Billionaire's Caress Read online

  Billionaire’s Caress

  Never Never Man Series

  (Book #2)

  By Sloan Storm

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.

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  The Next Release in the Serial

  May 20, 2015 - Billionaire's Trust (Never Never Man Series: Book #5 - Final Installment)

  GREY

  I won’t lie. I’ve had my fair share. Hell, who am I kidding?

  It’s not even worth discussing.

  And I’ll tell you, nine times out of ten, what starts out great usually fizzles almost as soon. Was Maddie any different? I sure as hell hoped so, but after the way we left things I had my doubts. While part of me was satisfied I’d gotten what I wanted, another part was leery and concerned I’d headed down a path with her that I hadn’t intended. Of course, the final outcome would depend on her decision, so to say I was curious about it would be putting it mildly.

  After showering and getting dressed, I headed through the large revolving brass doors of the hotel and into the bright-yellow morning sunlight of Southern California. Aside from the women, I wasn’t particularly fond of the area, but as the sun warmed my lobby-chilled skin, I could at least say I understood the appeal. A little breeze, palm trees swaying, the whole bit. Beautiful damn day. Squinting, I looked to my left as Armando approached and open the door to the limousine for me.

  Casting my gaze inside, I noticed two long, lean legs jutting out from the snug confines of a perfectly tight mini dress. I approached and as I did, Maddie leaned forward, gliding her nails along the leg closest to me until she reached her ankle. Hypnotized, I lingered as her fingertips stopped just above a black five inch heel to adjust a bracelet I’d never seen her wear.

  So that’s how she’s playing this? All right, then. Game on.

  Determined, I snapped my elbows, straightened my tie and headed inside. I entered the limo while Maddie returned her bent torso to an upright position. As she did, she casually brushed her hair to one side, exposing her neck and the rest of her ensemble to me.

  I think the fact we’d already been together made my first full look at her all the more difficult. The dress she wore hugged every single inch of her curves. Full tits, narrow waist and shapely hips, all there for the taking. She was the most utterly feminine thing I’d ever seen and I had half a mind to bypass whatever small talk we might muster and fuck her right there in the parking lot.

  Goddamn if my mouth didn’t water.

  “Good morning.” Maddie said, as I slid into the seat next to her.

  Placing my hands on my kneecaps, I smiled a bit and nodded at her but didn’t speak.

  “How did you sleep?” she purred. “Well, I hope?”

  “Like a baby,” I replied.

  As I spoke, her left hand snaked its way to the middle of my right thigh. With her fingers spread, she reached down towards the inside of my leg and began to make her way up the length of it. I felt my cock twitch and threaten to fully engorge if I didn’t put a halt to the proceedings. Reaching down, I swallowed the top of her hand with the palm of mine, stopping her in place. I turned to look at her and faced my final hurdle to overcoming an unbridled pre-flight romp.

  Her damn eyes.

  Those aquamarine beauties twinkled at me with clear intent. Pulling out all the stops, eons of evolution threw everything it had at me through her. Battling overwhelming urges, I sensed it wanted to bend me to its will, break me and put me under the spell of this slinky vixen, for good. I steeled my resolve, removed her hand from my thigh and with a bitter swallow placed it back in her lap.

  “I’m sorry,” she replied as she looked away. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

  Women. Now what?

  “Don’t worry about it,” I began with a nonchalant tone. “If I didn’t have to climb the stairs to my jet with a raging hard-on, I wouldn’t have cared. Bad timing is all.”

  As I finished, I turned to make eye contact with her and reinforce my point. She glanced back at me, a soft smile budding on her face.

  “Okay,” she replied. “Some other time then.”

  I nodded. After the way things ended last night, this sure as shit wasn’t the greeting I expected. Not that I minded, of course. But still, I had to get the subject off our private parts and onto a topic more palatable to the general public.

  “So, have you reached a decision?” I asked. I fully expected she’d come to her senses after that ridiculous outburst last night. She had it all wrong, but it’s hard to convince someone of something they don’t want to believe. Anyway, none of that mattered, I was sure she’d come around to my way of thinking.

  “Yes. I have. But, I have a counteroffer if you’re willing to listen.”

  I wrinkled my brow in surprise at her resourcefulness. A counteroffer, eh?

  “Sure,” I said with a smile. “Go ahead.”

  She spent the next few minutes explaining that while she appreciated my offer and wanted more than anything to grow her business with my help, she was uneasy giving up ownership.

  I get that.

  Exactly zero of all entrepreneurs want to part with a piece of their baby.

  I should clarify… they all start out that way.

  As time goes on and money runs short, which it always does, they change their tune. In the end, they pay a premium for my help because by the time they come back to me, I usually wind up with even more equity. It’s an unfortunate axiom for startups, a fundamental truth, and the equivalent of gravity in the business world. So I was willing to hear her out. But if it meant still investing without ownership, I’d need a pretty fair sweetener.

  Glancing at my watch, I nodded as she finished speaking.

  “Okay, well, we’re going to be at the jetport soon. What’s your proposal?”

  Maddie nodded as she summoned the confidence she needed to deliver her pitch.

  “All right, I’d like to have you loan me the money, instead.”

  I nodded. “A loan, huh? What are you gonna use for collateral? In your situation, the only way I’d consider it is if you had a book of receivables. I’d give you a loan against them but since you don’t have any clients aside from me, that isn’t possible.”

  Maddie nodded as a big grin came to her face. Smiling, she turned towards me and grasped my forearm with her hand. “But that’s where you’re mistaken. I do have clients.”

  “You do? Since when?”

  “Since this morning,” she said. Next she leaned away from me and with a look of surprise on her face, she continued, “What? Do you think you’re the only person I sent a proposal to when I started this whole thing? I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire.”

  I chuckled. That was cute. “Oh, do you now? Are you getting the money up front?”

  “No, I had to give them terms to get the deal. The only reason I got yours up front was…”

  I nodded. “… Katy. Right.” I had to admit she impressed me, yet again. As the limo pulled onto the tarmac, I continued, “So you got these on your own, huh?”

  “Ye
p.”

  “Okay, what are the terms on your deals?”

  “Net 60.”

  The brakes on the vehicle whistled as the car stopped in front of my jet.

  “Yeah, okay,” I began. “Tell you what… send me the details of the contracts you’ve landed. If they’re big enough, I’d be willing to help you with a loan.”

  Her eyes widened and she leapt across the seat, hugging me.

  “Oh thank you!” she squeaked. Leaning away from me, she pulled her hair behind her ears. “And I promise, I won’t let you down.”

  MADDIE

  Armando opened the door and as he did a rush of wind carrying the sweet smell of jet fuel spilled inside the limo.

  Grey looked at me and smiled. “Okay, I need to get going.”

  Returning his smile, I sat up, slipped my hand behind his neck and pressed my lips against his. We kissed for several seconds, while in the background the steady whine of jet engines served as an irritating reminder this would be the last time we’d be together for a while.

  When at last his lips separated from mine, Grey straightened his tie and said, “Oh yes, I forgot to mention something to you… about the arrangement.”

  Still in a haze from his kiss and only half-listening, I nodded. “Okay?”

  “I’ve instructed Armando to take you to Beverly Hills or Bel Air to find an apartment to live in. Those are the areas I’d prefer.”

  I shook my head, not sure I’d understood what he meant. “Wait, so you want me to find an apartment for you to stay in when you come to LA?”

  “No,” he replied, expressionless. “It’s for you. You’ll be moving but yes, when I return, I’ll stay there as well.”

  My palms went clammy and grabbing the edge of the car seat, I pushed myself into an upright, attentive position.

  “I’ll be moving?” I scoffed. “Why would I do that and why do you think you get to command me to do so? I like living with Katy. She’s my best friend.”

  “Because I say so. That’s part of the deal. To handle high end clientele, you need to live a lifestyle congruent with it.” With a dismissive wave of his hand, he continued, “Your current living situation is untenable. Think of it as a last minute addendum. One that’s non-negotiable.”

  My mind clouded. “But Grey, I can’t possibly afford… ”

  “You don’t have to,” he began, cutting me off. “I’ll pay for it. It’s not part of what you’ll owe me.”

  Finishing his thought, he leaned over and kissed me on the cheek.

  “Congratulations again. I’m looking forward to a long relationship with you. I’ll be in touch once I get the receivables we discussed.”

  Dumbfounded, I sat slack-jawed as he climbed out of the backseat and disappeared into the mid-morning glare. The limo door slammed shut and before I realized it, he was gone. The only trace of him remaining was a fleeting hint of his cologne. Ten minutes later, the glass divider in the rear of the limo hissed as it rolled down. Armando glanced at me in the rear view mirror.

  “Miss Olsen?” he began. “Are you ready to go apartment hunting now?”

  Still bewildered and pondering the meaning of this new ‘wrinkle’ in my ever changing business agreement with Grey, I looked up in Armando’s direction.

  “No, I… I’d like to go to my apartment first. I need to take care of something.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  The window whistled shut, leaving me alone with my thoughts. Unfortunately, they were of little assistance. I was out of my element, playing a game with someone who seemed to be not only a step ahead but twenty. And to make matters worse, I didn’t even realize it until now.

  I entered the apartment about ten minutes later and as luck would have it, Katy was working from home that day. As I walked inside, I noticed her sitting on the couch typing away on her laptop.

  “Hey…” I grumbled as I came in, closing the door behind me with a listless shove.

  Katy looked up at me. Her eyebrows drew together. “Maddie, what’s wrong? Didn’t Grey accept your offer?”

  I moped across the living room and plopped down on the couch. Hugging one of the oversized throw pillows against my chest, I rested my chin on top of it.

  “Mmm, hmm,” I muttered.

  “Uh!” she said, as she snapped her laptop closed. Placing it on the living room table, she turned and looked at me with an expression of utter confusion on her face.

  “What’s wrong? I thought you’d be thrilled. We should be celebrating!”

  I shrugged, but didn’t speak.

  “Maddie,” she said, as she reached up and rubbed my right shoulder. “What’s going on? Talk to me.”

  I exhaled. “Well, it’s something he told me before he got on the plane. He called it a ‘last minute addendum’ to the offer.”

  “Uh oh, I don’t think I like the sound of that,” Katy replied. She stopped rubbing for a moment and leaned away, “I thought you said you weren’t going to offer him any ownership in the business. What happened?”

  “I didn’t,” I replied, staring straight ahead. “That’s not what this is about.”

  “Well, what is it?”

  With reluctance, I spent the next few minutes recounting the offer Grey made to set me up in an apartment. I didn’t have the heart to tell Katy that Grey called her home, ‘an untenable living situation’. As I spoke, she stood and began to walk back and forth in front of me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Thinking.”

  “About what? I thought you were all for me doing this with Grey.”

  “I am, but this makes me nervous.” She stopped and looked at me. “It’s obvious you aren’t comfortable with it either. It’s like he’s determined to control you. First, your business and then, who knows?”

  Chewing her fingernail, she turned around. “Well, at least you haven’t slept with him.”

  I rolled my eyes as I contemplated how to respond. Instead, I remained silent, hoping her thought-process might carry her right past the topic but… it didn’t.

  “Maddie?” she said with an elevated tone. “You didn’t sleep with Grey. Right?”

  Exhaling, I let my body fall back into the couch. As I did, I heard Katy walk back towards it. Plopping down next to me, she let out a nervy breath of her own.

  “Okay,” she began. “Out with it. Give me all the details.”

  The frustrating part is that one hundred times out of one hundred, relaying the tale of your seduction at the hands of a billionaire ought to be a story you can’t wait to tell. Shrouded by this latest development, not to mention Katy’s demeanor, it was anything but… which sucked. Instead of telling me how happy she was for me, Katy hung her head at the end of my story and sat there in silence for way longer than I liked.

  “Aren’t you going to say anything?” I asked.

  Katy nodded as she thinned her lips in concentration. “Well, sweetie. I wish I could say I was happy for you but that would make me something I’m not. A liar.”

  I turned my head sideways on top of the pillow as she spoke, but I couldn’t muster a question or even a thought.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked.

  Taking a deep inhale, I shrugged and let a hard breath escape from me.

  “Ugh, I don’t know anymore,” I began. “I mean, this whole thing is crazy. Last night I went from feeling like a prostitute, to a potential business success this morning to right back to possibly living as a kept woman! Have I ever really had any leverage in this at all or has Grey been playing me the whole time to get what he wants? What the hell is going on?”

  Katy shrugged, but didn’t respond. I studied her for any sign of disagreement with my reasoning. After no change, all I could conclude was that she more or less agreed with me.

  “I feel sick,” I moaned.

  Katy shook her head. “I’m going to ask you a question but you need to be honest with me. Do you understand?”

  “Yes. Go ahead.”
<
br />   She grabbed hold of my hands, intertwining them in hers. With a solemn expression, she swallowed.

  “Are you falling in love with Grey?”

  “What?” I couldn’t believe that’s what she was thinking! I broke her grasp and fell back into the couch again. Uh, if my feelings were that obvious to her, Grey must have seen them as well. No wonder he wants to put me up in an apartment. He probably thinks he has me right where he wants me already.

  And no, for the record, I wasn’t in love. Crushing hard though?

  Maybe. A strong maybe.

  “Oh, man!” I said as I grabbed a pillow and put it over my face. “I dnn knn…” I muttered. My chest drifted up and down as I breathed into the pillow. I felt Katy’s hand tug at it. I let go and she moved it aside.

  “You need to be careful right now.”

  “Tell me about it.” I exhaled.

  “Well, first things first. Get the money you need from Grey to keep going.”

  “What about the apartment? He’s gonna be all over me until I get it. He’s relentless. You know that.”

  Katy waved her hand in a dismissive manner. “Might as well get it over with.”

  “I’m so sorry, Katy. I hope you’re not too upset I’ll be moving out.”

  “Of course I’m upset. I love you and I’ll miss you.”

  We embraced for a moment until she pulled away. Glassy-eyed, she smiled at me. “Hey, look on the bright side… If this blows up in your face, you can always move back here.”

  MADDIE

  Nearly three weeks had passed since I’d last seen Grey, but that didn’t mean we weren’t in contact. In fact, we talked almost every day. But unlike when he was here in person, our conversations only revolved around business and money, nothing more.

  I kept up my end of the bargain and found a high-end furnished apartment in Beverly Hills. In turn, Grey honored his commitment and not only loaned me enough against my receivables to stay afloat, but also used some of his commercial real estate contacts to set me up in an office downtown. I’d expressed my displeasure at his insistence that I do it, since I didn’t want to take on the risk of a lease payment without a steady flow of clients.

  Grey responded by telling me not to worry about it and that if things went bad in the business, he’d take the loss on the lease payments for the office. The pattern troubled me. He kept insisting I take all the risk while he only issued me a promise of making me whole should it all come crashing down. I don't know why I chose to believe him, but I did. I could only hope the decision wouldn’t be one I’d regret.