Starlet Read online

  Tyson waives off my concern. “Lucky for you, this isn’t the usual situation. Your request lines up with something I’ve wanted for a client of mine who also happens to be a close friend. It presented me with a golden opportunity, and I’m not the kind of guy who lets those pass him by.”

  Sarah takes over the explanation. “Tyson pitched the script to Austin, along with our proposed pairing of the two of you in the leading roles. The studio jumped at the chance to have him on board in a starring role for the project, and they got the contracts back to us within mere hours.”

  “Of course they did. They want Austin’s signature on the dotted line before he has the chance to back out of the deal,” Tyson adds.

  I drop back down on my seat and twist my hands together. “Did he sign? Am I going to be his co-star in The First Time?”

  “He hasn’t signed yet, but”—he lifts his arm to check the Patek Philippe watch strapped to his wrist—“I expect that to change any minute now.”

  “He’s coming here? Now?” I squeak, wishing even more that I’d taken extra time with my appearance. My gaze darts to the doorway as I wonder if I have enough time to pop into the bathroom down the hall and freshen up. My eyes widen when I spot Austin stalking down the hallway. He looks even better in person than he does on the big screen, and that’s saying a lot since he’s well known for being the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome.

  It’s a good thing I’m sitting down because I’m not sure my legs would’ve held me up when Austin walks into Sarah’s office. That’s how big of an impact he has on me. I tilt my head back to take him in. He’s at least fourteen inches taller than me, with a lean athletic build. His dark hair looks like it’s a couple of weeks overdue for a cut, but that could be because of the movie he’s currently filming. His skin is tan, like he enjoys spending as much of his free time outside as he can. And his dark eyes, full of intensity, are zeroed in on me as though I’m the only person in the room.

  CHAPTER 3

  AUSTIN

  I feel as though a brick house has been lifted off of my chest when I spot Nicole. She’s sitting in a chair in front of the desk, staring up at me with her wide, blue eyes. Her curly, white-blonde locks are wild as they frame her round face. Her cute little nose has a dusting of pink over it and her cupid’s bow mouth is forming a little O.

  The relief I feel at seeing her is suddenly replaced with a rush of desire and my body takes on a mind of its own. I stalk over to her, grasp her shoulders to lift her up, and seal my mouth over hers. Her arms immediately circle my neck and her body melts into mine. I dive one hand into her silky hair and clench it tight, holding her in place while I devour her sweetness. The other hand slides down her back to palm her round little ass and plaster her against me.

  She is so tiny, that my hold on her lifts her off the ground to bring her mouth level with mine. I fucking love how she fits against me. I run my tongue along the seam of her lips and her head falls back as she opens. When my tongue touches just the tip of hers, she lets out a tiny moan and fuck…she tastes almost like melted chocolate and I’m one hundred percent sure that it’s not because she’s been eating it. It’s her. Just her. Blood rushes in my ears as it pumps down to my cock. I’m seconds away from pushing her up against the nearest wall and burying myself inside her.

  The clearing of a throat breaks through the cloud of lust and my head jerks up, swinging towards the sound. Fuck. I’d completely forgotten we weren’t alone. Loosening my grip, I allow Nicole to slide down my body onto her feet, but I keep my arm securely around her, holding her close.

  “Doesn’t seem like chemistry is going to be a problem for you two,” Ty drawls. I glare at him, and he simply grins back at me.

  Glancing down at Nicole, I smile tenderly and am rewarded with two deep dimples that pop when her lips curve upward. “Did you sign, little starlet?” She shakes her head, her eyes still locked on my face. I frown and turn to glare at Ty and Sarah. “What the fuck?”

  “Calm down, man,” Ty says, holding his hands up in surrender. “We were just getting to that part when you showed up and mauled her.” My expression turns deadly and I silently hold out my hand, not trusting myself to speak. Sarah snatches up the folder Nicole dropped to the floor and shoves it towards me as Ty hands me another stapled stack of papers.

  “Let’s finish this, then we can get to know each other,” I tell Nicole gently. I lay the contracts on the desk and grab a pen, scrawling my signature on mine. Almost in slow motion, she tears her gaze away and bends over the desk to sign her name. My eyes drop to her perfect ass and my mouth waters at the thought of seeing my pink handprint on those white cheeks as I thrust into her from behind.

  Nicole straightens and as soon as she places the pen down, I have her hand in mine. Dragging her away, I call over my shoulder, “I’ll send you the revised script tomorrow, then get me the filming schedule ASAP.” Yeah, I’d made some changes to the love scenes that were non-negotiable.

  “They want to start tomorrow! As soon as they knew you were going to do this project, they pushed it to the front of their production schedule so you don’t have the chance to rethink your decision!” Ty yells and I wave my hand carelessly to let him know I heard, but don’t stop moving until we reach the front entrance.

  I hold the door open and can’t help crowding her a little so that her body will brush against mine as she exits. Her tits aren’t big, but they are perky and ripe, just right for my mouth. When I feel her hard nipples rub along my chest, all the remaining blood in my body rushes down to my dick. Nicole ducks her head shyly as she slips past me, but it flies up, her blue eyes like saucers when she feels the hard bulge against her hip.

  My gaze is bold and unapologetic. She might as well know now what she does to me since she’s going to become well acquainted with my cock soon enough. I intend to show her who owns her sweet little body, to mark my ownership of her pussy so she’s reminded every time she moves.

  In the back of my mind, I know I should go slow and not scare her. But, I’ve waited too long for her and my control is already hanging by a thread. I grab her hand tightly in mine, lacing our fingers together and guide her out to my red sports car where I open the door and help her in. She reaches for the seat-belt, but I lightly sweep her hands out of the way and strap her in. Then I brush a soft kiss over her lips before slamming the door and rushing around to drop into the driver’s seat.

  Burning rubber out of the parking lot, I practically race through the streets until I reach the Pacific Coast Highway. The scenic drive along the beaches calms me and I glance over at my girl. It hasn’t escaped my notice that I still haven’t heard her speak one word.

  My hand itches to wrap around her small one and for the first time since I bought my car, I wish I’d gone with the automatic rather than manual. Since we are coasting down the highway, I release the stick shift and run a finger down her soft cheek before nudging her chin so she turns her head my way.

  My eyes drag slowly back to the road, reluctant to look away from her stunning beauty. “I guess I should have officially introduced myself, little starlet. I’m Austin Hayes.”

  Nicole mumbles something with a little squeak before clearing her throat and trying again. “I know. I’m um, Nicole Callahan. But, I guess you already know that.” She giggles and the sound goes straight to my dick. I swear it’s as hard as the clutch and I’m suddenly picturing those puffy, pink lips wrapped around my stick.

  “I don’t want to scare you, baby, but I think it’s important to be honest with you,” I start, choosing my words carefully. “You’re the only reason I accepted this role.”

  I hear a quick inhale and take a fast peek at her face, happy when I see her sexy dimples and flushed skin. A desperate need to see that pink blush spread over her whole body has my foot pressing even harder against the gas.

  “Me too,” she whispers.

  “Why?” I ask, needing to know. Not that her answer will change the outcome.

  “I
just didn’t feel comfortable letting anyone else kiss me”—she pauses for a moment—“or anything else.”

  The possession I’ve been feeling since I first saw her turns to absolute rage at the idea of anyone else’s hands on her. I remind myself that it’s taken care of, no one will ever touch her but me and that helps to calm me. My eyes stray to her shapely legs and I want so badly to slip my hand between her thighs and slide it up under her cute, little yellow sundress. I inwardly groan, willing time to move faster.

  “Do you understand what it means that I’ve agreed to play this part with you, Nicole?” I ask gruffly. She shakes her head and her beautiful curls bounce. “I promised myself that I would never give my lips, or even my affectionate touch, to any woman but mine.” I glance quickly at her, letting her see the unbendable determination in my eyes. I’m about to say more when we reach the turn-off to my neighborhood. Thank fuck.

  I remain silent for the few minutes it takes to get to my house, then pull the car into the garage and turn it off. After practically leaping out of my seat, I grab a manilla envelope from the back seat, then lope around the hood and help her out of her side. Finally, I’m able to lace our fingers together, and I sigh at having constant contact with her again.

  I’m tempted to take her straight to our bedroom, but somehow a few of my brain cells remain and I steer her out to the deck. Dropping down into the first chair I see, I tug her with me so she ends up in my lap. My hands frame her face, and I stare deeply into her eyes. “In case you didn’t pick up on what I was saying before, I’m going to be perfectly clear. I knew the moment I saw you that you were mine.” I shake my head before giving her a fast, hard kiss. “I know I’m moving at lightning speed, but I don’t know any other way when it comes to you. You should know right now; I’m not letting you go.”

  I watch her carefully, looking for signs that she’s going to try to bolt. I’m perfectly willing to tie her to my bed and seduce her until she understands and accepts the situation. Unfortunately, with filming starting tomorrow, I don’t have that kind of time.

  “Does that mean you’re mine too?” she asks tentatively. My whole demeanor softens, and I lean in to brush a loving kiss over each of her cheeks and then her lips.

  “I’ll never belong to anyone else.” She beams at me, though I don’t miss the way she holds herself back just a tiny bit. I’ve seen her reel, she is an exceptional actress, but I can already sense that she’ll never be able to hide anything from me. I can see her every emotion through her clear, blue eyes. And, right now, there is hope that I mean what I say, but she is hesitant to wholly believe it. We have weeks of shooting ahead of us, so I mollify myself with the knowledge that I have plenty of time to convince her. Starting with the rules of her contract.

  “Did you read your contract all the way through, baby?” I ask as I brush some wayward curls away from her face.

  Her face screws up with indignation, and I almost laugh because it’s so fucking adorable. “Of course. I may be new to the business, but I’m not stupid.”

  “I mean the addendum that was added at the last minute?”

  Her eyebrows shoot up and she holds her hands out to the side. “The what?”

  Knowing we were going to have this conversation, I’d come prepared. Stretching around her, I grab the packet I’d tossed at the bottom of the lounger. I hand it to her, and she gives me a curious frown before she opens it and pulls out the sheaf of papers. “What the heck?” she mumbles. “Why didn’t Sarah tell me about this?” Her eyes lift to mine, then narrow when I smile innocently.

  “I cheated, little starlet,” I tell her with an unrepentant shrug. “Money can convince people to do a lot of things. Including adding this to the contract without telling you to make sure you’d sign it.”

  Her mouth drops open, and she whips the addendum up to read it. I have it practically memorized (I wrote it after all) so I say it out loud anyway, paraphrasing without all the legal jargon. “One. No touching other men. Two. You’ll reside with Austin Hayes throughout the life of the contract. Three. You give your consent for Austin Hayes to assume complete guardianship of you, including, but not limited to, approving where you go, who you spend time with, what you wear, and the hard limits regarding your acting. As far as your money, it will be held in a trust for the life of the contract and you will allow Austin Hayes to pay for everything. If any of these rules are broken, you grant Austin Hayes the right to punish you as he sees fit.” I tap my chin thoughtfully. “I think that’s it.”

  Nicole breaks my hold when she jumps to her feet and throws the contract on the table next to me. She’s standing over me with her eyes breathing fire and her hands planted on her hips. I can’t stop the grin that spreads across my face. She looks fucking amazing when she’s riled up.

  CHAPTER 4

  NICOLE

  Meeting Austin isn’t anything like I thought it would be. I guess I figured the most I could hope for was a quick read to gauge my chemistry with him. Running a few lines together to see if we have that extra special something that takes a movie from good to great. A serious spark is the only way a no-name actress like me would ever have the chance to be a leading lady opposite Austin Hayes—especially in his first ever modern romantic role. How it snowballed into all of this I don’t understand. The kiss he gave me in Sarah’s office was completely unexpected, in the best possible way. A trip to his home in Malibu is a close second. But moving in and giving him complete control over my life? Along with the right to punish me however he likes? “Yeah, no.”

  “Yeah, no?” he echoes, his head tilting to the side and his full lips curving up at the corners in a tiny grin. “I’m hoping that’s a yes and not a no.”

  “Nope. Nuh uh. No way,” I growl, placing my hands on my hips and forcing myself not to stomp a foot in frustration.

  Looking like he doesn’t have a care in the world, Austin leans back and stretches his legs out on the lounger. Threading his fingers together behind his head, he asks, “Which parts do you have a problem with?”

  I figure it’s easiest to start from the top and work my way down to the biggest issues. “I can’t just move in with you. While it might feel like we’ve known each other forever, we legit just met like two seconds ago.”

  His smile widens in satisfaction. “You feel like you’ve known me forever?”

  “Of course, I do! I’ve had a huge crush on you for years.” My hand flies up to cover my mouth when I realize what I just admitted. I’m completely embarrassed, and judging by how hot they feel, I’m sure my cheeks are bright red.

  Austin’s expression gentles, and his dark eyes hold so much warmth as he stares up at me. “It’s probably a good thing we’re just meeting now. If we’d met back then, it would’ve been torture to stay away while I waited for you to turn eighteen. You would’ve been irresistible, knowing you had a crush on me, baby.”

  His confession eases some of my embarrassment, but my cheeks stay heated...just for an entirely different reason. It’s thrilling to know his reaction to me is so strong. It makes me want to crawl back onto his lap, but there’s still a lot for us to talk about before I can give in to the urge. And, I definitely can’t think straight when I’m this close to him. “Yeah, and moving in with you the day we met would’ve been a big no-no.”

  “True,” he concedes. “But you’re of age now, so there isn’t anything stopping you from living with me. Is there?”

  I mull it over for a minute, thinking about my tiny studio apartment in a not-so great neighborhood. Do I really want to turn down the opportunity to live in a gorgeous beach house just to go back there? “Okay, I’ll move in.”

  “I’m glad you see it my way.” His smile turns triumphant, even though he tries to hide it. “Now, what else from the addendum is bothering you?”

  “I don’t have a problem with the part about not touching other men.” His dark eyes burn into mine, and I have the feeling that I’d better change the topic fast because any talk of other guys
is a hot button for him. If he knew how inexperienced I am, he’d understand how much of a non-issue it is. “But the guardianship thing is pushing it.”

  “Will it really be so bad, letting me shoulder the burden for you? I know it sounds kind of extreme, handing a lot of decisions over to me. But I would never do anything that isn’t in your best interests. Your safety and well-being are all that matters to me, little starlet.” He sweeps his arm in a half-circle in front of him. “Now that I’ve finally found you after searching for so long, all this doesn’t mean shit without you by my side.”

  “Whoa.” I’m so blown away by his declaration that I’m not sure what to say. He scoots over and pats the middle of the lounger. Heaving a deep sigh, I drop down next to him. “Do you really mean that?”

  “Every single word,” he confirms as he tugs me closer. “I know I’m coming on strong—”

  “Strong?” I snort. “More like a bulldozer.”

  He swings a leg over my head and wraps his arms around me, pulling me close until I’m sitting between his spread legs. My back is pressed against his chest, and he rests his chin on my head. “Yeah, well it worked for my brother when he found his wife, so I guess I figured it could work for us too.”

  I tilt my head back to look up at him. “Did your sister-in-law move in with him the day they met and let him decide everything for her?”

  “Yup.”

  My eyes widen in shock. “For real?”

  “Theo basically didn’t let Shelby leave the house until she had his ring on her finger and his baby in her belly.” His hand slips down to cover my stomach, and it feels like butterflies take flight inside me. “Once that was accomplished, he eased up on her a little.”

  “Wow,” I breathe. “That’s a lot to take in. Kinda like your demands.”

  “I’m only ever going to be open, honest, and real with you, Nicole. In this crazy world we live in, it’s the only chance we have to make it as a couple.”