The Risk: A Billionaire Romance (Wagered Hearts Series, Book 2)

by Calista Kyle

  They picked him up and sent him off to a “retreat” to clean himself up. It had been hard at first. He was angry and belligerent, mocking the staff and not taking anything to heart. He thought his family had abandoned him too and left him to rot away with the least inconvenience to themselves.

  Andreas didn’t know when his attitude started to change, but slowly it did. It was a humbling experience for him and he vowed then and there to turn his life around. He’d been given a great opportunity to do some good in the world, and he was squandering it away. Now was the time to finally become the man he’d always wanted to be.

  One afternoon about a month after he had returned, his mother called him into her sitting room and told him to pack his bags. He was headed for New York. He would be heading up their family’s interests in their real estate holdings company. He knew the real reason for sending him away was a test. It was time for him to grow up.

  Chapter Two

  Laila had never met any man named Andreas before. Andreas De Berg. That was the name on his ID. It sounded foreign, European and strangely sexy. She had tried hard not to show the surprise and hurt she felt when he’d spoken to her so rudely. Sure it was only a quick sentence, and maybe he had his reasons, but that didn’t stop it from stinging a little. Laila had thought he was different and there was a look in his eye that gave her goosebumps.

  She shook her head at her thoughts. Damn, I need to get this guy off my mind. He’s not thinking about me and I sure as hell won’t waste my time thinking about him, she berated herself. As if to underscore her point, she gave her head a hard shake as if that would help jumble him out of her thoughts.

  “Hey Laila, whatcha doing there?” Gary the porter asked, walking up to her counter.

  “Oh nothing, just got a crick in my neck,” she lied, embarrassed for being caught.

  “That’s not gonna help you get rid of your crick. I’d be surprised if you didn’t injure yourself further shaking it around like that,” he said.

  “Yeah, you’re probably right. So what are you doing in here today? I thought you had the day off?” she said.

  “I do. I’m here to pick up Honey.”

  Honey was Gary’s granddaughter who recently got a job at the hotel as a maid. The young girl had just graduated from high school and was using the job to try to make money to pay for college. She was a bright kid with a good head on her shoulders, and everyone knew she was the apple of her granddad’s eye.

  “Do you want me to ring housekeeping for you?” Laila asked.

  “Naw, don’t bother. She’ll be down when she’s finished. Besides, I wanted to ask you how the audition went,” Gary said.

  Laila pursed her lips as heat flooded her face. She wanted to forget all about that audition like a bad nightmare, but she had been so excited beforehand that she told everyone about it. It was only natural for Gary to ask how it went. With more cheeriness than she felt, she gave Gary a tight smile before answering.

  “I thought it went okay. They said they’d call me if I got the part, but they had to audition some more people first.”

  Something about Laila’s tone of voice caught Gary off guard. He had a feeling she wasn’t being completely honest and asked her point blank what really happened. Laila was on the verge of doubling down on her lies, but then thought better of it. Gary had been like a father figure to her, and she needed to tell someone the truth. She leaned closer and looked around to make sure no one could eavesdrop. When she was satisfied of their privacy, she spoke in a hushed tone. “It wasn’t even a real audition Gary. It was for a…a…porno.” Laila said the last word in a whisper.

  Gary’s eyes widened as he looked at her. “Why would they send you out to audition for one of those movies?” he asked.

  “Beats me, but you can bet I let my agent have it when I got out of there. You wouldn’t believe how shady everything was.”

  “Oh I can imagine,” Gary said shaking his head. “That wasn’t right, what they did. The next time you go to an audition, you just let me know. I’ll go with you so you’re not at some seedy location alone with these creeps.”

  Laila was touched by Gary’s offer and she placed her hand atop his old wrinkled one on the counter and squeezed. “Thanks Gar. I appreciate it, but you can’t take the time off work. Besides, I doubt I’ll be going to any more auditions anytime soon.”

  “Why’s that?” he asked.

  “Cause my agent quit on me when I told him I couldn’t go through with it,” she answered.

  “You did the right thing,” he said, nodding his head.

  “Yeah well, without an agent, it’s hard to get parts. No one’s gonna pick up my phone calls,” she said.

  Gary patted her hand in a fatherly gesture. “Don’t you be so down on yourself. You just gotta keep your head up and good things will come to you,” he said.

  “I sure hope you’re right. I could use a bit of luck in my life right about now,” Laila said.

  It was true. The past year had been hard for Laila. Her mother got sick last year and was in and out of the hospital unable to work. She recently passed away leaving Laila not only with a gaping hole in her heart, but mountains of medical bills and funeral costs as well. Laila was just barely surviving. Each day it was like she was just trying to keep her head above water. She was tired of the struggle and fighting every day to make ends meet.

  The acting job she was sent to by her agent was supposed to be her big break—something good that would lift her out of the rut she’d been in the past year. The job paid very well. More than enough to cover her rent that month. She just wanted it so badly.

  Her agent had told her it was for the lead role in an independent film. Laila didn’t have a script or anything to work with beforehand as her agent told her it was only a go-see and not an actual audition. She was supposed to meet with the casting director who would interview her and see if she had the right look.

  When she got there, she knew something wasn’t right. The audition took place in an apartment building with just the director, Lars Andersson. Laila felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up when she first saw him. He was skinny, with greasy looking black hair that hung over his brow like a curtain. The set up in the apartment was sparse, with only a beat up looking couch, wooden chair, camera, and a large bed occupying the space.

  The director sat on the couch with the camera positioned right in front of him. He motioned for her to stand before him and looked her up and down, raking over every inch of her body with his eyes. Laila felt like she’d just been violated and shivered involuntarily. Her instincts were telling her to run. This wasn’t like any audition she’d ever been to before.

  “So why don’t you make yourself comfortable on the bed right there,” the director told her pointing to the bed behind her covered in black satin sheets. She gave him a double take before shaking her head. There was no way in hell she was getting on any bed for anybody, least of all some creepy director. She wished she would have Googled him before she came, but it never even crossed her mind.

  “No thanks,” she said. “I’ll stand.”

  “But I insist,” he said.

  “Well, I insist on standing.”

  “Suit yourself then,” he shrugged. He pulled over a clipboard with some papers attached and took out a pen from the front pocket of his shirt. “I’m going to ask you some questions first. Just some formalities to get out of the way and then we can get right into the good stuff,” he said.

  Laila relaxed a little and nodded at him, feeling slightly better about this audition. Surely they wouldn’t be asking me any questions if they were shady? she reasoned.

  “Are you over 18?”

  “Yes,” she said. She reached into her purse and pulled out a head shot and her resume to hand to the director. She had used her rent money to pay for the professional head shots. Laila had thought of it as an investment at the time. She figured that once she got this gig, she’d make more than enough to cover it. Now looking arou
nd, she had doubts and didn’t want to think about the $300 she spent.

  Lars glanced over the black and white head shots and smiled. “Nice,” he said. “I’m going to need to see a copy of your driver’s license or other ID to verify your age.”

  “Oh OK sure,” Laila said.

  “Next question: do you have any STDs?”

  “Ex-excuse me? What did you just ask me?”

  “Do you have any STDs?” Lars enunciated each word clearly and spoke slowly as if he were talking to an idiot. Laila was not only caught off guard by the question, she was getting pissed off at his attitude.

  “That’s none of your business,” she huffed. “What kind of a question is that?”

  “It’s standard practice to ask about sexually transmitted diseases. I’m going to need for you to give me an answer.”

  “NO!” Laila said.

  She really wanted to turn on her heel and storm out of that apartment, but she stayed put, angry at herself and the situation she found herself in. Laila needed the money. She had counted on it ever since her agent told her about a great opportunity to earn some cash. She was already behind on her rent and her landlady had already given her a two month extension. If she didn’t come up with the rest of her rent, she’d be out on the street.

  “Snippy snippy,” Lars said in a sing-song voice. He wrote something on the clipboard before looking back up at Laila. “Are your private parts shaved, waxed, or au natural?”

  Laila had really had enough. It was one thing to ask about STDs, but there was no way she was going to give this creep an answer to this question. He seemed to sense her anger which made him smile wide at her. His teeth were stained yellow and he had large under bite.

  “You really need to just relax, sweetheart,” he said. “I’m gonna see it anyways, so there’s no reason for you to get so angry.”

  “Like hell you are!” Laila said. “I don’t know who you think you are or what kind of audition this is, but I’m leaving.”

  Laila picked up her purse and turned on her heel, and was just about to march out of the front door when he spoke to her back.

  “It’s a pity really. You’ve got just the look we were going for. Perhaps you’d reconsider if I doubled your fee?”

  Laila stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around slowly and stared at the director. A slow smug smile stretched across his face as he knew he had her.

  “Did you say you’d double my pay?” Laila asked.

  “Easily,” he answered.

  “What would I have to do exactly?”

  “Oh not much at all. I’ll just need you to get naked and hop on that bed right over there,” he said.

  “And then what?” she asked.

  “That’s it.”

  “That’s it? You’re gonna pay me all that money just to get naked and on that bed? I don’t have to do anything else?”

  “For today.”

  Laila didn’t like the sound of that last part, but desperation made her overlook it.

  “I want the money today,” she said, sounding braver than she felt.

  “Of course. Now be a good girl and start stripping.”

  Laila swallowed the last bit of doubt she had, and nearly choked on it. Now was not the time to think about her morals or any other thing besides that paycheck. Feeling self-righteous wasn’t going to put food in her belly or keep a roof over her head. Her job at the hotel was just barely enough to cover the bills her mom had left her. If she walked out on this job, she didn’t know where another opportunity would come up where she could make this amount of money so soon, short of selling drugs.

  She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She kicked off her black flats and her hands reached for the buttons on her jeans. She undid them and pulled the zipper down before sliding them off her legs. Next she grabbed the hem of her sweater and pulled it up over her head and placed it on the floor besides her jeans. Laila was standing only her bra and panties.

  Lars let out a low whistle of appreciation, and Laila opened her eyes to find him ogling her body with barely concealed lust. It made her nauseous to have him standing there looking at her like that, but she knew there was nothing she could do. Lars adjusted the camera and trained it on her.

  “Okay, now the bra and panties,” he said.

  Laila hesitated a moment, her doubts rolling over he again like a tidal wave. What if I’m making the biggest mistake of my life? she wondered.

  Sensing her hesitation, Lars pulled back from the camera lens and said impatiently, “I don’t have all day here sweetheart. Either you take the rest off, or you can get dressed and leave.”

  The threat of losing that paycheck worked like a charm, and Laila reached behind her and unclasped the hook on her bra, letting her soft, full breasts free before pulling down her panties and sliding them down her long lean legs.

  “Very nice,” Lars said from behind the camera. “Now get on the bed.”

  Laila walked the short distance to the bed and climbed on, sitting in the middle with her legs crossed and her arms crossed over her chest. She felt uncomfortable and vulnerable, but figured she’d already gotten this far, she might as well see the whole thing through. Lars got up from the couch and carried the camera over to the bed where he positioned it at a suitable angle.

  “You have a very nice ass, Laila,” Lars said. “Why don’t you turn over and lie on your stomach so we can get a better look at it?”

  Laila was on the verge of refusing, but one look at Lars told her not to even bother. If she wanted the money, she’d do what he asked. Reluctantly, she let her arms drop to her side and turned on her knees before dropping down onto the bed. She could hear the whir of the camera zooming in close on her ass.

  “Now get up on your knees and spread your legs apart,” he said. “I want you to play with your pussy.”

  Laila jerked up on the bed, anger staining her cheeks. “Wait a minute. You never said anything about playing with myself. You just said I had to get naked. I’m not doing that.”

  “Do you want to get paid or not?” Lars asked.

  “Hell yeah I want to get paid, but I want our original deal. I’m not doing anything else.” Laila crossed her arms over her chest again and glared at Lars.

  “Listen honey, I’m not going to pay you if you don’t play with yourself. No one’s gonna want to see a naked woman just lying on the bed.”

  “I’m not comfortable with this at all. You lied to me.”

  “You’ve got nothing to be uncomfortable about. You’re a very sexy woman. Just pretend I’m not here and touch yourself how you normally would in the privacy of your own bedroom,” he said silkily.

  Laila almost let herself be convinced to cross that line. She thought of all the bills piling up and the debt that she’d probably never get out from under. She still owed the hospital $20,000, not that she begrudged the cost. She’d have done anything for her mother, and paid for the best care available.

  The thought of her mother had her sitting up straight and stiff. What would Mom have thought about what I’m about to do? Would she be proud? She’s probably rolling over in her grave, Laila thought sadly.

  “I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” Laila said getting up off the bed so quickly she almost knocked the camera from its stand as she rushed past Lars. She stooped to pick up her clothes and threw them on hastily before grabbing her purse and rushing out of the apartment, slamming the door hard as she left.

  Once she was out in the hallway she let out a shaky breath. “Sweet Jesus, that was a close one,” she muttered to herself.

  Want to read the rest? Married to a Prince is available now.

  Other Books By Calista Kyle

  The Wagered Hearts Series

  Book 1: The Wager

  Book 2: The Risk

  Book 3: The Game—2014

  Single Titles

  Married to a Prince

  Copyright

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduc
ed or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher or author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. This story is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is purely coincidental.