Controlled By The Billionaire

“I’m a grown woman, Blake. I need this opportunity. Besides, it’s not like I’m offering myself to him only for the album. He’s really sexy and I can’t help the way I feel about him. I’m probably crazy, but I think I have to do it. If I don’t I’ll always wonder what could have been.”

“Don’t be naïve, Mel. He just wants to use you. I know guys like this. I’ve dated guys like this. He’s a playboy and all he wants is s*x. When he’s had his fill he will be done with you.” Blake pointed her finger in Mel’s face as she spoke, trying to drive her point home.

Mel shrugged. “It’s my mistake to make.” She turned and walked away from Blake, leaving her standing in the supply closet with a dumbstruck look on her face.

The conversation with Blake helped Mel make her decision. She hoped it wasn’t the worst mistake of her life.

*****

Mel stared at the phone nervously. Two days and twenty hours later, she was going to call Tristan and except his offer; unless she passed out from nerves first. Taking a deep breath, Mel dialed his office number that was listed on the card he gave her. After the third ring she started to hang up, her finger hovering over the red button.

“Hello?” Tristan answered. His voice made Mel’s heard thunder in her chest.

“Hi, uh, Hello, Tristan. This is Mel Fairbanks.” She wasn’t sure what else to say so she waited for a response.

“Mel, how are you?” Tristan’s voice sounded distant, almost cold. Had he changed his mind?

“Uh, fine, thanks. I’m calling to talk about your offer.” Mel tried not to stutter over the words.

“Really? And what would you like to talk about?” Tristan was playing games with her again and it made her want to hang up the phone.

“Um, before I accept, I just want some more details…”

“Details? What kind of details?” Mel could hear a hint of a smile in his voice and it made her stomach clench. Why did he always do this?

Sighing with frustration, Mel jumped right in. “About this whole arrangement actually. I’m a bit confused on how this will work.” There, she said it and didn’t die.

“You’ll be available to me when I ask you to. In return, I will give you a record deal. I’ll have the papers drawn up for the label’s album offer later today if you’d like to proceed. I won’t make you sign anything about the other part of our deal. I’ll take it on your word.” Tristan’s voice was serious and Mel felt a shiver run down her back. That was the voice that made her panties wet.

“Okay. Then I’d like to accept. When can I sign the papers?”

They set up a time for the next day and Mel hung up, her stomach feeling giddy. This was really happening and she was terrified and excited all at the same time.

*****

Tristan watched Mel from the doorway of his office as she made her way down the hall towards him. Her red tank top and tight jeans hugged her body in all of the right places. Tristan shifted, his di*k getting hard. He imagined what she had on under those jeans and his di*k became rock solid. Cursing softly under his breath, Tristan turned, adjusting his pants again, and sat down at his desk. He never let a woman get to him like this and all of the alarms were going off in his head that making this deal with her was a bad idea. Tristan didn’t do relationships and he didn’t want one. Mel seemed very inexperienced and innocent, despite the dark lyrics in her song, and Tristan was hoping he wasn’t making a mistake by entering this deal with her. There was no plausible reason why this woman was inside of his head so much. Tristan trusted that once he had his fill of her, when their time ran its course, that he wouldn’t think about her again.

Running a hand over his face, Tristan looked up as the door to his office creaked open slowly. Mel popped her head in and smiled at him timidly.

“Come in,” Tristan grumbled, unhappy with himself for so many reasons.

Mel walked in and sat at a chair opposite his desk. Her dark brown eyes were wide and her silky brown hair was in a high ponytail. Tristan longed to release her hair and run his hands through it. Shaking his head, he pulled the paper work out from the manila folder without speaking to Mel again. He pushed it in front of her and motioned with his hand for her to read. Tristan didn’t want to talk. He wanted the paperwork out of the way so that he could bring Mel home. Tonight.

“Ok, all done reading. Where do I sign?” Mel said, her deep sexy voice making his pants tighten again.

Tristan pointed with his pen and Mel signed her name.

“Great.” He took the papers from her outstretched hand and placed them back into the envelope.

“So when do I start?” She asked beaming.

“Start?” She couldn’t possibly mean the other part of the deal.

“Yeah. Start recording.” She smiled again.

Recording. Of course she was wondering about that. Tristan frowned, unsure why the idea that she wasn’t happy about the other deal made him so irritated.

“I’ll schedule you for next week. I’ll need the music and lyrics for the songs you’ve written to preview in case we need to add a few more. But otherwise you should be able to start next week.” He said with a growl. Mel’s face fell a bit and the smile disappeared completely. She better get used to it. Tristan wasn’t a nice guy.

“Ok. Thanks.” Mel stood and turned towards the door to leave.

“Mel. One more thing.” She turned, confusion lighting her beautiful features. “I want you to be at my house tonight by eleven. Are you free?”

He saw her swallow, her mood visibly changing. Was that anxiety he saw flash across her face?

“I work until twelve but I can come over afterwards.”

“Great. I’ll have my driver waiting for you outside the bar.” Tristan dismissed her with a look and Mel hurried out the door, her face giving away just how unsure she was about their arrangement.

Tristan almost felt guilty until he remembered he never felt guilty. He learned that from the people who abandoned him when he was a child.

*****

Mel dialed Blake’s number as she walked out of the building and back to her car. This was happening too quickly. Nerves made her palms sweat and she had to wipe her phone on her shirt. She wasn’t Blake’s favorite person right now but she knew her friend would still listen.