Chapter 4
Theo
After ravishing Mia’s curvy body, I took one more look at her beautiful round ass and then turned her around to face me. Mia’s body trembled in my arms as I held her. Kissing her softly on the lips, the shock that the Picto-famous girl I’d been fantasizing about was in my arms still hadn’t worn off. She was right here with me in the flesh!
My assumption that Anonimo was a bored pimply faced kid couldn’t have been more wrong. Anonimo was a gorgeous woman named Mia Smith.
The woman looked up at me bashfully. “That was…” She stumbled over her words. “That was my first time.”
“I know,” I growled, blue eyes seizing that beautiful caramel gaze. “Why didn’t you say?”
She took a deep breath as if mustering her courage. Those slim shoulders straightened before the brunette looked me square in the eye.
“Most men don’t want a curvy girl,” she said in a low voice. “I’ve got a lot everywhere, and a lot guys don’t want that.”
I sort of knew what she meant. After all, so many models and actresses are stick thin these days, barely filling out their clothes, but that’s where it stopped. I’d dated a lot of these ladies, and it was no fun with them in bed. Instead, sharp hip bones and elbows seemed to jab everywhere all the time, making what was supposed to be an enjoyable situation painful.
So I shook my head.
“Naw honey, you’re beautiful. I love the extra poundage. Don’t you know?” I cocked my head curiously at the girl. “You’re famous because you’re gorgeous, thousands of people have liked your pic. Otherwise, why would they do that?”
Mia bit her lip, looking away.
“I don’t know,” she said hesitantly. “It was one of those things that just spun into more and more, without any real reason. Plus, my friend got me from a good angle,” she said with a shy smile. “So maybe that’s it.”
My head shook, voice deep.
“Naw sweetheart. I’ve seen you from every angle now, and you’re a goddess hands down. It’s not the camera, it’s you.”
A smile beamed from her lips, lighting my soul from within.
“Thank you,” came that soft voice. “I appreciate it, Theo.”
And we just looked at each other for a few minutes then. What the hell was going on? We were supposedly mortal enemies, trading in each other’s online images. Yet now, we were a tangle of naked, sticky limbs, my cock still coated in her fragrant female juices.
It felt right, being here with this Mia Smith. Yes, she was Anonimo as well, but it felt one hundred percent on point to be locked in an embrace with the curvy girl.
With one fell swoop, I scooped her up in my arms, making her giggle breathlessly.
“Where are we going?” she panted.
“We can’t cuddle on the couch, can we?” Looking down at my plush Italian leather sofa, I reasoned we very well could, but since it’d been a special night, the least I could do was take her to a proper bed for canoodling and pillow talk.
I carried her to my bedroom and laid her down gently on my bed. My room had a simple color palette: black with a rare splash of bright blue in choice places. Several interior designers had helped me to get the dark cozy cavern look and feel just right because sleep was a battle for me every night. The little noises that I grew up with while sharing my space with a room full of other boys used to lull me into a trance. And now, as an adult, my room needed to be completely dark with top of the line blackout curtains, a noise machine, and three fans continuously blowing to mimic that same kind of safe feeling.
I climbed into bed completely in awe of this gorgeous creature next to me. Not only was she ridiculously beautiful with a slamming curvy body, but this woman was a skilled programmer to boot. Mia had managed to infiltrate my cloud storage, retrieve naked photos of me, and then break into Pictogram’s airtight security to post those photos.
It was impressive. Reminded me of myself in my early days in fact.
Sure. I’d initially been pissed, but wrapping my arms around that warm soft body, how could I be truly angry? Mia was genius. A rare breed. And she’d just come beautifully, melting around my huge pole like second nature. It was a meeting of the minds, as well as bodies, and that’s a rare thing in my world because usually, the girls are pretty but airheaded. Or even worse, they have rocks for brains. It felt like you couldn’t get beauty and intelligence both these days.
Unless you were Mia Smith, aka Anonimo, aka a thorn in my side as well as the most intriguing woman to cross my path in ages.
Mia’s head rested on my chest. Nuzzling my nose into that long wavy brown hair, a sweet floral smell flooded my nostrils and calmed me. My eyes were getting heavy despite not turning on the noise machine or any of the three fans. Holy shit, was I feeling drowsy just holding her in my arms? How was that possible? I was usually a tense ball of nerves what with running my empire.
But this female did it for me. Running my fingers through her hair, I was resolved to get to the bottom of this mystery. After all, Mia had gone through an immense amount of trouble to stick it to my business. But why?
So I began slow, as if working with a nervous filly.
“I still don’t understand,” I said. “Why are you so angry over that photo? You look gorgeous in it.”
She took a deep breath, cuddling closer to my side. Oh shit, those breasts were so lush and soft, distracting me for a moment. But I forced myself to focus. Talk was important.
“I never wanted to be famous, Theo,” she began. “At least not Picto-famous. Or any kind of famous, for that matter.” She looked up at me earnestly. “I’m a private person. And my bra’s plastered everywhere,” she said, making a wry face. “Plus, my mom called me absolutely furious. She said she almost had a stroke seeing her daughter half-naked flicking someone off on a billboard in my hometown.”
She peeked upwards at my expression.
I admit, I was trying not to smile.
“We’re Catholic. Mom said the Church Ladies Group at Saint Joseph is praying for me, as if that’s going to make a difference.”
I grimaced with a laugh. “Yikes! Don’t worry, honey, it’ll all blow over.” Of course, I didn’t exactly know. Being an orphan, I never had to consider any of my actions and what my parents would think about them. There was no fear of disappointing anyone but myself, but it was obvious how my orgy photos going public would cause a stir.
The brunette looked up at the ceiling while absently stroking my arm.
“It bothers me that this could happen to anyone. Pictogram sold my image to Mark Janow because Pictogram users have no rights. Do you think that’s fair? Including it in the fine print of the Terms of Service without really telling your users?”
I growled with conviction, meeting her eyes. “Yes. I think it’s fair. Just about as fair as anything else in life. Certainly, many circumstances in my life could be seen as unfair, but there’s no point in dwelling on that. You take the opportunities that come to you, just like what’s happened lately.”
Because I used to live my life thinking about all the hundreds of things that weren’t fair too. But the minute I stopped feeling sorry for myself, my life exploded in a number of different ways. I could see opportunities that were closed off before. I could use my energy wisely, going in directions that previously seemed impossible. So while yes, there was fair and unfair, everything worked out in the end. It was all about re-setting yourself mentally to make the most of your God-given talents.
And it seemed this girl understood, her chin nodding with understanding, but then she pursed her lips again.
“Yes, but…I mean, don’t you care about your users? People who love your app?”
That was an easy answer.
“I do. They’ve made me a billionaire, but they all agree to the user policies before they upload a single photo. Legal put it all together.”
Mia shook her head slowly, still thinking.
“I see what you mean, but technically, I didn’t agree to anything. My friend Jill uploaded my photo on her profile. I don’t even have an account.”
Understanding coursed through my conscience, but still, the ruthless ways I’d developed as a CEO took over.
“Do you want money?” I said roughly. “I can make it worth your while.” Maybe that would smooth things over. Because after finding Anonimo’s location, I cross referenced the address with the student directory and found Mia’s name. From there, I dug into her records and found her home address in Southern California. It wasn’t crazy hacker skills at all. It was just normal sleuthing that anyone could have done.
And I found out that Mia was from Carpinteria, a modest neighborhood in Southern California. Her mom Lindy worked as a hairdresser. With some extra digging, I found out the house had a second mortgage, and although the beautiful girl was on scholarship, extra money was likely much needed.
But Mia turned offended eyes to me then. “No. I don’t want money. I would never want to accept money that I haven’t truly earned,” she said tightly.
Respect coursed through me because so many people would have taken the bait. Who was this girl who actually wanted to work, instead of siphoning off my billions?
“That’s noble,” I said. “But look at it this way. Technically, you did earn it. It is your face and your bra,” I chuckled to lighten the mood.
Her brows drew down even as she turned over on her side. Spooning her curviness, I noticed how well our bodies fit together. She felt perfect in my arms.
But then her voice came, small and determined.
“True,” she acknowledged. “But I’m talking about real work. My mom is the epitome of a hard worker. She raised me all by herself to have the same work ethic and as a result, I’m a freak about school and take my classes very seriously.”
That was definitely true, seeing her hacking skills.
“From what I can assess from your handiwork, Anonimo, you don’t need a computer science degree. With your talent, you could land a job easily at any tech company right now,” I remarked ruefully, pulling that curvy form close.
Mia nodded. “I agree, but mom doesn’t see it like that. It just isn’t about money and getting a job. It’s the accomplishment of getting a college degree. She never got to get one herself, so for her, it’s about being the first in my family.”
She turned back around to face me, her expression earnest.
“She raised me to value integrity in my work and myself. Money and fame are not virtues. They’re just things and nothing more. I grew up poor, but I never felt like I needed anything because my mom gave me everything I could want.”
Her big brown eyes sparkled as she spoke. In a way, I understood where this woman was coming from. In the orphanage, we were all poor, but we had each other. And now, as a billionaire with all the money I could ever ask for, I was still searching. For what, I had no idea. It was ironic because after blowing my money on houses, cars, planes, and yachts, I’d begun to realize that the thing that I yearned for might not be something I couldn’t buy.
Mia traced a line down my abs with her finger softly. “All she wants for me is to be able to make a decent living and stand on my own two feet. Riches and fame don’t impress her. Hence, her reaction to the Mark Janow ad.”
I nodded. “I see. That makes sense.” I exhaled slowly feeling suddenly guilty. “I’m sorry that caused problems for you and your mom. Was she really mad?”
Mia laughed. “It’s okay. She’ll get over it. She did say despite being disappointed in me, I looked pretty. She was mostly upset about me flicking off the camera.” She gave me a squeeze. “She’ll get over it soon. We can’t stay mad at each other for too long. She’s my best friend.”
If I had known my parents, I wondered what kind of relationship we would have had. Would we have been close? Doubtful. They didn’t even want to be my parents in the first place, after all. I was an orphan for a reason.
Curious, I asked, “What about your dad?”
Mia’s body tensed at the question. “I don’t know. Never met him. Not even once.”
I kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Does it bother you?”
Mia nuzzled her head on my chest. “No. Not really.” She paused. “Well, maybe sometimes? Mostly on Father’s Day. You know, the one holiday where I am reminded that I don’t have a dad, but in general, no. I’ve been happy with just my mom.”
Something I knew about all too well. Mother’s Day. Father’s Day. Grandparent’s Day. Even Distant Relative’s Day would be a drag, seeing that I had no one.
Twirling a strand of her hair around my finger, I said, “What if I offered you a job?”
Mia giggled, “Then, this is a highly inappropriate interview seeing that we’re currently like this,” she said, gesturing to our entwined bodies. But it looked exactly right to me, her softness complementing my hardness, every angle fitting perfectly like puzzle pieces.
“Very inappropriate, but so amazing.” I cupped her chin in my hand kissing her luscious lips. “Seriously, I’d like to offer you a job. We obviously need help strengthening our security measures.”
Mia winced, “I couldn’t. I’m in school right now.”
I broke in, “You can work as much or as little as you want. It’s up to you. I can arrange it so you get school credit.”
She gave me a charming smile. “You can?”
Shrugging, I asked, “What’s the name of the new computer science lab on campus?”
Mia laughed and said in a saucy voice, “The Theodore Wainwright Lab.”
I lightly touched her nose. “Exactly! I can arrange for you to get credit for working for me. How does that sound?”
Mia blew a raspberry, frowning a little. “I don’t know. My schedule is so busy right now. It would be a pain for me to ride BART all the way to Mountain View.”
Cupping my hands around her round ass, I gave her an encouraging squeeze.
“Why would you have to ride BART, sweetheart?”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “I don’t have a car. Duh, most students don’t. We’re impoverished peasants, remember?”
I squeezed her ass and jiggled it with my hands. Fuck. This was an ass sculpted by the gods. But public transportation wasn’t going to keep me from the curvy girl, not when it was something easily solved.
“I can arrange transportation for you. No problem,” I said.
Mia sighed, her eyes dancing with amusement.
“I hear you, Theo, because nothing gets in the way of the billionaire. But can I think about it?” she asked softly. “This is a lot to swallow at once, to say the least. I mean you kidnapped me, we’re supposed to hate each other, and now, we’re like this?” she asked ruefully as I squeezed that luscious rump again, hard.
But suddenly, those beautiful chocolate eyes opened in alarm looking at the windows covered in blackout curtains. “Speaking of class, holy cow. It’s so dark in here. What time is it?”
Picking up my Cartier watch on the nightstand, I replied, “Almost 8:30. Why?”
The girl bolted upright. “I’m going to miss class. I have to go,” she said.
That made me laugh. Reaching for the curvy girl, I tried to pull her back into bed. “Class? Really? Can’t you skip it just for today? For me?” Wow, was that wheedling voice mine? Was I actually begging a woman to stay in bed? Usually, it was the opposite. I always left them high and dry and not the other way around.
But somehow, everything with Mia’s turned on its head with the enemies to friends dynamic. The way I was on my back foot with the luscious student driving the car. The way that I, the billionaire, was letting a penniless girl wrap me around her finger.
And the reason why I was entranced became clear because the brunette pulled back, eyes determined.
“No,” she said firmly. “I just told you how I’m the first in my family to go to college. I can’t let my mom down. I can’t let my lab partner down. I can’t let myself down, most of all, and give up on my education for nothing.”
And I had to respect that. Because education is an investment in yourself, and who was I to stop her from improving her skills? So I watched as she scrambled out of the bedroom. Her ass jiggled deliciously as she hurried out, tempting me even more.
But within minutes, the woman was back, dressed in her tank top and drawstring pajama pants, incredibly fresh faced and beautiful. Brown curls fell down around her shoulders, and understandably, all I wanted to do was take a fistful of that hair and bend her over again.
Mia smiled wryly in my direction.
“Looks like when you kidnapped me, you forgot to let me get my shoes.”
I laughed looking at her bright red painted toes. “Noted. Next time, I kidnap you, I will let you bring footwear.”
She flipped her hair back off her neck. “There’s going to be a next time?” her voice came, casual but imbued with urgency. I could read her nervousness, and it was sweet.
Climbing out of bed, I swept her into my arms once more, planting a kiss on her lips.
“Maybe.”
She giggled, seeing right through me.
“Okay, but can you do me a favor?”
Breathing deep, I inhaled that lovely flowery smell. Honestly, anything at that moment was possible. I would have helped her with her homework, cancelled all her classes, even talked to her mom. Anything to get Mia to stay. But it was too soon for all that, so I shot her a wry smile.
“Sure, what’s up honey?”
She smiled right back, making my heart seize.
“Can you order me an Uber?”
“Can you do me a favor?” I retorted.
“Anything. Well, within reason,” she laughed.
“Will you please consider working for Pictogram?” I pleaded. “We need someone like you, Mia. Someone talented with brains to spare. Someone quick on her feet who can see through the tangled web of programming.”
And she smiled then before blushing. My heart contracted again involuntarily, breath growing short.
“I’ll think about it, Theo,” she said shyly. “But I need to get to class now. Even dressed like this,” she said ruefully. “Now order me that car, big guy. Surely you can do that,” she teased.
And oh shit, but this woman had me wrapped around her little finger. Because like a servant, I pulled out my cell and began fiddling with a ride-sharing app, dialing up a limo for service. Who had I become? Usually, there are people at my every beck and call, catering to my whims. But with Mia, everything was different. I was begging her to come work for Pictogram. Begging her to stay in bed, chatting about nothing. Begging her to share more of that luscious body while moaning sweetly beneath me. And because the CEO always gets what he wants, Mia was going to be mine …and that was that.