by BWWM Club
“We need to talk for a moment.” Tristan leaned forward and whispered in her ear.
Mel nodded. She turned to Blake, whispering something he couldn’t hear. The other woman nodded and turned to leave, but not before shooting Tristan an evil look.
“What was that about?” He asked, inclining his head towards Blake’s retreating back.
“Sister thing,” Mel answered.
Tristan’s eyebrows rose with surprise. “I didn’t realize you two were sisters.”
Mel nodded but didn’t say anything else. She was shutting herself away from him, like he did to her those weeks they were together. Tristan wondered if Mel thought she had an idea about what he may say. She would be wrong though.
*****
Mel waited as patiently as she could for Tristan to reject her again. She could see that he was as closed off and cold as ever, his eyes never giving away what he was thinking. That was a bad sign. Sighing, Mel resisted the urge to explain more about the relationship between her and Blake. What did it matter now that he was going to turn her away for good?
“Tristan, can we do this later? There are people here waiting to speak to me.” Mel was tired of his games and just wanted to get away from him before she broke down in tears.
She started to walk away, not even giving him a chance to answer. He was so used to having the control, having the upper hand when it came to her and Mel was tired of it.
“Wait,” His voice was strained as he reached out and grabbed her bicep. “Is there some place we can talk in private?”
Mel shook her head. “I don’t want to do this here…”
Tristan cut off her words by hauling her against his body and capturing her mouth with a kiss. Caught completely off guard, Mel tried to push him away at first before sinking against his chest. After a moment he released her, her head spinning.
“What the hell!” Mel yelled, backing away from him.
Tristan grabbed her by the bicep again, pulling her behind him to the area by the restrooms. Mel suddenly had a flashback to their first time together and her body began to heat.
Dammit! How did he always do this to her?
“Mel, just listen to me…”
“No, Tristan you listen to me. You can’t keep doing this to me. I need all or nothing. Didn’t you get it? Didn’t you listen to what I was singing about?” Mel snapped at him, her hands perched on her hips.
“I don’t think you get it, Mel. I heard your song. I heard you. That’s what I came to tell you. I get it now. I didn’t want to feel anything, not for a long time. But you made me feel. You pushed past my walls and got into my heart. I fought it for so long. I’m done fighting. I want to be with you, for real. If you’ll have me.”
Mel’s hand went to her mouth and she gasped. Was he serious? For the first time Tristan’s emotions were showing on his face and he wasn’t trying to hide them from her.
“How do I know…” Mel began.
“I love you, Mel.” Mel’s eyes began to water with unshed tears. Tristan continued. “I haven’t said those words to anyone in over fifteen years. The last people I said those words to abandoned me like an unwanted puppy. I was dead inside until I met you and I don’t want to ever feel that way again.”
Mel smiled, tears streaming down her face. She leapt at Tristan, throwing her arms around his neck. “I love you too, Tristan.” For the first time in over ten years Mel felt like she wasn’t alone.
*****
“Here it comes!” Mel yelled, flopping on the bed.
She had moved into Tristan’s house, fitting right into the large mansion and making it feel like home. Tristan ran out of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth.
“Now? It wasn’t supposed to start for another twenty minutes.”
Mel shrugged as Tristan disappeared into the bathroom again, reappearing without the toothbrush. He sat on the couch next to her, pulling her into his side. They were waiting to watch Mel’s interview on a poplar network prime time show. After her interview they were going to premiere her latest video for her first single. Snuggled against Tristan and watching herself talk about her life and her music made Mel feel like she was in an alternate universe.
For a long time she was so alone, just going through the motions to get through the day. The day she met Tristan was the day she began to really live, and despite all the bad they went through to get where they were, Mel knew that it all happened to bring her to this very point.
“I love you, Tristan.” Mel said.
“I love you too, Mel.” Tristan answered.
The end.
Her Billionaire Ex
That moment a hunky Italian swoops back into your life...
A complete and loving romance, brought to you by Vanessa Brown.
Marco was her childhood sweetheart.
That guy that showed her what love was, and the one she though she'd spend the rest of her life with.
That was, until he left her to go and live in Italy.
Now years after the sudden and unexpected leaving of her first love, Janet is a successful buyer and is doing well for her self.
Nothing can knock her off her game, or at least, nothing could until he returned!
Now a successful billionaire and head of a company in business talks with her own, she's forcefully and painfully brought face to face with the man who stole and still has her heart.
With all the heartache he's put her through, will Janet be willing to forgive and give Marco a second chance?
Find out in this emotional yet sexy romance by Vanessa Brown of BWWM Club (search us).
Suitable for over 18s only due to sex scenes so hot, you'll want your own Italian stallion!
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 1
“Finally,” said Janet to herself as she clicked ‘shut down’. For once, she wasn’t taking work home. She was done, and she was all ready for a good time.
Well, as soon as she got home, showered and changed, she would be all ready for a good time, Janet amended. She got up and made her way out of her cabin.
“Janet, perfect timing. See you in an hour at Gulliver’s?” asked Bess.
Bess was the floor manager of EAOP – Everything At One Place, the supermarket for which Janet had worked as a buyer for the last four years. She had also become one of Janet’s closest friends in that time. At first look, Bess was completely unlike Janet: petite, a bit of a fitness freak, chirpy, and blonde, she was a bit like a porcelain doll come to life.
Just the kind of girl she would’ve felt insecure around in high school, Janet thought sometimes. But things change. People change. Janet had definitely changed. She owned her curves, her dark chocolate skin, her curls and her strong features now.
“Looking forward to it. After a day of spreadsheets, that’s exactly what I need,” said Janet, with an affectionate smile.
Elizabeth – though Bess suited her far better than the long and old-fashioned ‘Elizabeth’ – was very easy to like. Janet knew that wasn’t true for herself. She was a strong woman. Strong women are never easy to like.
“I had an intern from hell to deal with. I wonder why he expects to be paid for sitting in a corner and playing Candy Crush!” fumed Bess.
Janet grinned. If the intern annoyed Bess enough to mention it, he really must be awful.
“A couple of martinis and you won’t give the intern a second thought,” promised Janet.
“That’s what I’m hoping,” said Bess, and waved goodbye.
Janet was feeling even better as she opened the door to her home and walked in. It was nice to be able to go home and know it was her space, she reflected. At 27, she knew she couldn’t own a home for a few years yet with how housing rates were going up in Boston, but the one she was renting suited her very well. It was light
and airy, and she had made it her own with bold colors and kitschy furniture that she loved.
She owned her love for the quirky, too. Why not? That was the point of being independent.
Nita, of course, would have to deal with a man living with her soon. The idea made Janet grin. Nita was tidy to the point of anal. Her fiancé, Johnny, was not. The one and only time Nita had stayed over at Johnny’s place, she had needed an evening at Gulliver’s with the girls to get over the shock. That should be one interesting marriage, mused Janet. She would have a ringside seat to watch the fireworks.
Janet debated between her little black dress and a flashier red number. She went with the ruby red – she liked colors and they suited her. Her generous curves filled out the dress perfectly, but she was glad that she had a well-defined waist that made her look proportionate. All woman, she thought as she slid her hands down her body, then clipped dangling earrings on.
By the time she made her way to Gulliver’s, their favorite watering hole in town, she was a few minutes late. Janet made sure she was always on time when it was business. But when it came to the personal, she was a bit more relaxed about it. As expected, Nita and Bess were already there. Noelle, her closest friend, was running even later than she was. That, too, was quite typical.
“Noelle said five minutes,” said Nita as Janet sat down.
“Martinis all around!” declared Janet.
It was nice, she thought, as she sat back and watched her friends talk. She loved all of them. Soon, Noelle walked in, too, looking stunning in a blue dress that made her shimmer.
“Nita, take your eyes off that man. You’re almost a married woman,” Janet told Nita, who was obviously checking out a tall, dark, handsome man by the bar.
“Almost is the key word. Anyway, looking’s free,” said Nita with a grin.
“So it is. Let’s drink to Nita and to looking being free,” said Noelle.
In a few minutes, conversation turned to love. It was natural, supposed Janet. Nita must really love her Johnny if she was willing to overlook that kind of messiness for him.
“How are you going to deal with having no clean towels, Nita?” asked Noelle, as if she had read Janet’s mind.
Nita smiled, sweet and serene.
“The man has skills that can make up for dirty towels. Besides, I can kick him out to go play poker with his buddies and do laundry,” pointed out Nita.
“It must be nice, to be in love like that,” said Bess wistfully.
“Can’t complain,” said Nita, but the glow on her face and the sparkle in her dark eyes belied the flippant words. She was happy, they could all see that – happier than they had ever seen her.
“I loved a man once,” said Noelle.
“Oh man. Yes, I know,” said Janet.
“He was a bastard. I should’ve cut his balls off instead of just dumping him,” spat out Noelle.
Bess leaned forward, fascinated. She hadn’t known Noelle long enough to know the story.
“What happened?” she asked, curious.
“I walked in on him with my roommate, that’s what happened. He still owes me rent money. I paid half his rent that month and I never saw a cent of it,” said Noelle.
Janet grinned.
“Oh, come on, you got some revenge. He still doesn’t know what happened to his favorite leather jacket, does he?” she asked.
Noelle grinned back.
“He enjoyed the campus bonfire, at least,” she said, laughing.
“Bess, you’re still with your college boyfriend, though, aren’t you? Though we haven’t seen much of Sam in a while,” said Nita.
“We’re still together, but this long-distance thing is getting harder and harder, really. What about you, Janet? Haven’t you ever had a really serious boyfriend?” asked Bess, deflecting attention like she usually did.
Janet shrugged.
“No man’s ever got me that twisted up. I would much rather watch all the drama than have it happen to me,” said Janet with a grin.
Noelle gave her a quick look, but didn’t say anything. Noelle was the only one who had known Janet long enough to know about Marco. Her friend had been in love, Noelle knew. She might only have been sixteen, but she had been in love. Noelle had been there when Janet had fallen apart, then pieced herself back together.
But if Janet didn’t want to talk about that, or even acknowledge that, Noelle wouldn’t bring it up when they were with friends. Even good friends.
Talk soon turned to Nita’s wedding preparations – Nita could happily do a monologue on that for hours – and then, more interestingly, to her hen party. Bess was in charge of that one, which made her extremely happy.
“Last call, ladies,” said the waiter, much to Nita’s disgruntlement.
“Janet, share a cab?” asked Noelle.
They were well on their way before Noelle broke the silence.
“You didn’t want to tell them about Marco,” said Noelle, quietly.
“What’s there to say?” asked Janet.
Noelle was silent for a moment.
“It’s just me here, Janet,” she said softly.
Janet sighed.
“It was a long time ago, Noelle. I’m fine now. It was eleven years ago. We were just kids,” said Janet.
Noelle squeezed her hand.
“I know you’re fine. But you’ve never dated anybody seriously since then, Janet. Not in eleven years. I’ve watched you slide smoothly out of every relationship that looked as if it could go somewhere. Like Michael, two years ago. He was nice, and sweet, and… Well, everything you always said you wanted. But the moment it started getting serious, you found a way to get out,” said Noelle.
Janet bit back a sigh.
“It was a long time ago, Noelle. I just don’t want to be in a relationship unless I feel that… Well, you see what Nita has. Unless I have that, I don’t want to be in a relationship. I’m happy enough in my life not to settle for anything less. I didn’t feel that for Michael,” said Janet.
Noelle didn’t talk about it again. They didn’t talk at all until they said good night.
*****
Janet was nursing a headache when she got to work the next day. She checked her schedule – she had a meeting in the afternoon. She swallowed an aspirin to chase the one she’d had first thing in the morning.
As buyer for the supermarket, she liked the responsibility of choosing products that would enhance their reputation and diversify their customer base. She wanted to be the first in the state to supply the latest thing she’d had her eye on: traditional Italian dishes, packaged specifically to be gifts. She knew it would be an excellent line to carry. It would be an alternative to the tired old wine or dessert option that most people never thought beyond. There was nothing like that on the market. It would be an up-market and elite line to carry.
So Janet set her headache and all discomfort aside, and got to work.
By afternoon, she was looking forward to the meeting. The venue was fancy, of course, and she expected to meet with a couple of junior level managers before she could finally meet somebody who had the actual power to make decisions. That was the one part of her job that she disliked – having to deal with half a dozen unnecessary meetings before she could get to the one fruitful one.
Unlike the night before, she was early when she walked into the lobby. Business was always business. She preferred to be settled in, with all her notes and everything she needed on hand, before anybody else showed up. She walked straight to the coffee shop of the five-star hotel, chose a table that suited her – in the corner, so there would be no disturbances – and started setting up.
She had the report and the proposal ready, and was sipping on a cup of tea when the door to the almost empty coffee shop opened. She looked up, casually, and felt as if she had been stunned with a shot between her eyes.
Large as life, twice as handsome and lethal as sin, Marco Graziani, who had unceremoniously walked out of her life eleven years ago, leaving h
er heartbroken and in despair, walked in.
He didn’t even break his step as he walked towards Janet. Obviously, it wasn’t a surprise for him; only for her.
She felt like she had been blindsided. She couldn’t draw in enough air to breathe. She felt as if all sound had vanished from the world around her.
“Hello, Janet,” he said, stopping beside her.
With a huge effort of will, Janet put all the overwhelming emotions swirling around inside her, threatening to engulf her, aside and stood up. She extended her hand for a formal handshake and was nearly undone as he raised her hand to his lips.
She felt the heat of that simple, formal contact searing through her. “You look wonderful,” said Marco, his voice reminding her of afternoons and evenings spent together, stolen kisses, whispered, heated endearments that she had replayed over and over again in her mind after he had left her all alone.
Discarded her.
The memory stiffened her spine and gave her strength.
“Mr. Graziani,” said Janet, her voice clipped and formal, “Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss.”
“I am Janet Jones, head buyer for Everything At One Place. We’re here, obviously, to discuss a mutually beneficial business relationship between EAOP and Prezioso, especially the special range that focuses on gift boxes with traditional Italian desserts. We hope that we can convince people to move beyond tiramisu and explore much more of the Italian culinary world by making it accessible through our supermarket,” said Janet, launching right into her standard spin.
She had done it so many times that she could have done it with her eyes closed and one arm tied behind her back. But she knew that she wouldn’t be able to recall the specifics of the meeting if her life depended on it.
“I prefer to have an audio recording of meetings, so that I can be sure that there’s nothing lost between the lines. Would you mind?” she asked, thinking fast.