Craving Talon (2 page)

They’ve claimed me as theirs and I wouldn’t change it for the world. They’re proving to be everything I need all rolled up into two nicely kept packages for me to unwrap at any time of my choosing.

We arrive at Cami and Tristan’s. Don’t ask me where in Phoenix we are because I have no clue whatsoever. Regardless, the house looks massive. Though it is a condo, I can see at least four floors above ground.
 

I’m leading the charge and ring the doorbell. Tyson, Tristan’s bodyguard, answers the door. I find that a little odd, but I don’t question it. “Hi, Tyson.”

“Good evening, Ms. Beltrand.”
 

I roll my eyes. “Addison, my name is Addison.” I give him a playful smile.
 

“Addison. Sorry, old habits die hard.”
 

“No problem. Tyson, you’ve met the guys. Talon, Dex, Mouse and Peacock. And this is Kyle.” I point to each one as I introduce them.
 

“Hi guys, come on in.” We slide past Tyson and are in an entryway with just a set of stairs leading up. “You guys want to come in too? I assure you they’re safe in here, but we have plenty of food to go around.” He’s talking to Mills and Rusty. I don’t hear their reply, but given that Tyson closes the door, I assume the answer was no. “Follow me,” he says as he heads up the stairs. Somehow I’m pushed to the front of the pack, like I can save these wild animals from anything. When we reach the top of the stairs I notice an elevator to my right and it’s wide open to the left.
 

Tyson rounds the corner and there are several people milling about, alcohol in hand. Other than Tristan, I only recognize one other face and it’s Travis Jackson, a fellow actor friend of Tristan’s and Hollywood’s second hottest celebrity, behind Tristan of course. And one of Bold’s biggest clients.

“Addison,” Cami calls from my right. She’s coming out of what I think is the kitchen. “Hi Darlin.” She gives me a hug and I try hard not to flinch, but damn, it hurts. She pulls back. “What the matter?”
 

I smile, she will most certainly understand this. “New ink.”
 

Her eyes get wide. “Oh my god, let me see.” I hear a collective chuckle coming from behind me and I’m making a mental note to thank the knuckleheads for the outfit. With it hanging loose in the front it doesn’t rub in all the wrong places and it makes it easier to show it off. I lift my shirt, careful not to expose my nipples, but it’s only going to be any good if she can see the entire thing. As I show her the matching swirls under my breasts I hear her laugh, “oh god, that had to hurt like hell, but they’re gorgeous, I love it.”
 

“It did hurt like hell and you never realize how many times someone actually hugs you until you have sore ribs.” I laugh.
 

“Oh, I am well aware of that one. Hey, let me get introductions going.” she says with a smile.
 

“I should’ve brought ‘Hello my name is’ stickers,” I say and Cami laughs.
 

“That would have been a great idea. Next time.” She winks at me. “Okay, you guys know Tyson, Tristan’s bodyguard, among other things, and this is his wife Jolene.” Jolene is taller, than I am, with long blond hair and big beautiful eyes. “Jolene, this is Addison.”
 

We shake hands. “Nice to meet you,” I say.

“Likewise, I’ve heard a lot about you.”
 

“Oh dear,” I say and Cami laughs.
 

“Okay, I am going to screw this up.” She reaches for Talon’s shoulder. “This is Talon.” They shake and exchange pleasantries, then she moves on to Mouse, but calls him Calvin, which actually makes Mouse blush. It’s freakin cute. Then on to Eric, Dex and finally Kyle. They all exchange greetings and we move on to the next couple in the room. “Addison, this is Mick Bass, you may have heard the name before. He used to work for Bold.”
 

“It sounds familiar but I don’t think we’ve ever met.”
 

He extends his hand and I take it. “I’m with Jolene, I’ve heard a lot about you, and the guys.” Mick releases my hand and then says hello to everyone else then comes back to wrap his arm around the woman standing next to him. She’s shorter, about five six, long brown curly hair. “This is my wife, Beau.” She’s very pretty and very pregnant. She’s friendly with me and I can see that given time, she and I could be friends.
 

We finally move on to Travis and I pray to god I don’t make an ass out of myself. Tristan was easy, I’d seen him before, knew about him, but Travis is the enigma locked away in the executive offices. We exchange greetings with him and his girlfriend Naomi who is about as tall as Cami, skinny as a rail and I’ve seen pictures of her because of her boyfriend.
 

“And last, but certainly not least we have our good friends Derek and Dacotah Hunter. Derek was just telling me that he and Dacotah were at your Saturday night Vegas show. Addison, did you know that they went looking for you with no luck?”
 

“Oh my goodness, I’m so sorry. I was only backstage for about ten minutes and went back to my room with a nasty migraine.”
 

Derek smiles. “No worries, we have tickets to one of the New York shows. Cotah is a huge fan, and we’ll stop by then.” His voice is sultry and very possessive, it’s strange, but without knowing better, I’d say he was a very dominant person.
 

“Excellent, I very much look forward to it.” I start talking to his wife. She’s absolutely gorgeous with blond hair and beautiful curves. Very confident in herself and comfortable around all the celebrity going ons in this room. We chat and I learn that they have a place in Vegas, atop the Cosmopolitan and they’re often there.
 

The party kicks up, drinks are passed around and the guys are doing what they do best. Mingling with people. Talking about different things and it is nice to see them all engaging with other people and I’m not just talking about Kyle and Talon either.
 

“I need to have a chat with you,” Cami says from behind me. I turn to look at her.
 

“I had a feeling,” I reply to her and she smiles.
 

“We have about twenty minutes before dinner, but I need to ask your boys something first. Who should I talk to?”
 

“Oh, um, Talon and Kyle probably.”
 

“Okay, stay here,” she says, walking around me to grab them, she brings them back to me, but before they get there, someone comes up behind me.

“How you doin?” I hear Tristan say behind me, I turn to look at him.
 

“I’m great, yourself?”
 

He smiles. “I can’t complain, it’s been a crazy day around here.”
 

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. I tried to call Cami this morning, to see if she needed any help. She texted back, said she was good, but that if I needed to escape I was more than welcome.”
 

He laughs. “That’s Cami for you.”
 

I smile. “The guys left me alone today. I read some, did just a little bit of work, got some R&R in. It was a good day.”
 

“Glad to hear it. Listen, take this.” He hands me a card. “This has my cell phone number on it. Cami is going ballistic regarding you. She’s very excited, maybe even desperate to have you on her client list. Before you make any final decisions, talk to me, ask me any questions you might have. I started as nothing and look at me now.” He smiles and shrugs. “I can help, but listen to her when you guys go talk. She’s very knowledgeable with what she’s doing and she won’t steer you wrong.” He gives me a sad smile. “This business is full of animals that will take anything they can get for as cheap as humanly possible. So make this decision with everything you have and don’t make it lightly.”
 

Cami returns with Talon and Kyle. “All good?” she says with a knowing smile.

I smile back. “All good. So what’s so important?”
 

She turns to the guys. “Well, I’m wondering how you’d feel about an impromptu, private concert tonight?”

“Where? Here?” Talon asks, looking around.
 

Cami laughs. “No. We own a bar, not far from here. We closed up shop tonight, but we were wondering if you’d want to jam, do some acoustic stuff, just have fun.”

“We haven’t done that in a long time. I’d love to, but let me ask the guys to be sure. We can have our equipment brought over there and my guitar is back at the hotel room.”

“We can send someone to get it, I’m sure. Tyson said a couple of your guys are outside.”
 

“Absolutely,” Talon says with excitement.
 

“Oh, and Addison?” I look at her.
 

“With Talon’s permission of course, we’d like to get a recording of you and him singing ‘Your Eyes’.” Panic, or something close to it wells inside me.
 

“For personal use?” I ask past the lump in my throat.
 

“No, I’d like to hand it over to the label,” Cami says and the panic escalates.
 

Talon chimes in, “That was something we wanted to discuss with you tonight. Kyle?”
 

“Oh, right, they’re asking the band and Addison to be in New York early to get an official recording of the song.”
 

Cami gives a knowing smile. “I know, but in the meantime I want to record it, and sell it back to them.”

I laugh. “Can you even do that?”
 

She smiles. “They’re the ones who asked me to do it. Look, we have a lot to discuss, hopefully before dinner. Do you want these two to join us?”

I look at both of them. On a personal, I’m sleeping with them level, yes I do. But on a professional level- I turn to Talon. “Would you mind if Kyle comes?”
 

He smiles. “Not at all.” He leans in, gives me a kiss on the cheek and whispers softly into my ear. “Good choice.”
 

“Thanks,” I say as Talon goes back to mingling with people and Cami, Kyle and I go to the elevator and step in. “You need an elevator in your house?”
 

Cami laughs again. “No, but it’s easier than the stairs sometimes.” We’re only in the elevator for all of five seconds (not really, but you know) when the doors open to a hallway. “We’re just going to my office. It’s quiet and away from prying ears.” She turns to Kyle, “Thanks for coming with her. I’m not sure that she needs a manager, but you know what you’re doing, so. Though if she wants one…” She shrugs, leaving the thought hanging in the air.
 

We stop at an open door and she ushers us in. The office is sparse, but yet very Cami with bright colors and a wicked looking tree painted on one wall. I stand, admiring it.
 

“You like that?” I nod. “That’s Beau’s work. She does an amazing job, doesn’t she?”
 

“Absolutely.” I smile.
 

“Take a seat you two. I don’t do much business in here other than computer work, so forgive the informal setting. Addison, your impromptu performance Sunday night has sparked a wide variety of interests, everything from clothing designers.” She shrugs, “I got a lot of those too when Tristan and I got together.” She winks. “To record labels. Most are communicating through Trinity at this time. Though we haven’t officially signed you to Bold, they came to us because 69 Bottles is with us and they assumed we had something to do with the pairing. Which we did, but not in a singing or musical sense. So, while I am not asking you to sign your life away with Bold, I need to know what you want to do.”
 

She sets two folders down on the desk in front of her and continues, “Inside these folders are two contracts. One,” she pats the one on my left. “Is a full contract, giving Bold the right to sell your name and your image to the highest bidder. When we do that you then become a product of the label and no longer an employee of Bold, which means your job with 69 Bottles will terminate.”
 

I don’t like where this is going. “What’s the other contract?”
 

“This one is more complicated, but less involved. This one means that Bold doesn’t own you, essentially just your voice. It gives me free reign to negotiate for your voice. For example, the recording tonight, should we do it, this contract allows me to sell that recording on your behalf to the label who will then pay Bold, you and the band for their work. It also allows me to negotiate with them for the official recording in New York, as well as any future performances on the tour. It basically only allows Bold to sell anything you do with 69 Bottles and nothing further.”