A Billionaire With Benefits

by Lena Skye

  “Besides,” he added, “this is consensual. Think of what you want to do with your life. How will you achieve that as a barista now? Well? What do you really want to do?”

  “Study nursing,” she said in a quiet voice.

  “Study, yes, it’s like a scholarship. I’d like to maintain a good lifestyle for you while this contract is viable.”

  “And when it ends? When will it end? There’s no mention of it here. When you’re tired of me? Is that it? Then you’ll just throw me out and shit like that?”

  His eyes narrowed. “Your mouth is too beautiful to keep cussing.”

  She bit her lower lip, conscious of the words flowing out of her mouth now. She took a deep breath. “What happens when it’s over? It’s only over when you say it is or when I say it is?”

  “Trust me, you wouldn’t want to say it’s over. Of course I’ll say it’s over, but it doesn’t mean I won’t give you enough support. Think of it as a starter kit. How does give grand sound for when I choose to end this contract?”

  “Five grand?” she frowned.

  “Is five thousand not enough for your primary needs?”

  “That means I’ll have to get another apartment and I’ll lose that money as an advance drawing,” she reasoned, suddenly thinking about the future end of the contract.

  He was silent for a moment and he stopped pacing. “You’re right. What about ten grand? I’m sure that’s enough for a month, right?”

  She didn’t say anything. She would be a well-kept woman as soon as she signed this contract, and also she had to be there at his beck and call. She had to be there when he became horny, in short. “You really think I’m your personal slut, don’t you?”

  “I’d like to say we’re exclusively having sex.”

  He looked at her questioningly and she felt the need to defend herself. “I don’t have sex with just about anyone,” she said with a hardened jaw, “And I don’t go around searching for that kind of satisfaction.”

  He nodded and sighed. “Yes, you don’t seem the type.”

  Private investigation records showed she only had two boyfriends, one in senior year and one a year ago, a car mechanic. These relationships had lasted a year each. He didn’t want to let the contract last that long, seeing it wasn’t an exclusive dating contract. Maybe three months at most. Just enough for him to tire of her, and for her to enjoy what he had to offer.

  This was the first time he had done something like this. For reasons he couldn’t summarize completely, he had made an exclusive sex contract. Friends with benefits was out of the question. They shouldn’t even be friends in the first place. He had a seen a movie like this once, a European film about a man and woman who didn’t know each other’s names yet they met up for sex as often as they could until it all fizzled away.

  Not saying that he wanted to emulate it, but it was something interesting to add in his calculated life. A bit unusual, but that was one step out of the comfort zone. Hey, I’m a billionaire, I do what I want as long as I don’t kill, rape, embezzle, or do drugs.

  “I’ll add this to the contract, then,” he said, “for good measure. If I ever cheat on you, I’ll give you twenty grand. How does that sound?”

  She was silent. She wanted to say yes, but she didn’t want to. There were two sides tugging inside her head. She saw him take out his laptop and he placed this on a wooden table that had a printer on it, adding a provision.

  “What else?” he asked.

  “I want you to put the time there.”

  “What for?”

  “I think it’s better if there’s a timeline. This is a weird project anyway; any project should have a timeline.”

  He nodded. “You’re correct on that matter. How does three months sound?”

  She shrugged.

  “Will you be able to enroll for classes within three months?”

  She nodded then. “It’s almost September. I can.”

  “Good.” He nodded, typing in a few words. Within minutes of changing the contract, he had another printed again, a total of two copies for each of them. She read through the contract one last time and held it tightly with both hands.

  “Still having qualms?”

  She looked at him. “I need another day or two to think about this.”

  “You’re telling me this now?” he said, cocking his head sideways. He controlled his irritation. “Fine. Two days and that’s it. If you don’t want any part of it, just call me before ten in the evening on Thursday so we won’t waste both our time.”

  She nodded. “I’d like to go home now.”

  “Of course.”

  Chapter6

  She signed the contract the day after, but she didn’t tell him yet. She mulled things over while showering, while she was at work, and she mulled things over some more while going home. She thought about the money. She would need it. It was going to be exclusive and emotions weren’t going to be involved. That was impossible of course, but she thought he would be difficult to love while she gave love freely. It was a good thing that he was an asshole. That would make things easier for her.

  To accept this meant she could save the remaining money she needed for a full two years of nursing school. That was what pushed her to sign the contract. He didn’t even ask her to pay for anything, in the event she had sexual relations with other people. She still wouldn’t do that, that was her redeeming quality, she told herself. I don’t sleep around.

  The contract meant she would be having more sex. She thought about what made her different from the many others (she assumed there were many women), when it came to that prowess. It was something she should be happy about, right? After a long drought, after quite a lengthy abstinence. He was great in bed, and it was something she couldn’t deny. She felt horny at the thought of him stripping out of his clothes, so she shook her head. Focus, Mikaela. Focus.

  Would he pay for her rent here, too? Or would he ask her to quit her job at Uncommon Grounds so she could oblige him the moment he called out for her? He wouldn’t be that unreasonable, right? He was a businessman. Of course he wouldn’t be that stupid. She needed to work. There was a future without him, seeing it was only going to be a maximum of three months with him.

  She also said yes because he was attractive, but the contract had said they shouldn’t be seen together, and if they were, it was deemed casual. No dinner dates, no dress-up dates. The contract didn’t say that she could stop seeing other guys, though. The contract was purely sexual.

  Maybe that was another reason why she said yes, a deviation from the ho-hum life she had been accustomed to. A lot of things could happen in three months, and she hoped liking him beyond what was manageable wouldn’t happen. It won’t, she told herself confidently as she took out her phone to call him.

  “Yes?” he said harshly.

  “I signed it,” she told him.

  There was a momentary silence on his end. “All right. I’ll pick it up tomorrow before your shift starts.”

  “At, what, five-thirty in the morning?” she said with a frown.

  “What time does your shift start? Seven?”

  He guessed correctly, or maybe he was a brilliant stalker, she thought.

  “Yes, seven.”

  “All right. I’ll be there at five-thirty.”

  She groaned. She liked to lounge around in her underwear at that time. She only started moving, and was completely up and about by six. “Fine,” she huffed.

  That meant she had to be completely fresh by at least five-fifteen. That left her with seven hours of sleep.

  “I’ll see you,” he said.

  “Yeah.” She sounded lame, but she ended the call and thought about what she had done. Regrets come last, don’t they? But she didn’t feel any regrets whatsoever. It was more of looking forward to adventures she hadn’t had yet. She told herself there was a reason they had met that night, a reason why he was interested in her. Maybe she was one of those rare black girls at the event, maybe it was her smi
le. Could be my smile, she thought, because people like my silly wide grin. Or maybe it was the dress, or those heels. Lynne was probably right about her looking good in those heels.

  She could wear more heels, if the stipulation included being seen together. Wouldn’t they make a great-looking couple? She imagined it in her head and it immediately dissipated the moment her eyes landed on the contract once more. There were rules to follow, her head couldn’t be up in the clouds so often. But she rarely was this imaginative for someone who was chirpy most of the time.

  She thought about the stipulations in the contract; these sounded simple enough, but she knew these weren’t easy to do. She had never been that adventurous. Her move to California from Washington filled her with much trepidation. This was her chance, right? Who knows which country she was going to go to?

  She had never been out of the country. She had taken a few road trips with Lynne, and she enjoyed it a lot. They had promised to go on a trip abroad together but it hadn’t happened yet, not with Lynne’s workload and hers. That had been a two year promise in a making. With Justin in the picture, she figured she could fulfill half of that promise. Would he allow a trip abroad if she asked for it?

  First Party agrees to pay for Second Party expenses, including, but not limited to: lodging, shopping expenses, and travel.

  She could swing a few things into her favor. There was nothing in the contract that said she couldn’t request for certain things, like trips abroad. She didn’t know how rich he was, didn’t see the extent of it, but she had an inkling that his billionaire reputation wasn’t all made up.

  Her phone rang. It was Lynne.

  “Where are you?” Lynne asked.

  “At home, of course.”

  “Great. So I just have to tell you this, remember at the party, I said hi to this old man and his wife.”

  “The old man whom you said had the hots for you?”

  “Oh, he was just looking at me like I was the most desirable woman there. But yeah, that guy.”

  “Please don’t tell me you slept with him,” Mikaela groaned.

  “God no! He’s gross. I just needed that account. And it so happened, he has a nephew. A damned successful one.”

  “Does the damned successful guy have a name?” Mikaela said with a laugh.

  “Yes. He does. Does the name Henry Nichols ring a bell?”

  “Do I look like I work in a bank or something? Of course I don’t know who that is.”

  “He’s into stocks. Anyway, old guy, well, Mr. Harry, goes, I have someone I’d like to introduce you to. In my head, I think, oh great, it’s going to be another man old enough to be my dad. But in comes this man in a suit, with his dark wavy hair and five o’clock shadow.”

  “And that would be Henry?”

  “He’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve seen in my life.”

  “You always say that to anyone you think is viable for you.”

  “Oh my, deep words again,” Lynne laughed. “But yes, he’s gorgeous. And rich.”

  “Which is more important?”

  “Both of course! But if I really had to choose.”

  “I’d go for a rich guy,” Mikaela finished for her and she heard Lynne laugh again. “So any updates with the guy?”

  “We’re going on our first lunch date tomorrow.”

  “Good for you.”

  “Any update with Justin Henderson?” Lynne teased.

  “No,” Mikaela quickly said. “Tell me how your date goes?”

  “I’ll call you as soon as we’re done and stuff. Can’t wait!” she shrieked.

  Mikaela smiled as Lynne ended the call. She was happy for her friend, but knew about Lynne’s track record. With her looks, she never ran out of dates. Every time Lynne was excited for some prospect boyfriend, these relationships would fizzle out as quickly as they had started. And Lynne would cry and get over it quickly with the next guy that came along.

  She couldn’t be like Lynne. There were some things that she could never do, like date at least four guys in a span of two months. She wanted things to last, wanted good emotions to last, which explained her previous relationships and those all lasted for a year at least. Mikaela felt bad about not telling Lynne again about the current happenings in her life. It sounded too sleazy though, poor decision making. Even Lynne wouldn’t bother with a contract. But Lynne didn’t need money for school.

  Mikaela looked at the contract again, determined to make things work for her, no matter the contents of their agreement.

  ***

  The deal had pulled through; it was a difficult acquisition but his corporation was now a billion dollars richer. A good pull to the existing twenty. All for steel and construction materials. His father had turned his grandfather’s little hardware store in Kensington into a global conglomerate in twenty years, and he felt the constant pressure to maintain its status.

  He was doing this not only for his father’s legacy, but for his sisters’ and his mother’s as well. They were the only family he had left, aside from those annoying relatives his father had. Those relatives tried to mess with the company and he had no relatives directly involved in Henderson Steel. He was wary of help from other people, unless he knew their conditions when helping. That contract was a part of his business personality, after all. It was for good measure, with terms and conditions set, Mikaela knew what to expect from him and vice versa.

  His phone rang. He hadn’t expected her to cancel this soon. She wouldn’t dare, right? He hesitated to answer it at first. Then he told himself she had signed the contract. Like he had assumed.

  “Yes?” he said, sounding harsh without meaning to be harsh.

  “I signed it,” she said with a breath.

  He was quiet at first, but then he smiled. “All right. I’ll pick it up tomorrow before your shift starts.”

  “At, what, five-thirty in the morning?” her voice sounded hesitant, like she didn’t want to see him so early.

  “What time does your shift start? Seven?” he asked her. He wanted to catch her off guard. Well, not totally off guard, but when she was at her most vulnerable, a recently awoken person was pretty vulnerable. He knew when her shift started as well.

  “Yes, seven.”

  “All right. I’ll be there at five-thirty.”

  “Fine,” he heard her groan.

  “I’ll see you,” he said. He wondered what she was planning to do. She would most likely wake up at five in the morning, just so she could look presentable.

  “Yeah.”

  A forced reply, but he didn’t mind. Justin kicked off his shoes and elevated his feet up on the coffee table. The day had ended well. A business deal and a contract signed, everything was coming up roses. That was why he was CEO. He made things go his way. He didn’t want to get too excited. He still had to sleep. He would get excited in the morning.

  ***

  She had barely stepped out of the shower when her doorbell rang. She wondered who let him in so early in the morning. She knew it was him. He rang it only twice, in deference to her neighbors who were still sleeping.

  She opened it, flustered, her hair still damp and all frizzy. His eyes widened a little, seeing her in her bathrobe. She noticed this and she held onto the top part, afraid she was showing too much cleavage so early in the morning.

  “Hello,” he began. He was dressed in a plain gray shirt, jeans, and sneakers which surprised her.

  “Hi. Wow, you really are on time,” she said.

  “Time is money.”

  “I bet.”

  “You don’t need to act like I haven’t seen you naked,” he remarked as he walked into her apartment.

  She closed the door behind her and frowned. “Can I get you anything except coffee and food?” she asked.

  He smiled but he didn’t show this to her. “I just need the contract.”

  She walked past him and reached for a folder on her dining table. “Here,” she shoved it into his hands.

  “Excellent,” he m
urmured.

  Then he looked at her, his eyes in heat. She knew what that dangerous look was. She wouldn’t want anything to do with it, not this early. She slowly backed away but his hand shot out for her wrist and she looked into his eyes again.

  “What?”

  “You look nice in that bathrobe. But I think you’d look better without it,” he crooned.

  His hand ran up to her neck, slowly dragging it down to her collarbone delicately and she controlled her breathing and her heartbeat. She couldn’t. He didn’t need to fight for self-control. The contract had been signed and he knew this was going to be consensual despite her initial hesitation.

  She froze in place as his fingertips traced her collarbone and she could feel the hairs on her nape stand from this sensitive feeling. He pulled her close to him, the thin bathrobe didn’t help at all. Her nipples were hard from the cold, but they were going to be hard for another reason in a few seconds.

  She was about to say something to stop him, but he cut her off with an open-mouthed kiss. She responded almost immediately, even if these seemed chaste compared to when she was drunk a few days ago. He held onto her neck, his tongue gliding down her sensuous throat, and she held in a breath, closing her eyes as she felt it.

  Justin planned to stroke the anger away into a different kind of heat, the kind of heat that could wake her up completely in no time. He pushed her back, guiding her all the way to her bed. Then he pressed her against the sheets, her bathrobe hiking up further to her thighs. He felt himself harden, and he made no secret of this as he pressed himself against her thin robe.

  Mikaela’s chest was bared now and cool air fluttered onto her breasts. He jerked her robe down, so he could get a better view. His gaze devoured every inch of her. He wanted to have a good breakfast today, and he liked what he was seeing so far.

  Her heart was racing. The contract had begun. He was getting what he wanted, the first of many of those days of unadulterated pleasure. She didn’t want it to be this soon, but she couldn’t resist. The way he held onto her, he possessed her. He took off his shirt and she glorified at the sight of those muscles. She had thought he was skinny, but it turned out he was lean. Now she was sober enough to remember every little detail.