Resisting the Billionaire Collection (34 page)

Who the hell is this
guy?
He thought.

He put a big hand to the doctor’s shoulder
and jerked him around to face him.

"Get off of her." He growled. "She's with
me."

Alison was shocked to see Sebastian standing
over her. He was the last person she expected to find here and her
face broke out into a huge smile of relief.

"Hey, back off buddy." The doctor said.
"Where were you when your girlfriend passed out?"

"I wasn't here, I was--"

"Well then back off, I'm a doctor, not her
secret lover, okay?"

"He's not my boyfriend, doctor." Alison
said, wiping tears away. "But I am glad to see him. I know who he
is. We work together."

Sebastian nearly came to tears himself as he
looked at that perfect pretty face and the long beautiful legs he
hadn't seen before.

She was on the ground for Christ’s sake.

What the hell am I paying my security people
for?

"You need to get checked out." The doctor
said. "Can he take you to a hospital?"

"Of course I can." Sebastian said. "Thanks
for the help Doc, but we won’t need you anymore."

And keep your horny hands
off my girl.

"Very well then." The doctor stood up and
left to get his coat.

Sebastian stooped to pick Alison up but she
wouldn't allow it.

"I'm okay." She insisted. "Really. I just
haven't eaten today."

"Where's your goddamn millionaire date?" He
was furious.

"I think he must have bailed when he saw me
pass out."

"That little bastard. What the hell's his
name?"

Dylan Bryant, you are finished buddy.

"Why? What are you going to do? Punch his
lights out? He's a very rich man. His lawyers will have your ass in
jail faster than you can fix a single espresso."

Sebastian snorted his disgust. The idea was
laughable. A million dollars was nothing to him.

"Come on, we're taking a cab to the
hospital. I want you thoroughly checked out."

"Forget about it." She was firm. "I just
didn't eat today and I was nervous about the stupid date. It's
happened to me before when I’m stressed out and my blood sugar gets
low."

"You need to take care of yourself more." He
was angry again. She had no right to treat herself this way. "What
if something serious happened to you? What if you passed out in the
street in that neighborhood of yours? Anything can happen to you in
this town, Alison. You need to be more careful."

"You’re talking like you own me, Daniel."
She said, although somehow the implication made her feel good,
loved, valued, protected. He was doing it to her again.

"Of course, Alison. I’m sorry, but
goddammit, if I hadn’t been walking past--"

"What do you mean about my neighborhood?"
She interrupted him.

Shit.
He thought.
I’m not supposed to know
where she lives.

"And what we’re you doing all the way over
here in Midtown?"

"You need to take care of yourself more." He
repeated, blowing the question off. "Promise me you won’t let this
happen to you again."

She stared into his eyes. Nobody else in the
world showed such intense care for her, even though they barely
knew each other. The older sister kindness of her two best friends
was nothing like this domineering masculine possessiveness.

"I could really use a cup of coffee and some
pecan pie." She said. His relief was palpable and he gave her one
of his broad, sexy, charming smiles.

You're mine, baby.
He thought.
What
Sebastian wants, Sebastian gets. One way or the other.

"Is this a date?" He said.

"Not a date, 'lover boy,'" she said,
paraphrasing her friend's name for him, "just coffee and pie."

“
Okay," He said, "but it
has to be a good meal, not just pie. And my treat or you can forget
about it." She felt guilty accepting because she knew she earned
more at Tête-á-Tête than he did and she could barely survive in New
York City herself. She would make it as reasonably priced as she
could.

"Deal." She agreed. "I choose the place, you
pay."

He smiled again and then waved at the one of
the staff to bring Alison's coat.

"Here you are, ma'am." The man said as he
put Alison's coat on. Sebastian tipped him and he murmured his
appreciation. "Thank you Mr. Drummond. Have a nice evening."

He glared at the man.

"What did he just call you?" Alison said,
"Does he know you?"

"Must’ve mistaken me for someone else."

He hailed a cab and they headed downtown to
a cheap all-you-can eat place in Little Italy that Alison picked
out. Apparently, it was popular with local residents and great
value for the money. He was touched that she seemed to be trying to
keep it all affordable for him.

Sebastian held the door for her as she went
in and insisted on a good table when they were ushered to one next
to the kitchen door. The waiter protested but Sebastian slipped a
$100 dollar bill into his hand. Whoever had reserved that table
would have to wait.

Alison didn’t see the size of the bill, but
she was impressed. 

"You look like you own this place, Daniel.
Did you give him money to get this spot?"

"I didn't give him anything." He protested
with mock innocence. "I guess he just took one look at you and
couldn't say no. Not that I blame him of course. You look--"

"Stop right there. I told you this isn't a
date and anyway, how the hell did you just happen to be in that
fancy-shmancy restaurant uptown when I had my little fainting
incident? Are you stalking me?"

"I would never stalk you
Alison. Unless you wanted me to. Do you want me to?" His expression
was so ridiculous she had to laugh. He was as handsome as a Greek
god but could obviously play the little boy clown as well whenever
he wanted to. If his sculpted beauty didn't get to her then that
silly, goofy charm eventually would.
Maybe
this isn't such a great idea after all.
She thought.
I really don't need
more rolling stones and free spirits.

"I'm serious, Daniel. How the hell did you
just happen to be there? And why are you dressed up so swanky?"

He had swapped his barista outfit for the
billionaire casual look straight after work. He glanced the
high-end fabrics and designer labels and silently cursed.

"Job interview." he said.

"Job interview?" She gave him a totally
disbelieving look.

"That's right. I was interviewing for a
position as a waiter there. I'm thinking of leaving Tête-á-Tête and
I've done some restaurant work before. That's how the guy who gave
you your jacket knew me, or thought he did. He must have mixed up
the names."

"You expect me to believe that?"

He looked at her for what seemed like
forever, lost. He had no idea what to say. It was bullshit --
complete bullshit -- but he had no other choice. If she found out
who he was, then he would never know the truth about her feelings
for him. She had to want him just as he was. Just a guy who wanted
her, needed her. And she had to need him just as bad.

She hadn't been out of his thoughts for more
than a moment in days. This was no ordinary fascination. She was in
his dreams. He had woken up in a sweat dozens of time in the last
week, torn from dreams filled with her image, saturated with the
impressions of passionate lovemaking.

It had taken a half hour to get his shorts
on one morning because his cock had been so hard.

Now here she was right in front of him: the
girl, quite literally, of his dreams.

Her eyes were half obscured but still shone
in the candlelight, and she was dressed more beautifully than he
had ever seen her before. There was just a hint of a smile behind
her eyes. The romantic lighting of the little eatery cast sensuous
shadows across her face, leaving him mystified as to her real
thoughts and feelings. He lifted his head slightly and lost his
breath as the intensity of her beauty scorched him.

He could barely restrain his desire and
worried if he would be able to hold himself back much longer. He
stared into her eyes, this woman he barely knew, and a blaze of
erotic sensation coursed through his loins, leaving him
uncomfortably stiff and his breath quickened. He was in danger of
falling in love head over heels and coming in his pants at the same
time. He would have to be careful or he would need a salad bowl to
cover his crotch in order to leave the restaurant.

"Alison…" He started to say, but he had
nothing.

A hint of a smile lingered on his lips. The
romantic lighting of the little eatery cast deep shadows across his
eyes, leaving Alison mystified as to his real thoughts and
feelings. He lifted his head slightly and she lost her breath as
the intensity of his gaze scorched her. She could feel the
restraint of his desire, how much he wanted her, and how much it
took to hold himself back. A blaze of erotic sensation coursed
through her and her breath quickened. He smiled a little more and
she couldn't hold back. She began to giggle uncontrollably.

Shit, shit, shit, Alison
stop!
She thought, struggling to control
herself.

His huge ego was cut to the quick. She was
the only one who was able to dent his famous Drummond
self-confidence. The only one who was allowed.

Only you, Alison. Dream girl. Only you.

"What is it?" He said, looking totally
unperturbed but in fact trying desperately to keep his cool under
the onslaught of her feminine laughter.

"Come on Alison, you’re killing me here.
What’s so damn funny?"

He felt mocked but aroused at the same time.
It was unlike anything he had ever felt before. His eyes pleaded
with her but whatever the joke was, she really couldn't seem to
stop herself. She covered her mouth and shot him looks filled with
guilt, longing, confusion, desire.

He smiled back, helplessly, and then began
to giggle himself. It was infectious. Once he started, he couldn’t
stop and he didn’t care why.

When the waiter came back for their order,
neither of them could speak for laughter.

"I give you two innamorati a few more
minutes, okay?" The old Italian waiter smiled knowingly and left
them alone to together.

Chapter
Thirteen

"What is it?"

The voice was groggy and irritable.

"It's me." Sebastian said.

"I know." His brother returned. "It's... oh
my God, its 4:00 a.m. Do you know what kind of day I have
tomorrow?"

"I have to speak to you."

Alex sighed. It had been nearly a year since
he had a conversation with his twin brother that stretched more
than two words. He sighed deeply, rubbed his eyes, and rolled over
to his back with the cell phone pressed to his ear.

"Go on." He said. He had a huge day tomorrow
with corporate CEOs, involved legal issues and lengthy board
meetings. Billionaire stuff. But if he couldn't make time for his
estranged little brother, then what was the point of it all?

"I met someone." Sebastian said.

Alex rolled his sleepy eyes to the
ceiling.

"And?"

"It's not like that. This one's for
real."

"Have you boned her yet?"

"Is that all you want to hear about?"

"If you haven't boned her yet, then of
course she's 'for real'. Once you've laid her, call me back and
then we can talk."

"I need a favor."

"No kidding. And you’re asking me? After six
months of complete silence, not answering calls, emails -- nothing?
I only know where you are because of Mom and the Drummond
Corporation security service."

"I'm speaking to you now, aren't I?"

Alex took another deep
breath.
My little twin brother.
He thought despairingly. He loved him to death
but why did he have to make life so complicated? He was born rich
to loving and caring parents. Everything had been easy as pie from
Day One. All he had to do was step up to the plate and enjoy
it.

"What is it?" He sighed.

“
Okay. So Alison and I
haven't had sex yet--"

"Alison? Alison who?"

"Alison Myers."

"Of Bristol-Myers Squibb? The biopharma
conglomerate?"

"No, nothing like that."

"You mean the Ohio Myers? No, what am I
thinking; you’re in New York, right? It’s the Mellon-Myers--"

"Shut up Alex, she’s not ‘family’, okay?
She’s not rich, she’s…" he struggled for words. He didn’t want to
say ordinary because she certainly wasn’t.

"Poor?" Alex offered.

"Real." Sebastian finally blurted out.

"Right. ‘Real’," he mocked, "because rich
people aren’t ‘real’. Oh my God Sebastian, come on."

"You married Melanie, didn’t you?" She’s not
rich. She’s not ‘family’."

“
Okay, you’re right. I’m
sorry. So tell me more about her. How long have you known
her?"

"It’s a week now."

Alex would have laughed if the exact same
thing hadn’t happened to him one year ago.

"A whole week and
you
still
haven’t
knocked your bones together? You’re getting rusty, little bro. Or
wait -- do you have something medical going on?"

“
Okay, so we kind of did
already. Last night."

"Kind of did? What does that mean? Don't get
all Bill Clinton on me. Did you do her or didn't you?"

"We went back to her place."

"After what?"

"After a date."

Alex guffawed now. He couldn’t hold it in.
His little brother had changed beyond recognition in the last
year.

"Since when does Sebastian
Drummond do
dates
? Back of the limousine isn’t good enough for you anymore?
Did you get caught in the powder room again with your pants
down?"