A Billionaire's Burning Desire

Prologue: First Encounter

Maddie's POV

***Five Years Ago***

I sipped my glass of champagne, watching as the guests mingled. Most importantly, I was watching as my boyfriend, Ash, was mingling with the guests on behalf of his father, a billionaire who owns Leonard Corporate. They specialize in creating new cars, and they have their own brand. Mr Leonard didn't like me much because of my current job, which is working in a coffee shop. Ash was a year older than me and he graduated high school a year ahead of me. We have been dating for two years. He was on the football team in high school and everyone loved him. He was popular but we love each other, or so I think.

He was a handsome young man, dressed in a black tuxedo with a black bow tie, his light brown hair slicked to the back but kept short, his green eyes were like the color of grass. He is helping his father with business. They are stinking rich people. I don't come from much. My mother has a job, which is a packer at a grocery store, to keep us afloat. We didn't live in a good neighbourhood either here in Boston, but it was what we could afford. I want to study and become a fashion designer, but that dream seems distant from me. I never knew my father and it didn't interest me one bit.

My eye caught Ash with a woman, whose hands lingered on him as he spoke to another couple. She was beautiful and he was full of smiles with them. Jealousy creeped up with anger, I wanted to go over there and show everyone that I am his. I gulped the rest of the champagne down, not to mention that today is my nineteenth birthday. I would rather be in my apartment and watch movies the whole evening than witness this. On the other hand, I didn't want to be a disturbance either, because it was business connections too. His father appeared by them and he was full of smiles too. He was old, perhaps in his sixties, I didn't care.

I placed the empty champagne glass on a tray that a waiter carried and I took another one. Just as I was about to sip, Ash was walking towards me, smiling. "You should slow down on those birthday girl," he said as he now stood beside me. "I'm sorry that we had to be here this evening, I would've taken you to my place and just enjoy each other." he said as he placed his hand on my lower back. His warm skin against mine. My dress was red, glittery and long that it reached the ground. My back was bare, my brunette hair was in curls but pinned up, with a few strands hanging lose around my face. Ash bought me this dress because I couldn't afford it and I felt bad about it. I didn't want to come across as a gold digger because I wasn't. That is the reason why his father dislikes me. His father was still talking to the other woman. She was probably around our age, that couple with them seemed to be her parents.

"Its okay, I do understand that this is only business," I replied.

A couple approached us, I still held my champagne in one hand. "Mr and Mrs Donovan, it's nice to see you here," Ash said with a smile. Mr and Mrs Donovan were a good looking couple with huge smiles as they shook hands with Ash.

"It's an honor to be here. Please call me Mariko. My wife here is Amber," Mariko said to him.

I took a sip of my champagne, "This is Maddie," Ash introduced, their attention on me now, but I nearly choked on my champagne, as Mariko's warm golden brown eyes held mine, with a gorgeous smile. He held his hand out to me, I felt some sort of warmth creeping up my smile. His dark hair was spiky at the top, his black tuxedo fitting his lean muscles. I cleared my throat, snapping myself out of it.

My cheeks felt warm as the redness crept up into them as I smiled at him. I took his hand, they were warm and electricity sparked through us as we shook hands. "Nice to meet you, Maddie," he said, his voice velvety, and then we pulled away as Amber and I now shook hands. She seemed warm and friendly. They looked lovely together.

"I will take you to my father. He is quite busy interacting with other guests," Ash told them, as their attention was off me. I needed some air due to what had happened. It was wrong to be feeling this way, but then they walked away from me. Ash never introduced me to these guests as his girlfriend. Was he ashamed that these rich people would do a background check on me or see where I work? Ugh. I gulped the rest of the champagne and then I made my way towards the patio door. I placed my empty champagne glass on the tray that the waiter had. The sliding doors had white curtains hanging and blowing in a little breeze.

I stepped outside onto the balcony. It was a huge balcony. Some branches of a tree were hanging over and I stood close to it, resting my elbows on the railing, looking at the bright full moon and the stars in the night sky. A few people were further away from me on the balcony. The breeze sent a chill down my spine, but then a figure appeared beside me. That scent was delicious, but it wasn't Ash's scent. I turned to see who it was.

My heart stopped because Mariko stood beside me, looking at the night sky. "Beautiful, isn't it?" he stated.

"It is," was all that I said. I didn't know what else to even say to him.

"Not interested in mingling," he said.

"No, and it's my birthday. I'm sure that I could do something more fun than being here. It's not my scene," I replied as he now looked at me. My breath hitched. I licked my lips that were red from my lipstick. His eyes followed my tongue and he held my gaze. Something about this man drew me towards him. But I was wrong. He is married and I have Ash, as if this man is attracted to me. He wouldn't be interested in me either way. I turned to look in front of me again.

"I hope that you will have fun after this event," he said, but I knew he was smiling.

"I think that I would just be in bed and sleep." I was annoyed because of how my birthday was turning out.

"I'm sure that Ash will be taking you somewhere. He likes to party, as I have heard," I snorted at what he just said.

"Ash gets to party and that is not really what I enjoy. I would rather just keep myself busy with what is more productive and not waste money that way. I'm nineteen today, so that should label me as a good girl, right?" I asked as I faced him, "A good girl that behaves," his Adam's apple moved as he swallowed, those eyes were more intense now. He blinked as he looked away at the sky again.

"Being a good girl will get you very far in life, no one to influence you with all the bad choices. Not stooping low, just being yourself and not letting anyone else tell you what to do." he looked at me again, "Now that is a good girl," he smiled politely before walking away.

I didn't want him to leave me here, but what could I have done? Nothing. But he had me with those words. Get a grip Maddie. I let out a breath as I let the breeze cool me off. I didn't know who he was. It was the first time I met him. So to get over this encounter with him, I need to forget and live my life with Ash. No man like Mariko would want to be with a nineteen-year-old and he is married, so he clearly loves his wife. I had to forget about this.