Resisting the Billionaire Collection (19 page)

Before she could stop herself, the words
came out.

"Yes, yes, God yes." She then screamed his
name at the top of her lungs. "Alex, God, yes, Alex, fuck me, take
me, I’m yours, all yours!"

After an eternity of pleasure at last, the
chosen brother reached his own climax and groaned heavily,
painfully into Melanie's throat with his final, monumental thrust.
Her own orgasms had flowed almost from the beginning and she felt
broken, but more loved than she had ever felt before, and
completely shattered by desire.

The final spasms of release left her lover’s
body and he lay, spent, gasping for breath. She had drained her man
to exhaustion and he had pushed her beyond ecstasy. The lovers sank
into exquisite oblivion by the waning light of the moon.

Chapter
Seventeen

The next morning, Melanie woke alone by the
smoldering campfire. For a long time she lay in a half-dream as the
sun rose and felt the familiar tropical warmth penetrate her flesh.
She lay in complete stillness for a long time, more deeply and
completely relaxed, more utterly fulfilled than she had ever been.
She didn't know, remember, or care why, but all she wanted to do
was lie right there in that spot, never moving, and holding onto
this feeling forever.

She was called back to herself by the sound
of rapidly approaching footsteps from the forest.

"Melanie, sweetheart, they're here. We have
to go, come on!"

"Who's here?"

"The rescue team from the Drummond Security
Corporation. Did you really think our family would leave us out
here? Of course, they’d never give up looking. They landed on the
other side of the island just this morning. They've been combing
this part of the ocean for weeks, going island by island until they
finally got to us. Let's go."

He put his hands to her shoulders and began
to draw her up, but she resisted.

"What's wrong sweetheart? We need to go. Is
there anything you need? Anything you want to take with you?"

She looked around, confused. There was
nothing to carry with her except vivid memories of the happiest,
most perfect, craziest, confusing and screwed-up time of her life.
Nothing like this could ever happen to her again and it was all
over now.

"I’m sorry. I just need time to--"

He put his arms around her. "There’s no
time. We have to go."

She didn’t move.

"Is this it then?" She looked up into his
uncomprehending eyes. "Does the dream end here?"

"Melanie, nothing has changed. This is where
the dream begins."

She nodded her head, desperately wanting to
believe him as he gently lifted her into his arms, kissed her soft
hair, and walked into the forest.

"Who are you?" she said. He looked pained as
he replied.

"I'm sorry sweetheart. Who do you think I
am?"

She thought for a moment, looked into his
hurt but loving eyes. He had been so careful with her. She ran her
fingers through his dark hair.

"Alex." She said. A smile lit up his
face.

They continued through the forest in silence
and before long, she could hear the hubbub of the rescue team.
These would be her last moments in paradise before the illusion was
shattered forever.

"Kiss me Alex." She said. "Please."

He reached his mouth down to hers, still
holding her in his strong arms. She craned her head up to meet him,
her arms clinging around his bunched, muscular shoulders.

"What's wrong sweetheart?" He said. "Aren't
you happy? Now we can get back to the real world and plan our lives
together."

"I don't want this to end." She whispered.
"I could stay on this island with you forever."

He hugged her close and kissed the top of
her head again. "I know sweetheart, so could I. But you know we
can't. We have to get back to the reality. Anyway, we own an island
not far from here. We can come anytime and spend all the time you
want out here."

"Is that what will really happen?" He set
her down onto the sand, put his hands to her shoulders, and looked
into her eyes.

"Melanie, don't worry. Nothing has changed.
Everything I told you is true. It's going to happen just like we
planned. Don't be afraid. Your old life is gone forever. I..." he
stopped, "... we are going to take care of you forever."

That we made her heart sink. If Sebastian
chose not to help them then they would struggle in worse poverty
than even the bare survival she had before. If he did choose to
help them, then he would be in control of their lives. She might
never be free of him -- or of her desire for him.

"Tell me you love me." She said. He took her
face into his hands, then cupping the back of her head and brushed
her hair gently aside. He closed his eyes and then kissed her
longingly, passionately.

"I love you." He said.

"Prove it." She whispered. "Make love to me
right here, right now. This very second."

"Melanie..." He pleaded.

"Do it." She said. It was their last chance,
before the dream was over forever.

He brought her gently down onto the forest
floor, drew off the flight crew blazer she wore and gazed into her
eyes. His lips pressed passionately to hers and his hand went lower
to her waiting breasts, her abdomen, and her thighs.

"Oh. Excuse me sir." The startled pair
looked up to see a professional looking man in his forties cast a
shadow over them. "I'm sorry Mr. Drummond. I didn't mean to disturb
you, but we need to go and your younger brother told me I might
find you somewhere here in this direction."

They had been seen and the employee knew
which brother he was. The choice was no longer in their hands.

Now the world would take over.

Chapter
Eighteen

"How long before we are in LA?" Melanie asked.

"Not long." Alex said. "We have time to rest
and freshen up here, but then we’ll fly directly to LAX."

As soon as they had reached the Drummond
family resort hotel on the main island of Tahiti, Melanie had
called the nursing home. She was relieved to find out that her
mother was still there, but administration was insisting on
payment. If she didn’t make good by tomorrow then they would start
proceedings to have her mother removed.

"Can we just get going? I can freshen up on
the plane."

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"It’s my mother. I need to get back to LA
and make sure they keep her in the nursing home."

"Just give me the number Melanie; I’ll take
care of it."

"No!" She said emphatically. "Just make sure
I get the money I’m due from the trip. Whatever part of it--"

"Don’t worry Melanie, you’ll get every penny
and more. It’s not your fault the plane went down, so you’ll get
paid and there will be compensation as well."

"That’s if you are a Drummond employee."
Sebastian had appeared out of nowhere.

"Which she is." Alex said.

"Which father will decide."

Alex turned to Melanie, blocking his
brother’s view of her. "Don’t worry." He said. "This is all going
to work out. I promise you."

She wanted to believe him but Sebastian's
smirking face gave her a dark feeling. She needed to get home to
LA.

After a very brief stop, they continued on
to the airport where a private jet picked them up for the nine-hour
flight back to the Los Angeles. Melanie recognized most of the
flight crew but only knew one girl really well. The whole situation
was so awkward that she spent most of her time in the bedroom in
hiding from her colleagues. If this was her new reality, it didn’t
look good so far. She would rather have been out in the cabin with
the other crew, busy with her work and chatting to her
colleagues.

At least Alex and Sebastian were both
gentlemanly enough to leave her alone while they reappraised
control of the Drummond Empire together with their younger brother,
Joshua.

At LAX, there was a throng of reporters
waiting to interview the castaways but Joshua had managed to
arrange a discreet arrival in order to avoid the waiting pack. When
they stepped out of the airport, there were two limos waiting for
them.

Melanie was confused.

"Who am I traveling with?" She asked.

"You're uh... traveling alone." Sebastian
said. "Alex and I will take this one."

She looked at Alex for an explanation,
instinctively trusting him more than Sebastian. As she looked at
them now, all powerful, exuding wealth, dressed in their
hand-tailored suits, fabulously expensive watches, cufflinks,
footwear, manicured again with short executive hair, she could
hardly believe these two men had been fighting over her like wild
men less than 24 hours ago.

Alex smiled at her reassuringly, as though
none of the crazy events on the island had ever happened.

Sebastian opened the door of the first car
and gestured for Melanie to get inside.

"Where are we going?" She asked.

"To meet our father." He said coldly.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Alex said.
"Everything is going to be just fine. Sebastian and I have it all
worked out. Haven’t we little brother?"

Sebastian gave his brother an icy look.
"Have we?" He said.

"Sure. Well, not every little detail, but we
can go over things in the limo. It's an hour's drive, so we can
talk things through on the way."

"Shouldn't I be with you for that?" Melanie
said.

"Just get in the car, Melanie." Sebastian
said. "Our father asked for us to travel this way, so that's how
it's going to be. You don’t mess with the old man."

She looked to Alex again. He nodded to her
with just a glimmer of a smile and finally she got inside. The door
clunked shut with dull finality. The car was absolute luxury of
course. The driver glanced at her in the rear view mirror.

"If there's anything you need ma’am, just
let me know."

She recognized his eyes. He was the one who
had discovered Alex and her together in the forest. What in the
hell was he doing driving her car now?

"I'm good, thanks." She said. The driver
nodded and the darkened partition between them slid upwards. En
route, the familiar streets of LA passed beside her. It was a
smoggy day with traffic from hell, and it was going to be a long
journey. After her month in tortured paradise, this was a helluva
way to come back down to reality. Even if she was in a luxury limo
with every technological convenience, a full bar and a selection of
delicate mouthwatering snacks, the color of life was drained from
everything. In under an hour she would be told to pack her bags and
go, probably never seeing either of the brothers again.

She tapped on dividing panel and then
watched it to slide down.

"Yes ma'am?" The driver said.

"What's going to happen to me today?"

"Excuse me ma'am?"

"What's happening here? I feel like I'm
being taken to an execution and all this fancy food here is my last
meal. I know you're more than just a driver. You were on the island
as well, when..." she hesitated.

"That's right ma'am. I was on the island.
I’m Mr. Drummond Senior's personal assistant. I take care of all
important matters relating to the family that do not pertain to
official Drummond family business or corporate affairs."

Great. Not only had she been caught with
Alex but she had been caught by his father's personal snake in the
grass to boot.

"So why are you driving this car? What's so
important about me?"

He smiled. "With all due respect ma'am, you
are the single most important thing affecting the Drummond family
at the moment and I believe you already know why."

"No, I don't." Although she had a good idea,
she had decided she didn't like this glorified peeping tom and she
would like to hear him explain what dirty trick he was involved
in.

"Do I need to spell it out for you?" He
asked.

"Yes. Word by word, because I am lost here.
I've been lost since you guys showed up on the island."

"If you insist. Ma'am, do you remember the
circumstances of our first meeting?"

"Do you mean in the forest?"

"Yes I do." He said, without a trace of
irony, mocking, or recrimination. "You were involved in an activity
with Mr. Alex Drummond, Junior."

"He was kissing me."

"With all due respect ma'am, it was a little
more than that."

"Did you enjoy it?" She said angrily.

"Whether I enjoyed or not is irrelevant.
What is relevant is that you are a Drummond Corporation employee,
and as such, it was my duty to report this to Mr. Drummond,
Senior."

"So you’re a high-paid snitch, is that what
you’re telling me?"

"Ma'am, we are talking literally billions of
dollars here and the lives and jobs of thousands of people. This
isn't something to be taken lightly."

"Well maybe you guys should lighten up a
little. This is just about people liking each other, it’s not like
we’ve committed a damn war crime or something."

"None of this means anything to me ma'am.
I'm not judging you."

"Would you stop with the ma'am already? Just
call me Melanie."

“Okay Melanie, my name's Larry, okay? Now
here's the problem that I believe you must already be aware of, but
just in case there is any doubt, I will repeat it to you: Mr.
Drummond knows that you and Alex have been together, and that is a
problem. Now he loves both his sons very much and he is not
interested in disinheriting either of them, but a rule is a rule
and Alex has already crossed a line. Our meeting today will
determine how far over that line his son has trespassed."

Melanie bit her tongue. She wanted to spill
the beans on Sebastian as well, but what good would that do anyone?
Then both of the brothers could lose their work, their companies,
and the people to which they had dedicated their whole lives.