arms above her head and yawned; her satin camisole pajama top rose up revealing Mia’s smoother than silk skin. Mia knew that the silky nakedness of her flat tummy was enough to turn most guys on; as she stretched further, the satin vest top lost its battle with gravity even more, and now the sweet curve of her pert breasts could just
be seen.
It was a chilly start to the day, and Mia smiled cheekily to herself as her arms now folded across her chest, and she felt her erect nipples through the thin satin material.
The pajama set comprised of the spaghetti strapped vest and the tiniest shorts ever seen; it was in a lovely peach color with a white lacy trim. Mia adored the way the satin felt against her warm as honey skin.
“Now what to wear today?” she muttered, walking back toward her trolley that was now lying down flat and flung open. “So how the heck did I manage to open you while half-asleep?” She smiled.
Her clothes were all in a heap inside the trolley, so it was obvious to Mia that she’d rummaged through in the early hours desperately searching for her elusive pajama set; could’ve just slept naked girl, would’ve been easier.
She shut the lid down and carefully lifted the trolley up on the bed, which being petite and only 5’4” was a challenge in itself. Her straight long black hair cascaded over her pale, slender shoulders and gently kissed her still erect nipples. She grimaced and screwed her button nose up with the effort of lifting her trolley, feeling the warmth of her exertion sweeping across her young face.
Mia hadn’t been informed that she’d be expected to join in with any of the activities this time at the center, so as far as she was concerned, she didn’t have to dress accordingly for adventure.
“Dress it is then!” mumbling under her breath, Mia pulled an exquisite pink and ivory floral dress from her trolley. The neckline was scooped, and the skirt was flared and short; a sleeveless skater-style dress with a tight-fitting bodice section. The dress said ‘fun’ but also showed off her tiny build: she truly looked like the quintessential petite young girl wearing it.
She laid her dress on the bed along with a pair of sexy low rise boy shorts in yellow lace and a deep plunge yellow lace bra.
Mia grabbed her washbag and headed for the shower; it was going to be a long day.
Interview with a Billionaire: Billionaire Romance Box Set Page 7