

### Teased - Resisting the Billionaire -Volume One

Copyright 2014 Drew Sinclair

Published by Drew Sinclair at Smashwords

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Start Reading Teased

Sample Chapters: Tempted - Resisting the Billionaire Collection Volume II

Sample Chapters: Scandalous - The Scandalous Billionaires Collection Volume I

About Drew Sinclair

Other books by Drew Sinclair

Connect with Drew Sinclair

Acknowledgements

For the Joy of Romance and the Thrill of E-Publishing

But most of all for my beautiful little family!

Cover Art (and inspiration, guidance, encouragement) by the awesome Cali MacKay

Buy and read all her amazing books at:

www.CaliMackay.com

Teased

Resisting The Billionaire: Volume One

Sign up for the author's New Releases mailing list and get a free copy of _The Sinfully Sweet Collection_ , four full length steamy romance novels in one box set edition.

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Prologue

_Somewhere In The South Pacific_

Blue skies, lapping waves. For what seemed like a long time, Melanie lay in the warm sand. She didn't want to think about where she was and she certainly didn't want to move. The heaviness across her waist made her look down. A tanned and muscular arm was draped across her, the strong fingers of a male hand resting lightly against her lower abdomen.

Was she on vacation? She had no earthly idea where she was or who she was with.

The arm didn't look like her boyfriend's -- no, wait -- her ex-boyfriend Mitch's arm. It was too strong, too tanned, too well defined.

She moved her head and it began to pound.

Panic set in.

She looked around her and all she could see was sandy beach, brilliant aquamarine sea, and azure blue skies.

"Oh my God... Where am I? What the hell have I done?" She whispered.

She turned her head to look at the rest of the man attached to the arm around her waist.

"Jesus Christ!" She had no recollection, no recognition of the beautiful stranger. He looked as exhausted as she felt. His clothes were ragged, and so were hers. She pulled his arm from her, scrambling to get up, but her head was too woozy and she landed back on her ass. She was wearing only her bra and her skirt was torn away, leaving most of her thighs exposed.

The ridiculously handsome stranger opened his eyes, looked at her intently for a moment, and then sprang to life.

"Melanie!", he shouted. His voice was full of concern.

"How do you know my name?" She said.

"What do you mean? We were on the flight together--"

"What flight? Who are you?"

"It's me, Alex your..." His voice trailed off.

"My what?" A feeling of dread came over her, that name... it meant something...

Chapter One

Three Days Earlier

"Do you have family values?" Alex Drummond said to the elegant woman seated before him in the private booth he had reserved for their meal. He was immaculately turned out, dressed in perfect smart casual, manicured and his dark hair just tousled enough to give the impression of not caring too much about his otherwise perfect appearance. Rugged but cultivated was the overall impression, like a movie star in an action role.

"Do you?" The woman said, staring intently into his eyes, searching for an indication of his feelings.

She had supermodel looks and a figure to match. Male eyes watched her surreptitiously from all directions in the Michelin star-rated restaurant of the Four Seasons hotel. She wore a gleaming white evening gown that perfectly complimented her flawless, golden brown skin.

"I asked you first." He said.

There was a silence. Alex studied the menu although he already knew most of it quite well. The award-winning exclusive spot was one he ate at often, even when he was alone.

"I don't know." The woman faltered. "It's an important question; one I would have to seriously consider."

"Oh, really?" He sounded bored. "To me it's totally unimportant--"

"Me too!" She said.

"-- what other people think. Family values are core. Fundamental."

"That's exactly it. Fundamental. And core."

"If you are a complete idiot."

"A complete idiot."

"So which is it?" He pressed her.

"I'm sorry," she said, "...which is what? I'm confused."

Alex snapped the menu shut. "You know what, Vivian?"

"Valerie, it's Valerie."

"I've lost my appetite. You can stay if you like. In fact, please do. Tell Andre to put it on the Drummond account."

The woman stared at him. She was rake thin. Size zero. If she did decide to stay and eat, the bill would be negligible at best.

"Do you know I speak French?" She blurted desperately. Alex looked at her. "And Italian. My Mandarin Chinese is also good."

"I'm sure you would make a very beautiful interpreter." He said.

"Do you think I'm beautiful?"

"Vivian--"

"It's Valerie."

"Valerie. I really have to go."

"I have a Masters from the Harvard Business School."

Alex sighed.

"Valerie, you don't have to do this."

"I want to. I really want to. With you."

"Now I'm confused. What is it you want to do with me? We've only just met."

"I feel like I've known you my whole life."

"I'm going now."

The stunning blonde jumped to her feet and blocked his way.

"Don't!" She said desperately.

"Valerie, please get out of my way."

She stepped in closer and turned her eyes up to look at him seductively.

"I'll do anything you want." She whispered.

"Really?"

"Yes, anything." She put her hands to his belt.

"That's a relief, because I thought we were going to have to fight."

"I'll fight you if you want me to."

"No Valerie. Please just sit down. I have something I want to ask you."

"The answer is yes." She said. "Whatever it is."

"Great. Then sit down and close your eyes."

"Except for that. I don't want to close my eyes." She gripped his belt tightly again.

"Do it or I'll leave right now." He ordered.

Reluctantly she closed her eyes. He pulled her hands from his belt and then gently guided her back down into her chair.

"Begin counting backwards from 100." He said.

She opened her eyes again but he gently brushed them closed with his fingertips. "Shh. I've got something for you. I'll put it on the table right here. All you have to do is count all the way down to zero." She peeked through her fingers and saw Alex place a small dark box on the table. Then he wrote a note, folded it up, and placed that in the box as well. A thrill of excitement went through her. She had just met Alex Drummond, billionaire, that evening. He was a hard guy to be paired with through the dating website and it was rumored he was very picky.

But tonight was obviously her lucky night.

"Start counting and then keep going. If you stop or if you look then I'm taking it back."

"One hundred, ninety-nine..."

Alex stood up. "I'm going to stand behind you." He said. "Keep counting."

When she arrived at zero, Valerie peeked through her fingers. "Can I look now?" There was no answer. She looked around and Alex was gone, but his gift was still there. She grabbed the box and opened it frantically.

Inside was a single toothpick and a note.

Chapter Two

"God, I feel good today." Melanie Hutchinson said aloud as she smoothed her pristine flight attendant's uniform down over her hips.

"Well, that's nice to hear." Her friend Margaret said. "What has you feeling so good today?"

"I don't know. Can't quite put my finger on it. Maybe it's just that I'm still young, free, and single. I get paid to fly all over the world and visit exotic locations. To top it off, there's a plane full of hot, eligible, successful men out there just waiting to flirt with me. Maybe, just maybe, one of them could be Mr. Right. So you tell me, could this day get any better?"

Margaret sighed. "I remember when I was your age. The world at my feet. You enjoy it girl. This is the best time of your life. Grab it with both hands."

She smiled at her friend, picked up flight Captain Mitch McGovern's in- flight meal tray and turned to head into the cockpit.

"Whoa there!" She had nearly spilled the meal across him. The Captain had left the cockpit in the capable hands of his co-pilot while he stretched his legs in the galley. He was tall, muscular, tanned, with thick wavy dark hair and a square jawline.

Melanie blushed. The truth was that she had a crush on Mitch. Ever since the first flight she had shared with him six years ago on Drummond Airlines.

"I love it when you do that." He said, only making her blush even harder.

"It's kind of hot in here, don't you think?" Melanie said to Margaret.

"Too hot for me." Her friend grinned. "I better get out of here."

"No Margaret--" Melanie protested, but it was too late. Her friend was gone, leaving her alone with Mitch. In his smart Captain's uniform, he cut a strong figure.

"This is for you." She said. "Would you like it here or shall I bring it to the crew rest area?"

"Oh, I'll have it here." He said in his deep voice. He took the tray from her and placed it to one side. Melanie went to squeeze by him but he blocked her way. She felt her heart beat faster. It was happening. He had noticed her after all these years.

"Where are you going?" He said.

"I've got work to do Mitch. Let me out." She put her soft white hand to his strong forearm but he didn't budge.

"I'm the Captain. I need you here Melanie. I have something I want to discuss with you."

He was way too close and her skin tingled with excitement.

"What's it about Mitch? Can't it wait? I've got a whole planeload of people to look after."

"This is much more important than them." His lips came closer.

"Mitch--" He pressed his mouth to hers and she felt all her will power collapse, her fears vanished as his arms surrounded her, and their tongues explored deeply.

Mitch reached behind him and yanked the curtains over while he lifted her up effortlessly to sit on the counter in front of him.

"Don't speak Melanie, not yet." He reached inside his jacket and took out a small box. Melanie's heart almost stopped.

"Mitch, no--"

He put his fingers to her lips. "Shh, Melanie. Let me do the talking for once." He went down onto one knee and opened the box carefully, the sparkle of diamonds glinted. Melanie began to choke up.

"Melanie Hutchinson, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

It was true. Only now did she realize how much she had longed for someone to ask her this question. But Mitch? He had hardly paid any attention to her in six years. It didn't make sense.

"Yes." She whispered. Why spoil the moment with rational thought?

"Give me your hand." He said and then carefully pushed the ring onto her finger. When she had admired it he stood up and gathered her into his arms, his warm breath on her neck excited her beyond belief. This gorgeous man was hers. In moments, they were naked and he was making passionate love to her on the galley floor. No -- it wasn't the floor, but a giant, soft bed with satin sheets -- but something was wrong. The whole plane surrounded them and people were staring at them, clapping, giving them a round of applause. Frantic to cover herself, she drew the sheets up to her chin.

"Mitch, what the hell is going on?"

"It's okay baby, these people are just happy for us. Come on, relax!"

"No, I can't! Are you crazy?"

She yanked the sheets up higher and then a thud brought her to herself.

Melanie looked around the room of Mitch's bachelor apartment.

"Oh my God." She moaned. "I'm still here. Twenty-eight years old and still waiting for this idiot to get serious." She looked at the good-looking man snoring next to her. Even with his hair all tousled and his mouth half-open, he was attractive. Still, nothing compared to the Mitch of her dreams. And he was no airline pilot, either. He was a ground staff supervisor. He had decent job a pay grade or two above her own but still at the lower end of the airline industry pile. He was such a sweet guy with a heart of gold, but would he ever move on from where he was? Would she, for that matter?

"I can't do it." She mumbled to herself. "I can't fly this stupid LA to Columbus route again." Melanie had been stuck on the same boring route for the last six months and it seemed like forever since she had been anywhere exotic or interesting. "No more fat, drunken, lecherous businessmen. Please." She wanted to curl up and stay under the covers all day but the alarm next the bed let her know it was 3:30 a.m. and time to go. The sound didn't wake the slumbering Mitch. He wouldn't be up for hours yet but she needed to start looking good for her long day as a Drummond Airlines flight attendant.

She swung her legs out of bed and began searching for her clothes. Now she regretted not going back to her own place last night. It was nice to hang out at Mitch's sometimes. The guy atmosphere meant that kicking back and drinking beers while watching a movie was relaxed. But then she only had her overnight bag to get ready for work.

Where had she left the damn thing last night?

It wasn't in plain view, so she began searching under the bed, quietly, so as not to disturb her boyfriend.

"There it is." She whispered. She slid her hand along the floor and felt something lacy, small, and feminine under her fingers.

"What the--?" She pulled her hand back and then went into the bathroom to take a look at what she had found. What Melanie saw made her blood boil.

She stormed back to the bedroom and turned all the lights on.

"Wake up, Mitch." She said tensely. He didn't move. She looked around the room again and then saw what she needed: Mitch's baseball bat. He liked to keep it in the bedroom for protection in case of intruders. She picked it up in her right hand and then walked to the bed. The lacy black underwear was in her other hand.

They weren't hers.

"Wake up, Mitch." She said louder now, but still he didn't move. She pulled the bedclothes off his body and watched him huddle up in the chilly nighttime air. He began to come to, slowly rubbing his eyes until he could see Melanie standing over him. She was still in her underwear.

"Hey, baby." He said with a smile. "What's up?"

She thrust the bundled panties into his face. "What are these?" She demanded. He stared at them bleary eyed, confused. Melanie shook them out and let them dangle in front of his eyes.

"Oh, those." He said. "Those are uh... a present. Yeah, a present for you."

She planted the baseball bat on the bed between his legs.

"A present for me?"

Melanie had never struck another human being as long as she lived.

"Yeah, baby." He glanced nervously at the bat. "Where did you find them?"

Melanie threw the panties at him. As Mitch reached up to catch them, she raised the baseball bat and took aim.
Chapter Three

"You're a very beautiful woman. But please eat. The toothpick look is unhealthy."

"You're kidding. That's what you wrote in the note you left her? Why the hell did you do that? She was hot, right?"

Alex sighed. Valerie had been hot -- scorching hot. But hot wasn't the issue anymore, if it ever had been.

"I don't know, little brother. I think I'm going to just forget about women and enter a monastery. Even this stupid dating website is just a waste of time. They are supposed to screen these women, for God's sake. All they send me are these spineless bimbos just wanting to jump into bed with you because they see green in the family name."

"Mm, spineless bimbos. Sounds perfect. Maybe I will sign up for that thing after all. Send me a link to the website. Anyway, what did you expect? It's a millionaire-dating website. By definition, any woman who signs up for it is a certified gold-digger."

"So what am I supposed to do? Go to clubs and strip joints like you? Look where that's gotten you."

"I'm not the one looking for true love. I get exactly what I need in clubs and strip joints. At least I'm looking for strippers there. You're looking for non-materialistic, spiritually pure women with family values on gold diggers dot com."

Alex sighed.

"You're right. I suppose I should go to church or something."

"To get laid? I don't think so."

"Don't you ever think about settling down?"

"Me? Never. I'm happy just the way I am. If I ever stay with one woman for more than two weeks, hit me over the head with something. I agree with the old man on this one: 'Never, ever, ever, ever let a female tie you down.'"

"Okay Sebastian, uh, my flight is being called. Good talk. I think. I'll catch up with you in a couple of days for the trip to Tahiti."

"Looking forward to it, bro. I can't get enough of those island beauties."

"Whatever. Catch you later."

He ended the call and looked at his itinerary. Los Angeles International Airport to Columbus Ohio. The Drummond Corporation had a small airline that ran the route. It was rare that he made use of Drummond Airlines but this was the perfect opportunity to check in with the little company that had started the Drummond family empire. He would travel incognito today, under his mother's maiden name. That way, he could get a sense of how the airline was run without any subterfuge or sugarcoating from the staff.

He got in line and began to take note of everything that was going on. Drummond Airlines was small; not exactly a budget airline, but not far off. Profits were razor thin and they were always looking for ways to cut costs. This particular route depended mainly on regular business travelers like himself. Alex was as determined as his father, Alex Senior, to keep the company afloat, even if they could only break even.

"Can I have your boarding pass please, sir?"

Alex looked down at the pretty flight attendant. She gave him a sweet and professional smile, one that nearly floored him. The last thing he was on the lookout for here was dating prospects, but this woman had taken him completely by surprise.

"Sir?" She repeated. "May I have your boarding pass please?"

"Oh yes, of course, uh..." Alex read her name tag, "Melanie." He handed over his documents.

"Thank you Mr. Murray. Enjoy your flight." She smiled at him again and then looked to the next passenger as she handed his ticket stub back to him. He didn't move. Something was wrong. Melanie's mascara appeared slightly smudged at the corner of her eye.

"Come on buddy, keep it moving." The gruff business passenger behind him said.

"Yes, of course." He moved along but slowly, not in his usual Drummond Corporation hurry.

She's been crying. He thought. Now why would I even notice that?

It wasn't like him at all to notice or even less to care about other people's emotions. It was something he had even taken training in to meet his responsibilities as a CEO. Sensitivity had never been his strong point even if altruism was something ingrained in his nature. They didn't always go hand-in-hand.

When Alex reached his seat, he struggled to get in. He was a tall man with long legs and rarely flew economy. In fact, he rarely flew commercial at all, preferring the freedom of private jets. The Drummond family had a fleet of three in order to meet all of their conflicting needs. He was an accomplished pilot and often flew himself.

Thank God it's only a four-hour flight.

He looked up and saw Melanie board the plane. He checked his watch.

Okay, it's a three hour and forty-eight minute estimated flight time with a cruising time of approximately three hours. That's got to be enough time to find out why she was crying.

As soon as they reached cruising altitude, Alex left his seat and headed towards the galley. There was a single male flight attendant on duty but no sign of Melanie anywhere.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"No. It's okay. Just looking for the restrooms."

"They're right over there."

"Actually, maybe you can help me. Who's head of the cabin crew today?"

"That would be me, sir. My name is Richard. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes Richard, is Melanie working economy or business class today?"

"Uh, I'm not sure I need to give you that information sir."

Alex took out his wallet and produced a 100-dollar bill.

"I'm sure the attendant you have on duty in economy will be just fine, sir."

Alex took out another one, two, three, and then a fourth note.

"She's in business class, sir." He went to snap the money from Alex's hand but Alex didn't let go.

"I'll need an upgrade." He said.

"That's gonna cost you. I could get in serious trouble over that."

"Get me a seat right in front of her and I'll make it worth your while. Double or quits."

"Go back to your seat. Leave it to me. I'll see what I can do."

Ten minutes later, the man was back.

"I think I have just the seat for you sir. Please follow me."

One thousand dollars for a seat in front of a flight attendant who works on the family airline. I must be crazy.

Alex took his seat and waited. For ten minutes there was still no sign of Melanie anywhere. Then the seatbelt sign went on and the captain's voice came over the PA system:

"We're about to experience a little turbulence ladies and gentlemen. Nothing to be alarmed about, but please do pay attention to the seatbelt signs and remain in your seats until the seatbelt sign is turned off. Flight crew, please take your seats as well."

The turbulence hit as soon as the captain had signed off.

Alex was cursing the head of the cabin crew when Melanie appeared in front of him and strapped herself in directly opposite of his seat. She was surprised to see it occupied. She didn't look happy but then she gave him that sweet smile again.

"Upgrade?" She inquired.

"Something like that."

Her eyes were red and her makeup looked like it had been hastily redone.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Nothing to worry about sir." She replied. "Just a little turbulence, nothing out of the ordinary."

He smiled. "I'm not worried about the turbulence, Melanie."

"I don't understand."

"Forgive me for being forward but you look like you've been crying."

"No I haven't. I'm just tired from an overnight flight. My eyes are a little sore."

He continued looking at her and didn't buy her story for a minute. Alex Drummond may not have been the most sensitive man in the world but he had plenty of experience with women.

"It's okay." He said softly. "I'm sorry for intruding. It's just that you seem like a nice person and you looked like you were in pain, but it's my mistake. Please forgive me."

The plane began to shudder from the turbulence and they were forced to silence. Melanie couldn't help but look back at the handsome stranger who was taking such an interest in her. She hadn't noticed him until he suddenly appeared in the spot directly opposite her own. He was still looking at her and she knew he didn't believe her. It was as if she couldn't lie to him.

She felt tears coming to her eyes and fought to hold them back. Alex nodded his head.

"Bad day?" He ventured. The plane banked sharply and both of them let out a gasp of surprise. The aircraft steadied again and they exchanged another smile.

"Something like that." She said. Alex drew a brilliant white handkerchief out of his pocket and offered it to her. She laughed again.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Well, at least it put a smile on your face, right?"

"What are you, the last living gentleman in the United States of America?"

"Maybe. I hope not. Look, seriously, if you need it, take it. I always carry a spare and its brand new."

Melanie looked incredulous. The florid initials AD were in the corner. She smiled again and took it from him, then dabbed her eyes, and handed it back.

"Don't be silly." He said. "I can't possibly take it back; just use it until you need it."

"You really are a smooth one." She said. He smiled and held her gaze until she smiled again. Melanie didn't know what the gallant stranger was doing to her, but she liked it.

"So come on Melanie, tell me: What's wrong with you today? You never know, maybe I can help?"

"Do you always offer help to complete strangers?"

"Never." He said firmly. "But I've never met a complete stranger like you before."

He watched a slight blush come to her pretty face.

"You stop it now." She said. "Before I get the wrong idea."

"How do you know it would be the wrong idea?"

"Oh, you are good. Really good. Too good. Way too smooth for me."

"Look, why don't you just try me? It never hurts to share a burden."

"Okay." She sighed. "Have you got a million dollars?"

"Well, not on me." He laughed.

"I didn't think so."

"What do you need a million dollars for?"

"It's my mother. She's in a nursing home in Florida. But it turns out her care and medical bills have been unpaid for the last year and the debt has been mounting up and now we owe them nearly a million in total and on my salary as a flight attendant, that might as well be a billion dollars. If she can't pay $10,000 by the end of the month, they're going to evict her." Melanie began to tear up again.

"God, Melanie. I'm sorry to hear that. Isn't there anywhere your mother could stay?"

"She could stay with me, but she needs round-the-clock supervision and I'm hardly on the ground half the week with my schedule." She stopped abruptly. The seat belt sign had gone off. She released her buckle and stood up.

"Sir, I'm very sorry. I shouldn't have talked about my personal life like this. It's very unprofessional, and I should know better. I'd be grateful if you didn't mention this to anyone."

"Don't worry; I won't mention it to a soul. It'll be our secret."

"Thank you. I appreciate that." She turned from him to go towards the galley.

"On one condition." He said. Melanie froze. Drummond Airlines were strict on crew etiquette and the cabin crew manager on duty was the Nazi version of a flight attendant. She turned back to the man whose name she still didn't even know.

"What is it?" She asked nervously. He looked at her and smiled.
Chapter Four

"Little bro, I'm telling you I think I may have found the one."

"Sure. You mean the next one."

"No way. I mean The One."

"So what's different about this girl?"

"You know I flew to Columbus on Drummond Airlines yesterday, right?"

"Yeah. Why, I can't imagine, not when we have three luxury private jets at our disposal. I call that masochism at best, stupidity at worst."

"It's a good airline, Sebastian. You should step outside your comfort zone sometime and try it."

"There's stepping outside your comfort zone and then there's stepping into pure hell."

"Well, if that was hell then, why did I meet an angel there?"

His brother guffawed on other end of the line.

"What are you doing? Trying to get into bed with me? Even if I was one of your girlfriends, do you think I'd fall for a corny line like that?"

"I'm serious Sebastian, you and I have been looking in all the wrong places. These socialites and debutantes are all just about appearances, money, what you have, and what your family does. I don't know why I didn't think of it before. There's a whole world out there of normal, ordinary people who don't live life from one gala dinner to the next."

"Okay, so go on then, tell me. You met some cute girl at the Burger King in the airport and she was so down to earth, you took her home with you?"

"It was a flight attendant."

"Okay, I'll admit I've done my fair share of those."

"With Drummond Airlines."

There was a silence on the other end of the line.

"Please tell me you're not serious big bro. Please, because you know if you did anything with her and it gets back to the old man, then you are in big trouble."

"I'm serious."

"Oh Jesus Christ, Alex. Come on. You're a big boy. What the hell are you doing? The world is full of gorgeous women and you have to pick the one, single class of female that is forbidden to you by our extremely wealthy, extremely powerful, and extremely irrational father?"

"That last one is the key: irrational."

"No way. It's the first two that count and if he finds out you did anything, I mean if you even thought about it in your dreams, then you can kiss your share of $35 billion goodbye."

Alex took a deep breath.

"I know the risks. You don't have to tell me."

"I'm not so sure. It seems like that's exactly what you need for me to do, because it looks like you just don't get it."

"I get it, I get it. Now stop lecturing me."

"Weird, huh? Normally I'm the one doing the crazy stuff and you're the one lecturing. How does it feel?"

"If you could feel what I'm feeling now, you'd be the happiest guy on Earth."

"Did you fu--"

"Don't say it. And no, I didn't. Nothing happened."

"Thank God for that. You aren't a complete fool. Now just consider yourself lucky and never take that route again for any reason. Go hang out at one of the airport hotels and have some fun with the crew of Swedish National Airlines--"

"I asked her out on a date."

"Oh, Jesus Christ."

"But she point-blank refused."

"Huh? I mean, thank God for that, but also, huh? Did she even know who you are?"

"No. No one did."

"It was Drummond Airlines, right?"

"Sure, but I bought the ticket with my British passport under Mom's maiden name, so no one knew I was a Drummond. I was doing field work, you know; checking out the quality of service undercover."

"Undercover field work. So that's what you call it these days?"

"Trust me, all I wanted to do was check out the customer service but when I saw Melanie--"

Sebastian snorted a guffaw into the phone. "Awesome name. Now I get the down to earth bit. Was she chewing tobacco as well?"

"What the hell is wrong with the name Melanie?"

"Can't you see it? Jesus, you really are love struck."

"Melanie Hutchinson."

"It only gets better. Melanie Hutchinson. Just rolls off the tongue -- like a fur-ball."

"Shut up, you dick. This girl could be your sister-in-law one day."

"You shut up. Stop right there. That will not happen. Ever. But tell me anyway, why did Melanie Hutchinson turn LA's second most eligible bachelor down?"

"Well, it may have been my fault."

"Impossible." Sebastian said ironically.

"We got into a conversation and she told me some things about herself that I kind of tried to use to make her go on a date with me. I thought it would be just fun."

"Amateur. Even after all these years. One day you will follow the master, Sebastian Drummond, and learn the true art of seduction."

"She told me some of her personal problems and then she felt embarrassed, as though she had acted unprofessionally."

"Which she clearly did."

"Don't be so officious Sebastian; it was just two people sharing. So what if I own the company she works for?"

"HR doesn't see it that way. The labor courts probably wouldn't see it that way, and sure as hell the old man won't see it that way."

"She asked me to keep it between me and her, and I said I would, but only on the condition that she has dinner with me back in LA."

"When will you ever learn?"

"She said she didn't want to make things worse. She was sorry she had been so unprofessional and that she had to decline."

"Great. End of a sad and clumsy story."

"So I upped the ante."

"Oh crap. What did you do? Tell Sebastian."

"I offered to pay for her mother's medical bills if she would have dinner with me."

"Whoa, didn't see that one coming. Was it a wild guess on your part? A stab in the dark kind of thing?"

"That was some of the personal stuff she told me. Her mother is being evicted from a nursing home and she needs $10,000 by the end of the month. On Drummond Airlines flight attendant salary, she'd need ten years to put that much together."

"There are other jobs out there if you're qualified."

"So I offered to pay it."

"And did she make you a member of the Melanie Hutchinson Mile High Club?"

"Are you kidding me? I thought she was going to throw me out of the plane. I'm lucky she didn't set the Air Marshal on me."

"I'm not surprised. What a sap. I keep telling you that you don't need to ask, you need to take. Why can't you get it into your head that people like us don't have to play by the rules that other people do?"

"I know you don't believe that Sebastian, so come on. Stop pretending to be the arrogant rich kid and give me some advice here. There's no one I trust in the whole world more than you."

Sebastian sighed.

"It's true, Big Brother. That's one thing that'll never change. Now you have to trust me on this one. Just let this Mildred--"

"Melanie."

"Melanie Huddersfield."

"Melanie Hutchinson."

"Yeah, on LA to Cincinnati--"

"Columbus. What the hell is wrong with you today?"

"With me? It's you who's about to throw away $10 billion on a fling with a flight attendant. Take my advice and forget about it."

Alex gave a long, resigned sigh.

"Okay, little bro. I guess you're right. I'll see you tomorrow in the executive lounge. Maybe Tahiti will help get this off my mind."

"You betcha. Those island beauties will cure anything that ails you."

"Why don't you swing by later and stay over at my place? We can have a few beers and get into vacation mode."

"Sounds good, little bro. I'll see you about 8:00 or so."

"It's a date." He laughed.

Alex put his phone down and opened the folder on his lap. The file inside was marked with the Drummond Corporation logo, Human Resources Department. He opened the file and looked at the digital picture of Melanie Hutchinson printed on the upper-left corner of the resume.

"No one says no to me, Melanie Hutchinson." He mumbled and then took in a deep breath. "That's not how things work in Alex Drummond's world."
Chapter Five

It had been a hard week for Melanie, a hard month even, and she was feeling it more than ever on this particular morning. Since the breakup with Mitch, she hadn't been herself. Normally she would have been up at 3:30 on a day like this one in order to look her best for the morning flights. But today she had barely made it out of bed by 6:00. Her personal routine was coming apart at the seams.

She put on her best smile as the well-dressed man in his early thirties approached her to check in. Her smile disappeared when she saw who it was.

She had spent the return flight yesterday from Columbus, Ohio yesterday avoiding him. She even asked Richard if she could switch to economy in order to stay far away from him. Strangely enough, the normally unhelpful cabin crew manager was happy to oblige. Normally he wouldn't be that accommodating

Alex stood in front of her smiling lecherously and staring brazenly right at her. He was as good-looking as the impression he had made on the plane. In fact, he was insanely good-looking with a square jaw, tanned skin, perfectly manicured dark hair, and intense brown eyes. But the stupid grin was a total turn-off. Whatever kudos he had originally gained with her had disappeared when he tried to pressure her into a date and then arrogantly offered her charity to pay her mother's medical bills. How dare he use her financial situation to force her into a date with him!

Now with that disgusting grin on his face, he was into definite negative territory.

"Can I help you, sir?" She said as professionally as she could muster.

He continued to stare at her and although he was tall, he stood up a little higher on his toes to peer over the desk, arrogantly looking down at her, taking it all in. Melanie felt exposed. She positively didn't like this man and dreaded having to serve him later on the plane. If there was any funny stuff this time, she would have no hesitation in having him hauled away by the Air Marshal in a heartbeat. His dark eyes seemed to undress her as he took a good long look, just helping himself as though she were the breakfast buffet at a five-star hotel.

She repeated, "Can I help you, sir?"

"Nah." He said. "Just came over to see what eye candy at the Drummond desk is like today."

Very little shocked Melanie at this point. She'd had crazy people, drunks, and even suspected terrorists on flights. All in all, this guy was small change. Just an asshole. Good-looking as hell, but still just a jackass.

"Not bad." He continued. "A little less makeup and who knows?"

She was about to let him have it when he abruptly turned and walked away.

He obviously wasn't even on her flight today although he was obviously ready for travel with a small and very expensive designer overnight bag. Well, at least she wouldn't have to spend another four-hour flight with him. Obviously, he just couldn't take rejection and had to come over and do something stupid to get revenge for being turned down.

Other passengers began to arrive so she forgot about the handsome but obnoxious Alex Murray and prepared for the onslaught of travelers.

Twenty minutes later, there was a tap on her shoulder.

"Get up, Melanie," her supervisor Rhonda said, "I'm taking over."

"What's up?"

"You've been reassigned."

"To what?"

"Another flight."

Melanie was surprised. In her six years of working as a flight attendant, she had never been reassigned to another flight at such short notice. There were protocols and procedures, even with Drummond Airlines, where profits were small to nonexistent and everyone was expected to be flexible and pull their weight, as management described it.

"Go see Mitch. He'll tell you where you need to go."

Her stomach tightened. The last person she wanted to see was her ex.

"Do I have to see him?"

"He's the boss. Who else are you going to see?" Rhonda smirked.

For all she knew, it could have been her that he had cheated on her with. Not that she cared really. All she wanted to do was put the whole stupid episode behind her.

"Okay." She said and collected her things.

How bad is this day going to get? Late out of bed. Late to work. Then that asshole Murray and now Mitch. Someone please hit fast forward on this day.

It was absolutely taboo at Drummond Airlines for staff to have romantic relationships, especially if they were at different pay grades and even more especially if they worked in close proximity to each other. She and Mitch had ticked all those boxes.

True love conquers all. She thought and then choked back a sob. She still wasn't over him. That stupid Drummond Airline rule had made them sneak around like illicit lovers until she was sick of it. But it had all been worth it because of their feelings for each other.

Until she found those panties under his bed.

The thought of it still made her blood boil.

"Are you going or not?" Rhonda asked impatiently.

"Oh yeah, sorry. Enjoy your trip to Columbus."

"Thanks. I can't wait."

She took a deep breath and headed towards his office in the Drummond executive lounge. She was nearly there when she saw Alex Murray walking slowly in front of her.

Oh great, this guy is everywhere I go today. She thought. Better give him a wide berth.

Still, she had to admit he did cut a fine figure. He was visibly muscular under his tailored suit and exuded self-assurance in every gesture and movement. She couldn't help but compare him to Mitch. He was taller, better looking, obviously more successful. Probably an even bigger jackass as well. They had been so good together. Why did he have to go and throw it all away?

She was lost in thought when she felt the impact of the body in front of her.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She looked up and realized she had collided with the very person she was trying to avoid.

Just great. She thought. Now he's going to think I was following him. Her flight attendant's hat had fallen to the floor and worse, she had knocked his hand luggage to the ground as well.

Damn, don't tell me I'm going to have to pay for that as well. She groaned inwardly. On her current flight attendant's pay she could hardly feed herself, let alone pay for damage to overpriced designer bags. Unfortunately, frequent flier miles couldn't be traded for cash. Bonuses and pay raises had been frozen for the last three years.

She waited for him to turn on her with his smarmy grin but instead he stooped to pick up the tiny decorative hat in his large strong hand. He looked at it for a moment before he turned to face her. He smiled gently as he did so.

"Melanie Hutchinson, right? Are you okay?" He said kindly.

Huh? Was this even the same guy?

"I don't know," she said testily, "Is this too much make-up for you or not?" His puzzled look seemed entirely real.

"It looks just perfect to me." He said. "If it matters what I think."

"No it doesn't, actually." She said petulantly and took her hat from him. "Thank you." She said as she straightened her hair.

Why are you letting this guy fluster me? She thought. In reality, she knew though. He was gorgeous when he was being nice, even if he was only pretending.

"Which way are you going?" He asked.

"I'm going to the Drummond Airlines executive lounge if you must know."

"We can walk together." He said, with the confidence of someone who has never been refused anything in his life. Melanie didn't quite know what to do. If he was just being obnoxious it would be pretty simple, she was used to that from her work with the public. But his return to charm? It confused her. She allowed her eyes to linger a little, connecting with his intent, masculine stare. Although he was smiling, his eyes revealed a lot more. If Melanie didn't know better, she would have said he was seriously interested in her. Big time.

"Come on." He said and took her overnight bag gently but firmly from her. "Let me carry that. I'm going that way too."

"Okay." She said, resigning herself. It was a short walk; what could happen? It was kind of a crazy day already so why fight it, just go with the flow.

"About the other day on the flight to Columbus--"

"Don't." She cut him off. "Really, I would prefer if we just forgot about it entirely. Please."

"Okay. You're the boss."

When they reached the executive lounge, he made a point of holding the door for her.

"Still playing the last of the perfect gentleman." She said.

"I'm sorry. I can't help myself. Just the way I was raised."

She remembered the monographed handkerchief he had given her on the plane.

Why did I ever take it from him? Never again.

The stupid thing was probably still in her bag.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye then." She said.

"Where are you headed to now?" He asked, as if it were any of his business.

"I'm going through to the office in back. I have to see my boss, so I guess this is adios. Thanks for hauling my bag for me." She reached out her hand to take her things but he pulled the bag just beyond her reach as though he were playing with a child.

"You have beautiful hands." He said, with the same supremely confident smile. Melanie would even have said smug, if her heart hadn't been beating so fast. Who did this guy think he was? First insulting her, then bossing her around and now throwing compliments at her.

"Can I have my bag please?" She said.

"Are you always this friendly?" He said playfully.

Something about him was throwing her off balance. She felt like she was in high school again being noticed by the team quarterback for the first time.

Come on Melanie, get a hold of yourself. You're a grown woman for God's sake.

"Look," he said, "I'm going that way myself, so why don't I hold onto this until we get there?"

"You're going that way, too? To Mitch's office?"

"Is Mitch your boss?"

"He is, if that's any concern of yours."

"Well I don't know if that's anything I should be concerned about. Come on, let's go." He offered her his arm.

"I guess you wouldn't take no for answer." She said.

"You make that sound like a bad thing." He joked as he gently took her arm and directed her towards her boss's office.

"You seem to know exactly where you're going." She said. "Do you work for Drummond Airlines? Am I in some kind of trouble about our conversation the other day?"

"Don't worry Melanie; you're in no trouble at all."

She felt a sense of impending doom in the pit of her stomach.

When they reached the office, Mitch was there. He had a responsible job and the airline industry was always stressful. Although he was in management with things, the way they were now, this didn't turn into much, financially speaking. As Melanie looked at him, stressed out and tired, for the first time she thought that it was entirely possible even he was struggling to get by despite all the crap he had to put up with on a daily basis.

She didn't pity him though. He was a sneaky two-timer, so he deserved any hassle he got until he learned his lesson. He was damn lucky she had only smashed his laptop and mobile phone with that baseball bat and not anything more attached to him physically.

"Hey Mitch, how's it going today?" Alex announced loudly as he entered the office.

"You guys know each other?" Mitch looked as though he had been caught in the act of doing something illicit.

"Mr. Drummond, sir, I had no idea you'd be dropping by. I'm... uh... sorry."

Mr. Drummond Sir? Who is this guy?

"Don't be sorry Mitch and forget that Mr. Drummond stuff. Relax, you can call me Alex."

Alex Drummond? Of the Drummond family that owned the airline? She had seen old Mr. Drummond once or maybe twice in the six years she had worked herself into exhaustion with the crazy shifts and low pay of his airline. This guy must be...

"Alex Drummond, Jr." He held out his strong, capable hand, circled by a gleaming white linen shirt cuff. His cufflinks glinted with what Melanie presumed was some kind of precious or semi-precious stone. She reached out to take his hand and almost curtsied by accident.

Damn. She berated herself.

"I thought your name was Murray?" She inquired.

"Melanie!" Mitch cut in. "Just ignore her, Alex--"

"It's okay. She's right Mitch. I sometimes travel under that name. It's my mother's maiden name."

"Oh, yeah. Of course. Sorry Alex."

The billionaire stood there with a smile that Melanie found smug, aloof, arrogant, and annoyingly playful smile. She couldn't figure out if she hated it, or kind of loved it.

She couldn't believe that she was standing next to a billionaire, couldn't figure out if she loved or hated that one either.

She knew that the Drummond family's wealth was measured in the tens of billions and that Drummond Airlines was just one tiny little part of their vast empire. It was rumored that the company was just a pet project for old Mr. Drummond who had started out with the carrier in the 1930s as a mailroom clerk and had then eventually become CEO, owner, international business tycoon, and Forbes List billionaire he was today.

Melanie's head was spinning.

She took a deep breath to steady herself.

"How do you do?" She said.

Alex Drummond Jr. let out a belly laugh that almost knocked her down.

"Where did you get this one, Mitch?" He said.

Mitch looked very uncomfortable for a change and even though Mr. Hot Young Billionaire Alex Drummond was putting her off balance, it was a real pleasure to see Mitch squirm. Normally he was always so cocksure, but next to Alex Drummond, he was very far from being the alpha male in the room. He nervously brushed his sandy brown hair out of his eyes.

"Melanie is really an excellent employee." He said with an awkward formality that brought a quite smile to her face.

Eat it two-timer. She thought.

"Is she coming on the flight with us?"

What? So this is why they had pulled her from the Los Angeles to Columbus, Ohio route: to be a personal flight attendant to Mr. Alex Drummond Jr.

"Apparently so." Mitch said. He seemed so unsure of himself in his boss's presence that Melanie hardly recognized him. "I just got the news myself about fifteen minutes ago."

"Well, I for one couldn't be more pleased." The tall billionaire smiled charmingly. "Aren't I glad I was nice to you now? Imagine if I'd been rude and then it turned out I am in your hands for the next nine hours en route to Tahiti."

Melanie couldn't hide her smile now. She had a lot of flight time behind her and had been all over the world in the last six years, but rarely had her itineraries taken her to the exotic islands of the South Pacific. She had always dreamed of visiting Tahiti ever since she had seen Gauguin's famous pictures in one of her mother's big color art books as a little girl.

"Have you been to Tahiti before?" He asked as though he were talking about a neighborhood diner down the block.

"No, I haven't." Melanie tried to sound calm but inwardly she was exulting in the opportunity. "I've always wanted to go though."

"You're going to love it." He said. "I go there all time to just get away and leave the world behind." It somehow didn't sound like bragging when he said it. Obviously for someone as rich as him, it was perfectly normal to fly regularly to somewhere as outrageously expensive and exotic as Tahiti.

Alex turned to the groveling Mitch again.

"Is her schedule clear for the next ten days?" He asked.

Her heart sank. She needed to work all the routes and she could to have a hope of making that payment to her mother's nursing home. Then she had counted on working part-time shifts on her days off at a diner near to where she lived to make up as much of the shortfall as she could. But now she would be stuck. To make matters even worse her roommate had moved out leaving her high and dry with the rent this month and she didn't even have money to cover this month's rent as it was.

"I'm sorry sir--"

"No more 'sir', Melanie. Please just call me Alex."

"Thank you sir -- I mean Alex. But I have regular flights all week--"

"Canceled. Reassigned." Mitch said.

This was a disaster. Her mother was in real danger of being evicted.

"Is there a problem?" Alex asked. He sounded so kind. Melanie just couldn't put the two pictures together. The charmer on the Columbus flight followed by the manipulative billionaire. Then the crass asshole at the check-in counter this morning followed by the magnetically charming hunk from her dreams who stood before her now.

"I'd love to go." She stammered, "It's just that...."

Mitch glared at her, willing her to shut up. He knew that no one ever said no to Alex Drummond, Jr.

"There's no problem Mr. Drummond," he said. "Her schedule will be absolutely cleared; I'll see to it myself."

Screw you. A flash of defiance ran through her. Mitch was trying to run her life again, even after she had broken up with him. You're not in charge here. Although a little overwhelmed and star struck in the presence of the tall handsome billionaire, she was still a woman and sure he liked her. He had offered to pay her mother's medical bills for God's sake. She decided to lay it on thick to get a little revenge on Mitch. God knows he deserved it. She dropped her head demurely and then looked up at Alex with coy little girl eyes.

"Mr. Drummond," she said, and then flashed him a shy smile. She saw his pleased response, which he tried to cover up quickly. There really was something there.

Mitch stood there fuming, just visible from the corner of her eye.

"It's just, well, my roommate left suddenly and I'm short on rent this month..."

"Stop right there." He said. "Mitch will take care of that, won't you Mitch?" He turned his commanding gaze to the stooping manager with a look that threatened doom if disobeyed.

"Of course, Mr. Drummond." He said.

"Mitch will give you the details before we board the flight. Don't worry Melanie; I consider this a special service so you won't be out-of-pocket. Mitch will make sure that your rent is covered and then some. Isn't that right?"

Mitch nodded unhappily and gave another sharp look to Melanie as if to say he would get even with her for this indignity.

"Any other problems, Melanie?"

She searched her mind for something to say other than the problem with her mother. She didn't want Mitch to know and she didn't want this Drummond guy to somehow use it against her again. She was somehow still looking for a reason to escape. Was she really going to be a serving girl for this guy with his huge sense of entitlement? Didn't she have a say? After all, he was still a virtual stranger and here she was suddenly changing all her plans and getting ready to spend nine hours on a flight with him and then eight days with him on Tahiti.

"If it's a question of money," he added, "then don't worry in the least. Whatever financial commitments you have, and I mean whatever they are, they will be covered by the additional time on this flight. This trip is a personal flight for a family vacation. This means that the money you earn wouldn't be at your standard Drummond Airlines rate of pay, am I right Mitch?"

Mitch was churning inside but didn't dare disagree.

"That's right Mr... uh, Alex."

"What do we usually pay cabin crew staff for these trips?"

"I'd have to check that out sir."

"Alex."

"Yes, Alex. I'd have to check it out."

"Do it."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes Alex."

"Yes."

"Do it now."

Melanie was loving it. This was even better than watching him nearly cry as she destroyed his iPad, his MacBook, and his iPhone with the baseball bat.

Mitch got onto his desk computer and quickly had an answer.

"Two nine-hour flights, approximately and then a period of eight days in between with a vacation day--"

"Paid vacation?" Alex asked in a way that made the answer obvious.

"Sure, I mean of course. All that would come to..." he did the calculations "$500 per flight."

Melanie was stunned, realizing that was over $50 an hour. After six years with Drummond, she still made less than $10 an hour on her usual flights.

"That's $1,000 plus seven days at $50 per hour--"

"It's eight days."

"Yep. Of course. Eight times eight--"

"Eight times twelve. Bill her for twelve hours a day just in case we need her for something. Oh, and Melanie, do you speak French?"

"I... uh, yes I do. I majored in it and spent a year in--"

"That's fine. Put in the supplemental rate for translation work."

"That comes to $80 an hour, Alex. Are you sure?"

"Mitch, stop kidding around!" He said with a laugh and an edge of absolute seriousness. "I want to know how much to pay her, not figure out if we can afford it or not."

"Okay, that comes to $80 per hour by twelve, which is $960. Multiply that by eight gives you $7,680 then add on the $1,000 for the round trip, and that's a total of $8,680."

Melanie breathed in and out very softly. She was afraid to move or speak in case it all went away. That was nearly the whole amount she needed to keep her mother in the home for another month at least. With only $1,320 short, she might be able to negotiate something with them.

"What about expenses?" Alex asked.

"What about them?" Mitch said. "She can keep receipts and then submit them."

"Put her on a per diem. Tahiti is an expensive place and Melanie is doing us a favor. I don't want her worrying about keeping receipts for bottled water and deodorant. What's the US State Department per diem rate for Tahiti?"

"Those are very high--"

"It's not what I asked, Mitch."

"Of course not." He could barely hide his resentment. He took a deep breath as he read out the numbers.

"The current maximum rate is... $421."

Melanie's jaw dropped.

"Multiply that by eight days and that comes to $3,368, for a grand total of $12,048."

It was more than half her annual salary and more than enough to keep the nursing home happy.

Alex looked at her.

"So what do you say Melanie? Do you want the job or not? It's entirely up to you."

"I... I..." she stammered, "I only have an overnight bag." She finally said.

"Is that all?" He smiled. "Don't worry, we have everything you need at our place on the island, and whatever we don't have, we can find. I never travel with anything other than hand luggage anyway." He held up his designer hand luggage and Melanie winced as she saw the large scuffmark from where she had knocked it out of his hands. He noticed her expression and looked at the large black dirty line. He gave it a brush or two with his big strong hand, making no impression on the stain.

Then he laughed chivalrously.

"That mark has been there for ages," he said, but she knew he was fibbing. "Come on, let's go." He put out his hand for her. She felt like a princess in a fairytale as she put her slim white delicate hand into his strong tanned fingers, feeling them close gently around hers. She hadn't been this excited or terrified about anything in years.
Chapter Six

Melanie normally arrived with the rest of the crew to the aircraft first in order to get things ready for the passengers. But today, she was escorted like royalty to the steps of the Drummond Family's personal jet. It was all she could do to prevent her head from spinning as Alex put out his hand like the perfect gentleman to help her down from the runway vehicle. He smiled and nodded for her to go first and she felt a flush of self-consciousness. She would have to mount the steps one by one with him following close behind her, getting a front row view of her rear tightly packaged into her flight attendant's skirt. She wished she didn't have to wear work clothes for this. These days it felt like she was never out of the uniform since she worked every flight she could in order to barely cover her rent and expenses.

Just so this rich playboy can have his private jets, she thought. Then pay you over $12,000 for one single trip.

She could feel him following behind her.

I hope you're enjoying yourself. She thought.

She needed to stay focused. The last thing she wanted to do was totter over and trip up the steps. How charming would that be? Nevertheless, she couldn't help but put a little sway into her hips as she carefully mounted higher.

He's the boss after all, might as well give him what he wants. Somehow, the thought was exciting to her. This powerful man behind her, the owner of this sleek jet and employer of everyone at Drummond Airlines was her boss, and she was going to serve him for the next nine hours like a palace slave.

I need to get some air and come back down to earth. She thought. Most likely, all he wanted was a bag of salted peanuts with a seltzer and she just happened to be the only available employee to serve him on his South Pacific jaunt. He had probably bedded hundreds of beautiful girls and plenty of flight attendants among them. He was way out of her league and even if they did get involved, it wouldn't be for long. Probably only long enough for him to 'do' her and then move on.

But she wasn't that kind of girl.

No way. Just earn your money, pay the nursing home bill, and then get back to reality again.

So then why was the highly improbable thought of something happening between them exciting her so much?

This flight threatened to drive her crazy. It was going to be one long nine-hour stretch.

She was almost at the last step when her footing went and she felt herself slip backwards. For a moment she panicked, fearing where she might land, combined with the indignity and the embarrassment. She was a flight attendant for God's sake. How many sets of air stairs had she climbed over the last six years? Hundreds, maybe thousands, and never a slip on any of them. And now, just when Mr. Super-hunk Gorgeous Billionaire who also happened to be her boss's, boss's, boss's, boss is right behind her, she keels over like an idiot.

Right into his arms.

"Whoa there!" He said, effortlessly scooping her up as though she were a doll. "I don't want to lose my beautiful air hostess before I even set foot on the plane."

His mouth was close to her ear as he spoke, his breath causing just the slightest tingle as his strong arms wrapped themselves around her, encircling her, protecting her. Mitch had put his back out once fooling around and trying to lift her into his spindly arms. There was no sign of that here.

"Mr. Drummond--"

"Alex." He said firmly.

"Alex... just because I'm flying with you to Tahiti--"

"Hmm, you make it sound almost romantic when you put it like that."

"Just because I'm a flight attendant on your holiday doesn't mean that you got what you wanted."

"What do you think I want?"

He was still holding her. A whole lot longer than was necessary. She wanted to care but made no move to liberate herself. It had been a long time since someone had held her like that. She had been so busy trying to make ends meet and traveling the world these last few years that she hadn't really had time for relationships, apart from her recent disaster with Mitch.

Alex slowly set her on her feet again. His rugged cheek brushed against hers as he lifted her, his arms rippling with powerful muscles, his hands lightly swept across her hips as he released her.

Melanie could feel blood rushing to parts of her body that weren't appropriate for someone who was on duty and standing right in front of her boss.

"I'm sorry." She stammered. "I just want to do my job, that's all."

"Don't apologize," He said. Everything sounded like an order from him, but in a kindly way. "That's all I want too, really." His easy smile belied the intense burning of his eyes as he stared into hers.

Inside, the aircraft was pure luxury from floor to ceiling. It was a Boeing Business Jet. Not a flashy aircraft, but a very expensive luxury nonetheless. Working in aviation, Melanie had often seen these on the runway or in the sky and knew the value to be somewhere between $50 and $60 million. She had never been on one and although she had often flown business class and occasionally first class with her flier miles, nothing could compare to the absolute luxury aboard the custom designed interior of this aircraft.

"Do you like my ride?" Alex said casually.

"Where's the galley?" She asked.

"The galley?" He seemed perplexed. "Oh, you mean the kitchen area, of course. This aircraft may be a little different to what you're used to. But don't worry, you'll soon get used to it and feel right at home."

Home was right. It was larger and more spacious than her apartment. The fixtures and fittings were all the most expensive, nothing had been spared. Unlike any aircraft she had worked before, there were no rows of seats. Everything had been taken out to form comfortable five-star dining arrangements, an entertainment area with the largest flat screen TV she had ever seen and a chill-out space that would put most people's living rooms to shame.

"The master bedroom is over here." He said, indicating an area to the far end of the living spaces. "The other bedrooms are adjacent."

"This is really beautiful." She said. "Where's the rest of the cabin crew?"

"You're it!" He smiled. "Don't worry though, it's just me and my brother and we're both low-maintenance. Just as well, it isn't all three of us. It's little Drummond, the younger one who's got some crazy notions about himself. He'll grow up though."

Sure. She thought. Two spoiled brat billionaires on their own private jet. How low-maintenance will that be? Just as well, it's only these two. Three of these guys? Even for twelve grand, I don't think I could handle that for ten days.

"How about the flight crew?" She asked, staying work focused.

"You're looking at him."

Her jaw dropped.

"Well, not just me. There's my brother too. In fact, he's a little more into flying than I am, so he'll be in the cockpit most of the time. It's a fairly straight run through."

What the hell had she been roped into? Just her, alone, no crew, and no pilots other than the two most powerful men she had ever met in her life. Talk about an imbalance of power. In addition, she was feeling all hot and bothered about this one. Was it a dream come true or a nightmare?

"Is there somewhere I can freshen up?" She needed a moment or two alone just to compose herself. The truth was that she had missed her morning routine and badly needed a shower.

"Sure," he said, "let me show you. You can use the en-suite area from the master bedroom. There are others but this is the nicest and since you are going to be the prettiest member of our flight crew, I think it only right that you should have full use."

It was yet another inappropriate comment but still she couldn't help blush just a little bit. Here was this Grade-A hunk, charming as hell and richer than God, paying her compliments. She would have to pinch herself to wake up!

Sure enough, the bathroom was beautiful. There was even a hot tub! Melanie hadn't been in one in years. Her crappy little apartment didn't even have a bathtub, let alone a hot tub and even her shower was intermittently functional at best.

"Take all the time you need," Alex said, "we're just waiting for the pilot and then we can pick a time slot for when we want to leave. We're kind of on our own schedule here. You can even grab a shower or take a bath if you want to. I'll let you know when we're ready for takeoff." Melanie smiled awkwardly as Alex closed the door gently behind him. She was having trouble relating normally to all this power and luxury. Private jets and personal schedules at the airport. This was just ridiculous.

She thought about taking a bath but soon discarded that idea. He had only been joking, right? Still, a shower would be good. In fact, it was essential. She desperately needed to freshen up before things got under way.

She began to undress, carefully folding her uniform to keep it immaculate for her passengers. She tied up her hair to keep it dry while she showered and then removed her underwear. Luckily, she had chosen something attractive and not too cheap that morning.

Jesus, what difference does that make? She caught herself. What am I, a teenager at the prom? I don't intend stripping down to my drawers for either of these guys, no matter who they are!

The shower felt good. The warm water was even and the force of the flow was strong, causing her skin to tingle and making her feel fresh and revitalized. She caught herself imagining what it would be like to share a shower with her boss, the man who usually used this bathroom. He was tall and broad; would they even fit into it together? Their bodies would be forced into tight proximity. They would have to touch each other just to get clean.

God, it had been so long since she felt male hands on her that weren't attached to some old businessman copping a feel on some late-night flight.

Her eyes were closed as the warm water cascaded down the curves of her body. She began to massage the expensive shower gel into her breasts and legs, gradually coming to her inner thighs, and lower abdomen.

"What are you doing in here?"

Melanie nearly fell over in the shower as the booming male voice challenged her.

"Oh my God!" She shrieked. Then she realized she had nowhere to turn. The shower door was curved Perspex with only a thin frosted floral and leaf design to barely obscure her. Luckily, the shower had generated a lot of steam in there too.

It was Alex and he was just standing there, staring at her with cold eyes.

"Alex! I thought you said it was okay to take a shower." She tried to cover herself with her soaped arms and the loofah but it was useless, he was free to enjoy the curves of her rear and the long wet lines of her waist and legs.

What a creep. She thought.

He stood there without a word, just staring, the way he had at the check-in counter when they had met that morning. It was the same entitled look as though he had every right to stare and enjoy, as though her body were his property.

"You said it was okay." She said.

"I didn't say any such thing." He replied slowly, his eyes lingering on her parts of her that didn't include her face. "But hell, I guess it's not so bad. I said a little less makeup but I didn't mean this much less." He chuckled. "I'll see you on the flight." He turned and abruptly slammed the door shut as he left.

What in the hell? Don't tell me I'm on a nine-hour flight with a psycho. She thought. Christ, I hope his brother is more normal than this. Maybe this crappy job isn't worth it. Not even for a free trip to Tahiti. Not even to keep my mother in...

No. That thought ended it. She would put up with whatever he could throw at her. Twelve thousand dollars was nothing to him, but it was everything to her. After all the minimum wage years she had put in for him at Drummond Airlines, this was something she deserved.

She finished her shower quickly, just washing off the soap and then buttoned herself back up into her uniform. Time to go to work.

She opened the door and started as she saw that Alex was standing right outside the door with his hand raised, ready to knock.

"Hi there." He said. "Did you get a chance to freshen up alright?"

Back to charmer mode. She thought.

"I don't know." She said. "Based on what you saw, what do you think?"

He looked puzzled.

"Well, based upon what I can see right now I'd say yes. Most definitely." He took her hand very gently and then in his commanding way said, "Follow me. I'd like you to meet my brother before we prepare for takeoff."

Melanie didn't move. Alex turned to her, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Melanie?"

"Mr. Drummond, I'm not sure that I can take this flight with you after all."

He let go of her hand.

"Well, okay, but can you at least tell me why?"

She opened her mouth to speak but just as she did, someone appeared from the cockpit. He was identical to Alex, in every way. He was even dressed the same.

Alex followed her eyes to his brother advancing down the aisle.

"Oh," he said, "this is my brother Sebastian. Sebastian, this is--"

"We've already met." His eyes locked onto Melanie's and she recognized the same cold stare, the one from arrivals and then just now in the shower. So that mystery was solved. One cold, arrogant, asshole billionaire twin brother and one drop dead, gorgeous, charmer from heaven billionaire twin brother.

"Who do you think asked to have her on the flight?" Sebastian said, without taking his gaze from Melanie, still giving her that up and down stare as if he were sizing her up to put a price tag on her.

"I don't get it." Alex said. "You asked for her? I thought Mitch was in charge of that stuff?"

Sebastian turned to his brother.

"Hey, we own this company, right? Mitch just works for us. I saw this girl on the way in--"

"She has a name, Sebastian."

"Whatever. I saw this girl with a name on the way in and I figured we could use someone, let's say, a little more youthful and energetic on our flight than the usual crew."

"This is Melanie." Alex said, with hidden meaning that she didn't understand. Sebastian's eyes were blank with incomprehension.

"Okay, I heard you. She has a name."

"I don't think you did. This is..." he looked at Melanie and then changed direction. "Forget it. So where is Margaret, our usual flight attendant?"

"Margaret isn't well today and I knew if I left it to Mitch, he would replace her with some other..."

Alex glared at his brother.

"...with someone I wouldn't be happy with. Then I saw Melanie here and she looked..." he paused and stared at her with burning, intense, deep set eyes, "... she looked just perfect, so I told Mitch to get her on the flight, and that was that. Now here she is."

"Oh yeah," Alex said, "about that. Melanie was just saying that--"

"Oh no, Alex, that's just fine. As long as Mitch and everyone say it's okay and since Margaret isn't well..."

Now that she knew Alex was just a nice guy and not some wacko Jekyll and Hyde, there was no way she was going to miss this opportunity of a lifetime. Just as long as she could take Sebastian's weird arrogant behavior, and as long as Alex didn't get the wrong idea, then this would be a trip to remember.

"Well that's just great, Melanie." Alex said. "Glad to have you aboard." He gave her that irresistible smile that she was becoming a little addicted to and then took his strong hand in acceptance.

"Glad to be aboard, sir." She beamed back at him.

Sebastian stood beside them and glowered. "Get ready for a long flight Melanie." He said. "You'll be paid damn well for this, so you better be every bit as good as we need you to be."
Chapter Seven

An hour later, they were at cruising altitude and there was nothing but clear blue skies ahead. Melanie still couldn't believe her luck. This day was turning out to be something special, all right. If Sebastian were a little arrogant, it probably wouldn't be such a big deal, as he seemed to be content to do most of the piloting while Alex relaxed in the living area.

"Is there anything I can get you? Anything I can do for you?" She asked him.

"Not at the moment." He smiled. "I'm just finishing up a few things here before I get into vacation mode. Just make yourself comfortable."

Sure, like that's easy. What am I supposed to do with myself? She thought. The aircraft was spotlessly clean and everything ship-shape. The last crew had left it pristine. There was nothing for her to do until one of the brothers got hungry or needed a drink.

She went into the kitchen to see what kind of food there was, but everything there had already been prepared already. Fancy dishes were clearly labeled for each brother. Alex was obviously the gourmet with delicacies such as braised partridge and champagne pears waiting for him. Sebastian was the more visceral of the two with basic but still expensive tastes; mostly it seemed, for lobster tails and ice cream. Bottles of champagne were plentiful and it seemed that both brothers were fans of that.

Alex told her to relax for a while and went to freshen up himself. In the meantime, she kept occupied familiarizing herself with anything that might come within her purview during the course of the flight.

"Can I help you with anything?" The voice behind her had the same commanding tone as always. She turned and smiled bashfully, her heart racing a little.

"Oh no, I'm just getting to know..." She stopped. It wasn't Alex -- at least she didn't think so. The two were so damned alike. "I'm sorry," she said, "its Alex, right?"

"Wrong." He said petulantly. "Not that it matters anyway. Look, I'm getting a bit hungry. Fix a couple of those lobster tails for me and bring them to the cockpit."

He turned and left.

Jackass. Now how do I 'fix' those lobster tails?

The tails were already cooked and just needed reheating under the grill. She knew not to put them in the microwave or they would taste and feel like rubber. The last thing she wanted to do was to upset Sebastian. The only slight problem was figuring out how to work the space age-looking oven. There were no buttons or knobs; just smooth, surfaces glistening as though nothing had ever actually been used before. After a couple of minutes looking around, the pilot appeared again.

"How about those tails?" He said grumpily. "Are they ready yet?"

"Coming right up." She lied.

"Don't take all day." He said and then disappeared back to the cockpit.

She was still fumbling around without success when she heard his voice again. "Can I help you there?"

"I'm so sorry Mr. Drummond; they'll be ready in just a minute."

"What'll be ready?"

Thank God, it's Alex again.

She turned around and almost blushed. He was wearing just a white towel wrapped around his waist and she couldn't help but see that he was totally ripped. For a billionaire businessman, he sure had one rocking body. More like a calendar boy fire fighter than some Financial Times-reading office guy.

He came over to her and took her right hand into his own. He turned her gently around towards the oven and then softly moved her finger across the smooth surface. The thing came to life suddenly. He was so close to her. She could smell that he had just come from the shower, a clean masculine smell that overpowered her.

"I think that's what you were looking for." He said and released her hand. "Is the beast in there hungry already?"

"He just asked me for a couple of his lobster tails."

Alex rolled his eyes.

"Sebastian and his damned lobster tails. Hey, little brother, can't you fix these things yourself?" He shouted into the cockpit. "Melanie has more important things to do out here."

"Do I?" She asked.

"Sure you do. Come with me." He said, and took her by the hand again.

"But what about the tails?"

"Don't worry about him, he likes them cold. All he has to do is take off the plastic wrap. Didn't the big lug tell you that?"

She shook her head and then followed along, drawn in tow by his powerful masculinity. She was exhilarated and nervous at the same time. She felt like she wouldn't ever be able to say no to anything this man asked of her. However, he was still her boss, they had a professional relationship, and she had learned her lesson the hard way with Mitch. When that train wreck had fallen apart, she swore it would never happen again and she was going to stick to her guns this time.

Who am I kidding anyway? The guy is a billionaire. All he'll want from me is one night and then I'll never see him again.

When they got to the bedroom, she could see that he had made himself at home. His things were everywhere. It looked very personal; far more private than she should have been allowed to see. After all, she had only met him a couple of hours ago.

"I need your help making sense of my schedule for the next day or two -- if that's okay with you of course. Margaret always does that, too."

"I'm not a personal assistant," she said, "but I'll do my very best."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine." He said without any trace of doubt. "My little brother has dropped you into the hot seat, so don't worry. I'll expect a learning curve. Anyway, there's only a day or two of business and then it's all fun after that. You know how to have fun, don't you?"

"Actually, I haven't really had time for much fun lately, so I may be out of practice."

He looked concerned.

"Is that so?" He said, and took a step closer to her. "Well, we'll have to see about that. A beautiful young woman like you? That is just a tragedy. We'll have to make sure this is a trip to remember, okay?"

"It's okay. I'm happy just to see the island. I know I'm here just as your employee, so really there's no need to worry on my account."

"Oh yes, that's right. And colleagues shouldn't ever have fun together, right? I think I saw that in a HR manual somewhere." He gave her a mischievous grin. He was irresistible. If he said the word, she wasn't sure if she would be able to stay strong. But she would be the one to get burned, not him.

"Anyway, you won't be working around the clock, Melanie. Everyone is entitled to some downtime. Sebastian and I aren't slave drivers, you know and the island is like a second home to us, so we'd love to show you around Tahiti.

Oh great 'we'. Psycho brother Sebastian as well.

"So if you could just get a handle on my itinerary, that would be a huge help. Everything you need to know is in there. Any questions, just let me know, okay?"

She nodded. What else could she do?

Alex left the bedroom for the spacious en-suite bathroom and she set to familiarizing herself with his agenda. She had worked only a few minutes when she heard Sebastian's voice again.

"Hey," he was shouting from the dining area. "I need those tails for God's sake!"

What a king-sized asshole.

She jumped up and headed back out to the kitchen area.

"I'm sorry Mr. Drummond. Your brother called me away. How would you like your meal served?"

"Cold. On a plate. In the cockpit." He turned and left her.

Double asshole.

She dished the tails out onto a plate and set it on a tray to bring to the cockpit. When she got there, he was hunched over the controls.

"Here's your meal, Mr. Drummond."

"You don't have to call me that." He said abruptly, to the point of being rude.

"It's okay, Mr. Drummond."

"Don't call me that." He said louder. "If you can call my brother by his first name, then you can call me by mine, okay?"

"Whatever you prefer, uh..."

"Sebastian. It's Sebastian."

"Okay, Sebastian."

"Just leave it there."

Melanie couldn't believe the contrast between the two brothers. In every other way, they were identical -- remarkable even. To meet one man with such good looks was amazing in itself; to be alone with two of them was almost surreal.

Stop it, Melanie. Don't be crazy.

This wasn't her thing. Not at all. Spoiled rich guys? No way. They were identical in every hot, beautiful, sexy way, down to the rippling muscles in their thighs and butt cheeks swelling under their tailor-made suits. Then there was the difference in personality, which seemed to be the only way to tell them apart. That, and whatever they happened to be wearing at any given moment.

She left Sebastian behind to brood and sulk and returned to the master bedroom to see if there was anything else that Alex wanted. She found it empty, so she knocked on the bathroom door. There was no answer, so she went inside.

All of his things were there: his expensive aftershave, leather-bound shaving equipment, and monographed handkerchiefs. He hadn't lied when he had offered her one. He obviously had a fresh supply every day. He was every inch the successful businessman born from wealth and privilege.

She began to tidy things up and put everything in order. Sure, he hadn't asked her to, but it was a job she was happy to perform. The feel of his possessions was luxurious even to the touch. Where quality wasn't evident to the eye, it was clear to her sensitive fingertips and palms.

"Hi there."

The voice was deep, commanding, and soft. It must be Alex.

She turned and saw that he had gotten dressed, abandoning his business suit for jeans and a sweatshirt. Even casual looked rich on him. She felt like a schoolgirl with a crush again as her eyes lingered for a microsecond on his strong torso before coming to his face.

"Hi." She managed to say.

"You didn't have to do any of this," He said. "But I sure do appreciate it."

"It's okay." She said. "I really didn't mind."

"By the way, I should warn you that the ride is set to get a little rocky."

Just as he said that, the plane lurched and she slammed against his hard body. They fell to the floor and she landed solidly on top of him.

She could feel his lips against her ear and her thighs instinctively squeezing around his thick, muscular leg, her own thigh pressing in between his. It was entirely accidental. Her breasts squeezed against his strong chest and molded themselves to his chiseled form.

She couldn't tell if the plane was still rocking or if it was just her.

"My God! Alex... I'm so sorry--"

He didn't say a word but just rolled the two of them over, his hot breath coming down on her as his body strained to lift her against the rocking and bucking of the plane.

She was an experienced flight attendant so it would take a lot of turbulence to make her nervous. This was significant but nothing she hadn't experienced in the past. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but feel safe in the powerfully strong arms of Alex. His biceps bulged under his sweatshirt and pressed against her back and knees. He staggered to the bed, flopped her down like a rag doll, and then lay next to her, placing one large, tanned hand onto her abdomen to steady her.

"Better if we stay here to ride this one out." He said.

The plane continued to jump and shake in the invisible blue-sky turbulence. His hand was low on her abdomen to keep her in place and all she could think of was the rush of blood coming to her hips and thighs. His hand was so low down, almost to her pubic mound, firmly pressing into the soft flesh below, his other arm was around her shoulders, cradling her, his powerful legs spread out to keep him steady on the bed. Her own right hand, she realized, was resting on his inner thigh because there was nowhere else for it to go without inadvertently caressing him intimately. She left it there, resting lightly and trying to stay as still as possible.

She was so close to him.

Only hours ago, she had been doing everything she could to avoid him, and now they were lying on a bed together.

The turbulence flattened out but they stayed where they were.

"How good a pilot is your brother?" She asked.

He smiled. "Not as good as me, but still really good. I trust him completely."

Their faces were just inches apart. His strong clean, masculine scent filled her senses and the warm sensations passing through her abdomen and into her breasts just wouldn't quit.

Was something going to happen here? This was ridiculous. She didn't want to be a rich man's plaything. Fucked in the master bedroom for a little tension relief on his annual vacation and then reassigned back on the LA to Columbus route, never to be heard of again once the fling was over.

She pushed herself away from him.

"Alex..." She said.

He held onto her tightly.

"Where are you going?" He said softly.

"Alex--"

"This turbulence isn't done yet. We need to stay here and ride this one out together." He was staring deeply into her eyes, just inches away from her, his hand still pressed firmly to her lower abdomen, and hers still resting on his inner thigh.

"Alex, is there something going on here?"

"I don't know." He said. "You tell me."

She couldn't answer. She was confused. Maybe she did want to be a rich man's plaything after all. Just for one night. Maybe it would be an experience, like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or trekking through the Himalayas. Take a few pictures, write a letter home, and then tell the grandchildren about it one day.

She pushed herself away more firmly, extricating herself from his arms.

"Alex, I really can't do this. I'm sorry. I've been hurt before."

He sat up quickly, a furious look in his eye.

"Who? Who was it?"

"It's okay Alex, I don't mean like that. I just mean that I've gotten involved with someone I worked with before and it didn't turn out well."

"Someone at Drummond?" He sounded intense now, as though he would throttle whoever it was who dared to come near her. She couldn't possibly say it was about Mitch. As much as she despised her manager, she didn't want Alex to fire him. She knew it was absolutely against company policy for romantic liaisons to take place between employees at unequal levels of seniority. Mitch would be fired immediately and that was still a step beyond what she was willing to do.

"Don't you work for Drummond Corporation, too?" She said.

"Damn it." He said. "Yes I do. But that can be fixed. I can resign."

Was she hearing right? Why would he have to resign? He owned the company. He could do whatever he wanted.

"Alex, we don't even know each other. I don't know you at all. "

"What is there to know?" He sounded urgent. The two of them were still sitting on the bed together; he put his big hands to her shoulders and turned her to face towards him. Melanie felt like warm putty in his hands and she wanted him now and desperately wanted him to just take her, so that she wouldn't have to take responsibility for the consequences.

"Why does life have to be so damn complicated? Aren't we just a man and a woman? Just two people like any other who--"

"Know absolutely nothing about each other." She interrupted.

"That's not true." He insisted. "You're Melanie Hutchinson. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. You care deeply about people. You're a loyal person, a good person and all you want to do is be happy and to do the right thing."

"That's everybody Alex, not just me."

She protested with words but her body was crying out to accept his extreme emotions. She felt it now in her underwear, the heat rising inside her loins, her thighs becoming warmer as his desperate gaze hungrily enveloped her, his dark brown hair still tousled from the fall to the floor.

She felt herself grow moist as he urged her to accept the depth of his feeling for her.

"I'm sorry." She said. "So sorry. I've just got to get to know you first. This whole thing is crazy. It's wonderful, but still crazy."

He got off the bed and stood up in front of her, the well-defined muscles of his butt and thighs rippling as he did so. He took off his sweatshirt and she could see his powerful chest and arms under his t-shirt.

"What's to know?" He repeated. "Look at me! I'm just a guy. Sure, I'm a billionaire, a golden boy rich kid, but God damn it, I'm just a guy underneath it all. I'm so sick of people not being able to see past all this bullshit and just take me for who I am."

Melanie didn't know what to say. She had been guilty of exactly the same thing. As soon as she had found out who he was, all she could think of was his wealth, status, and privilege. He held the power over her and everyone that she considered a friend at Drummond Airlines.

"I'm not better than anyone else." She said. "The truth is that I wouldn't even be here if it weren't for the money."

"You mean if it wasn't for your mother. Because that's what you want it for, right?"

She nodded her head. It was true. She would never have been railroaded into personally serving some rich guy who was trying to date her just for money. However, the chance to help her mother had overridden everything.

"Is that how you magically came up with that number?"

"What number?"

"Twelve thousand dollars for ten days of work?"

"You're worth every penny of it Melanie. It's money you're earning -- not charity or a bribe."

"You could have chosen any one of a hundred or more flight attendants but you chose me for the job. What is that if it isn't charity?"

"Melanie, you just don't get it, do you?"

He got down on one knee, his muscles bulging and rippling. He was very close to her again.

"I knew you were the one as soon as I saw you." He said, almost in a whisper.

Melanie's breath quickened, her generous cleavage heaving under the gleaming white and blue of her uniform.

"This is crazy. Just too crazy." She said.

Take me. For God's sake, just take me now! She thought.

The plane bucked again and threw him across the bed and on top of her. Their eyes locked for one endless moment as the plane banked and tossed in the air, the heat of their gaze melting the distance between them. She felt the scorch of his passion throbbing against her thigh.

Take me now. I'm yours.

She couldn't bear to say the words but in her mind, she was screaming.

He looked at her as though she were his already, as though she were a priceless possession. The feeling was exhilarating. It went against her nature to be desired in that way, but it excited her all the more because of it.

His lips pressed against hers, devouring, exploring. Her mound throbbed with desire and moisture flowed as she arched her back and pressed herself to him, abdomen to abdomen, pubis to pubis, fighting, struggling to reach a crescendo of pleasure, screaming to come closer together.

He was tall, strong, and the largest man she had ever lain with, in every way overwhelming to all of her senses. Again, the plane was banking and rolling but she didn't care. They tossed in the bed and before she knew it, she was on top of him, but not for long. His huge hands took her, one around her ass and the other at her neck, flipping her over to her back again and pinning her to the bed.

Yes. Yes. Yes.

She still couldn't say the words. He still didn't have her verbal permission, but he was taking her anyway. If her lips were silent, her body was begging him to go further. He was astride her now and carefully, methodically began unbuttoning her blouse. It was strange and exciting to see this bear of a man so meticulously undress her, one tiny delicate button at a time. She could feel his hunger mounting and see it in the swelling bulge between his legs. But he knew how to wait and take his pleasure slowly.

God, was she already coming? She could feel waves of pleasure in her own body begin to rise at first like tiny ripples, but then like ocean swells coming ashore, a tsunami of desire lifting up and increasingly asking for more.

Nobody had ever taken her like this before, and certainly not with her clothes still on.

Her blouse was open and her bare abdomen and bosom lay before him, scantily concealed by her bra, her heaving cleavage squeezed together like pure, soft apples of desire.

"Yes." He growled.

The plane bucked but he held her in place with his huge thighs, consuming her with his dark, intense gaze.

"Now you are mine." His voice was low and intent.

This was what she had truly wanted since that first kind smile of his as he had scooped her fallen hat from the floor in the airport.

"It's too wrong." She said.

He ignored her. His thick fingers expertly undid the clasp at the front of her bra and carefully opened it to reveal her taut nipples and heaving breasts.

"I don't know why Alex. Please, this is wrong." She still didn't know why, but her gut was telling her to hold back.

What was he going to do next?

"I knew it." He said.

Knew what?

"I knew you were perfect the moment I laid eyes on you." His voice was so low, like the growl of an animal consumed with lust. His eyes ran up and down her exposed body and then his hands moved lower to her belt, carefully undoing the buckle, then snapping the belt out in one deft powerful movement, the tip just lightly stinging her wrist as it came out, adding to her growing excitement.

The waves were coming regularly now and her body was beginning to undulate, pulsating into the soft but firm bed below her. He was going to make her come, as no man had ever done before.

The truth was that although Melanie had several long-term boyfriends, none of them had ever really known how to touch her. She had experienced orgasms all right, regularly for years, but only ever in the company of her battery-operated best friend from the Adam and Eve catalog. Unlike her human companions, her mechanical one had rarely let her down. Not until recently, though. No amount of hammering away on her bulb had seemed to give her pleasure anymore. To look at someone as slender, charming, and beautiful as Melanie, no one in their wildest dreams would ever have guessed that her love life could be at such an all-time low.

Until now.

She opened her eyes to get relief from the relentless barrage of pleasure that wracked every fiber of her being. Alex drew her skirt down to her ankles and then slipped it off. The plane wobbled again and he stumbled as he folded it and placed it across the back of a chair. He took such good care of her clothes, unlike Mitch, who would just tear at her like an idiot, never able to figure out how to get things open or closed and then leave everything in a crumpled heap.

When Alex turned to her again, he looked like a god ready to take a mortal woman into the lair of his desire.

"You're naked." He reminded her. "Now stay still. You are mine until I release you. This has to be perfect, for you and for me. Do you understand?"

She nodded her head but she didn't understand at all. There was no way this could become any more perfect than it already was. If she experienced any more pleasure, she might inflict some kind of medical injury upon herself.

She was willing to take the risk.

Only with him -- with Alex -- the first man who had ever...

When the plane bucked again, it was like nothing she had ever felt before, not in all her years as a flight attendant. She felt a jolt of terror for the first time as she floated from the bed into thin air.

They were in freefall, maybe even nose-diving. Alex floated in the air beside her with a look of grim determination and frustrated desire on his face as he reached for her. It was as though the fall of the plane meant nothing to him. He was bare-chested with a thin, glistening slick of wet desire covering his taut muscles.

He obviously still intended to screw her if he could before they hit the ground, one last monumental fuck before slamming into the earth below.

Melanie reached out her arms to him just as the plane righted itself. Suddenly she was on him again, her vulva pounding down onto his sculpted washboard six-pack, her breasts in his face.

Immediately he put his hands to her waist and drew her down, his hungry mouth, tongue, and lips feeding on her breasts and sending bolts of ecstasy through her entire body.

"Fuck me!" She screamed at the top of her voice. "Fuck me now, as hard as you can!"

His body thrust up against hers, his cock straining through the fabric of his jeans as it struggled to reach her hot, wet valley.

The pilot's voice came over the PA.

"Shit." He said. "We're going down. You guys better strap yourselves in, this is going to get mighty hairy."

The plane began to descend fast now and the look in Alex's eyes changed from raw desire to pure concern. He leaped from the floor, grabbed Melanie's clothes, and helped her to get dressed as the plane picked up speed in its descent.

They didn't say a word to each other but both felt it, the longing, and the fear that this would already be the end when they had only just met. Lovers, torn apart in the instant of their first meeting, their first sweet tryst of hot desire thwarted.

He strapped her into one of the seats and then took his place beside her, holding her small hand in his own. Somehow, against all reason she still felt safe in his hands, even in a jet plummeting into the Pacific Ocean.

If these were the last moments of her life well at least she had found true love in them. Alex smiled at her and through the groaning of the fuselage and strain of the engines tried to reassure her.

"Don't worry sweetheart. Alex is a great pilot. The best there is. Way better even than me."

Alex is a great pilot?

She looked at the man next to her again. There was no way to tell the difference between the two to them. If Alex was in the cockpit then that meant she had just given herself to...

Oh my God, what have I done?

Her hand began to tremble as Sebastian closed his large protective fist around her fingers. He smiled and gave her a long, loving, reassuring look as the plane descended. He said one more thing but she couldn't hear the words and then everything went black.
Chapter Eight

Blue skies, lapping waves. For what seemed like a long time, Melanie lay in the warm sand. She didn't want to think about where she was and she certainly didn't want to move. The heaviness across her waist made her look down. A tanned and muscular arm draped across her and the strong fingers of a male hand rested lightly against her lower abdomen.

Was she on vacation? She had no earthly idea where she was or who she was with.

The arm didn't look like her boyfriend's, no wait... her ex-boyfriend Mitch's arm. It was too strong, too tanned, and too well-defined.

Melanie moved her head and it began to pound. Panic set in.

She looked around her and all she could see was sandy beach, brilliant aquamarine sea, and azure blue skies.

"Oh my God, where am I? What the hell have I done?" She whispered.

She turned her head to look at the rest of the man attached to the arm around her waist.

"Jesus Christ." She had no recollection, no recognition of the beautiful stranger. He looked as exhausted as she felt. His clothes were ragged, and so were hers. She pulled his arm from her, scrambling to get up but her head was too woozy and she landed back on her ass. She was wearing only her bra and her skirt had been torn away, leaving most of her thighs exposed.

The ridiculously handsome stranger opened his eyes, looked at her intently for a moment, and then sprang to life.

"Melanie!" he said. His voice was full of concern.

"How do you know my name?" She said.

"What do you mean? We were on the flight together--"

"What flight? Who are you?"

"It's me, Alex your..." His voice trailed off.

"My what?" A feeling of dread came over her, that name -- it meant something.

He put his hands to her shoulders but she shrugged them off. "Get away from me! I need to know how I got here."

"Melanie, we were in a plane crash. You and I are the only ones that made it."

Her breathing became rapid. She remembered that she was a flight attendant with Drummond Airlines.

"How many people are dead? How many people were on the flight?"

"There were just three of us."

"That doesn't make sense. I work passenger flights--"

"Just three crew on a small plane. You and I are the only ones alive."

"Where are we?"

"I'm not sure exactly. We were flying to Tahiti when we went down, so we're somewhere in the South Pacific."

"Why did you have your arm around me?"

He looked at her intensely, his thoughts hidden under his dark brows.

"Don't you remember?"

"Remember what?"

"The plane ditched into the sea but the fuselage gave way. The plane separated into two sections. I was in the cockpit and you were in the living area with Sebastian. I found you floating face down in the water. I barely made it to shore with you."

She shook her head, thinking he could have been inventing the whole thing.

"How about this Sebastian guy?"

"I couldn't find him... there was no trace."

"Who was he?"

Alex fought strong emotions as he looked down into the sand. When he looked up again he had recovered himself.

"Don't worry about him. There's nothing we can do for him now. What's the last thing you remember before waking up on the beach?"

Her sense of panic hadn't subsided. She was trembling as she tried to draw the shredded strands of her memories together.

"I'm a flight attendant." She said. The man nodded. "I was... I was in bed with Mitch."

"Who's Mitch?" Alex said.

Melanie hesitated. The guy in front of her seemed angry, jealous if she didn't know better.

"My boyfriend. Mitch McGovern. I went back to his place after my last flight from Columbus to LA."

"Since when?"

"Not long; about six months." She put her hands to her mouth in shock.

"What is it Melanie? What's wrong?"

"No! No, no, no, no. Shit."

Alex moved closer to her again but she pulled away. The memories were coming back: the underwear under the bed, the baseball bat.

"That bastard." She said.

"Did he do something to you?" Alex was a ball of rage, full of protective concern. Melanie couldn't hold back. She buried her head in her knees and began to shudder as the sobs came out. She felt Alex's big, protective arm wrap around her and this time she didn't pull away.

"Don't worry, baby." He whispered to her. "I'll make everything good. I promise you."

"Get away from me. I don't even know who you are." She didn't move though. The strong arm around her felt too good. She hadn't cried about breaking up with Mitch -- at least she couldn't remember having cried and she needed to now.

"It's okay Alex whispered. You just tell me what he did to you and I'll make sure he gets what's coming to him."

She lifted her head, fought back the tears, and pushed the stranger's arm away.

"It's okay. He already did. I don't need you to fight my battles for me... whoever you are."

The big man appeared torn by her words.

"You mean you don't remember anything about us?"

Melanie froze, searched her head for anything that would give her a clue.

"I'm sorry. The last thing I remember is giving Mitch what he deserved for--"

"For what?"

"Nothing. I remember breaking up with him, if you really have to know."

"That's good."

"I'm glad you think so."

"That's not what I mean. It's just that it makes what we have--"

"We don't have anything. All I remember is breaking up with my boyfriend and then I wake up with a headache from hell on a beach in the middle of nowhere with a gorgeous man lying next to--" She stopped herself. The asshole was smiling. How could she be so stupid?

"It's okay," he said, "you're confused."

She smiled at him for the first time.

"And I'm gorgeous." The smile left her face. "And you're adorable." He added. They stared at each other for a tense moment before a smile cracked Melanie's face again. Alex smiled too, an irresistibly sexy smile. In moments, the two of them were lost in crazy, hysterical laughter, lying on their backs side by side in the sand.

"This is all too much." Melanie said when the giggles finally subsided. "I just--"

"It's okay, really." Alex rolled up onto his elbow by her side. "You don't have to remember anything. Just take your time. Everything will come back. And even if it doesn't, well, I have no problem starting over again."

He put his hand out and gently caressed her cheek.

Could she really be in a relationship with this guy? He was the man of her dreams.

"How long have we -- uh..."

"Been together?"

"Yes."

"Not long. We were just getting started when the plane went down."

"What does that mean?"

"We met in the airport just before the flight and both of us knew there was something. We could feel it right away."

Melanie could feel it right now as well. Her headache was nearly gone and maybe it was the disorientation, the exotic surroundings, and the heat, but she wanted this man with all her heart. If only she could remember, she would take him right now.

"Then we met in the plane's private quarters and it was electric. We couldn't hold ourselves back--"

"Stop! That's enough. I don't want to hear anymore. I need to remember things myself. I don't need you putting thoughts in my head."

"You're right; forgive me, Melanie. Like I said, I'm happy to start all over again with you from scratch. Come on, we better get started taking a look around this island and see what's floated up on the beach from the plane and what we need to do to get set up for tonight."

He stood up and she could see how tall he was, how strong and rugged he looked in his torn castaway clothes. He helped her to her feet and she felt like a tiny doll in his hands.

"One half of the plane went down over there, so there should be plenty of salvage coming in from that direction." He turned to go but Melanie stopped him.

"What is it?" He said. She put her hands on his shoulders and stood on tiptoe to reach up and peck him on the cheek. Although she meant it platonically, the sensation of her lips against his powerful jaw excited her far beyond anything the harmless action should have been capable of. This guy was huge, strong, incredibly sweet, and he had saved her life. He also hadn't cheated on her. Not that she knew of anyway.

"What was that for?" he said.

"For saving me. And for giving me time."

He gave her that sexy smile again, took her small hand into his own and then they continued down the beach together.

Melanie froze.

"What's that?" She said, pointing into the distance. Alex squinted in the tropical sunlight.

"Oh my God." He gasped. It's a body!" The two broke into a run and began sprinting across the hot sand.
Chapter Nine

When they reached the prone figure in the sand, Melanie had to do a double-take. The man on the ground was a mirror image of the one next to her.

"Who is this?" She said, as Alex rolled the man over and began to check his vital signs.

"He's my brother, Sebastian -- my twin brother. We've got to do something."

"I know CPR." Melanie said and prepared to put her lips to the man's mouth.

"So do I." Alex said and pushed her back, but Sebastian was already coming round. He coughed and spluttered while his brother anxiously watched him.

"Are you okay, bro?" He said. "God, you had me worried there! I thought you hadn't made it out of this thing alive."

"Melanie, Sebastian, thank God you're okay!"

"Whoa there, little bro. I'm Alex, you're Sebastian." The brother on the sand looked confused.

"Stop kidding around little bro, it's not funny. Melanie, are you okay?"

How could he also know her so well? Melanie's head was spinning again. Not one, but two completely gorgeous men seemed to be on first name terms with her.

"I'm okay... uh, Sebastian--"

"I'm Alex." He corrected her.

"Now who's kidding around?" The other brother said. "Come on Sebastian, don't confuse Melanie--"

"This isn't funny Sebastian; we just survived a plane crash so just knock it off already!"

The first brother drew back. He looked concerned, afraid.

"Okay." He said. "This is kind of scary. Just tell me bro; exactly who do you think you are?"

"My name, as you well know, is Alex." Storm clouds were gathering on his face. "Now quit it before I get angry."

The hot sun beat down on Melanie's head as she watched the absurd to and fro between the brothers. Her headache returned, pounding the inside of her skull.

For the second time today, everything went black and she was gone.

When she came to, she was cradled in broad strong arms -- four of them.

She looked around her and recognized the palm trees, the golden sand, and the sound of softly lapping waves. She was still there. This was no dream.

Alex (or was it Sebastian?) was looking softly into her eyes with infinite love and concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Alex."

"No, he's Sebastian."

"Shut up already!"

"Please just stop! I don't care what your names are. Just tell me what I'm doing here and who you two are. Then you can figure out what to call each other, because what I'm thinking now is Jerk One and Jerk Two."

The men glared at each other and then one of them took the lead.

"Well, I'm not sure exactly where we are but we were lucky to ditch next to this small island, so even though we lost a $60 million aircraft, at least we're alive. We were flying to Tahiti and then we hit the craziest turbulence I've ever seen. Then the plane went down."

"Why was I going to Tahiti?"

"You were going with us, Alex and Sebastian Drummond." The other man interrupted.

"He means Alex," he indicated himself, "and Sebastian," he pointed his twin.

"Jesus Sebastian, can't you see she's confused enough as it is? Leave off with the bad jokes and just introduce yourself already."

"I already did, little brother. How about you come clean and stop joking around?"

Melanie felt nauseous. These were the names that had been in her head all right and for some reason, the name Sebastian didn't sit right with her.

She needed to know which was which, even if she wasn't sure why. She struggled out of the men's arms and backed away up the sand. She looked up and both men were following her with pleading eyes.

"Please, Melanie."

"Melanie, it's okay really."

Was this heaven or hell? She couldn't tell. Both men were gorgeous -- the most gorgeous she had ever seen. They were both in tatters from the wreck but even in rags, together they looked like some crazy ad for Calvin Klein underwear. Both were tanned, chiseled, ripped, tall, beautiful floppy dark brown hair and dark brown eyes, rugged looks, and an intensity about them that promised absolute care and devotion to her.

Her head began to spin and both men came to their knees springing towards her, their strong arms extended to give her support.

"Stay away!" She shouted. As much as she would have loved to be gathered up by either of them, she wouldn't let either of these guys touch her until she had figured out who was who and what was what.

Tahiti? What a ridiculous story! Probably they were both lying and they were on some small private beach somewhere in California.

"Please." They begged.

"Melanie, you have to believe us, we just want to take care of you. That's all."

"That's right, Melanie. Look, we don't know each other that long but you have to trust me..."

"Stop right there." She said firmly. "First off, I need to know who is who."

"I'm Alex." One of them shouted, still on his knees his chest heaving with anxious desire.

"No he's not, for God's sake Melanie, I don't know what game he's playing, but this is my brother Sebastian." He put one big hand to his brother's chest and pushed him back.

"Get your hands off me, little bro." The other one said.

"I'm not your little bro, little bro." He pushed him back harder, but this time his twin wasn't willing to accept the indignity, grabbed his brother's arms, and pulled him to the ground. They began to wrestle in the sand before her, taut, bronzed muscles glinting in the tropical sun as they struggled with each other.

Melanie was mesmerized. She didn't know whether to cry or thank the Mother Goddess for taking her to Paradise Island. The truth was she could have watched them all day and to her surprise she could feel a rising heat in her loins, spreading out into her thighs. This was something she had never done before, never even imagined: a ringside seat at a sweaty wrestling match between two Greek gods on a tropical desert island, fighting over her!

Her mouth dropped open as she watched them strain their muscles against one another. She had to stop it.

"That's enough." She said, but they ignored her. By now, one of them had gotten on top and was pushing his brother's hands into the sand. She stood over them but they paid no attention to her. The one on top was slowly, inexorably pushing the others arms down.

"Don't even try, little bro. You know I've always been able to take you down. Don't make me hurt you."

The brother underneath flashed an angry gaze at Melanie, obviously stung and humiliated to be bested in front of her. Her heart flashed with desire. Although both were beautiful, she felt for the defeated one. She had to help him. She put her flimsy arms to the powerful fists of the dominant brother and uselessly tried to force them back.

The defeated brother shouted. "No Melanie, don't! I need to do this myself." But he couldn't and he was losing. Inevitably, his arms grew weaker, and his brother grinned above him.

"I don't want to do this little bro, you know I don't. But at least Melanie now knows which one of us is the stronger one. Just say the word and I'll let you go like I always do."

The bested brother continued struggling and his desperation was pitiful to watch, but also powerfully arousing to his one-woman audience. He was struggling for her and for her alone, pitting all his manhood and risking his pride against his brother to prove himself to her. She felt guilty as she became wet watching the spectacle. Every inch that his strong arms sank to the ground, she felt a wave of pleasure rise. This man, whomever he was, wanted her more than anything else in the world and was willing to risk humiliation to prove it.

"Stop." She said softly -- too softly to make a difference. She waited. Melanie had the crazy feeling that when his arms reached the ground she was going to... No. Ridiculous, impossible. Yet she felt ripe for it, primed, as though she had climaxed recently. However, that was ridiculous too. She knew it had been months since she was able to find the release of orgasm. Her clit had begun to forget what pleasure and ecstasy felt like.

She watched the arms go lower and drank in the vision. The humiliated brother and the dominant one, the victor, defeating his own sibling for her, the savage glint in his eye as he fought in order to claim her. What would he do once the battle was won? Claim the spoils of victory? Was that what she was? A prize at a wrestling match?

"Melanie!" The losing brother called out.

She stared at him but didn't respond, unmoving.

"Melanie, what's wrong with you? Listen to me."

His hands sank lower, his desperation became more intense.

Melanie stood and stared.
Chapter Ten

"If you want to know who's who, just look at his ass." His hands were almost in the dirt now.

"It's too late for that, little bro. She already knows who's who."

"There's birthmark on his left butt cheek, just take a look. That's Sebastian."

"Go on Melanie, take a look." The dominant brother nodded over his shoulder. "Take a good look at my ass, why not? The mark you'll find there is what distinguishes me from my brother Sebastian who is about to be wrestled into the sand here."

"Do it, Melanie!" The lower brother shouted. "At least you'll always be able to tell us apart then."

Her hand trembled as she reached over and with her index finger gently drew the underwear down to reveal the sculpted ass cheek and the soft crevice of his butt. She gasped a little and fought it back, trying to hide her desire. It was all too unreal.

The guy's butt was flexing and straining to hold his brother in place and wrestle him down. Melanie imagined that butt straining and flexing on top of her, digging deep within her to find pleasure and satisfaction, thrusting, burrowing, and pounding. Her breath became shorter as her finger slid lower against the warm marble of his ass and then she found it, the tiny mark that distinguished the identical twins. A tiny crescent shape curved into his flank like the ranch brand of a prize animal.

She withdrew her finger and left the shorts where they were, pulled half way down, her gaze, lingering, hungering. Maybe it was the unfamiliarity, the humidity, the disorientation, but she felt herself begin to pass out again and instantly the wrestling match was over as both brothers leaped to her aid.

One week later, Melanie was feeling a whole lot better, although she had still not regained her memory. She knew she was a flight attendant with Drummond Airlines and according to the two handsome magazine models with her, they were in fact the Drummond Brothers. Both of them were billionaires, if she remembered correctly.

She was trapped on an island with two billionaires, both of them young, apparently single, ripped, tanned, and walking around bare-chested in shorts most of the time.

It was hard to believe they were two pampered rich kids. Looking at them, Melanie would have believed wild animals on the island had raised them. Hunting and fishing came naturally to them; although there wasn't much to kill on land, there were plenty of fish in the lagoons and offshore. The first day they had built effective lean-tos to keep them sheltered during the night. They had built one each to give her privacy but when she woke screaming with an island rodent staring her in the face and stumbled through the moonlight into one of their quarters, they had thought better of it and set to building a more permanent dwelling. After all, they didn't know how long they were going to be out there. It was better that they stick together. Still, they struggled to give her privacy, constructing a room within the large hut for her alone.

In the beginning, she had begun to panic from the loss of memory and insecurity. But when the two men proved more than capable of providing for her needs and then when supplies and other useful things began to wash up on the shore, from the plane wreck things almost became normal -- if it hadn't been for the crazy two guy billionaires and one flight attendant scenario.

Melanie tried to make herself as useful as possible by barbecuing fresh fish and preparing meals from the washed up supplies. There was plenty of vacuum-packed lobster tail and pheasant for some reason and clearly, the men preferred one or the other.

Still she couldn't tell them apart.

What was she supposed to do? Ask them to pull their pants down to take a look at their asses whenever she was in doubt? Not that she would have minded, but not the most practical solution.

The sun was going down into a vast rose-colored sea. Yet another indescribably beautiful sunset with no cameras to waste time taking photos. She was getting used to just existing and living in the moment, enjoying each subtle pleasure of being alive. It was such a change from the constant stress of her life in LA, running back and forth from one place to another, dodging parking fines, struggling to pay her rent, trying to stay one step ahead of constant jetlag, all while keeping her horny passengers' hands off her. In the reality she lived from paycheck to paycheck, always thinking ahead to her next flight or bills to pay.

Here, life was easy. Her two companions took care of everything, the sun shone every day. All she had to do was relax and prepare wonderful fresh meals of tropical fish and fruit and let the sun turn her pale skin a golden brown.

Maybe I could live here forever. She thought.

"It's breathtaking, isn't it?" Alex sat down beside her. She had decided just to call both of them Alex because it made things easier. The brothers had agreed that one of them, the one with scar on his butt, would wear an armband made from a strip of denim on his right arm to help her distinguish them. But both of them insisted on being called Alex, which infuriated the two of them equally.

The one next to her didn't have on the armband; the one whose butt she hadn't seen. Not yet at least.

"It almost makes you want to stay here forever." He said.

"I was just thinking that."

"Can I sit next to you?" He asked.

"Of course you can." She patted the warm sand next to her. "Where's your brother?"

"Who cares? Probably working out or doing something dumb like that. Wondering how he can be Number One out of the three people on this tiny island."

Melanie didn't respond. She didn't want to hear them talk bad about each other because she knew one of them was lying, and to listen to lies like that would just make her stop liking them at all.

"You know I don't want to hear you talk trash about each other."

"I'm sorry Melanie, forgive me. Look, the important thing is that you're here. We are here -- you and me -- so we can get to know each other better."

Her heart began to race. He was so close to her and they were alone, surrounded by the most beautiful sunset, ocean, and forest she had ever seen.

"I mean, it's been a whole week now and it's time for us to catch up to where we left off."

"Where did we leave off?"

It seemed he leaned in a little closer to her as he spoke. She could feel his warm breath on her cheek.

"I was hoping you would remember by yourself because if I just tell you, well, you might not--"

"I might not what?"

He reached out his hand to her, brushing her long, sun-bleached hair gently aside and softly caressed her cheek. She didn't resist.

"Look, it's just better if you remember yourself, okay?"

He leaned in a little closer to her. His warm clean masculine smell surrounded her. She could just make out his strong jawline in the twilight and the careless tussle of his dark, wavy brown hair.

"Hey guys?" A voice came through the brush. "I have a couple of pheasants on the spit by the barbecue. Oh yeah, and a lobster tail, too." He added sardonically.

The man next to her rolled his eyes.

"The lobster tail is yours, smart guy."

"No way. It's all yours; you know how you love that stuff."

Melanie didn't get the whole deal with the lobster tails. Both of them had made a big thing of not eating it for the whole week. Obviously, it had some significance.

"I'd like the lobster tail please." She said.

There was a short silence, then a chuckle next to her.

"Hey, go ahead and give me one of those things, bro." He said. "They might grow on me, you never know."

Melanie smiled as well. There was something irresistible about this man; these men. Even if the subterfuge and silliness of them not wanting to tell her their real names or which one of them preferred lobster was kind of juvenile and crazy.

"You know what?" She said. "There's something we need to do."

"Anything you want." He said.

"Yes, anything." The other brother was near them now.

"I need to take a really good look at you guys. Both of you."

"What you see is what you get Melanie." The man seated next to her said, his eyes dark with intent but also projecting complete innocence.

"I mean a really, really good look so I can begin to tell which one of you is which."

"You already have the armband." The one standing said.

"That's true, but if it falls off or if you decide to switch it for some bizarre reason, then how would I know?"

"Why would we do that?" The seated one said.

"No, she has a point Sebastian." The standing one said.

"Don't call me that." The other one jumped to his feet.

Melanie stood up quickly.

"Boys, don't start all that again." She couldn't let them get into another fight, even if her heart was racing at the thought of these two perfect males fighting over her.

"Come on. Come with me. Let's get back to the camp where I can take a good look at both of you in the firelight. I need to find something I can recognize easily."

"There's nothing." The one without the armband said. "Apart from the scar on my little brother's ass which you already saw."

"That's no good. Will I need to ask you to drop your shorts every time I want to know who's who?"

"That's no problem." He said. "I'll do it now, even with this lying douche-bag around."

"Stop it!" She said firmly. Melanie couldn't take much more of this. They were so far away from the world; so far away from everything that was normal. They couldn't risk allowing themselves getting locked into some crazy state of mind through the isolation. Weird things would begin to seem normal and then who knows what kind of crazy things were liable to happen?

She reached out and took each of them by the hand. The men were compliant. Strong, tall, powerful, and willing to trust themselves to her completely as she led them through the moonlight and the soft, lush tropical island forest towards the campfire. When they reached camp, she stood them next to each other and with their backs to the fire.

"This is really no good, Melanie. We're identical twins -- genetically indistinguishable. Even our own mother found it impossible to tell us apart."

"That's not true." The one with the armband said quietly. "She was always able to tell us apart. Let Melanie try and see if she can figure it out."

"Melanie, no one wants you to be able to figure us out more than I do, but this is a waste of time. I'm telling you."

"Shut up, the two of you." Her heart hadn't stopped racing. She wanted to get this over with quickly. Just find some easily identifiable difference, then eat and go to bed. Melanie didn't know what was happening to her anymore. She wanted to stop herself from getting into some kind of isolation syndrome but here she was, about to physically examine two alleged billionaire twins for physical differences, by the light of a full moon and a campfire.

Could her life get any more bizarre than this? Maybe the isolation syndrome had already taken hold.

She looked up at the two silent men gazing down at her. One with eyes as innocent as a child, staring at her, straight into her eyes, almost pleading. The other was calm, confident and strangely caring. He held her gaze just for a moment and then looked down to the sand; his dark eyes were two moonlit pools of mysterious intent.

She approached them cautiously, as though they might take fright and run into the forest. Melanie stifled a nervous giggle. It was all so crazy and yet so exciting. She came closer to them and her eyes began to examine every detail, passing from one to the other, seeking even the tiniest permanent difference. The one without the armband never left her gaze for a moment, while the other held it only fleetingly, for seconds each time, and then backed down into darkness and the shadowy indentations of the sand.

There were differences all right. Maybe not physical, but certainly psychological and emotional. She would have to choose names for them, based on who she felt they were.

Her eyes covered their tousled hair, their strong brows and firmly set jaws. Each had a day of masculine stubble on a firmly set jaw. She took another step closer in until she was almost touching the one without the armband. She stared into his dark brown eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul, or so she had heard. Maybe she would find the truth in there.

The man stared back, unflinching, as though he would absorb everything she had to give, as though they were connected and he would drink her in. Melanie could hear his soft, deep masculine breathing. She didn't dare blink. Somehow, she felt if she just looked long enough, she would know who he really was. A confident smile played around his lips, she had a vision of them together, as though in mid-air with him reaching out to her, longing for her, and she was longing for him as well.

She gave a little gasp and took a step back. He smiled. The vision was so powerful; more like a vivid memory than a dream. But it was crazy. How could they be floating together in mid-air and struggling to make love at the same time?

Now she went to the other brother and gazed into his eyes as well. He held it for several long seconds and then averted his eyes, as though she were shining too brightly for him. She felt the same supreme confidence but something held him back, a shyness of some kind that concealed a deeper, more powerful desire. Melanie stayed where she was, her eyes searching for his. She refused to let him go.

Look at me. Don't you dare run from me! She thought. Look at me and show me who you really are.

When he lifted his eyes again, he was all care and love. Whatever deep hunger he had momentarily revealed had been suppressed and concealed again. It drove her wild. She wanted to tear aside whatever veil was hiding his true self from her. He had feelings for her -- powerful ones. Maybe they were feelings that could barely be controlled and he had no right to hide them from her.

You just wait. She thought. You can't keep any secrets from me. Not now, not ever. I'll be right here in front of you every day until you let down your guard and then I'll be waiting.

He lowered his gaze again, almost as though he could read her thoughts and feared exposure to her. She stared at his bowed head a moment longer and then took a step back.

"Stand back to back." She said. The men looked at each other and then obeyed. Their broad tanned shoulders came together.

I speak and they move. The thought tickled her, almost frightening her as well. She hadn't asked to be the mistress of these two large men and their burning animal desires.

"This is ridiculous, Melanie. I won't do it." The shy one protested, taking a step forward.

"Do it." She said. "I need this. Do it or you can be Sebastian until we're rescued."

He stood back in line and made himself as tall as he could next to his brother. There was a very slight difference. Maybe a quarter of an inch in height or even less, in favor of the brother with the armband. It could just have been the contours of the sand underneath them though, and anyway, it wasn't enough to help her easily distinguish them.

"I'm the taller one." The man with the armband said quietly.

"Shut up, little brother. Let her decide for God's sake."

She put her finger to her lips to shush them both and felt a thrill of pleasure as the two tall hunks lapsed into silence. She wondered what else she could command them to do before they would rebel.

"Turn around again."

The two faced her again and with a trembling hand, Melanie reached up and ran her fingers through the taller one's hair. He closed his eyes as her hand found its way through the thick locks of his mane. She thought she heard him sigh and broaden his chest slightly as she touched him. He was obviously loving it but struggling to conceal it. She softened her touch but continued to stroke his mane.

By God, if you are lying to me Drummond Junior, you are going to suffer for it. She thought as she ran her fingers slowly across his brow and into his lush hair. He could smell her close to him and the truth was that it was driving him wild. He had been longing for her touch since the moment they met, but obviously not here, with his stupid brother standing next to him. The last thing he wanted was a damned erection right there out in the open, next to his sibling. If he didn't know any better, he would have said that Melanie was trying to provoke him.

"How long is this going to take?" He said in a low voice, his eyes still closed.

"It'll take as long as it takes." She said softly. Just as long as it takes you to crack you big, beautiful man.

She decided that was enough for now. He could recover himself, if he was able, and then she would return to him for more. It was time to see how the other one reacted.

She stepped to the brother who she felt was slightly smaller; the one without the armband or distinguishing crescent moon on his ass. He stared back at her brazenly and intently, his dark brown eyes filled with unreadable shadows. She stepped in closer to hold his gaze as she reached a hand up to his hair. A jolt of electricity crackled between them at the first touch and he smiled at the sound. Melanie involuntarily returned the smile as his brother fixed them with a brooding stare. She returned her stung hand to his hair and he bristled underneath her caress as though he longed to take her wholly, bodily, there and then.

This was different, so entirely different than his brother. There could be no doubt. Underneath that mouthwatering exterior, these men were two very different animals. There was nothing restrained here. This was pure, naked desire, ready to be unleashed at a moment's notice. Her hand shook and her legs wobbled beneath her.

He was the slightly smaller one as far as she could tell, and his hair was a little coarser to the touch, but the electricity that passed between them was undeniable. She felt herself become aroused and quickly withdrew her hand because she didn't need to play with this brother. He was there already.

He smiled again, just barely visible in the flickering light of the fire. He could feel it too, and she knew it. It was her arousal this time. She could feel her nipples swell and gently stretch the fabric of her shirt. Melanie took a breath to control herself.

Not yet, Drummond. Not yet. Not even close. You're going to have to beg for this. They stared into each other's eyes for a little longer until she finally dropped her gaze to the sand.

You think you're Mr. Big but I'll take you down to size. She said the words in her head but didn't fully believe them herself. This one was the dangerous one; she was sure of it.

Almost sure.

The taller brother ground his teeth in silent, repressed exasperation.

"Can't you control yourself little brother?" He hissed, his eyes glaring downwards. Melanie followed his gaze to the growing protrusion in his brother's pants.

The aroused brother just smiled. He was utterly shameless.

"No, little brother. I guess I just can't. Not where Melanie is concerned."

In the flickering shadows, she couldn't tell if he was staring at her or not.

"How far do you want this game to continue?" The taller brother said.

"I'm good to go all night." The other one said.

"Can't you tell the difference already?" The taller one said. The smaller one just smiled, making no effort to hide the swelling revelation of his desire. Was it a cocky smile? Or maybe awkward and embarrassed? She couldn't tell. Either way, it was setting her on fire. She wasn't like this. Melanie liked to be romanced, protected, and cherished. She needed to trust someone and know them well before she got close to them, especially since her misadventure with Mitch. However, some crazy part of her was coming to the surface out there in the middle of nowhere.

With society and conformity a million miles away, what difference did any of those things make? The norms of society didn't exist here. It was just two gorgeous men and her.

Christ, Melanie. Get a hold of yourself. She was glad she was a girl. If she had been a guy, she would have had a boner the size of a well-developed cucumber. She swallowed down her desire, took a deep breath, and composed herself.

She already had what she needed. There was a gulf between these two men that just a little probing would always reveal and as she spent more time with them, it would become more obvious.

"Okay," she said with a sigh, "you were right." She said to the taller one. "I can tell the difference. And if there's any doubt, I can always just check your asses to be sure. I can't keep calling you both Alex so here are my names for you: Tall and Strong. Think you can remember that?" She was almost breathless as she spoke.

"Tall and Strong. I like it. And what's his name?" Strong said with a cocky grin.

Tall rolled his eyes again.

"Don't play dumb, Strong." She said. "He's Tall and you're Strong. Got it? Anyway, I'm being nice to you. My first choice for you was 'Woody'." She glanced down at his bulge again. He grinned in the cocky, brazen, unashamed way of his that was turning her on against her will.

"I think you got off lightly with Strong." She said.

"Sure thing." He agreed. "Now come on, let's eat for God's sake. I've been waiting for this pheasant all day."

"The pheasant is mine, little brother." Tall said.

Strong just laughed. "Whatever, Tall. Let's just eat. Melanie must be starving too after all this foolishness we've put her through. Come on, let us be the flight attendants tonight, you make yourself comfortable Melanie. Find a good spot with a view of the stars, and let Tall and Strong take care of all your needs."

Let those rescue boats take all the time they need, Melanie thought, I'm good right here.
Chapter Eleven

Early the next morning, the two men were working together to catch fish from one of the island's many fresh water streams. They liked to hunt before the sun rose too high and made activity impossible in the midday heat. The armband, which Tall still wore to keep things easy for Melanie, lay to one side as he exerted himself in the shimmering blue water. Even their own mother couldn't have told their bronzed muscular, shining bodies apart in the sun-dappled waters. Not without a second look, anyway.

They had been fishing together for an hour in stubborn silence when Sebastian broached the subject of Melanie with his big brother.

"I think I'm in love." He said quietly.

Alex didn't respond but continued waiting, intently focused on the approaching fish in the stream.

"Did you hear me? Sebastian said.

"I heard you."

"So what do you have to say?"

"How about you stop bullshitting her?"

Sebastian said nothing.

"And stop bullshitting me as well."

"I'm telling the truth, Alex. I really think she's the one, ever since I first saw her."

"What? Two weeks ago at Drummond Airlines check-in? Don't make me laugh shorty, because I'm not in the mood."

"You're just jealous because you can see she wants me and not you."

"Why the hell would that make me jealous? I've passed on a hundred girlfriends to you without a thought. I've never been jealous of you about anything because I've never needed to be."

"By passed on, you obviously mean that they've abandoned you for me and by never jealous, you mean never jealous for long."

"You're the one who's jealous. Anytime I get close to a woman, you come running like a hound to start playing around with her. When have I ever done that to you?"

"Never, because I've never been close to a woman."

"That's the first true thing you've said since we crashed on this island."

"Until Melanie."

Alex smashed his fist into the water.

"God damn it, you aren't even close to her. The only reason she talks to you is because she thinks you're me."

"You have no idea what happened between us before that plane went down."

Alex turned on his brother.

"You better tell me exactly what that means."

Sebastian smiled. He knew his brother inside and out. Maybe it was an identical twin thing, but he could read him. Even if he didn't move or say a word.

"Forget it." He said. "You wouldn't even believe me if I told you anyway. Let's just put it this way: maybe you'll finally know now what it feels like to come last in something."

Alex went deathly silent while his brother waited for his response, smiling. His sinewy muscles flexed suddenly and there was a flash of sunlight across his makeshift harpoon blade. Water splashed in front of Sebastian who jumped back, the smile vanishing from his face. When he opened his eyes again, his brother was holding his harpoon up with a skewered fish on the end.

"You're bullshitting. There wasn't time."

"Jesus Alex, you need to relax. Of course, I'm bullshitting. How could there possibly have been time?"

Alex tried to reckon the time in his head but it was already so long ago and it had been so crazy with the turbulence and the accident. He couldn't tell if his brother was telling him the truth or just trying to rile him up even further.

"You've got to admit that she's something special though, right?" Sebastian continued.

"I don't want to talk about her with you."

"That's because you can see it too, right? You can't bullshit me bro, I know you too well, just like you know me."

Alex ignored his brother and began wading back to the sand to bag up his fish. Sebastian followed him.

"I've never seen anyone like her. She's not like any other girl we've ever dated. All those debutantes, heiresses, and movie starlets with their fake boobs and plastic lips. Melanie is for real. A true, honest to God authentic American beauty, inside and out."

Alex stopped dead but didn't turn around. His lengthening hair was beginning to spread out over his broad, tanned back. The muscles of his shoulders bunched and knotted with tension.

"Okay." He said softly. "Look, you're my brother all right? My twin brother. We've always shared everything, and we've never held any secrets from each other."

Sebastian smiled. Now the truth would come out and the truth had ever possibility of setting him free.

"You're right bro. Come on, it's time for a little truth here. What's really going on?"

Alex turned around to face him.

"You know how long I've been looking for the right girl."

Sebastian wanted to be as sarcastic on the subject as usual, but he knew this wasn't the time. His face was serious as he nodded his head.

"I haven't dated anyone seriously in over a year."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow.

"By haven't dated, you mean you haven't slept with anyone in over a year?"

Alex nodded his head.

"Jesus Christ bro, no wonder Melanie is beginning to look like the Holy Grail to you. You have one serious case of blue--"

"It's not that. Come on Sebastian, grow up for God's sake. Do you know how many women I've met over the last year?"

"Not as many as me."

"Granted. But a gynecologist probably sees fewer women than you do."

"I don't know what you think I am."

"Lost is what I think you are, which is why I want you to just back off from Melanie. You don't need to add her to your list of conquests."

"Oh, so you're allowed love her but I'm not? I don't get the distinction. How am I any different to you where she's concerned?"

"I've been looking for someone to get serious with for over a year while you sleep with anything that moves, insisting that I'm crazy. Then as soon as I find the girl I want, you suddenly fall in love with her too?"

"Yeah, exactly. Why is that so hard to understand? While we're at it, let me come clean as well. I'll admit that when you told me you had fallen in love at first sight, I thought you were just in need of a good blow--"

"Don't go there."

"--whatever. A good time. When you said it was with a flight attendant, I thought you must be jetlagged or overworked. When you said it was a Drummond employee, I figured you had lost your mind and I was determined to save you from your own stupidity. When I heard that Melanie already had a relationship with another Drummond employee--"

"What?"

"Didn't you know? She was seeing Mitch McGovern until very recently."

"How the hell would you even know that?"

"Don't look so surprised. Melanie told me. Maybe she trusts me more than you. Did that ever occur to you?"

"It's bullshit. She knows who we are. Why would she risk getting herself and Mitch fired by telling you?"

"If you don't believe me, then just go and ask her. I'm curious to find out if she'll even tell you."

Alex glared at the brother he loved and trusted his whole life. He had never felt anything like hatred for him before, but there's a first time for everything.

"Okay, I'll ask her. But it won't make any difference one way or the other -- not to me anyway. It won't be me that passes that on to Human Resources, even if it were true."

"It is true. So, when I heard that I thought, 'Okay, this girl is trouble'. She's willing to take risks and she has a big mouth. It's a very bad combination."

"So if you're scared, just keep away from her. Maybe Mitch could get away with seeing her but you know as well as I do that she's off limits for us."

"Now that truly is bullshit." Sebastian said. "The Drummond uniform never stopped the old man from getting what or even who he wanted."

"That's exactly why he's so against it now."

"It was all his fault and you know that. Our mother never did anything wrong. The old man is a good guy, but he just won't admit to being wrong about anything, ever. He's always been like that."

Alex took his brother's arm into a tight grip.

"We can't touch her, you or me -- end of story. You know what the rules are: you lay one finger on her and you're out. Zip. Nada. Homeless. A nobody."

"I don't care." Sebastian retorted. Alex gave a belly laugh at that.

"Sure. You've never wanted for anything your whole life. The same as me. We had brand new Maseratis on our sixteenth birthdays for God's sake, personal shows from pop stars and comedians, whatever and whoever we wanted. Now you're telling me you're going to give all that up at the age of 31 and start from scratch with a flight attendant who will also be unemployed. Have you ever even set foot inside a 'normal' person's apartment? You wouldn't have space to store your vintage wine collection for Christ's sake, let alone live and be happy."

"I won't need wine. All I'll need is her."

The two went silent for a moment.

Melanie had wandered up to the two men as she heard Alex's loud masculine laugh through the trees. She had intended to sit and watch them fish but when she heard they were talking something made her hold back. The conversation sounded too interesting and authentic to be interrupted. Maybe if she had a little patience she might have a chance of figuring out the truth about who these two men really were. She decided to stay hidden and listen in.

"I'm not saying I don't understand." Alex said. "I've got to admit that this last week...I don't know what's happening to me...every day I see her she just looks more beautiful than the last. Every movement, every word from her mouth."

"I know." Sebastian agreed. "This sunshine and healthy living isn't helping any. She was already gorgeous to begin with, now with her golden brown skin and that glow of happiness and health -- she was obviously stressed-out before. Now she's relaxed and happy. My God, it's like I can't even look straight at her anymore. I want to, but God, it's almost too much."

"Is it her? Is she really this gorgeous? This perfect? Or is it just some kind of island fever?"

"Maybe both. I mean, we've been here three weeks now and well, we don't exactly have much privacy, if you catch my drift. She's everywhere. All I can think about is her, and well, we're just human beings; we have needs. You might be able to live like the Pope but I'm not used to going this long."

"Especially not with someone so gorgeous tempting you all the time, just by being there, and being who she is."

"I know. If only she was an asshole or superficial, dumb, or something, but not such a perfect lady."

"A lady I need to fuck."

Melanie's jaw dropped. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand.

"Tell me about it."

The two men stood with their heads hanging down, their increasingly wild dark brown locks covering their bronzed backs.

Hidden in the trees, Melanie struggled hard to control her breathing. After all, the men weren't the only ones who had needs. She knew she was more relaxed and happy, maybe more at peace than she had ever been in her whole life. But it hadn't occurred to her that it had made her so much more attractive to her two island-mates. She looked down at her honey brown skin, her flat stomach, and golden thighs. She had to admit; she was looking pretty damn good and feeling even better. Maybe better than she had ever looked before in her whole life, if she didn't say so herself.

"That girl was just created to be loved." Sebastian said.

The problem for Melanie was that the same thing had happened to the boys. Their hair had grown long and their already muscular bodies were more toned and bronzed from island life and tropical sunshine than she could almost bear to look at. She found herself falling into ever more intense fantasies at increasingly shorter intervals throughout the day. Sometimes she had found it impossible to focus on even the smallest task and had to go and bathe in the sea just to calm herself down.

"I need her." Alex said.

The more they spoke, the harder it was getting. She was afraid to move in case she cried out.

"That perfect ass." Sebastian said.

Her heart raced.

"Those gorgeous deep blue eyes; I could look at them forever."

She could feel warmth begin to spread through her loins.

"I just want to get my hands on her." Alex said.

She put her own hands to herself now, between her legs, terrified that they would see her and find her doing this to herself.

"You keep your hands off her." Sebastian was serious again.

"Who says she's yours?"

"Trust me, she is and you know it."

"I don't know any such thing." Alex threw the harpoon into the water and squared up to his brother.

"I've already had her for God's sake. Of course she's mine."

Melanie jerked bolt upright.

"Stop telling those damn lies! There wasn't any time, you said so yourself." Alex shouted.

"It's not a lie. There was plenty of time. Melanie just doesn't remember it yet. We were together in the master bedroom when the turbulence hit. It was the greatest experience of my life and judging from her response, I think it was pretty damn awesome for her too."

Melanie's breath froze. Could it be true? Had she really done it with one of the brothers already? Was that why the name Alex meant something to her and Sebastian gave her bad vibrations? But which one had she been with? Which one was giving her the bad vibrations? The one she had slept with or the one she hadn't?

Her head was spinning again.

"If you fucked her -- and I don't believe you did -- then why are you pretending to be me? What the hell is with that?"

Sebastian stared at his brother across the shimmering tropical water.

"I'm not pretending." He said, very seriously.

"What are you talking about?"

"Have you gone crazy? I really am Alex. It's the accident. The plane crash. You were confused afterwards, very confused. Somehow..."

Alex dropped his harpoon and lunged at his brother, the two crashed into the water and struggled together, wrestling in silence.

Sebastian knew his brother well, but he hadn't expected this level of violence in his reaction. What he thought of as a white lie, an 'all's fair in love and war' game was obviously driving his brother crazy.

Melanie watched, transfixed as the two men thrashed silently in the lagoon. The water made their already slick muscles glimmer in the morning sun. They looked like two Greek gods battling on earth, two pagan spirits of the forest. They fell to the sandy bank of the lagoon and continued struggling. Once again, one of them seemed to be slightly more adept than the other and pinned his brother beneath him. Melanie tried to tell which was which, but the armband was lying on the ground beside them.

"Admit it!" The one on top shouted. "Say your goddamn name!" He held his fist above his brother's head.

"Don't do this, Sebastian." The brother below said. The brother on top drew his fist back, ready to strike.

"Stop!" Melanie shouted. "It's enough! Don't hurt him."

Alex remained with his fist poised, ready to strike.

"Is it true?" He said. "Did you sleep together on the plane?"

"I... I don't know." She faltered. "I don't remember anything."

"Goddamn it." He hissed, lowering his fist in defeat. "This is going to drive me crazy." He stood up and swept his dark wet hair back out of his eyes. "Melanie, you have to believe me, I am who I say I am, even if you can't yet figure out who's who."

"I want to believe you." She said. "I want to believe both of you."

"Thank God for that." Sebastian said. Alex gave him a menacing look.

"I don't know what's gotten into my brother. You'll have to forgive him."

"Forgive him?" She said. "You're the one who was ready to beat his brains out."

Alex stood helplessly, realizing his mistake. He loved his little brother but he knew how shrewd and cunning he was, especially when it came to women. It was the only thing he was unable to beat him at. He had never cared because women also came easily to him; you lost one, there was always another ready to take her place. Until now.

Alex looked Melanie hard in the eyes.

"Mitch McGovern." He said. "Tell me what he means to you."
Chapter Twelve

"It's over between us." She said.

"What's over?" Alex said.

"Nothing. It was nothing. We were seeing each other and then--"

"You know what that means at Drummond Melanie: instant dismissal for both of you."

"It's done now. There would be no point."

"Those things are never really over. Besides, it's not up to you. Drummond Corporation is very clear and fair regarding these issues. If you are becoming romantically involved with someone you work with, then one of you has to resign. It's that simple. If you break that rule then you both resign. You've broken the rules already, both of you. So unfortunately for you, when we get back to LA, both you and Mitch will be looking for new careers."

"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. There's no reason to punish Mitch for something that ended."

"When? When did it end Melanie?" Sebastian pursued the question.

Three days before our plane went down. The truth didn't sound good.

"It's not important."

"It is to me." Alex said. "What did he do to you?"

"It's none of your business and he didn't do anything to me."

"I'm your boss, Melanie. So yes, it does concern me."

"You just told me I was fired, so no, you aren't my boss, and no, it doesn't concern you."

"Don't forget that there's more than one Drummond here." Alex said. "You aren't fired yet."

Melanie's whole body was shaking with emotion. She wanted to tell the two men where to stick it but she had to hold back. There was a lot of money riding on this and not only her job. For all she knew, her mother had already been made homeless or was in some hellhole of a care facility being mistreated by underpaid staff.

"I thought I had broken the famous Drummond rulebook when I had a relationship with another single, emotionally unattached person of the opposite sex. So now I can break the rules?"

"It's Sebastian's word--"

"My name's Alex."

"It's his word against yours and against Mitch's. There are no grounds for dismissal there."

"So you would lie to your own company? To your own father?"

"Yeah little brother, what kind of CEO does that?"

"The rule needs to be reformed. But for now, we can only work around it. It's patently unfair."

"I'll do better than that Melanie." Sebastian added. "You don't need the job. If you want to, I'll help you get a better one or retrain--"

"This isn't an auction." Melanie shouted. "I'm not for sale to the highest bidder here. Just because we're all desperate to sleep with each other..."

Damn. She shut her eyes tightly. This damned island. This stupid situation.

When she opened her eyes, one of the brothers was smirking. The other was staring with his mouth just slightly open in anticipation.

"That's not what I meant to say, obviously."

"But it's what you were thinking." The smirking one said.

"Don't twist my words."

"Not much to twist." He said. He was insufferable. But he was also right.

"I...I need to get out of here." Melanie turned from the brothers and retreated into the forest.

"Great, now look what you've done." She heard Alex say. Then she second-guessed herself. How did she really know which was which?

"Melanie, come back!"

"Leave her alone for God's sake. She needs some space away from you and your crazy mind games."

"You mean you and yours."

Melanie was glad when the sound of their bickering voices receded into the background. She walked for what seemed like forever and then threw herself onto a patch of warm golden sand in the forest, shaded by tropical foliage.

She was in more turmoil than ever. In some ways, she didn't want this dream to end. But on the other hand, she didn't want it to become a nightmare either. She had begun to think that maybe this could go on for a long time. With the attentiveness of the brothers, she had been seduced into thinking that this was something she could get used to, a life she could enjoy. After all, why not? Her life in LA wasn't so great. Most of her old friends were married with kids already or if not, they were planning for families or weddings. She had somehow been 'left on the shelf' with only Mitch McGovern beside her.

Since she was a little girl, Melanie had dreamed of being swept away, taken by someone so utterly in command that she could just surrender herself to him. But no man had ever been able to do that. Not until Alex had come along...and there was a memory coming back now. She froze, struggling to hold onto it. Alex... they had met in the airport, hadn't they? And he had... it was no use. The fleeting memory was gone. At least she was sure that they were both trying to be Alex for a reason. He must have been the one she liked of the two. The one she had made the connection with. Maybe there had been something between them, just as she had overheard at the lagoon. Had she really made love to one of those beautiful men already?

She longed to take him again in her arms, between her legs, to feel his passionate breath on her neck, her arms, her breasts, and his head going lower as she arched her back in ecstasy

"Melanie?"

She sat bolt upright.

"Damn it. Isn't there any privacy on this stupid island?" She said irritably.

It seemed that every few minutes she would slip into a reverie of some kind but never get farther than she just had. Her lust and desire were always just beginning to rise but were never satisfied, then a deep sexy male voice would call her to herself again. Or she would notice a pair of lustful deep brown eyes watching her. Even if she had packed her vibrator and even if it was salvaged from the wreck, she wouldn't have been able to use the damn thing. It reminded her of the summer camps she had been on as a teenager, bunking with a roomful of other girls and just talking and thinking about the boys in the male dorms every spare minute of every day, and then even more intensely at night. There had been nowhere to do it though, not with the camp monitors watching them like hawks twenty-four hours a day. Not with public showers you couldn't touch yourself in. How the hell were any of the boys or girls ever to get their minds off the opposite sex under those conditions?

This situation was ten times worse -- God no, it was a thousand times worse! Alex and Sebastian weren't two goofy teenage boys; they were tall, handsome, confident, and very wealthy men. From what she could tell, both of them longed to fuck her as well. Even though there were no camp monitors, they were all adults, and there were only three of them on the island. Hell, she might as well have been locked in a convent with buff, tanned, naked fire fighters parading around outside her cloister window.

The man looking at her looked hesitant, respectful.

Alex. She thought.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Strong and I have come up with an idea. It may be a little crazy but look, what else are we going to do until we get rescued from this damn island?"

His eyes were filled with longing but at the same time, he carefully remained a respectable distance from her. It drove her mad.

This one always did the same. He was so careful not to touch her under any circumstances and all the time she was just crying out for his touch, dreaming of his hands, his fingers, his arms, his chest, his hungry mouth against hers...

The other one was different. He always came close to her. His animal scent and masculine presence filling her senses and sending her raging hormones into overdrive. But he was careful never to touch her either, unless it was some half-intentional light brush of his hand or thigh here or there. It drove her mad but made her go the opposite way. She wanted the big tease to be reduced to his knees, to tears if possible, begging her to touch him. Of course, he would do it if she asked him. She was sure of that. But she intended to make it so that he wasn't sure of anything. If he was lying to her, then he deserved every bit of the pain she would inflict upon him.

The difference between the two brothers physically was almost nothing, but in temperament, they couldn't have been more dissimilar.

"Tell me the idea." She said, not allowing herself to speculate what the two brothers might have come up with.

"Well, it's about you and us. I think it's pretty clear that we both, uh... that we both like you." Melanie was trying but she couldn't stay angry at this huge man who was acting like a tongue-tied schoolboy in front of her. The look he was giving her, the sound of his voice made her want to throw herself at his feet.

She looked up at him, her gorgeous blue eyes filled with anticipation, her skin tingling with excitement.

"Yes." She said.

"In case you hadn't noticed, uh, there's only one of you and two of us."

"I've noticed." She said. "Trust me, I've noticed."

"And you haven't said anything about your feelings to either of us -- at least not to me anyway."

Her heart was beating and she could feel herself becoming wet. The pressurized sexual tension of the island in the last days had turned her into a simmering volcano of desire, ready to blow at the tiniest provocation.

Tall was wearing nothing but shorts and a ridiculous garland of flowers that Melanie had given to him and to his brother the day before when she had been in a softer, more conciliatory mood. It embarrassed her to look at them now.

"I haven't said anything to your brother, either." She said.

"Okay." He said with relief. "Now we aren't asking anything of you Melanie, just that you give each of us the opportunity to explain ourselves to you in complete privacy, one at a time."

"I'm not sure I understand." She said.

"It's not like we are asking you to choose between us or anything. I don't know how things really stand with you and Mitch and you don't have to say anything if you don't want to." He paused to allow her to speak, but she just dropped her eyes. She didn't want to talk about it. Mitch was an idiot but she had said too much already. He didn't deserve to lose his job for cheating on someone. As much as it riled her, work and romance were separate.

In addition, it was still too soon to fully trust these men who were essentially strangers to her. No matter what her feelings were, she couldn't give herself up to them so easily. They were rich and powerful and all she had were vague feelings about them. They could still toss her aside like the $60 million airplane they had barely talked about since it sank into the ocean.

"Just give each of us an opportunity to convince you that we are telling the truth. One evening -- the other one of us will cross the island and spend the night there."

A thrill shot through her. A night alone. With each of them. What could that mean?

"And no funny business." He added. "All we want to do is give you the chance to hear each of us out without the background noise of us squabbling."

It was hard enough to resist them as it was, but if she was alone with one of them? What if one of them lost control? What if they couldn't hold themselves back? After all, she had heard them say about her how straightforward could a night alone with one of them be.

"Please, Melanie. We owe you this much. You must be so confused by all of this." His dark eyes pleaded with her and he reached his hand towards hers, but then pulled back at the last moment.

"Okay," she said, "I'll do it. But just like you say, this isn't about me choosing between you two; it's just about helping me to figure out what's going on here so that I don't go crazy before we get rescued."

"And we will be rescued, Melanie. You can trust me on that. Do you really think that our father and little brother will let us disappear into the ocean like that?"

It was true. Eventually this crazy dream would end, but in the meantime, she needed to hold on to her sanity and maybe onto her heart as well. This would all seem very different once she was back home in LA going to work as a low-paid flight attendant while they continued to jet off around the world with their supermodel dates and celebrity friends.

"When do we start?" She said. The man gave a broad smile, relieved.

"Tonight," he said. "after we build the campfire then one of us will go to the far side of the island."

"Who goes first?"

"It's your choice."

"Don't make me do that." She said, and reached a hand out to him, but he pulled away.

"You first." She said instantly. Melanie suddenly wanted to punish him for rejecting her like that.

"It's okay." He said. "Strong is pretty keen to be the first to be with you so--"

"I want you first." Melanie said with determination. She wasn't going to make it easy for him. Let's see you pull away from me tonight when we're all alone Mr. Billionaire.

"Okay." He said, his head hanging down, brow furrowed with anxiety. "I'll tell Sebastian--," he corrected himself, "I mean I'll tell Strong."

That evening the two men built a fire together in tense, angry silence. Melanie couldn't wait for Strong to go and leave her with Tall. As much as his hot, angry jealousy and desire for her made her almost quiver with excitement, still she wanted Tall to be alone with her first. One of them was lying, and one way or the other he would be punished tonight. If it were Strong, then he would just have to accept the fact the she had chosen his brother over him and take advantage of being alone in the forest to satisfy his needs in some way or other. If it were Tall, then she would punish him by taking her time alone with him to the absolute limit of his self-restraint.

Melanie was sure she could make him crack or reduce him to tears, but she would never give him her permission. If he really didn't want to touch her, if the sensation of her skin against his was so abhorrent to him, then tonight would be his chance to demonstrate it. If he were fighting his own desire, which she believed he was, then he would need every iota of his resolve to hold himself back.

At last, the fire was built and Strong stalked off into the forest to leave his brother alone with the woman of his obsessions for one whole night. He sounded like a wounded jungle cat as he crashed through the leaves, stomping gradually further away.

Melanie looked down at her own legs and arms and the deep hue of honey brown that long days in the tropical sunshine had given her. It was a humid night and she was wearing just a bikini they had salvaged with a mini sarong across her hip. Her bikini top barely covered her nipples; her long, shining, sun bleached blonde hair spilled down her right shoulder seductively covering her right breast.

Alex continued to work with his back to her, preparing their evening meal of freshly caught fish, tropical island fruits, and cracked coconuts. He was as far away from her as he could be without leaving the circle of light from the fire. He seemed tense.

"Alex." She beckoned softly.

He stopped working but didn't turn around.

"Why are you calling me that?"

"Isn't it your name?"

"Of course it is, but why would you use it now?"

She stared at him across the crackling campfire.

"It's your name, so why wouldn't I use it?"

"So you believe me?"

"I didn't say that."

He turned back to the meal he was preparing but only served to provoke her. He was here to 'explain' himself. But he owed her more than that -- a lot more. Melanie would be damned if she was going to let him turn his back on her.

"Alex." She repeated softly, teasing him unimaginably. "Come over here."

He didn't move.

"Or will I come to you?" She said.

He stood up, awkwardly. "No, you stay there. I'll come to you."

He came over to her slowly in the burgeoning twilight and then sat down about ten paces from her. Melanie watched him, silently, her back gently arching, her breasts slowly rising and falling. Those ten paces would be his downfall. Whatever pity she had for him was gone now. She would make him beg to touch her, he would crawl, sell his soul, and she would still say no. He would have to sacrifice everything he owned and everything he was in order to satisfy his desire.

She would make him crack and then when he finally seized her and took her, as he so easily could, she would still never say yes to him.

How dare you keep that distance between us! You're going to pay, Mr. Billionaire.

"You wanted this, Alex. Now tell me what you have to say. I'm ready for you. All you have to do is say the word."

Alex swallowed hard and it wasn't the only thing that was hard about him at the moment. He was glad he had approached her when he had because a moment later and he wouldn't have been able to stand upright with his erection cramped into his absurdly tight denim shorts.

"Maybe this was a bad idea." He suggested.

"It's perfect." She said. "I've wanted to be alone with you since the moment we arrived on this island." She couldn't believe her own words. Melanie was never this forward in relationships, she was always the one to hang back and wait. She loved to be chased; loved to see the hunger in a man's eyes as he became obsessed with her.

But the one she wanted the most wasn't biting. On the other hand, maybe she wanted his twin. Hell, even she couldn't tell anymore.

"First things first." She said, emboldened by his silence. "I need to see your ass before we do anything else."

He looked at her for a moment, his eyes pleading. Then he conceded. "Of course." He said, with resignation.

She stood up and walked over to him, allowing her hips to sway a little more than usual, sensually enjoying the curvatures of her own body as she approached him. She had bathed herself with the essence of some of the sweeter, subtler fruits of the island. She was transformed by the rising moonlight into a pure island beauty.

She stood over him, the shadow of her hair, her breasts, and long thin legs obscuring him in darkness.

"Turn around." She said. The birthmark was on his left flank, about halfway down. He would have to expose more than half his beautiful, rounded, and rippling butt in order to show her. He turned awkwardly onto his hands and knees, striving to hide his tight erection.

When he was in position, she reached for the top of his shorts, just allowing her hand to glide lightly over his flank. His butt clenched in one involuntary spasm as she touched him. Then she began to tug at his shorts.

"They aren't coming down." She said. "Loosen them at the front."

He didn't move for a moment, as though disbelieving and impatient with her, but eventually he came up to his knees and clumsily undid the buttons at the front of his pants. Melanie stood behind him, craning her head to see over his powerful square shoulders.

It was all he could do prevent his manhood from springing out of his pants as he undid the buttons. When he was done, he lifted his hands to his head and mumbled.

"Go ahead, it's all yours."

She slowly came down to her knees as well. Melanie could hear his rapid and deep breathing. She allowed her own breath to reach his neck and left ear. She could see his body twitch and arch as she came closer.

Okay Mr. Billionaire, she thought, let's see you keep it together now.

She put her hand to the back of his shorts while her other one slid in front to the line of his hip, down along the rip of his sculpted abdominal obliques. His chiseled stomach drew in from her touch but he remained where he was, arms raised above his head as though he were under arrest.

Still resisting. You are going to get so whipped for that.

Maybe it was the moonlight, the solitude, the raw, animal beauty of the man in front of her, or maybe it was just four long weeks without the release of her trusty vibrator. But the normally demure, subtly alluring Melanie was a changed woman. Drunk on the feeling of health and beauty in her own body and alive to the powerful attraction that existed between her and the semi-naked man in front of her, she no longer cared about thinking straight or sorting things out. Sebastian or Alex, she felt an attraction to this man that transcended anything she had ever known.

She took a deep breath in and then as she exhaled the exotic scent of her bathing perfume into his ear and nose, she slowly drew the shorts down revealing, little by little, more and more of his abdomen, hip and exquisite left cheek.

Her hands weren't trembling anymore; she knew exactly what she was doing. Melanie allowed her fingers to press into his taut, brown flesh and felt the tug of his powerful erection against the denim.

"There's still something there, Alex." She whispered so close to his ear that a shiver ran down his entire left side and then that was it. In one sweeping motion he turned and gathered her into his arms, picked her up, and brought her next to the campfire.

She stared into his eyes as he set her down on the sand and then pulled his shorts off to reveal his manhood, every inch she had imagined, and then some.

It quivered in the tropical night air, straining for release and then he fell on her, showering her lips and face, neck, and shoulders with kisses. His tongue explored her like a viper on fire, hungry for her, devouring every inch of her pleasure filled body.

She lay back in the sand as his huge hands and arms manipulated her like a rag doll, taking away her bikini top and laying it next to her in the sand.

Yes, yes, yes! She screamed inside her head. But some old discipline kept her from speaking out. Her fantasy was to be taken as the plaything of a rich and beautiful man with assets to match, who was driven wild with desire at the very sight of her.

She began to open like an eager flower in May, waiting for him.

But then -- nothing. He had stopped moving and remained there on his hands and knees, mere inches above her, panting, gasping for control over his own impulses. She looked down and saw his mane of hair, damp with humidity and the moisture of desire, his wide shoulders across her hips like a bridge, the two perfect round bumps of his ass and the pink tip of his desire still shuddering between them in mid-air, unsatisfied and throbbing for release.

As suddenly as he had taken her down, he turned and stood up, found his shorts, and proceeded to put them back on.

For a moment, Melanie just lay in uncomprehending shock and then her ire began to mount, together with her own desire for release.You will pay for this, rich guy. She thought. When I finally get you inside me, I'm going to break you.

"What's wrong?" She said. "And don't tell me 'it's not you' or you can get over to the other side of the island and stay there until we're rescued."

He struggled to zip up his pants, almost hurting himself in the process and then finally turned to face her. She still had no top on and her long blonde hair cascaded over her right shoulder. She was ethereal, impossibly beautiful, and sensual in the moonlight.

Alex was holding on by a thread, emotionally and in his pants as well. If she touched him it might be too late, he would not be able to hold back. He would take her as he had taken hundreds of women before, fuck her until she shrieked for more and then fuck her again until she was speechless, spent with exhaustion. That's when the trouble would all begin.

"Melanie, this is just crazy." He said. "I've never met a woman as perfect as you before in my entire life. I'm looking at you now and can barely believe I'm seeing a human woman and not an angel here on earth."

"Do you normally drag angels to the ground and then tear their bikini tops off?" She said, messing with him.

"God no," he said, "I mean, I don't mean angel in that way. I just mean..." It was just like when they had first met. She wasn't seeing him as Alex Drummond the billionaire anymore, but just a guy -- a clumsy stupid guy. It excited him even more. He had never been one to lose control easily, in fact, he had always been able to outlast any woman he had slept with. But tonight he had felt again and again as though he could easily come in his pants as he gazed at the fiery vision before him.

"I just mean that you confuse me, Melanie. I've never met anyone quite like you and this whole situation is just making me want to..."

Melanie stood up and took a step closer towards him, stared up at him with the most seductive 'take me' eyes she could muster, her perfect naked breasts made even more flawless in the moonlight.

"Just listen to your instincts, Alex." She whispered. "What are they telling you to do?"

"I can't." He almost howled and then turned to flee into the forest.

Melanie stood for several minutes in the flicker of the campfire. She was alone and more ready to be with a man than she had been in years. She smiled to herself. See you later, Mr. Billionaire.

He would be back. No man she had ever met could feel that level of attraction and hold himself back. He wouldn't be human if he could.

But what the hell was wrong with him? Why would he not just take her the way she obviously wanted to be taken?

Men. She would never figure them out if she had a million years.

Not even a billion.
Chapter Thirteen

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sebastian said.

When Alex arrived back at the camp, his brother was eating. There were still a couple of vacuum-packed lobster tails left. All the pheasant had run out as Sebastian had forced the gamey bird down his throat to keep up with his brother, pretending he cared for the taste in order to maintain his pretense of being Alex.

"Don't want to talk about it." Alex said. "I'm going to bed."

"Don't you want to eat?"

"You know I don't like those things."

"You used to before the crash."

"God, Sebastian, just give it up, will you? You're never going to convince me I've cracked up and stolen your identity. Just give it a rest already, little brother."

"Okay, little brother." Sebastian said. "Whenever you're ready to talk about that I'll be waiting."

Alex ignored him and lay down on his makeshift bed. He took off the armband and threw it behind him towards their little campfire. It wasn't long before he realized how exhausted he was and then sleep wasn't far behind. His emotions had left him seared raw and he longed for the release of unconsciousness.

About an hour later, he woke up again with a grunt into the night sky. His boner was back. He had spent the hour asleep but not in anything like release. It was Melanie's face that haunted his dreams. He had felt her hands on him, felt his body pressed to hers, their limbs intertwining as perfectly as only dream lovers are able to. Somehow he had never been able to release himself in dreams either. A real woman, a flesh-and-blood female, had always been the only thing ever to give him satisfaction.

He looked around him and saw that Sebastian was gone.

Don't tell me...

Surely, his brother wouldn't be that sneaky. He looked around for Sebastian's boots but couldn't see them anywhere.

"That bastard!" He hissed.

Then he remembered Melanie. He jumped to his feet. He had to move quickly before his brother did something crazy. But in the dark and with no boots, his feet would be cut to pieces on the wild forest floor. It didn't matter; he couldn't risk anything happening to her.

By the time he had crossed the island, he could barely walk. At last, he could just make out the flicker of the campfire through the trees. What he heard made his blood boil but he refused to believe it. His little brother couldn't be that stupid and selfish, but the moans of pleasure that wafted through the trees spoke otherwise. As angry as he was and as sore as his lacerated feet were, the haunting sounds of Melanie's pleasure still ignited his own desire like a match to rocket fuel. His pants tightened again as he struggled to hurry through the dark forest with his injured feet.

The moans were becoming more regular, more continuous and as his arousal increased, so did his anger. He hated himself for his own lack of self-control. That bastard had somehow tricked Melanie into fucking him. If Sebastian hurt her in any way, then he could forget about family ties, because some things are more important. In all their years as playboys, ever since the first girls at school had begun to follow them home and fight over them, Alex and Sebastian had never let a female come between them.

But there was a first time for everything.

The moaning was beginning to reach a crescendo as he painstakingly moved forward.

He started to call out but a horrifying thought hit him. What if he hadn't tricked her? What if she really wanted to be with Sebastian? What if she was just playing the two of them? He cast the thought from his mind and hurried on until at last he could see them. The shock made him freeze in his tracks.

Melanie was on her back and Sebastian was directly over her, whispering to her as she moaned and writhed on the sand below him. His hand was... he tried to look away he couldn't fight it; he had to know what was going on. Alex watched in horror as Melanie threw her arms around his brother and clamped her thighs to his forearm, locking his hand between her legs. Another long moan of pleasure filled the night.

"I've just given up billions of dollars in wealth to see you like this." He heard his brother gasp. Melanie clung to him.

"Take me." She said. "Fuck me."

Alex froze in horror. It was true: the unthinkable. He turned and hobbled back into the forest, fighting back hot tears from his eyes, barely able to control his rage.
Chapter Fourteen

When she heard the sound of footsteps crunching through the undergrowth of the forest towards her, Melanie was sure she had gotten her man. She saw the armband and knew that Tall had returned, unable to master his desire.

"Alex, I knew you'd listen." She secretly thrilled; was this to be the moment? After all these weeks on the island and after all those years of never finding real love, maybe tonight was to be the night; a man she adored would take her in the way she longed to be taken.

The man who stepped into the circle of light cast by the fire was utterly changed. He walked over to where she lay on the sand, propped up onto her elbows, still topless in the humid night air, her hair cascading back to the sand behind her.

The man's eyes burned with open desire. He reached to his armband, flung it away into the fire behind him, and then paused, devouring her with his eyes as though the vision of her set him on fire.

Take me.

She ached for him to make his move, but he just watched. There was so much she wanted to say to him, but what she wanted right now was for him to finally lose control without a word from her.

Still he hesitated, his eyes moved slowly from her hair down to her toes and she could feel them like a long, lingering caress.

"Lie down." He growled in a desirous whisper. Everything had changed. There was no hint of him wanting to hold back and she could feel electricity crackle in the air between them. She quaked with desire as she waited for his lust to boil over into action. Her nipples hardened, exposed to his commanding possessive gaze. Soon they would belong to him completely, along with the rest of her. She would belong to him and he would belong to her, the slave of his own desire.

Just for tonight.

Take me now for Christ's sake! She longed to scream at him. Did he want her to explode with desire? Was he waiting for her to do something? She began to writhe, at first almost imperceptibly, arching her back, her pert round buttocks pushing down into the sand, her whole body pleading to be taken. She was so wet for him already that he would slide smoothly, easily into her as soon as he dared to make his move.

He put one large, hot palm to her right thigh and she arched deeply in pleasure, the thrill of his touch shooting into her loins, the wetness between her legs flowing freely. Slowly he caressed upwards, along the length of her thigh, sliding underneath the scarf across her hip and then underneath the strap of her tiny bikini bottom. She felt the taut stretch of fabric as his hand burrowed deeper between her legs. A moan of pleasure escaped her and sensations of unutterable pleasure began to fire between her legs, up and down her thighs, and into her abdomen.

Her eyes found his again and the heat between their gaze was as hot as the tropical island sun. He watched her and she seared with pleasure to feel his burning eyes on her, watching every tiny move, enjoying every tiny moan that his fingers drew from her lips.

"Say it." He whispered.

Say what? What was he talking about?

He came closer, his right hand still deftly controlling the rise and fall of her ecstasy.

"Say it." He hissed into her ear and then allowed the tip of his tongue to find her slender neck, her delicate ear lobe.

What does he want me to say?

She would refuse to give him permission. That was her condition. If he wanted her, he had to be man enough to take her. Christ, wasn't he already doing that now?

"Do you know what this means?" He whispered. She was breathless now, moaning continuously. "One finger on you... " She writhed. "One touch... " Her back arched uncontrollably. "...and I'm gone forever." She threw her arms around him and clamped her thighs to his strong forearm, locking his hand between her legs, his fingers to the wet and swollen nub of her desire. Her moan of pleasure filled the nighttime of the island forest. Surely, Sebastian must be able to hear them and know what had finally taken place.

"I've just given up billions of dollars in wealth to see you like this." The powerful thrusts of pleasure coursing through her center were like nothing she had ever experienced before. No man had even come close. She clung to him, his giant rock-hard body absorbing every ounce of strength she had. At last, she collapsed back onto the sand and looked at him with eyes of uncontrollable desire.

"Take me." She said, barely able to breathe.

He smiled.

"Fuck me!" She begged, pleaded, commanded.

Now he moved more surely even than before, removing her sarong, sliding away her bikini and carefully folding and placing them beside her.

A memory suddenly came back to her... who had done that before? Another beautiful man in her past had done just the same thing, but there had never been anyone like Alex, Sebastian, or whoever he was. No one had ever been so powerful and yet so considerate and gentle at the same time, like a firestorm that stopped to carefully warm her toes before continuing on to destroy trees, houses, boats, and anything in its path.

Now he was over her, just as he had been before, his long tangled hair pouring over his broad, rippling shoulders and the pink head of his male desire poised between them, looking even larger, if possible, than it had before. God, she was ready. It didn't matter if she gave him permission or not, what difference could it make? She wanted him inside her now and forever, taking his pleasure from her, his prize possession; the jewel in his billionaire's crown.

His wild hair caressed her shoulders and breasts. His strong thighs forced hers willingly open, and he came closer.

She looked over her shoulder and saw her neatly folded sarong and bikini bottom. Something struggled to reach her consciousness, but how could it when she drowned in pleasure. Before Melanie knew what she was doing, she had reached her arms around him and pulled herself up to his chest, her own hard nipples pressing into the straining sinews of his flesh.

"Melanie." He whispered passionately into her ear.

His shorts were still half covering the perfection of his ass. God, there were more muscles on his butt than most men had in their entire bodies! She reached down with her right hand and pushed them down.

Oh my God! It was missing.

"No!"

Now she remembered everything.

"Yes." He growled.

"Get away from me!" She hissed at him.

"Melanie, what is it?"

She bunched her fist and slammed it into his left temple. He rolled to the sand dazed. Melanie jumped to her feet, cast around for a weapon and then picked up a log from a pile of firewood behind her.

"God, Melanie. Please. What is it? What have I done?"

"Just get out of here, Sebastian."

"Melanie, no. I thought you felt the same way as me?"

She raised the log over her head.

"Okay, okay, I'm going. Please just don't tell Alex. Please, you have to promise me!"

Melanie hesitated. They were alone on the island. Just the three of them. The last thing she wanted was for Alex to lose his head and do something crazy.

"Just go." She said. "I won't tell him."

He went to his knees in front of her. "Thank you Melanie--"

"Wait." She interrupted him. "I won't tell him yet. But if you keep up this charade, then I will." He stared at her. "If you come near me again, I'll tell him everything." He was wracked with pain and despair.

"What have I done?" He whispered.

"Just go. Go now, before I start screaming for help."

He fled into the darkness of the forest.
Chapter Fifteen

Sebastian painstakingly made his way back to the makeshift site he and his brother had agreed to share. His brother was waiting for him when he arrived.

"Was she worth it?" Alex asked.

Sebastian was shocked into silence. His brother stared at him.

"Don't bother trying to deny it. I was there. I saw it."

"What did you see?" Sebastian shook with fear.

"Enough."

Oh really? He thought, maybe he hadn't been completely exposed. Maybe Alex was upset by what he thought he saw, but not what had actually happened.

"Is that what you're reduced to now? Watching other people fuck? Hiding in the bushes like a peeping tom?"

"I didn't go there to peep. I went there to stop you from taking advantage of Melanie."

"Is that what you call it? Well I hope you enjoyed your little peep show, big brother. Did you get off on what you saw?"

"Of course not. Like I said, I went there because I thought you were going to keep up this crazy charade of pretending to be me. When I got there, it was too late to do anything. You and Melanie were..." He broke off in disgust, trying to master his emotions. "Look, if she wants you, then she can have you. I'm not like you; I won't do anything just to sleep with her."

Sebastian waited before he replied.

"You've got it all backwards, big brother. It's you she wants."

"Enough with the mind games already. I'm done."

"I'm telling the truth. Why do you think I was pretending to be you? Didn't you see how she looked at you from the very beginning? I'm just the creepy twin brother, the one she was hoping wouldn't be on the flight. I may not be as clever as you, or as strong as you, but I'm no fool and I do know women. Maybe it's the only thing I do better than you. I knew I didn't have a hope with her from the moment I laid eyes on her. I can always tell the difference between the ones that will drop everything for the Drummond family fortune, including their panties. Hell, that's the first thing to drop first with most of 'em. But then you have these crazy, cute, smart girls like Melanie. I can spot them a mile off. They drive me wild. They take a whole lot more work."

"But she's a Drummond employee, for God's sake. Is she worth a billion dollars?"

Sebastian stared at his older brother. He knew what his temper was like when it came to Melanie. He was counting on it.

"Well?" Alex repeated.

"Goddamn right she is." He said in a low, determined voice.

Alex shook his head and sat down on the sand. He was on fire and his emotions were everywhere. He had never heard his brother talk like this about anyone. The fortune; being rich was all he had ever seemed to care about. That and banging as many babes as humanly possible in every spare moment he could find. Was he just trying to torture him?

"Just for that one time?" He whispered.

Sebastian nodded.

"Are you kidding me? It's the difference between doing it with a blow up doll and having a real live woman. No other girl has ever made me feel that way, emotionally or physically. My whole body was on fire. I just wanted to make love to her forever and hear her scream my name over and over and over again."

"Shut up, shut up, just shut up!" Alex was on his feet and shouting. Sebastian backed away.

"Jesus Alex, simmer down. What is she to you anyway?"

"Goddamn it, you know what she is to me. She's The One."

"The one? What one exactly are you talking about? You mean the next one?"

Alex advanced towards his brother.

"There's no Melanie around now to save your short, skinny little ass this time, kid brother."

Sebastian stood his ground.

"You think I won't fight for her? Just because you think you can kick my ass every time you feel like it? Trust me, if you'd had what I've just had then you'd fight, no matter what the odds. I'm not giving her up. Ever. Not this time, not any time."

Alex came closer.

"But you said it yourself; it's me she wants, not you."

"You think I can't convince her to take me? After all, what's the difference really? A birthmark on an ass cheek? That can be easily arranged. Did you hear her beg me to fuck her back there? She may be upset now but trust me, no woman can experience that kind of desire and then not come back for more. She may think it's you she wants but it's never going to get any better than what she just had."

Alex lunged at his brother and the two began to wrestle in the sand. It was perfect. Alex pounded his brother in the jaw and brought him down. They had often wrestled and sparred, and both were accomplished martial artists, but this was a blow that meant business. The gloves were well, truly and literally off.

Sebastian recovered quickly and sent his knee into his brother's rib cage, but Alex blocked the blow and pounded his brother in the solar plexus instead, doubling him over. Then he pounded his back as he went down. Within seconds, he had Sebastian face down in the sand, straddling him, his right arm twisted painfully behind his back.

"I can always kick your ass little brother. Anytime, anywhere. I've always held back on you, but not this time. This is one whipping you are never going to forget!" He raised his powerful right fist high in the air, ready to strike a punishing blow to his brother's head.

"Melanie is going to love this," Sebastian spat out through a mouthful of sand. Alex raised his fist higher up again, "because she just loves violence. When she sees what you did to me, I'm sure she'll come running straight into your arms, and then you can give up your share of the Drummond fortune as well. The old man can leave it all to Joshua or give it to one of his precious charities."

Alex grimaced. He clenched his fist and watched as his brother winced in the dirt. Then he slammed his fist down as hard as he could into the soft sand next to his brother's nose. Sebastian hissed a sigh of relief as Alex released him and then collapsed to the ground beside. Sebastian rolled over and massaged his twisted arm and wrist. Blood was oozing from the blow to his head. He smiled. It would be enough.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He said. "You never gave a damn about your girlfriends before. For Christ's sake, Melanie isn't even one of them. She just flirted with you a bit before your flight. How come you're going so totally ape shit about her now?"

"Me? Ape shit? You're the one who just threw away a fortune for one quick roll in the sand."

The two lay in silence for a moment, looking up into the panorama of stars in the clear tropical sky.

"I've got to have her." Sebastian said.

"Me too." His brother answered.

"What are we going to do then?"

Alex sat up. "I think I have an idea."

"Great. What are we going to do? Share her?"

"I don't know, maybe I'll just pretend to be you, pretending to be me, huh? Like that's a great idea."

Sebastian shook his head. He had ideas all his own but he sure as hell wasn't going to share them with Alex.

"So what's the idea? Shoot -- I'm all ears."

"You say you love Melanie--"

"And I mean it, goddamn it. How hard is that for you to understand?"

"Okay, I get it little bro, I believe you. So if you love her, then you would want her to share a happy life with someone she loves."

"A happy life with me."

"But what if it's me she really loves, the way you say it is?"

"I don't care. I can make her happy. Just as happy as you ever could, I know I can."

"I'm sure you could little bro, I don't doubt it."

"Stop being so damn patronizing and get to the big idea will you? So I can tell you where to shove it."

Alex sighed. His little brother; seven minutes younger than him but it might as well have been seven years, or even seventeen.

"Okay, so we give her the choice--"

"And she takes me."

"Whatever. Yes, she takes you."

"I knew it." He grinned.

"Good for you. You got her, now listen to this. I'll make sure that you guys are taken care of and when the old man finally, you know, gives up control of the corporation, I'll make sure that you are back in again, equal partner to the Drummond Corporation."

Sebastian looked at his brother, mystified. He waited for the rest of his great idea.

"I don't get it." He said. "What's in it for you?"

"I get to see Melanie be happy and I don't lose my crazy little brother."

Sebastian waited a moment and then exploded into laughter.

"Oh shit, Alex, my totally crazy big brother. Just stop right there. You're telling me that you will give her to me--"

"If she wants you."

"--which you already know she does, and you won't even freeze me out of Drummond because you love her so... so goddamn perfectly?"

"That's it."

"No, it isn't. Not at all. You know if the old man figures it out then you'll be cut out too, right?"

"You know how good I am with financials. He'll never know."

Sebastian mulled it over a moment. Maybe things could work out after all. He could have Melanie, he had already taken her first anyway, and he could keep all his Drummond Corporation perks and be back at the helm once his father relinquished control. It sounded too good to be true. However, he trusted is big brother. If any man in the world was true to his word, it was Alex Drummond, Junior; he could absolutely be counted upon.

"You know you could never see her again. Never speak to her again, not until the old man was out of the way anyway. Right?"

Alex looked pained. He took a deep breath and then sighed.

"I know." He said.

"And you would do that for me?"

"I'd do it for her. And for you, too. Even though I hate you right now and will make you pay for what you did one day."

Sebastian laughed again. Maybe his brother had really gone crazy.

"Okay, big brother," he said, "for the record, I think this is crazy. She's going to pick me anyway -- I can guarantee that. Even if she thinks she wants you now, you know the one and only thing I've always been able to beat you at is this."

"I know."

"So we'll tell her. Let her think about it. But for the record--"

"I know. It's crazy. But this is the only way we get to... " He struggled for words, "to share her--"

"I'm telling you right now that I'm not going to share her. It's you or I and she will just have to decide."

Alex sighed. His little brother was right. They had never shared anything in their lives but for most things, the solution was to just buy another one exactly the same so both brothers could enjoy equally. But no amount of money could buy another perfect girl like Melanie. Money doesn't buy soul mates and he knew that better than anyone after the hundreds of thousands of dollars he had wasted on high-end dating services.

"Let's go back and speak to her right now."

Sebastian nodded his assent and the two brothers rose and started back into the forest.

"And you can give me back my damn shoes now." Alex muttered.
Chapter Sixteen

After Sebastian had fled from her, Melanie covered herself up and then lay down by the campfire in total confusion.

It was clear now that it was Alex she had feelings for. It was also clear that Sebastian was a snake in the grass, albeit one who knew how to set her alight with desire. Alex, meanwhile, was holding back, maybe out of fear of losing his inheritance. But Sebastian, as sneaky as he had been, didn't seem to care. Maybe he had a plan never to be discovered. Either way, he was willing to risk everything for her.

God, if only they could have been just one man.

The sound of footsteps in the forest made her sit up, fully alert, straining to see which of the brothers had returned. She longed to tell Alex of her true feelings for him, but what if was Sebastian? Did she want more? God no. No. Please, not with him. Could she be able to resist if he came on to her? If he pleaded his love? What if Alex failed to reciprocate her feelings?

She lost her breath when she saw both brothers appear together in the moonlight.

One of them had a serious bruise over his left eye, near the temple. Hopefully, it was Sebastian.

They had been fighting again over her. She hated violence but couldn't help taking guilty pleasure in the fact that these two prime males were willing to struggle for her. Her heart was beating fast again.

It was less than one hour since one of these men had brought her to the brink of ecstasy before she had banished him into the forest. Now she was even hungrier for love, intimacy, closeness, and bone-shaking, toe-curling, knee-knocking sex than ever before.

Hold on Melanie, hold on. She struggled to compose herself.

"What's going on?" She said breathlessly.

"Don't be alarmed, sweetheart." The one without the cut said.

"I'm not anybody's sweetheart." She replied. Not yet, at least. She wanted truth first. Then they could think about sweethearts and romantic moonlit walks.

"Of course not. Melanie, we're here because--"

Alex interrupted.

"First things first, Melanie. You need to have an idea who's who."

She nodded her head. She was fed up with wondering about that.

"Turn around." She said.

"You mean show our asses to you?" Sebastian said in exasperation. "What good would that do?"

"It'll show me which of you two rocked my world on the sand here an hour ago."

One brother smiled and the other flinched.

Melanie regretted her words instantly. She wanted more alright, but Sebastian didn't need to get the crazy idea that she had or ever would forgive him for his lies. Even if they were all designed to get him closer to her. Even if he was willing to lose a billion dollars to be with her.

The smiling one turned around, placed his hands on top of his head, and waited.

"Be my guest." He said.

The other did the same, but in stony silence.

Melanie had a good idea who was who already.

The shadows of the forest and the campfire flames played tricks with the sculpted bodies of the brothers. They looked like Greek gods posing on Mount Olympus, waiting for the Aphrodite to approach them. Melanie's legs shook as she came to her feet.

This was what she had been waiting for: the truth.

At last she would speak to these men together, knowing fully who and what each of them were.

Her delicate feet padded along the soft, warm sand and in just a few strides, she was behind the statuesque men. Melanie first came to the one without the cut and stood behind him. He was a ball of masculine tension, rippling with male energy. The blanket that covered her fell to the sand as she reached her arms around to his abdomen. Her bare breasts came close to his back, brushing against him lightly. His hard muscles against her nudity instantly brought her nipples to attention. Nothing about this man suggested he had unleashed his desire onto her not one hour earlier. This had to be Alex. He was still a volcano of repressed hunger. Her hands slid down his abdomen and found the top of his jeans.

She wanted him more than ever. He had resisted her and then run away when he began to lose control. Would he do the same again? If the idiot hadn't been such a damn gentleman, then it would have been him she had given herself to, and not his crazy, hot as hell brother.

She wouldn't let him off so easy this time and she didn't care that his brother was beside him. Maybe it would make a man of him. Maybe he wouldn't dare run from her like a coward again if his twin brother was standing next to him.

Her fingers slowly undid the top button of his shorts and then drew the zipper down. She could feel his erection already straining.

She ran her hands around to the back of his shorts making sure to just lightly brush the base of his cock, reassuring herself that he was hard, before sliding the shorts and cotton underwear about halfway down.

His perfect ass sent a shudder of pleasure through her. The crescent-shaped mark made his butt even more perfect in the moonlight, if that were possible.

She jerked the shorts back up again, causing him to release a short groan as his balls were squeezed.

"Happy?" He growled.

"Not yet." She whispered.

"I guess you don't need to check the other one now." He added.

"I don't think that would be fair." She said.

"Yeah, let Melanie do what she needs to do." Sebastian grinned. "Why should you have all the fun?"

Alex growled his discontent while Melanie lined up behind his kid brother. Everything was the same about him, but different as well. His long hair hung a little wilder, his muscles were equally well-developed. Every raw sinew on his powerful back rippled in the moonlight, but there was no tension. He was relaxed. When she came in close to him, his powerful body responded not with walls of resistance and barely controlled hunger, but with unbridled desire.

Against her will, she was thrilled to the core. Melanie could never have believed that two men so similar in looks could excite her in equally powerful, yet so radically different ways. It was a dream and a nightmare at the same time.

She pressed her hard nipples to his back and ran her hands down his perfectly developed obliques to the top of his jeans. She could feel every muscle in his chiseled abdomen writhe as her hands went lower; his buttocks clenched against her thighs as she undid his button and slid the zipper halfway down.

Suddenly he dropped his hands from his head and covered hers with his own, pressing them softly against him.

"Hey, that's against the rules!" His brother protested.

"What rules?" Sebastian said. "I don't remember getting any rulebook."

"Come on Melanie, let's just get this over with so we can talk." Alex said.

Typical Alex, she thought, innocent and serious as an angel. The only words I want to hear from your mouth are screams for more sex.

She allowed Sebastian to push her hands a little lower, confirming what she already knew. His hard-on was already in place and either slightly more developed than his brother's or maybe he was just bigger down there. Maybe Sebastian was really the 'bigger' brother after all.

She pulled her hands back and Sebastian playfully caught them for a moment and then released, much to the frustration of Alex, who stood there simmering.

At last, she pushed his jeans down over his backside and saw that clean, beautiful, perfectly defined ass for the second time that night.

She was definitely wet now. Her breathing quickened and she stepped away from the two men, leaving the gorgeous ass partially exposed.

"Are you going to leave me hanging like this?" He asked.

"Come on Sebastian, just pull your pants up already!" Alex blustered.

Sebastian grinned over his shoulder as he slowly pulled his shorts up again.

"Are we done with this little game?" Alex prodded. His obvious jealousy and irritation was setting Melanie on fire in every place that counted. She sat down on the sand and leaned her arms back behind her.

"We're done." She said. "Why don't you guys sit down. You might be more comfortable that way, and then tell me what this is all about."

The brawny men obeyed, the muscles on their muscles flexing everywhere, even with such a simple action as coming to the ground.

"Okay Melanie, I'll start." Alex said angrily.

If I don't get you this time Mr. Angry Pants, I'll eat my Drummond Airlines flight crew hat. She thought. Sebastian just shrugged. He exuded the relaxation and confidence of the cat that had already got the cream. Whatever remained, he was willing share.

"Just in case it isn't perfectly crystal clear, I'm Alex. Okay? The older brother. I'm the one you bumped into on the way to the Drummond Airlines Executive Lounge."

The memory was still vivid to Melanie. She had confused him for Sebastian and she hadn't been very nice to him. Despite that, she had felt a difference and he had charmed the pants off her, notwithstanding the bad first impression his brother had made.

"From the moment I met you... " He looked down at the sand, suddenly shy and sincere. Melanie's heart began to melt as she watched this huge man bare his heart and soul, not only to her, but also in front of his twin brother.

"From the moment I met you, I knew you were the one." He looked up at her with frightened eyes. Melanie looked back at him from the depths of longing that had filled her since her first disappointment in love in high school. She didn't breathe a word.

"Being fabulously wealthy has its advantages, but helping you find love isn't one of them. I've been searching my whole life for someone like you and when I finally find her, it turns out I can't touch her...I can't touch you because--"

"Because I work for Drummond Airlines? Is that it? If that's the only problem I can just quit, right here and now."

"It's more than that, Melanie. It's our father, Alex Senior. It doesn't matter if you quit or not. You were once an employee so he will be against it and then we would both be excluded from the Drummond Corporation, the family, and of course, any inheritance. Neither of us would ever work in the airline industry again or in any area where my father has power -- and he is a very powerful man. I couldn't condemn you to that. God knows I wanted to be with you from the start, but then the last few weeks on this island have been driving me insane. Seeing you every day, growing more beautiful every hour, learning more about you, hearing every tone and nuance of your voice, coming close to you and drawing in your breath like my own... it's just unbearable and I don't know what to do anymore."

He looked down at the sand again. Melanie's mouth was open in shock. He had finally come clean, almost.

"What are you saying, Alex? What's unbearable?"

He mumbled something into the sand and Melanie came up onto her knees.

"Say it louder Alex. I can't hear you."

"It's love." He whispered. "I love you." He lifted his eyes to meet hers and they were filled with courage now. "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Their gaze met and Melanie was lost. Here was the love she had waited for her whole life, and it was huge, hot, rippling with desire, and struggling to hold itself back from taking her right there and then on the sand.

A slow clapping noise made her glance away from her lover.

"Well done, big brother." Sebastian was grinning as he gave his slow applause. "Are you done?"

Alex nodded and then looked back down to the sand.

"Okay," Sebastian said, "I've got to admit he's good. He's my big brother for God's sake and I love him -- I always will. But it wouldn't be fair to any of us if I didn't speak my mind."

"Will you be speaking as Sebastian now or are you still pretending to be me?" Alex said in a low voice.

Sebastian felt his face go hot but his embarrassment was covered by the shadows. If Alex wanted to play dirty, then he could do that too. It was always the only way he could ever beat his brother at anything.

"I'm Sebastian." He said.

Alex snorted contemptuously and Melanie breathed a sigh of relief. Some truth at last. She had to admit he was beautiful, even for a liar. "I was born just seven minutes after Alex but it might as well have been seven years. Alex has always been ten steps ahead of me in everything."

"That's not true Sebastian, and you know it."

"I let you speak, didn't I?"

"I wasn't lying."

"Let him go, Alex. You had your turn. If you have any problem with what he says you can address it later."

The men nodded and Sebastian continued. Melanie waited to hear what he would have to say about his crude comments at the check-in desk, impersonating his brother on the airplane, about lying to her while she had amnesia, fooling her into getting naked for him, and then nearly fooling her into sex on the sand an hour ago.

"There's one big, big, big difference between me and my brother." Melanie waited to hear, her mouth half opened, staring at the little brother who was so obviously hot with unrestrained desire for her.

"I don't care about the money." He said. "I never thought twice." He was rocking her world again; her head was beginning to spin. "When I saw you, I walked right up to you and told you what I thought. I made sure you would be on our jet so I could have you to myself for nine long hours on the flight and then ten days together on Tahiti. If I couldn't make you love me in that amount of time, then it was never meant to be. But I knew it was."

Melanie held her hand up to stop him.

"Why did you pretend to be him? We almost made love on the plane. Why did you trick me?"

He stared at her for a long moment. Tension filled the air.

"Yes Sebastian, why the charade?" His brother added. Sebastian gave him a slow angry stare.

"I didn't trick her."

"Bullshit!" His brother spat.

"Alex! Let him have his say."

The older brother ground his teeth.

"Thank you, Melanie." Sebastian said. "I never told you I was Alex. You assumed. You thought because I was being nice to you that I must be him. You called me Alex but I never, ever said I was him."

Melanie had searched frantically in her mind. She it did again as she sat alone on the sand that stark and empty morning.

My God, it's true! Her jaw had gaped and Sebastian smugly nodded his head.

"What was I supposed to do? I see my dream girl, my... my soul-mate, and in ten minutes my older brother who has beaten me at everything in my life from skateboarding to earning billions has stolen her away from me, just because I'm not as smooth as him." He looked pained, a lifetime of resentment and failure to live up to expectations etched on his face. "I couldn't let you go. When you kissed me on that plane, it was the real me, no matter who you thought you were with."

The three sat in silence, a tropical evening breeze swaying the trees in the forest.

"But like I say, there's one thing that sets me and my big brother apart." Melanie was transfixed. How could he make her go back and forth like this? He had fooled her, cheated her, lied to her, and now all she wanted to do was draw him to her, hold him, and believe in him.

"Do you remember what I said to you on the plane? I told you that I would resign from the Drummond Corporation. It was before we even kissed. Isn't that right?" He was telling the truth. Again. He was sexy when he was a lying snake, but coming clean here in front of her about his love and desire set Melanie in danger of losing control of herself.

"While big brother Alex is tearing himself in half wondering if he loves you enough to give up all that money, I never gave it a second thought. Hell, I could live right here with you on this island for the rest of my life and be happy every single day the sun rises."

Melanie longed to take him. She longed for both of them.

She would have to make a decision -- one that would rend her heart in two.

"Can I speak now?" Alex inquired.

Melanie nodded. "Then I get to speak again too, right?" Sebastian quickly added.

"Of course, of course, whatever. But look, Sebastian, Alex, I'm feeling very confused right now and I don't even know what it is you want from me. Why are you both here? Can you explain that to me?"

"It couldn't be simpler Melanie. I love you. That's why I'm back."

"So do I!" Sebastian said. Alex sent him a dark look.

"It's my turn." He said. Sebastian nodded. "My little brother is twisting my words. I don't care about the money at all. Not on my own account, anyway. I'm perfectly capable of living without it, but why should you suffer? Why should you lose your job and be poor? That doesn't make any sense at all, but that's exactly what Sebastian is willing to do to you. He's always just thinking of himself. He thinks he can live like a normal Joe after spending his whole life as a billionaire and that you'll be happy to struggle along with him, but I'm not like that. I'm rather you are happy even if... " he struggled with the words, "even if it means losing you." He turned his dark gaze to the sand.

"But I have an idea." He almost whispered.

"Last interruption." Sebastian interjected. "Just for the record, I want it to be known that this is entirely and completely his idea and that I don't agree with it, I'm not on board with it, and I don't even think he should suggest it to you." He zipped his fingers across his lips and then sat back to see how his brother could possibly come out with his ridiculous suggestion.

Alex turned all of his focus to Melanie and held her gaze for several long, intense moments. She felt inexplicably nervous. She couldn't imagine what on earth his idea was or how it could help to ease her confusion. She was scared but still longing to hear what he had to say and praying for some way out of her emotional confusion.

"I love you, Melanie." He said. "I'm sure of that. And I want you all to myself and forever." Her heart was melting inside of her. "I hope you feel the same way, too."

She longed to respond but couldn't move. What about her feelings for his brother? Could she deny those right here in front of him? Alex waited a little longer for a response from her, found none and then continued.

"But I want you to be happy, too. I need you to be happy or there's no point in any of this. So, here's my idea: our father will disinherit whichever one of us takes you. You will lose your job and any future prospect in the Drummond Corporation or the airline industry in the United States. However, the brother who loses you will keep his position and inherit his full share of the Drummond fortune. Do you understand?"

She nodded. "I understand that." She said. "But how does that solve anything?"

He was shaking with nerves. She couldn't imagine what it was that would make this extraordinarily confident man so twitchy.

"What if the man who was yours was also the man who inherited the Drummond fortune?"

She shook her head, bewildered.

"Oh come on," Sebastian interrupted, "just get to the point, will you?"

Alex opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"This genius," Sebastian continued, "this relationship Einstein right here wants to share you. Understand?"

"That's not what I mean and you know it." Alex bit back.

Melanie shook her head, she was baffled, mystified.

"Just hold on a minute." She said.

"Right. That's what I thought." Sebastian said. "Look at her! She's not confused because she doesn't understand; she's confused because she gets it and it's totally crazy."

"It's not as crazy as you think, Melanie. I swear it."

"Then why can't you just come out with it? What he means is--"

"Shut up, I'll tell her myself. Melanie, let's say you chose him, for whatever crazy reason. I still don't want you to be poor. I'll see to it that both of you are taken care of, no matter what. It means that we could never speak to each other again, never even be seen in each other's presence."

Her mind was reeling. This was a crazy idea doomed to failure. It had to be Alex's because he was the selfless one, the one willing to sacrifice. Sebastian was far too egotistical. If she chose Alex, Sebastian would be sure to betray them and they would be disinherited anyway. Then she would never see Sebastian again and she didn't want that either. No man had ever touched her like he had before.

"Never." She heard herself say. "It's crazy." She looked up into Alex's pleading eyes. "I know you mean the best, but you can't make me do that."

Sebastian's jaw nearly hit the sand. He stared at his brother, who shared his shocked expression. It was the last thing either of them had expected. This girl was throwing away a lifetime of guaranteed luxury and wealth.

"Do you know how crazy that is?" Sebastian was blindsided. "Do you know what you're giving up?"

"Melanie, you'd never have to worry about anything ever again. No more struggling to make ends meet, no more flying back and forth from LA to Columbus on the redeye, no more worrying about whether or not the airline is going to make a profit or lay people off. You can do whatever you want: study, travel, do charity work or just kick back and enjoy life. Are you seriously turning all of that down?"

The two rich men, raised on luxury could not fathom the woman before them.

"It's not the money." She said, still gazing at Alex.

"Hey, I'm here too!" Sebastian said. "If it's not the money then what the hell is it, Melanie? Aren't we good enough for you?"

"It's not that either." She had said, feeling wracked with guilt and suddenly naked and exposed before the two most gorgeous men she had ever met.

"Then tell us." Alex pleaded. "Please, Melanie. What is it? If there's a problem, we'll make it go away. We're Drummonds for God's sake; we'll make this happen. We'll make you happy one way or the other. Just tell us what to do!"

God, he was so arrogant. Both of them were, even when they were being sweet. She was turned on and ashamed all at the same time.

"I can't decide." She said in a low voice, her eyes now diverted from Alex and looking to the sand. "I just can't. I feel so strongly for the two of you. How could I ever choose?"

Sebastian jumped to his feet.

"God damn it Melanie, I won't share you!" He shouted. Not with him, not with anyone. I won't do it. You have to make up your goddamn mind!"

"I'll do anything to make you happy, Melanie." Alex said softly. "Even that. If he won't agree to it, then he can keep my share of the fortune, as long as it's me you want. If you choose him, I swear I'll make sure he gets his share anyway. I don't care anymore. I've made up my mind. Now you have to make up yours." His wild, desperate eyes pleaded with hers.

"Take him if you want, Melanie. But you're a fool if you do. I know him way better than you do. If we're together then it will be just you and me -- no money -- not from him or anybody else. That's the real choice you have to make. If you really don't care about the money and if it's me you want, just like you did earlier, then this is an easy choice to make."

Melanie was stunned. The depth of his feeling, his emotion, his passionate desire was something she had never known in a man. He waited a moment and when she said nothing he turned his back to them and melted into the shadows of the forest. Melanie rose to stop him.

"Don't." Alex said, gently taking her arm. "Let him go. He needs to be alone. He's confused. He says he doesn't trust me, but that's not true. Melanie, I swear to you and a thousand people will line up to support it, I'm a man of my word. Choose him and your life will be wonderful. Choose me and -- I won't lie to you, there may be problems, but I will hold him to his word. He's my brother. He won't betray us." Melanie turned her head and looked up to the kind, gentle and smoking hot ,sexy man next to her. His hand was warm on her forearm; his breath caressed her naked shoulders.

"Melanie. Please choose me. Stay with me." The plea was gentle but desperate. He removed his hand from her arm and she turned away from him. Her mind was too full of questions. She needed to be alone too.

Then she felt his strong protective hands on her shoulders and a soft kiss against her flowing hair. She turned to him and gazed up into the dark, intense pools of shadow around his eyes.

"I need you." He whispered.

She could resist no longer. Reaching up to wrap her arms around his strong neck, she pressed her sweet red lips to his. He allowed his mouth to open and their tongues met, exploring, longing for each other. She felt his hands come to her waist and then lift her into his powerful arms. She melted into them, the fire of her passion beginning to rise. His presence, so close was overpowering to her senses.

"I don't care what happens tonight." She whispered as he laid her down gently in the sand and brushed her long hair aside, revealing the pale silver of her flesh in the moonlight. She lay on the sand waiting, the heat of his desire burning down upon her.

"I want you." She said. His lips found hers again and then her neck, her breasts, her abdomen. Everything was so different to the hunger of his brother. Alex was surer, more restrained, more thoughtful. Yet behind the thoughtfulness was the certainty of a desire even more intense than that of the passionate and highly sexual Sebastian. In moments, she was naked, her body writhing in the sand and crying out to be loved, taken, and possessed. His lips and tongue lovingly explored every contour and line of her naked body, finding their way inevitably lower to the pouting crevice of her desire.

His mouth pressed to the mound of her pubic bone, his square jaw pressed against her well-trimmed bush. His strong warm hands pressed hers into the sand.

"Yes." she moaned, as his tongue went deeper into her wet valley, his lips now pressed against her in hot desire. The percussive shudders of screaming orgasm began to pass through her body. She opened her eyes and saw the thick mane of his hair between her thighs, felt him lave her, struggled against the pressure of his hands pushing her thighs apart.

A moan of absolute hunger, ecstasy and desire escaped her lips as she realized what was happening. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined even one of these men, let alone two of them desiring to make passionate love to her on the same night on a tropical island in the South Pacific. Two men swearing their love before her, raw in their naked lust and need for her.

She had chosen between boyfriends before, but never anything like this.

Alex's tongue pressed into her with more urgency, competing with his absent brother for her body. He began to work her clit forcing her willfully to orgasm, determined to drive any thought of his brother from her mind. But as the first surges of pleasure broke over her the memory of Sebastian's voracious lips against hers returned with vivid intensity. She struggled to reach out to Alex, to grip his tanned flesh but he held her down, as though he needed to restrain her to protect her from the explosions of her desire. His head came higher now to her breasts and greedily devoured them, allowing her searing mound a moment of recovery, a moment to regain its hunger for his merciless tongue. He lifted himself up to gaze into her eyes, breathless in his hot desire. His washboard abs hovered above her and she drank in the vista, exulting in closeness of the narrow space between them.

She raised her head to bite at his flesh, hungry to taste more of his beautiful body, but he was gone again, back to her aching mound, laving and cajoling with his tongue until the first true orgasm exploded through her. She gushed as Alex continued to draw ever more ecstasy from her aching body.

She was still shuddering, almost in pain as the she felt the powerful man turn her over. She was like a toy in his hands. He reached up to find her breasts, massaging, caressing, and then she felt him, finally, softly but powerfully invade her with his granite hard manhood. He was huge. His strong abdomen squeezed against her soft ass while his cock filled her hungry channel. His slow, controlled thrusts lifted her rhythmically from the sand and then he began to quicken his space, thrusting into her inexorably from behind. He was gentle at first but his urgency began to take over. She realized with trepidation, that the next series of orgasms would obliterate the memory of the last one. Thrills and waves of pleasure shot out through her inner thighs and down to her ankles, upwards from her mound to her stomach and breasts. In unison with his thrusting and undulating, he worked her throbbing clit with his right hand. Instinctively she reached down to find his struggling balls and squeeze him, goading him on. He had been resisting her for weeks, drawing away, escaping her desire for him but now she was in control, and there would be no going back for her captive lover. She squeezed hard on his cock with her aching channel and gripped the root of his sexuality with her right hand, stimulating him into uncontrolled thrusts of animal desire that drove ever deeper into her.

He didn't want this, she could feel it, he wanted control, but she wasn't going to give it to him. The tables had turned and now he was the slave of his own desire. His obvious internal conflict made her want to drive him even crazier with lust beyond his control. She looked around and saw that he had thrown his head back and closed his eyes, resisting her tight control of his body. But nothing he could do now would stop his mounting desire for her. When he looked down again he saw her eyes wide with the pleasure of sweet revenge. He grimaced in pain but those delicious eyes held him, those slender, pretty fingers tightly held his balls and worst of all that perfect, curved, shuddering body, pale in the moonlight was before him, her piping hot channel holding fast to the length of his cock. He gripped his hands to her hips and gave in to the pinnacle of his desire, throwing everything away to take her completely.

His brother had been right, as his eyes locked onto hers he was sure it was worth it. Her watched as her mouth opened and then it came. She screamed out loud, never before had she so utterly released herself to pleasure, shouting her release into the night. Alex moaned and collapsed to her back, shut his eyes tightly, hating himself for being so weak. He had doomed them both to a life of poverty with his selfish actions. He was no better than his brother. The orgasm had nearly made his balls explode but still he hated himself and hated everything he had done.

The lovers lay top of each other now in the sand. It was no time for recrimination or regret. What was done was done.

A shadow stood nearby, hidden in the forest, tears burning in his eyes. This time it had been Sebastian's turn to watch in humiliation, helpless, as his dream slipped away from him.

He marched over to the exhausted lovers and glared down at them.

"I need to fuck her now." He said in a low voice. Melanie quivered involuntarily in the sand. He sounded determined, obsessed, filled with angry desire for her.

"I don't think so." Alex growled.

"What do you mean?" Sebastian said. "You just had your turn."

"She isn't a piece of meat you asshole. Now get out of here before I kick your ass for the last time."

The hot jealousy of the two men was exhilarating, but Melanie had to pull herself together.

"I'm sorry Sebastian, but I've made my choice. You have to give it up now." She said softly.

"Is that why you made love to him in front of me?"

"Nobody forced you to watch, Sebastian." She said.

"That's right. Who's the peeping tom now?" Alex said.

Sebastian went silent. He wasn't exactly proud of the moments he had spent watching them.

"What is he talking about, Alex?"

He ignored her. "Feels pretty bad, huh? Doesn't it? Well I owed you that one little brother. You spent a whole month lying to me and even worse, lying to Melanie. Then you impersonated me while you fucked her and I had to watch you do it. That was just payback. Now get out of here. Melanie has made her decision and we will expect you to stand by your word."

Melanie pushed him away from her. "Payback? What the hell is going on here? I thought we were making love. Sebastian and I didn't make love."

"You don't have to lie to me Melanie. It's okay. I've already forgiven you--"

"You forgive me?" She backed further away from him.

Sebastian began to smirk in the shadows.

"There's nothing to forgive. Sure we kissed--"

"It was more than that." Sebastian said.

"He tricked me." Melanie said. "He put his hands on me, we kissed, but we never made love."

Alex glared at his little brother. "You goddamn asshole. You wanted me to believe you had her! What the hell is going through that crazy head of yours?"

Sebastian backed away.

"I came back to find you, Melanie. It was after I ran away the first time, but I found you here, with him, together. I thought you had chosen him." He looked down to the sand, his face covered in moonlight and shadow. "And he wanted me to believe that. He wanted me to give up on you."

Melanie flung her arms around him. The smirk left Sebastian's face. His damn brother was proving harder than usual to separate from his girl.

"Jesus Christ." He said. "You guys can have each other. But if you think I'm going to pay for it, then you can forget about it."

Alex pressed his lips passionately to Melanie's. When they finished kissing, he turned his head around to his brother.

"Are you still here?" He said.

"Yeah. Inconvenient, isn't it?"

Alex glared at him. "It's like this, little brother. You do whatever the hell you want, but if you have any feelings at all for Melanie, other than wanting to bone her, if you ever want to see her again or have a relationship with me, your twin brother, then you better had stick by your word. If you don't? What the hell, we'll get by; don't you worry about us. We have each other and that's all that counts. You can cuddle up in bed at night with your corporate earnings statement."

Sebastian was seething. He had never lost a woman to his older brother. He had lost everything else, but this was his one domain of expertise. How could she not have chosen him? After the sizzling moments they had shared on the plane and then again on the sand?

"Doesn't Melanie have a say in this?" He almost shrieked in desperation. "What is she? Just another toy for us to share? The rich boys' favorite concubine?"

"It's over, Sebastian." Melanie said. The commanding tone in her voice surprised even herself.

"Melanie, please. You don't mean it."

"Yes I do. You can go now. I've made my decision. You lied to me and to your brother, too. I can't trust you."

"That's not how you felt when my hand was between your legs." He hissed.

Alex went to lunge at him but Melanie stopped him.

"I thought you were Alex." She said. "The only thing you can do now to regain any self-respect is to turn around and leave. Then when we get off this island, you'll honor your agreement with your brother. But like Alex said, even if you don't, I don't care. As long as he's with me, then that's all that counts."

"If I turn around now, you say goodbye to a fortune and you say hello to a life of struggle, poverty, and shame. Last chance. Think about what you're doing." His voice was desperate.

"Goodbye." She said.

Still he stood there, waiting for a crumb of hope.

"Two's company, Sebastian and three's--"

"Okay." He said. "If that's what you two want. I hope ex-billionaires and unemployable former flight attendants can survive on food stamps."

He turned and melted away into the darkness, his footsteps slowly disappearing into the jungle.

Alex turned to his woman, his heart breaking with pride, love, and respect.

"You chose me Melanie, over a fortune." His voice hoarse with emotion. He gathered her up into his powerful arms, still blissfully naked. The residue of multiple orgasms and the sweat of male desire were warm on her body. He laid her down close to the waning fire and began to make love to her again with the same careful, barely restrained passion as before, and now she gave herself utterly to him, writhing and undulating with every touch, moaning and groaning, screaming louder as his tongue drove her to a frenzy of excitement.

She reached down grabbed a hold of his straining, lean and powerful ass and began to pull in rhythm with her own writhing, pushing him deeper inside of her. He went to push her hands away to the sand but she warned him with her eyes. The pleasure was unending, his rock hard abdomen thrusting against hers, his powerful shaft pushing hard against her aching clit with each spasm of desire. They had nothing to lose anymore; nothing to fear. Alex abandoned all restraint and as he relentlessly drove into her. She felt every ripped and taut muscle in his body strain against her own soft and saturated flesh, driving her to orgasm after orgasm, whether she could take them or not.

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.

"So what is this meeting all about exactly? Did Alex have to describe what base he got to with the lowly flight attendant? First base is okay, but second base is trouble and a home run means he becomes a pauper overnight? Is that the protocol?"

"It's really not like that, Melanie. Mr. Drummond is a very reasonable man. What he wants to know is how deep Alex Junior's feelings for you are. If he, uh... if he loves you." He smiled a little as he said the words.

"Oh, and that would be so ridiculous, right? The great Alex Drummond Junior, falling for a flight attendant."

"You don't understand at all. Mr. Drummond has nothing but the greatest respect for all of his employees. He loves this company but you broke the golden rule. His sons are the most important thing in the world to him, so he wants to give Alex a chance to think this over before he does something he might regret for the rest of his life."

"Like choosing me over his wealth and power?"

"Look, Melanie, I don't mind telling you that you are a very beautiful woman. Any man would be lucky to have you, but let me ask you this: if you really feel for him, would you let him throw away all that money, the business he has dedicated his young life to, and his whole family, just to be with you? Would you do that to him? Could you do that to someone you truly loved?"

Melanie had no answer.

"Either way, you're out of the picture. Your career with Drummond is gone. The question is, do you want to take Alex Drummond down with you or not?"

Larry held her gaze in the rear view mirror until she broke away and looked to the floor. Tears began to well up in her eyes. He was right. She couldn't do it. Not to Alex, not even to Sebastian, as confused and devious as he was.

"Melanie, look at me." Larry said. "I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer for me quickly, without thinking for a second. Can you do that for me?"

Melanie nodded, rubbing the tears out of her eyes. Larry held her gaze.

"Do you love him?" He said.

Tears flowed from her eyes. "God yes, of course I do." She sobbed.

Larry said nothing. He just nodded his head and then passed a linen handkerchief to her. When she took it from him, the black divider slid back up and they rode the rest of the journey in silence.
Chapter Nineteen

Alex sat in the back of the luxury limo and waited for his brother to climb in the other side before tapping the glass to let their driver know they were ready. It would be a long drive through the morning traffic.

They rode wordless for some time before Alex broke the silence.

"So what are we going to say to Dad?" He said.

"What are 'we' going to say?" He said sarcastically. You're the one who came up with this crazy 'let's share her' plan and you're the one Larry caught in the act with a Drummond employee."

Alex ground his jaws together. "The plan is not to share her. Why do you keep saying that?"

Sebastian didn't answer, but a sardonic smile played around his lips.

"Jesus Christ," Alex whispered, "is that it? Is that what you actually want?"

"Are you kidding? That's the last thing I want. Melanie, when I finally get her, will be all mine and don't you forget it."

"When you finally get her?"

Sebastian grinned as the cold truth began to dawn on his brother.

"Okay, I think I'm getting it now. For the moment at least, this is it." Alex said. "You get the money and I get the girl, right?"

"Didn't you want it that way?"

"You know that's not what I wanted. It's not what we discussed and not what we agreed on."

"Oh yes, I remember now. You wanted to sacrifice everything for her, give her to me along with your share of the Drummond Empire. You're such a sport big bro, such a good egg."

"That really was it Sebastian. You know that if I said it, then I meant it."

"Except you knew that would never happen and you just couldn't stop yourself. The one thing that belonged to me, the only thing I was ever good at, and you have to beat me at that too. Thanks big bro, now I know for sure that I'm just the weaker, slower, inferior version of you, and we have Melanie here to prove it."

The bitterness and spite were painful to Alex's ears. He loved his little brother to death and would never have done anything to upset him. Now he could hear all the years of resentment coming out. It was like his brother was a different person.

"You never felt anything for her at all, did you? She's just another skirt to you, another pretty face you had to score before I did. This has never been about Melanie, it's always been about getting to me, getting even, getting ahead somehow."

"You give yourself too much importance, big brother. And you credit me with too little intelligence and way too little heart and soul. I love Melanie, alright. I loved her the moment I set eyes on her, which was before you."

"This isn't a game of finders keepers, Sebastian. She didn't wash up on the beach like salvage. She's a woman; a flesh and blood woman with feelings."

"I know that. I know that better than you because she made love to me first, before you did. She came for me first and my God, it was spectacular."

Alex bunched his fists. He knew his brother was lying in order to provoke him and it was working. He was furious. However, he didn't intend to show up in his father's office having assaulted his brother on the way there.

Sebastian continued.

"The difference between me and you big brother, is that I'm not stupid enough to expect her to love me in poverty the way you do. You can do your Romeo stuff with Dad, lose everything you are entitled to, and then see how long Melanie stays with you when you're delivering pizzas to make ends meet and while she's applying for food stamps. Won't that be romantic?"

"Fuck you! Can't you just accept that she chose me over you and then move on with your life?"

"I am moving on, Alex. And eventually Melanie will move on with me. When she gets tired of struggling from check to tiny paycheck, I'll be there; rich, strong, well-fed, and waiting. She has strong feelings for me, just as she does for you, but when I'm still a billionaire and you can't scrape together enough money for a romantic meal out, then who do you think she'll choose?"

Alex looked at his brother for a long time as the engine hummed in thick midtown traffic.

"God, I can't believe you're even my brother. What the hell happened to you? What did I do to make you so angry?"

"I'm not angry goddamn it! I just don't want Melanie to be poor. You can do whatever the hell you like. Tell Dad you never touched her; tell him that Larry is a liar and that you don't love her. Then we'll see which one of us she turns to."

"She won't turn to either of us because it's the same endgame either way."

"Oh, she will. Melanie is an angel, she's perfect -- but she's also a flesh and blood woman, just like you said. She has needs and those needs deserve to be fulfilled. You can't do that without money in your wallet and prospects for your future. Outside of the Drummond family circle, you can say goodbye to both of those, and Melanie won't be far behind."

"You're wrong bro, just way off the mark. You must know that Melanie isn't the kind of girl to go sneaking around having affairs in the dark. She won't accept being afraid to be seen with the person she loves."

"For a billion dollars she might change her mind about that."

The brothers lapsed into silence. There was nothing more to be said.

When they arrived at Drummond Tower, they made their way to the top floor to meet with their father. After a brief wait, they entered his office.

Even after all these years, it was still an intimidating experience to be called before the old man. Mr. Drummond had been an authoritarian father and after the departure of their mother, the boys had been raised at a distance from their single parent. The most expensive foreign boarding schools, then Ivy League colleges, and finally, the most elite MBA courses in the world. The boys had finally gotten to know their father better when they were at last deemed ready to serve the Drummond Corporation in a business capacity.

"Alex, Sebastian." He said. "Please sit."

The two men sat before him in the teak, mahogany, and leather-bound surroundings of the owner and CEO's office. The old man looked like he had been carved out of a single piece of rain forest wood himself. At 101 years old, he showed no sign whatsoever of giving up full control of his empire. To his advanced age, his two young sons, barely in their 30s, still looked like children in short pants. Occasionally he had moments of despair when he thought of them and the future of the Drummond Empire. The thought of all those billions amassed over decades going into decline was unbearable to him.

When his personal assistant Larry had informed him of his son's indiscretion, he had been shaken to the core. Alex was the favored one. If disaster was to strike, he had always presumed it would be his more wayward son Sebastian, the 'younger' one. His third son Joshua, although in his mid-twenties now, was so young to his mind that he rarely gave him any serious consideration.

He looked at his boys now with heavy gloom and disappointment.

It was a look that both Alex and Sebastian were used to, but today they could sense something worse. Something big was about to occur.

The men sat in silence and waited for their father to speak, just as they always did, just as they had been educated.

After ten infinitely long, tense, and almost unbearable minutes, he finally spoke.

"Well?" A fit of coughing overtook him.

"Father..." Sebastian rose to help but he waved his son back until the fit was over and then turned his gaze to his older son.

"Alex. Is it true, boy?"

Only one person in the world could make the wealthy and powerful playboy Alex Drummond, Junior feel like a scared little schoolboy again, and he was sitting in right there front of him.

Sebastian barely concealed his satisfied grin. Alex stared down at his shoes.

"Speak to me boy and look me in the eye like a man. Is it true?"

Alex lifted his head and stared defiantly back.

"Yes." He whispered.

"What? I can't hear you, speak up boy."

"Yes, it's true. I was with her."

The old man grunted his disapproval and glared at his favorite son with anger and withering disappointment

"This is bad, Alex. Very bad. But it's finished with now. She will be given full severance pay and you will never see her again."

Sebastian's smirk froze and then crumbled.

"Father, a rule is a rule--"

"Shut up, boy. Did I address myself to you?"

Sebastian dropped his head again. His heart was beating faster. This wasn't part of his plan at all.

"Don't worry, Sebastian," Alex said, "I'm going with her. The money is yours."

"What?" The old man nearly choked on the question.

"I said I'm going with her."

"Don't talk nonsense, boy. Do you know what that means?"

"I don't care what it means. You've controlled my life since the day I was born, like a puppet with strings. It's over now. Take your money, take your job, take your empire and keep it. I'll be free of you at last. No more control. My life will be mine for the first time ever."

"Damn it boy, what kind of fool are you? Don't you know a chance when you see it? I'm giving you a way out. Just forget this girl, this... this nobody, and continue on with your life. She's nothing; a mistake to learn from, a girl you fucked in the heat of the moment while trapped on a desert island. Even I can't blame you for that. What were you supposed to do for a whole month? It's a damn long time for a young man to go without. I may be too old for it now, but do you think I don't remember?"

Alex stared at his father with a hatred that seared the air. He stood up and took an envelope out of his pocket, placed it down on the old man's desk.

"It's my resignation." He said. "I love Melanie and I'd rather be poor with her than become a pathetic, lonely old man like you."

He turned to go.

"Wait." His father said. "I still need you. If you're determined to throw your life away, I can't stop you. But you have a duty to this corporation and to your brothers even if you have in some misguided, irrational way contrived to vilify me in your own mind."

Alex nodded his head and sat down again. He was still a responsible businessman and captain of industry. He would carry out his duties to the letter. Tie up all loose ends.

"Of course Mr. Drummond. This is between you and me. I owe it to everyone I've worked with at Drummond Corporation to make it a smooth transition. I never intended anything different."

"Good." The old man muttered. "It's your legal contractual duty as well, so don't you forget that, boy." He turned to his other son who quickly erased the satisfied smirk from his face.

"Now you -- tell me, what's this girl to you?"

"She has a name, father." Alex said.

"Okay." His father sighed irritably. "Sebastian, this girl -- Melanie -- what is she to you?"

"Nothing." He said instantly. Alex couldn't believe his ears. His brother was a consummate liar. One month ago, he would never have thought it possible as he swore love to Melanie on the beach. He shook his head in disbelief.

"Did you fuck her as well?" His father asked.

"Certainly not. She's an employee. Nothing would induce me to break corporate rules father, to say nothing of your personal wishes, and certainly not with some little flight attendant. My God, the very thought is ridiculous. Do you think I would risk the girl losing her job just to satisfy a temporary need on a desert island?"

"What do you have to say to this, Alex? Is it true? Were you the only one who couldn't control his lust? Or did Sebastian make a play but you beat him to it, the way you beat him at everything else?"

Alex considered his response. Somehow, he still loved his little brother. Somehow, he still believed in him, that he would eventually come around. Even if Sebastian were content to hang his own brother out to dry, he would not be a party to the same behavior.

"I can't speak for him, father. If you don't trust him, then that's your choice. I've told you my relationship to Melanie and that's all that counts."

"Very well then." He nodded his head. "Let's have the girl in as well."

Alex's heart began to beat rapidly, his palms growing moist with perspiration. Melanie would soon know just how real his love for her was. This was it: the real moment of truth. She would see exactly what he was giving up to be with her. No more confusion, no more muddy lies from Sebastian to complicate things; just the pure honest to God truth.

Meanwhile, Sebastian examined his fingernails and prepared himself for what was to come. He was nearly there. Sure, Melanie might be temporarily moved by Alex. But he would lay the foundations for her eventual return to him, as surely as he had maneuvered her into being their flight attendant on the trip to Tahiti, as deftly as he had taken her to bed on the plane, and as expertly as he had taken her on the island while his brother lay sleeping. Everything in good time.

Melanie was ushered into the room by Larry. She looked afraid, intimidated and tremulous, yet defiant.

The brothers watched her in awe. She was more beautiful to them now than she had ever been on the island, and now she was here to declare her love and be claimed by her lover. Alex was sure of her love as he was of his own heartbeat. Sebastian, on the other hand, was sure of her future possession as he was of the memory of having taken her first.

"Please take a seat, Melanie." Mr. Drummond said.

"Thank you."

"Do you know why you're here?" He asked.

She took a moment to clear her throat and find her courage. Alex was afraid to take a breath. Sebastian watched cautiously, guarding his feelings.

"Frankly, no I don't." She said, her defiance returning.

"Are you familiar with the Drummond Airlines Human Resources code?"

"Oh, I know the rules alright. I just don't know why they exist and why they are being applied in this case."

"You sound defiant, Melanie. I'm not surprised. Who wouldn't be with such a large fortune at stake?"

"I don't care about your money, old man." The billionaire brothers sat with their mouths open. No one, but no one in their 31 years had ever spoken to Mr. Drummond like that. Alex's heart was bursting with pride; Sebastian's with fear. How defiant was she really? Could he eventually take her given the right amount of time? If Mr. Drummond was shocked, he betrayed no evidence of his reaction.

"I learned how to survive on the pennies you paid me as a flight attendant and I can make those pennies anywhere else. You can't threaten me with a life of poverty because I already live there."

Mr. Drummond smiled.

"And you're happy to take my son there with you, I presume?"

Melanie stared back at him, considering her response. She was angry, but this was her crossroads. If she really wanted to, she could renounce both men and save them from the loss of their wealth. What difference would it make to her anyway? She would struggle to survive either way.

Alternatively, if she wanted to, she could defy this arrogant old man and take Alex at his word that he would do anything to be with her. She could declare her love for him here and now, making her beloved a poor man for the rest of his life. Better yet, if she wanted to, she could strike a blow to the very heart of the Drummond Corporation and tell the whole truth about their love triangle on the island. Would he really banish two of his sons from the family circle? She could reveal their plan to trick him in order to take care of each other and of her, defrauding the Drummond Corporation of money in order to sustain the lives of two people who had chosen to break the rules.

Melanie had been powerless all her life, just struggling to get by, but suddenly, and only for the next few moments, would she have the power to decide the destiny of kings and princes of industry. She could make or ruin a dynasty of powerful men. Billions of dollars would change hands with just a few words of truth or deception from her lips.

But it was a one-time-only opportunity. Once used, the power was gone forever.

"Mr. Drummond," she said, "I don't want your money, or your sons."

"Melanie!" Alex Junior cried. "Don't say that. Please, you don't mean it."

"Let the girl speak." Alex Senior shouted. "Melanie, continue."

"You can fire me. I don't care. I'll get another job somewhere, no matter who you think you are. This is a big country and a free one. I'll get by. I don't want either of your sons to follow me. This is their life right here and both of them are needed by the thousands of people in this corporation."

Mr. Drummond smiled and then gave a slow clap.

"Bravo Melanie, bravo. Pity you aren't my daughter. Instead, I have these two numbskull boys for progeny. Maybe I should fire them and hire you instead."

Alex ignored his father's remarks. "Melanie. I won't let you do this. I've already tendered my resignation and I'll follow you to the ends of the earth, whether you'll take me or not. I made up my mind when I first met you; I just didn't quite know it myself. You won't achieve anything by pretending you don't love me. There's no point. I'm not Alex Drummond Junior, billionaire anymore. I'm just Alex, the guy who fell in love with you on a tropical island in the sun. That's all you need to know."

Melanie looked into his eyes, his beautiful brown eyes with the intent stare that had captivated her since the first moment they met. Words failed her and tears of joy came to her eyes. It was too much for her to resist.

"Oh, Alex." She gasped and threw herself into his open arms.

"You see, father?" Sebastian glowered. "They just won't see reason. This is hopeless. Melanie, there's no need for you to do this. You can leave the company with a generous severance package. I'll help you get a job somewhere else or retrain for something new you'd like to do. Alex can continue on with his life as before."

"Last chance, son." Alex Senior pushed the resignation letter back across his desk. "Take this piece of stupidity back and resume your place next to your brother at Drummond Corporation where you are needed. If you walk out that door today with her, then there is no coming back. Ever."

Alex hugged Melanie tightly to him and whispered in her ear. "You've just given me the world, sweetheart. I'm the happiest man on earth today." Then he turned to his father, Melanie still cradled in his arms.

"Goodbye, father." he said. "And good luck, Sebastian. Anything you need my help for, you know how to reach me." With that, he gathered Melanie to his arms again and walked out of his father's office forever.

Melanie couldn't think or speak. He had meant it all along. Alex had said he would give it all up for her, and he had. He had paid for her with a fortune counted in the billions. Tonight she would give herself to him as no woman had given herself to a man in the history of womankind. Just the two them -- Melanie and Alex -- two young people in love.
Chapter Twenty

Larry was waiting outside Mr. Drummond's office. He gave Melanie and Alex a warm smile as they passed him by. It didn't matter anymore that he had snitched on them to his boss. They would have come clean anyway or Sebastian would have told him. Larry was only doing his duty.

How could there be any hard feelings? Alex and Melanie were walking on cloud nine, and then some.

The woman standing next to Larry made Alex freeze in his tracks.

"Alex, what is it sweetheart?" Melanie said. She looked at the wizened old lady with the kindest eyes she had ever seen twinkling amid the lines of her face. She was in her seventies at least. The smile on her lips was pure joy and happiness. Melanie couldn't help but respond with an open smile of her own in return.

"Alex, who is this?" She asked.

"Mother." Alex whispered. "What are you doing here? Melanie, this is my mother. I haven't seen her in over twenty years."

"Alex. My boy, it's so, so very good to see you." Tears began to flow down the little old lady's cheeks. Tears of sadness and joy. Alex took the tiny woman into his arms and raised her up. "Mother, it's so good to see you." He hugged her to him until she felt she would smother. Then he gathered up the two women together, kissing the top of their heads, Melanie's soft, lustrous blonde hair, and the thin, brittle gray hair of the former Mrs. Drummond.

"I thought I couldn't be happier than I already was, but mother, you've made this the greatest day of my life. What are you doing here? I thought father had forbidden you to enter any Drummond Corporation property for as long as he was alive?"

"I did." Old Mr. Drummond's voice came from behind. Alex's mother beamed with joy as she looked to him.

"I don't understand father, what's going on?" Alex was perplexed.

The old man walked to his son and put his arms around all of them. He was old and bent but still tall and broad. His hug squeezed Melanie in tight to the little family circle. Sebastian stood in the doorway of his father's office, jaw hanging open, and tears in his eyes.

"Mother? What are you doing here? Father, what's going on?"

Mr. Drummond released his bear hug and disentangled his former spouse from his son's arms.

"Shall you tell them dear, or shall I?" He put his long arm around the tiny old lady. Both of them beamed with joy.

"We're back together, honey." She said to Alex. "Sebastian, come here you bold boy." The Drummond black sheep came running to embrace her.

"I don't understand, father." Alex said. "What does all this mean?"

His father smiled and put his arm around his son's shoulders.

"I've been an old fool." He said. "Melanie was right. So were you. The only people I hurt with my stupid rules are the people I love the most. Myself, my sons, and worst of all your mother, the love of my life. In all these years, I never found anyone or anything to love as wonderful as her. When you and Sebastian were on the island and we didn't know if you were alive or dead, I had to contact her. It made me realise how important family is. No one else in the world cares about you boys as much as me, except for your mother." The brothers were amazed to see their stern father choke up with emotion. "We may have lost a lot of time," he continued, "but in the time we have left, we are going to enjoy every minute of it together."

He took the envelope with Alex's resignation out of his pocket.

"Here," he said, "I won't be needing this."

Alex was dumbfounded.

"I'm handing over control to you. As of this moment, I am no longer officially CEO of Drummond Corporation."

"Father, no. This can't be." Sebastian was slowly realizing what this meant for him. "We already agreed."

The tall old man turned to his shocked son and put two big hands to his shoulders.

"I love you son, every bit as much as I love Alex and Joshua. Don't you ever forget that."

"But father--"

"Shut up son, just shut up and listen. I know you've been lying. I've known since the very start. Larry and the rescue team arrived the night before you finally met them on the beach. I know about your strong feelings for this beautiful young woman here and quite frankly I don't blame you." He gave Melanie a warm and fatherly look. "She's delightful, but it looks like you're going to have to find one of your own because this little lady is clearly smitten with your older brother."

"But he broke the rule father, he's out and I'm in."

"Goddamn it Sebastian, stop lying to me! You're only making it worse. You both broke the rules but only Alex was mature enough to come clean. And the goddamn rules were stupid to begin with, so you have to live with a new reality now. Get used to it, son. Move on."

Sebastian dropped his head. He knew he had been beaten yet again. He looked to Melanie with a longing in his eyes that made her heart break in two.

"I just wanted us to be safe and happy, Melanie. I couldn't bear for you to lose everything. I had to lie so I'd still have the means to protect you, to look after you, even from far away, from behind the scenes. You've got to believe me when I say I still love you."

She wanted to go to him but she knew it was too late. Something in his eyes made her see that this was the first real truth he had spoken since she had met him, but it was too late. It was true, Alex had taken her heart and she would have to let Sebastian go.

Sebastian looked up at his father now and the old man hugged him in close to his chest.

"I love you, son. It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. You'll need a little holiday from Drummond but don't worry. I need you just as much as I need Alex, but you need to grow up son. You need to stop lying to people. You need to learn the value of telling the truth."

Melanie watched as the huge, gorgeous man hugged first his father and then his mother.

Alex took her by the hand and smiled.

"Come on, sweetheart." He said. Then he turned to his family. "Mom, Dad, Sebastian, we'll see you later. Melanie and I have some alone time to catch up on. We'll be in touch with you all soon."

He gave his kindly old mother a kiss on the cheek and then took Melanie to him to be alone together truly for the first time.
Chapter Twenty-One

When they reached his downtown penthouse apartment, Alex carried Melanie romantically over the threshold as though they were newlyweds.

"Tonight is going to be very special." He whispered and the thrill of his lips so close to her ears sent a shiver through her.

His apartment was lavish with understated extravagance but still very much the domain of a highly eligible single male. She would soon change that though, making it the place where their love and lust for each other would be the most important thing of all. He carried her into the master bedroom and placed her carefully on the bed, as though she were a priceless artifact, easily damaged by rough handling. Rose petals covered the bed and were strewn everywhere around the room. A pair of fluffy love handcuffs lay framed in the middle.

"Were you expecting someone?" She said. "Or do your servants always lay out handcuffs for you just in case?"

"You know who I was expecting." He said. "She's here. It took a while, but I finally got her to where I wanted her all along." He grinned and sat down in the plush armchair opposite the four-poster bed.

"And what are these for?" She said, holding up the handcuffs with a disapproving look.

He smiled.

"It's just a little special something. I missed them on the island. We don't have to use them if you don't want to."

She clicked them open. "Oh, we'll use them alright." She said. Alex grinned from ear to ear.

"Strip." He commanded her. "You've been a naughty girl and finally I'm going to teach you a lesson."

"What you mean," Melanie said, "is that I've finally got you where I want you. I'm doing fine right here. You're the one who nearly got me fired. You're the one who's been a naughty boy. You'd better strip for me right now. Make it snappy, or I might have to punish you later for dragging your heels."

The smile left his face.

"Uh, Melanie, what I meant was that the cuffs were for you. I don't really do the submissive thing."

"Okay." She said sweetly and she put them behind her. "But I meant it when I said strip. Now get 'em off and don't mess around."

"Uh, yes ma'am." He said, his dominant nature a little confused by the unfamiliar turning of the tables. Standing up in his tailored executive suit, he began to undo his tie, slowly.

"Are you teasing me?" She asked.

"Why?" He responded. "Do you want me to?" He began unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his sculpted body, still tanned from their time on the island.

Melanie could feel herself beginning to flush with desire as she saw more and more of her beautiful lover's body.

"I know exactly what I want you to do." She said. "And I'm tired waiting. I want it all for myself tonight."

He was stripped down to his shorts and his legs were as muscular and brown as ever. His strong erection was already pointing in her direction.

"Come over here." She said seductively but firmly. He padded over to the edge of the bed. "Stop there." He was right in front of her, the bulge in his shorts left little to the imagination. "Put your hands behind your back." He stretched his strong, bulging biceps behind him and waited.

"Are you going to hurt me?" He said.

"Maybe." She answered. Her right hand slid into his crotch as she stood up and he jumped slightly, his cock springing out of his shorts. She ran her hand over the tip and watched him close his eyes and shiver at her touch. Her own nipples were already standing to attention. She would have let him take her there and then but she wanted something more tonight. Something neither of them would ever forget. She was going to send him into such a frenzy that all of that cool self-control would shatter forever and he would become the sexual beast she wanted him to be.

She stood behind him, her breathing already fast and heavy as her eyes took in every detail of his smooth, strong back. She hadn't had the chance to study him like this on the island as everything had been so fraught with tension or shadowed in moonlight, half revealed in the flickering light of the campfire. Now she could see every detail of his flesh, every tiny ripple, every perfection and imperfection. She still couldn't quite believe he was all hers.

Running her hand down along his arm, she found his wrist and with a click locked the cuff in place.

"Melanie--" In a second she had his second hand in the cuffs. He spun around to face her. "Melanie, I told you I'm not into being cuffed, I need to be in control." His face looked anxious and angry.

"Fuck me now." She said to him, her intense eyes meeting his, willing him to unleash his desire.

"How can I?" He said, struggling uselessly with the cuffs. "I can hardly even get my shorts off like this."

"I think you can if you try hard enough." She began to unbutton her blouse, holding his gaze with her own. She could see the fire come back into his eyes, his erection sticking out of his shorts at full mast.

"My God." He whispered.

"You mean, My Goddess. Right?"

He gulped. "Melanie, this is, this is..." She was down to the sexy underwear she had on underneath. She had put them on just to make herself believe that they would be together tonight, but she had never thought she would be stripping down in front of Alex by this afternoon.

"Get these things off me." He said.

"No way. You're going to have to beg." She turned her back to him and undid her bra while he stared helplessly on.

"You're going too far, Melanie."

She slid her panties and stockings off, revealing her perfect ass and gorgeously long, slender legs. Alex began to worry that he might just come all over himself. He could sense that she was already wet; everything about her oozed desire. He had never had any problems in the prematurity department but he had also never allowed himself to be handcuffed in his own bedroom and then subjected to a cruelly sensuous personal striptease.

Even if he had been, it wouldn't have been Melanie, the girl he loved -- the woman he now called his own and to whom he belonged. His cock felt like it would explode and shoot off into orbit if she even looked at it.

"Melanie..." His words choked as she stepped closer in towards him and then circled around him like a jungle cat. Melanie had never felt so sexy in her whole life. She'd had plenty of boyfriends, many of them very good-looking or sweet, but none of them had risked a fortune for her. None of them had ever been as sadistically romantic as the captured man before her, standing there, exposed, and brimming with desire only for her.

She stood behind him and placed her hands on his broad laterals, and then slid her palms down his trim muscular waistline to the top of his shorts.

"Melanie..." he croaked.

"Now for my revenge." She whispered and began to pull the shorts down. She could feel the resistance of his erection as it bent downwards with the pull of his shorts and then the release as the shorts jerked down and his cock sprang up. She was so wet for him that she couldn't believe it herself.

"What revenge?" He asked.

"Don't be so innocent. You made me wait for weeks before you put a hand on me."

"It was to protect you."

"Protect me from what? The greatest sex of my life? Thanks Alex. Maybe I should do the same for you now."

"God, no." He hissed. "You can't leave me like this."

"Oh no? Maybe we should wait until all of this settles down. I mean we don't want to do anything prematurely." She said eying his cock with a grin.

"No way." He growled. "You're not getting out of here without taking care of this." He looked down to his quivering member.

Melanie went to pick up her underwear but he pressed his foot down on them. "Where are the keys?" He demanded. "They were in the lock when they were on the bed. You're naked now, so where are they?"

"You'll never find them." She teased. "If you want me you'll have to figure out a way to get me just as you are.

"Fuck it Melanie, don't do this to me."

She backed away from him. "Do you think the help will mind if I walk around naked in the living room?"

"I told you, you're not getting out of here." He rushed to the bedroom door to prevent her from leaving. "You put me into this situation and now you have to take care of it. That's only fair."

She moved back to the bed and lay down seductively. "If you get down on your knees and beg, then just maybe I'll take the cuffs off."

"God damn it, Melanie. I want tonight to be special."

She ran her hands between her legs, threw her head back, and moaned. She could feel her orgasm beginning to bubble under already.

"No." He said and ran to the bed, throwing himself to his knees in front of her, he pushed his head between her legs and began to lick, thrust, and explore. Shafts and bolts of electrifying pleasure pulsed through her, becoming more continuous as his tongue worked her clit.

It was too much. She tried to push his head back but he was too insistent, too hungry. His tongue pushed further, working harder and harder until she heard her own ear-splitting scream, feeling her nails dig into the silk sheets. It was lucky for him that her thighs clamped around his ears to muffle the shrieks.

When the last spasm of orgasm writhed through her and her legs opened, he lost no time in climbing on to her. At last he had fully let go, nothing would be held back, his full weight came onto her, and she opened fully to receive him. His cock was bigger than she had remembered and pushed massively against her bud, calling her to orgasm once again. With his arms locked behind his back, he couldn't stop her from wriggling him over to his back, still clamping him inside her. His eyes were wild with desire now as he watched her straddle him.

She was fully in control now. As he strained to thrust higher into her, she fought him back down, arching her back to find maximum sensation, jamming her clit against the diamond-hard base of his shaft. Her hands were to her head as the first waves of orgasm began to rise in her. She could feel him lifting her, his desperate eyes crying out to her for more. At last she beat her hands down onto his broad, exposed chest, crying out in orgasm just as his own thrusting reached its crescendo.

Once the final shudders of their lust and desire had passed, she lay on top of him. He was still hard inside her, but motionless. Every now and then she gave a squeeze just to remind herself that he was still there, still hard, still hers, and that this was not a dream.

"Melanie," he finally said. "I have something to tell you."

"What is it, baby?"

"It's a confession. And I don't think you're going to like it."

"I don't care what it is, Alex. You can tell me anything."

"I've never had sex like that before." He said.

"Is that it?" She squeezed his cheeks together and shook his head playfully. "Hell, neither have I. That must be what true love does."

"That's not the confession." He said quietly, his face very serious.

"What is it, sweetheart? You can tell me anything. There should be no secrets between us."

"Okay then. Do you remember when we first met?"

"Sure, I bumped into you like a big klutz and knocked that expensive bag out of your hands."

"That's right. I was angry at first but then when I saw your face I guess I just knew you were the one -- at least the smart part of me did. The dumb part was still worrying about being Alex Drummond and you being an employee of Drummond Airlines."

"That's all behind us now, Alex. Of course you were conflicted. You're a good man, you were thinking about both of us." She gave him a squeeze from inside of her and stroked his captive balls.

"I know sweetheart, but there's more. I didn't know Sebastian had already planned for you to be on our flight, but I was already thinking how I could do the same thing: get you onto our private jet, have you around me for a few hours, and be happy just being next to you."

She smiled at the thought of these billionaire brothers and their crazy date plans, arranging flights to Tahiti on private jets and then worrying if she was going to take it the wrong way. What girl could be that crazy? A date with one of these brothers on a paddleboat would be a dream, let alone a private jet en route to a tropical paradise.

"Do you remember I was piloting when the plane began to go down?"

"Sure I do. That was some crazy turbulence."

"There was some turbulence, that part is true. But that's not what made the plane go down."

She pushed herself up on top of him again and went tight around his still erect member. "What are you talking about?"

"Please don't be angry with me." He begged her. "Especially as I'm still in handcuffs with my dick inside you."

"It's too late to ask for me not to be angry. Just tell me what the hell happened." She tightened her grip on him and his cock responded by getting harder.

"I brought the plane down on purpose."

Her jaw dropped open and she gripped him as hard as she could. His body stiffened in response.

"You did what?"

"I brought it down on purpose -- so I could be with you."

"You crazy son of bitch!" She felt so angry but at the same time so hot, like flames were licking the inside of her thighs, his throbbing hot member was still inside her and she was becoming wet again.

"You crazy bastard! You could have killed us."

He was beginning to writhe in pleasure as she rhythmically squeezed him.

"There was never any danger. I'm a very experienced pilot. I just needed to do something." She was thrusting and riding him more systematically now, her hands leaning down on his chest her nails digging into his flesh.

"You were lying to me, to your brother, and to your parents all this time." She was beginning to moan.

"I had to leave it all behind. In Tahiti I would still have been Alex Drummond Junior, with the whole staff of a seven-star luxury hotel--", he grunted in pleasure, thrusting deeply upwards into her, involuntarily, "--people running around after me, you couldn't have taken me for who I really am, just plain old Al Drummond, just a guy crazy in love with you."

Melanie had gone silent now with white-hot desire. She wanted to punish him more than ever but also to fuck his brains out. She planned to do both at the same time. They had just had the wildest screeching sex she had ever thought possible, but now it was time to up the ante. She would drain him dry, break his heart, and leave him for dead while his ghost screamed her name in hell, crying out for more. She tossed back her long, wild, flowing blonde hair and clamped down hard on him, harder than ever, willing him to thrust ever deeper, to give more pleasure than she had ever imagined possible and at the same time to finish him off completely, compelling him to an orgasm that his body denied was ever possible.

"You crashed a $60 million plane for me, just so you could fuck me? You crazy, stupid, beautiful fucking asshole." She screamed and then collapsed on top of him again as he groaned out his last struggling orgasm.

They lay together for what seemed like an eternity. At last, he forced his eyes open and began yanking frantically on the handcuffs.

"Melanie, get these things off me now. I need to get out of here."

She sleepily opened her eyes.

"Let's just stay a little while longer. I don't want this moment to end so soon."

But he was insistent. "Melanie, come on. I'm not asking. Just get these things off me. You've had your fun, now let me go. There are things I need to do. Now."

Melanie sat up and began looking for the key.

"Come on Melanie, goddammit, hurry up."

Her heart began to sink as she searched for the key. Was this another side to Alex she hadn't seen? She finally got the cuffs open and he jumped from the bed.

"Get ready to go. We have to be at the airport in an hour."

"I don't understand, Alex. Honey, just tell me what's happening."

"There's no time to explain. I need to make some calls. You need to get your hands on a Drummond flight attendant uniform."

"Now you really have me confused."

"You still work for Drummond Airlines, right?"

"I guess so, I mean, wasn't that the final outcome?"

"And I'm still part owner."

"Yes."

"Well, some things are more important than lying in bed. Drummond Airlines is in trouble and that means we all have to do whatever is necessary in order to keep it afloat, and that means you and me, too."

"Okay, Alex. I'm sorry, I understand. I'll call Margaret and let her know I need a uniform. She'll have one ready for me by the time I get there."

He took her head in his hands and kissed her on the forehead.

"Great, now you're talking. Have the driver take you there." He was pulling on his clothes as he spoke. "I'll meet you in the executive lounge in an hour." He headed for the door.

"Alex, wait." She said.

He stopped and turned around. "What is it?"

"I love you."

He smiled. "Yeah, me too. See you at the airport." He slammed the door behind him.

Melanie sat in stunned silence for a minute and then made the call to Margaret. Maybe this was just part of being a billionaire's girlfriend. Whatever. She was still on the payroll and needed to pay her mother's bills. She pulled her things together and then buzzed the driver to collect her and drop her off at LAX.

When she arrived at the airport, Margaret was waiting for her at departures.

"Where the hell have you been, Melanie? There's a planeload of people waiting for us. Get your ass in gear and let's go!"

"What's going on?"

"We're short on crew. We need you to run a first class passenger flight. The bigwigs are already sitting in their seats. Come on! Move it!"

They ran to the executive lounge and she put on the uniform Margaret gave her as quickly as she could. Soon they were on the runway being driven to a small, private luxury jet.

"Who are these people?" She asked Margaret.

"Private group, all big shots. No room for screw-ups. That's why I need you with me."

She looked up and saw the pilot waiting at the top of the air stairs. He looked anxious.

"My God," she said, "is that Alex?"

"You mean Captain Drummond? You betcha."

He was waving frantically. When they got within earshot, she could hear the urgency in his voice.

"Come on guys! What's the holdup? We can't afford to mess this one up. Melanie, get your ass in gear."

The two friends jumped the air stairs two at a time and then stopped to make a dignified entrance onto the plane.

First class was filled with people she didn't recognize. The curtains were already pulled to separate it from the rest of the small but very luxurious plane.

Alex ducked into the cockpit, swearing impatiently under his breath and then his stern, deep voice came over the PA system.

"Apologies for the delay, ladies and gentlemen. Just some additional precautions to assure your safety and comfort as you enjoy your flight today."

"Precaution by the name of cabin crew member Melanie Hutchinson." One middle-aged, elegant, and very well-preserved lady sneered.

Melanie took her take-off seat in front of the lady and directed her gaze to the floor. Be professional. This was obviously an important flight for Drummond Airlines, which meant it was important for Alex, and therefore, more important than ever for her.

The small jet began taxiing to the runway immediately and within minutes, they had taken off. As soon as they were at cruising altitude, she went to the galley for a briefing by Margaret and to begin service to what would obviously be a demanding clientele.

"God, I feel so confused today." She to her friend as she smoothed her slightly rumpled flight attendant uniform down over her hips.

"Well, just pull yourself together Mel." Her Margaret said. "We don't have time for that today. These guys can make or break this airline."

"Who are they?"

"No time to explain. Here, grab this and get out there." She pushed the service trolley to Melanie and then turned back to the galley counter.

Melanie began to back out. She was so keyed-up that she let out a shriek as her heel dug down into the patent leather shoe behind her.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry sir." She turned around and came face to face with Alex in his pilot's uniform. He was tall, muscular, tanned, his thick wavy dark hair still tousled from their time in bed together. His square jaw line was set with determination. He put his hands to her shoulders.

"Melanie. For God's sake, just calm down, will you? I can't afford to screw this up."

"You're right, Alex -- I mean Captain Drummond -- I'm sorry. I'll get moving."

"Just hold on a minute. I need to make sure you're ready for this. Now take a deep breath."

Her heart was racing. She had to force herself to stop and breathe.

Alex smiled. "God, you are so sexy when you're hot and bothered." Margaret lifted her head up from her work.

"Hmm," she said, "it's getting kind of hot in here for me. Why don't you let me handle the first service?"

"No, Margaret," Melanie protested, "really, it's okay." But it was too late. Her friend was gone, leaving her alone with Alex in his smart Captain's uniform.

"I'm so sorry, Alex. I don't know what's come over me."

"I don't know what's come over me, either." He was still smiling.

"I've got to get out there and help Margaret. I'm sorry. I won't screw up again." She went to squeeze by him but he blocked her way. She felt her heart beat faster. What the hell was going on?

"Where are you going?" He said.

"I've got work to do, Mitch. Let me out." She put her soft white hand to his strong forearm but he didn't budge.

"What did you call me? Did you just call me Mitch?"

"No I didn't. I called you Alex. Now come on, stop kidding around. These people are important to you -- to us -- to everyone at Drummond Airlines."

"I'm the Captain here, Melanie and I'm telling you I need you right here. There's something I want to discuss with you."

Melanie's head began to spin. There was a weird déjà vu about the whole scene; the whole situation. Her heart was racing and she didn't know why. Alex was way too close to her for a captain on duty to be speaking to a flight attendant. Her skin tingled with excitement.

"What's it about, Alex? Can't it wait? I've got a whole planeload of people to look after."

"This is much more important than them." His lips came closer.

"Alex--" He pressed his mouth to hers and she felt all her will power collapse, her fears vanish as his arms surrounded her, and their tongues explored deeply. Alex reached behind him and drew the curtains over while he lifted her up effortlessly to sit on the counter in front of him and then kissed her again, longingly, passionately, powerfully. Her excitement began to rise to fever pitch then Alex pulled his lips away from hers and he drew the curtains back again. Melanie opened her mouth to question him but he stopped her.

"Don't speak Melanie, not yet."

He picked her up in both arms and then carried her out into first class where the passengers watched them. She was so confused she couldn't tell if they were all smiling and laughing or glaring in anger. She looked around and the dividing curtains between first class and the rest of the plane were aside.

She saw her mother in the front row, beaming with joy.

"Alex, what's going on?"

"Shh," he said, "It's still not time for you to speak."

She looked around some more and saw Mr. and Mrs. Drummond, also smiling, then noticed her friends from the various departments at Drummond Airlines. She was too stunned to think.

Alex set her down in the middle of the plane and then steadied her with his strong, comforting hands.

He went down on one knee and reached inside his jacket to take out a small box. Melanie's heart almost stopped.

"Alex, no--"

He put his fingers to her lips. "Still not yet."

He opened the box carefully and the sparkle of diamonds glinted. Melanie began to choke up.

"Melanie Hutchinson, you and I met at 10,000 feet, our current cruising altitude, and I knew it was love--" now it was Alex's turn to choke up. "I knew it was love at first sight."

There were sighs and murmurs of contentment from the assembled passengers, most of whom were now on their feet, holding cameras, video recorders, and mobile phones to capture the moment. Everywhere Melanie looked, she recognized another familiar friendly face wishing her goodwill.

"Melanie Hutchinson, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Melanie blinked her eyes and swallowed hard. It had to be a dream. No matter how hard she blinked, every time she opened her eyes it was still there. Alex Drummond, her lover and hero on bended knee before her. Friends and family were everywhere she looked, all surrounding her with love.

"Melanie, dear." She heard her mother say. "Go on and say something. Don't leave this poor young man hanging."

"Melanie." Alex said. "Now I need to hear you speak."

"I think we all do." Mrs. Drummond said. The atmosphere changed from elation to fraught tension. Suddenly a pocket of turbulence caused the plane to bank sharply and there was a gasp of shock from the crowd. When the plane leveled out, Melanie was in Alex's arms, gazing up into his eyes.

"Yes." She whispered.

"Speak up honey." Her mother said. "We can't hear you."

Tears flooded her eyes and Alex watched her anxiously.

"Yes." She shouted out into the crowd. "I've loved this man since the first moment I met him."

The crowd roared its approval as their lips locked passionately together.

The End

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Tempted: Resisting the Billionaire Vol II - Sample Chapters

Prologue

"MJ, if you don't shut up, I'm leaving right now. Do you hear me?" Alison was getting very tired of her best friend's line of questioning.

"Okay, okay, just let me settle down here a little." MJ fanned herself with a magazine, took a drink of water, and then settled in for more cross-examination.

"So tell me then. What exactly did you say to him?"

"Well, I was left kind of speechless. I mean, my God he's hot as hell--"

"And richer than God."

"Yeah, whatever--"

"Whatever? The guy is loaded. He's a millionaire, right? Certified by the Certified Millionaire Online Dating Agency."

"Does that have to be the most important thing?"

Alison couldn't have cared less about the guy's money, in fact, she was pretty sure he was broke, but MJ was fixated on that one idea.

"Why else were you there? Why would you even sign up with a millionaire dating agency if you didn't care about how much money he has? Every guy on that site should have minimum one million dollars in cash, in the bank and not a cent less or they are guilty of fraud. So don't shortchange me here, Ally. Don't skimp on the details. Is the guy a millionaire or isn't he?"

MJ knew something was up.

"He kissed me."

"You let him kiss you?"

"He just did it; the perfect kiss. He reached over to me, held my head gently in his hands and then kissed me without another word. It was like he was psychic. Just the right moment, I swear to you, he was amazing."

"You let him kiss you."

"Of course I did."

"Without clarifying his financial situation."

"We took a taxi home."

"Where was his limo? The guy arrived in a limo; did he lose it along the way? A taxi, goddamn it? He took you home in my best outfit in a stinking yellow cab with some motor mouth New York cabbie ogling your cleavage?"

"Taxi, limo, come on. What's the difference? We went back to my place."

"Your place? Why your place? Weren't you good enough for his swanky pad? Or is it he's hiding something?" MJ was positively angry now. "Let me check this guy out, Alison. I don't want to be responsible for you getting involved with some weirdo imposter."

Alison took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. Her friend had never struck her as the gold-digging type and now all of a sudden she was out of control.

How the hell did I get into this mess to begin with? She asked herself. I never even wanted to date a stupid millionaire.

One week earlier, her life had been simple -- uncomplicated. Telling crazy lies to her best friend would have been unthinkable. Openly lusting together over a guy's bank account even more absurd....
Chapter One

One week earlier

Alison Myers, 28 year-old barista at the Midtown Manhattan branch of the Tête-á-Tête gourmet coffee house franchise, was struggling to get through the morning and through her life. She pushed back her long blonde hair and tried to focus. The customer in front of her was angry. They were all angry today. It was a Monday from hell. Heavy rain poured down outside onto a gray New York City and the grumpy morning office crowd was being even more obnoxious than usual. New Yorkers like things fast and they don't like mistakes.

It was a far cry from the small Midwestern town Alison had been raised in, pouring coffee in her uncle's little rest stop café. People had all been so nice there. Slow, but nice. Now this guy was shouting at her and there was a long line of irate customers behind him.

Alison felt like throwing her barista's apron on the ground, hightailing it out of the shop as far away as she could get.

"I'm sorry sir, could you repeat that?"

"How many goddamn times do I have to repeat it?"

Jeez, you only asked me once. She thought.

"Where's the goddamn manager?" He screamed.

Sebastian Drummond stood behind the pretty blonde and struggled to fight his instincts to go and over and throw the man out into the street. He had to remember that he was no longer Sebastian Drummond the billionaire, but Daniel Johnson, the brand new, entry level, empty the trash and mop the floor guy at the Tête-á-Tête café in Midtown Manhattan.

There was a reason he had to conceal his identity.

Don't screw it up this time, Sebastian. He thought.

"Sir, if you'll just repeat the order," he said, mastering his anger, "I'll be happy to take care of it for you." If it was anything he had a talent for, it was controlling and manipulating people.

Not that he was exactly proud of it.

"I don't want to repeat the order. If I wanted to repeat orders, I would have joined the Marines. I asked to see a manager and I'm not leaving this goddamn counter," he glared behind him at the long line of exasperated customers, "until I see someone in charge."

"I'm the manager here." Sebastian said with absolute confidence. The petite blonde woman was right in front of him and already he could feel her, wanting to reach out to her and hold her. It was his first day on the job -- his first hour -- and he was supposed to stay out back, emptying trash, cleaning the floor, and lifting boxes, but he didn't care. He could have bought the café on a whim if he wanted to, or even the entire chain if he felt like it.

Alison heard the deep, commanding, masculine voice behind her. She didn't recognize it but she could see that the angry customer was already taking things down a notch.

"I'm the manager." Sebastian repeated firmly.

"Oh," the man said, "is that right?"

"That's right, sir. My name is Daniel Johnson and I'm the supervisor here today. I'll be happy to help with your complaint."

Alison stepped aside. The guy must be new. She had never seen him before, but there had been no talk of a new manager and certainly nothing about a drop-dead gorgeous Greek god come-to-earth manager. All of a sudden, the morning didn't seem so bleak. Even under his Tête-á-Tête Coffee Shop uniform, his tall, muscular frame left no doubt as to his rippling masculinity. He was definitely all man, whoever he was, and sexiest of all was his manner. This was a guy who knew exactly who he was and had absolute self-confidence.

Sebastian didn't even know her name but as soon as he saw her face, it came to him in a flash: she was the one. He had to know her. He had to have her.

She would be his and his alone forever, but she had to take him for who he was; no billionaire bullshit. She would want him as Daniel Johnson, minimum wage wannabe barista or she wouldn't want him at all.

He read her nametag and a surge of apprehension went through him. Even though he towered above her, he couldn't shake the thought.

What if she doesn't like me?

Normally, he didn't care.

"This girl, Alison," the customer squinted at her name tag, "just can't seem to get my order straight."

"Well I'm very sorry about that, sir. Can I take your order for you? It's on the house of course."

"Huh. Well, I guess that would be okay." He huffed. "But what about her?" He said. "Are you going to do something about her?"

"Of course sir," the new manager said in his soft, sexy commanding tone, "I'll attend to Alison myself and make absolutely sure that the proper disciplinary procedures are adhered to. And you can have my number if you would like to follow up on that." He reached into his shirt pocket but the little man had calmed down by now and waved it away.

Stupid little asshole. He thought. You don't know how lucky you are.

He gave Alison a tiny wink and complicit smile to let her know that it was all hot air and she should forget about it.

Wow. She thought. Who the hell is this guy?

The line didn't get any shorter for an hour and the New Yorkers didn't get any friendlier, but Alison was as light as a feather in her work. She had forgotten she could even feel that way. It had been a long time since there had been anybody like that on their team. In fact, it was the first time. This guy wasn't just cute, he was a knock out hunk with moviestar looks and that super-confident understated charm to boot. She smiled back at him.

God, you're beautiful. He thought. I can't wait to get you out of this place to somewhere you deserve to be. First things first though. First things first.

He poured coffee for the customer and went back into the rear of the shop as quickly as he could. After all, he could still get fired and then how would he get to spend time with this girl he needed to be next to? Even though he had been living incognito for nearly a full year, he was still not quite used to holding off on his desires. He had been rich from birth and superrich since adolescence, so he always got what he wanted and when he wanted. But this would have to be different, just like with Melanie. He would have to work for this girl, literally sweat, but it would be worth it finally, when he would take her to his bed and be with her as only a devoted lover can. She would scream his name \-- his real name -- like no woman ever before her and she would mean it.

Guaranteed.

The next hour was a torture as he learned the mundane routine of the shop and being talked down to by MJ, his new manager. She was nice enough but kind of crusty and a bit of a motormouth, but obviously good at her job. She even had a great rack and a year ago, he wouldn't have thought twice about taking her in the sack. In fact, if he had met her a year ago, he probably would have already boned her in the lockerroom before they even knew each other's names.

But not anymore. This was the new Sebastian Drummond. Looking for love, not lust -- not just lust anyway.

Alison watched him go. Something didn't add up but she was too tired, dazed, and busy to figure it out. In the meantime, all she wanted to do was see him again. It felt like some stupid high school crush, but boy did it make a change from the routine. She was no longer some silly little single girl from the boonies with her first job in New York City. She was a grown-up now, with a steady boyfriend, and plans to work hard as hell to save her pennies to go to college. Workplace flirtations really weren't her thing. God knows she didn't need the distraction. The staff at Tête-á-Tête was almost exclusively female and that suited her perfectly.

But boy, this new guy was something else.

Her regular manager and best friend Mary Jane came on duty and she couldn't help but ask about him.

"Hey," she whispered as she sprinkled chocolate onto a cappuccino, "why didn't you tell me that sexy new guy Daniel had started? At last we have some eye candy around here for the ladies." She joked.

"Daniel!" She snorted. "How do you even know about him? Did you meet him out back?"

"No, right here out front. He helped me with some little asshole angry pants who was giving me a hard time."

"Did he now?" Her friend and manager said. "Well we'll have to see about that."

"What do you mean?"

"He shouldn't even be out here. He's in non-customer contact training all day. No way is he ready for real customers yet."

Alison did a double-take.

Not ready for customers? That meant...

She knew how dedicated her friend was to the job. If the new guy had impersonated a manager, then MJ would go crazy. As much as she loved her friend, the guy had done her a favor. She wouldn't tell on him, not even to MJ. It wouldn't be fair.

"Well, he did an awesome job. Definitely manager material. That guy just took one look at him and turned into a purring kitty cat right away."

"Yeah, well don't get too excited. The only things he'll be managing for a long time will be a mop and bucket. It'll be weeks before we even try him out on the floor with paying customers."

"You're kidding me, right?" Alison was incredulous. "This damn coffee chain with its pretensions of being corporate. They couldn't spot talent if it came up and slapped them in the chops."

Her friend gave her a long look and sighed.

"Oh Alison, come on. Don't start with this again. I absolutely forbid you to go near this guy."

Alison's jaw dropped.

"What are you talking about?"

"No more minimum wage losers, okay?"

"Mary Jane, how can you even say something like that?"

MJ pulled her aside and ordered another barista to cover for them.

"Come on honey, we're taking a break. I need to have a serious talk with you. Haven't you learned your lesson by now?"

Alison was incensed. She loved her friend dearly, in fact, since she had lost her parents and had no siblings Mary Jane was the closest thing to family she had anymore. She respected her friend's opinion but sometimes she could be too controlling.

"How can you be so materialistic, MJ? And besides, I'm already dating someone. I'm just saying that this new guy is a hottie, that's all. There's no need to get all worried and protective about it."

"Dating? Surely, you're not referring to that uber-loser Brad. The waste of space with the pretty face? The cute little ass you just have to pass? The good-looking schmuck you don't need to fu--"

"Stop it, MJ. He's a good guy."

"He is not and the sooner you realize that, the better. You and I both know that joker is just one screwed-up order away from being homeless."

The two lapsed into an angry silence. Alison took a nervous pull on her cigarette. MJ looked at her disapprovingly.

"And when are you going to quit those things as well?"

Alison stubbed out her cigarette and gave her friend a guilty look.

"Well I can't argue with you about those. I've picked a day and I'm going to do it. But look, MJ, I need a favor."

"You know you only need to ask, Alison. What is it?" The truth was that MJ really just wanted to help her friend and couldn't bear to see her used up by men she considered selfish dogs and hopeless cases. Alison was like her long-lost little sister. She was an only child herself and apart from her senile aged mother in a nursing home, she was alone in the world.

"I need another sub." She looked at the ground, sheepishly.

"How much this time?"

"Two hundred bucks. Three hundred if you can manage it."

"What's it for?"

"Look, can I just have the money without the third degree?"

"Alison, I can lend you money if you want, it doesn't have to come out of your next pay check."

"I've borrowed enough money from you already, MJ. I'd rather let Tête-á-Tête cover this one. Then I know it'll get paid back on time and I won't have to leave anyone waiting."

"Tell me what it is, Alison. Please, just let me help."

End of Sample

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Scandalous - Sample Chapters

Chapter One

"This looks like an intervention." Jason Demovic said drily. He wasn't smiling and neither was anybody else. His mother had asked him to come by the family home for a private talk but instead he found himself confronted by Rodney Smyth, the Demovic corporation CFO, Ernst Pitchford, the family lawyer and his two brothers, Zach and Harrison.

Jason wasn't the type of person to back down; something all these people knew very well.

The atmosphere was tense.

In looks he was very alike his two brothers. All three were Mediterranean in skin tone, hair and eye color, but tall, angular and Scandinavian in their build. All three were strikingly, impossibly good looking by any standards and a picture of the three brothers together at a function or a night spot was pure gold to the local celebrity media.

At just twenty-nine years of age Jason was the eldest of the three.

"As nobody here seems to want to speak, let _me_ begin." He said. "What exactly is this all about?"

An uncomfortable silence reigned for five long seconds.

"Jason," his mother said in a frail voice, "we all appreciate that what you are doing is good. Good for the world, good for the individual charities involved and in many ways good for the Demovic Corporation as well."

"I agree. So why are we here?"

CFO Rodney Smyth interjected.

"You've given away nearly 10% of Demovic in the last six months alone Jason. This can't go on."

"The current net worth of the Demovic family remains at over 75 billion dollars." He replied with a cold economy of expression. "There's plenty more we can give away before anyone has to cut back on the champagne."

Zach, the middle brother of the Demovic family and its technical genius, weighed in.

"I think we're all aware of the numbers here Jason, so that's not the issue and neither is the champagne, but if you continue to donate like this then there won't be anything left to give. If we want to maintain the philanthropic tradition of our family then it needs to be done at a sustainable rate."

"I understand that Zach, and you don't need to worry. I know exactly what I'm doing." His face betrayed no emotion but his steely gaze spoke volumes. It was a gaze that inspired loyalty in some, fear in others, but obedience in everyone.

Nearly everyone.

Today he was speaking to his inner circle; his fierce independence of spirit and natural leadership was matched by almost everyone he could see. It was the reason his mother had invited them; not only was he looking at the entire board of directors of the Demovic corporation, but if anyone in his world was able to stand up to him, then they were sitting right in front of him.

Harrison, the youngest of the three brothers, spoke up. If the impulsiveness of youth had long ago left the two older brothers, Harrison still held an edge of fieriness that his mother and older brothers hoped would soon soften with age.

"We all get it Jason, we all miss dad--"

"You? Miss dad?" Jason said accusingly. Harrison hesitated, looking briefly away from his older brother before continuing.

"We all respect the tradition of giving, but this is just crazy. Give it all away and then what happens? We're just as poor as the people we're trying to help. That's no good to anybody."

"Every donation is tax deductible. Charity is good for business." Jason said, refusing to give an inch.

"Don't patronize us Jay." Zach said. "We all know that, but 10% of Demovic in just six months? It's financial suicide. Speculation in the media that something is wrong at the heart of Demovic Inc is rife and sooner or later it's going to affect business."

Jason held up his hands and the group went silent, waiting for him to speak as he looked each of them in the eye, slowly, one by one.

"I'm acting CEO of Demovic Corporation." He said. "Now unless there's something else to discuss, I have somewhere I need to be."

He stood up to go.

"Sit down Jay." Zach said. The tension in the air was near unbearable. The Demovic family was not accustomed to internal strife in business matters since the passing of Mr. Demovic senior. Normally they spoke as one voice, guided by Jason's acknowledged razor sharp business sense.

That guidance had been accepted without resentment or question until his seemingly endless spree of philanthropy threatened to bankrupt the corporation.

Jason gave Zach a long, cold look before he sat down. Like all of them, he was used to giving orders, not taking them.

"This better be good." he with quiet intensity.

Their mother spoke quickly, hoping to defuse the situation.

"It is good Jason. Good for everyone. We have come together today simply to discuss how much money Demovic Inc. should give away in philanthropic contributions in any given financial quarter, that's all."

"I've already decided how much that should be." Jason said.

"Jason Demovic does not equal Demovic Inc," Harrison said with evident irritation, "no matter what you think."

Jason looked at him, his expression giving nothing away.

"Of course I don't think that, but this specific decision is mine and mine alone, just as our father said it should be and as the board, including everyone here agreed upon. Now if you'll excuse me--"

"If you won't discuss this with us then we will have no choice but to ask you to stand down as CEO." Zach said. Jason was motionless for a moment. The two brothers had fought many times as children but never as grown men. They had always been equally matched and neither feared the other.

The room held its breath as Jason looked to Ernst Pitchford, the family lawyer. He didn't need to say a word to the tough old legal shark.

"It can be done." Ernst assured him.

Jason looked around the room again. If Ernst said it was true then it was true. No one in the world knew the Demovic family legal affairs like Ernst Pitchford. He had been defending the family's interests since the brothers were in diapers.

Jason took a long deep breath and then looked at Zach.

"Give me a proposal and I'll think it over. _Now_ if you all will please excuse me--"

"There's one more thing." Zach said.

Jason waited, his face still betraying no emotion but his family knew him well; he was surely enraged at this challenge to his authority.

"Well?" he said.

As confident and strong willed as Zach was, the words stuck in his throat. It fell to their mother and her 49% interest in the Demovic Corporation as a whole, to save the moment. Her voice was frail but her power in the corporation was formidable.

"We'd like you to consider getting some help son." She said softly.

"I already have all the help I need. My team is excellent, the best in the world."

"That's not the kind of help we mean."

Even the human barracuda Ernst held his breath in anticipation.

"Exactly what kind of help are you talking about mother?"

She reached into a small pocket in her pleated skirt and put a card on the table.

"This person comes highly recommended."

Jason Demovic read the details from where he sat. He didn't deign to pick the card up. It was the name and contact details of a psychological counselor in Manhattan.

He looked back into the eyes of his family and then to Ernst who returned his gaze with all the steel he could muster. The lawyer was capable of staring down a high court judge without flinching an eyebrow but his heart skipped a beat as he nodded his head to assure Jason Demovic Jnr. of the binding nature of what his family was 'suggesting' to him.

Jason stared defiantly around the room again. The board of directors held its breath...
Chapter Two

One Month Later

"Mr. Demovic will be about ten minutes late." The smooth, feminine voice informed Dr. Melissa Price. "Please wait for him." She started to thank the caller but the line went dead.

She sat back in her leather bound chair, realizing that she now had twenty minutes of free time to kill. She decided to call her little sister. She liked to check in with her frequently, even if only for the briefest of exchanges.

"Hey Suzy, how are you feeling today?"

"I'm doing great." Her sister tried to sound enthusiastic, but her voice was listless. "Just a little tired. You know how it is. Sometimes the dialysis is like that. I'll be better in a few hours."

Melissa knew that the treatments had been taking more out of her sister each time. She needed to get that kidney donation fast but they had been waiting for years. Melissa would have donated herself but her blood type was incompatible.

"If you need anything at all, just call me."

"I'm fine, now come on, leave me alone, you've got work to do."

"Actually I'm free for--" The call ended without even a goodbye. "--the next twenty minutes." Her voice trailed off. The shortness bothered her but she knew that even a phone call could be exhausting to Suzy on some days so she held her peace and put the phone down. Her eyes wandered to the degrees and certificates on her office wall. Her graduate degree was from Harvard and her doctorate from Stanford. She had attended both colleges on scholarships and graduated in the 97th percentile. Although an outstanding student she had not been in practice long and was still trying to build up her business. From struggling to study and pay bills with evening work, now she finally had the letters after her name but less money than ever since you can't be a psychotherapist and a waitress at the same time.

This made her current situation with the ethics committee even more galling. One tiny mistake, one human error after years of study.

It didn't seem fair. It was a beginners mistake and she prayed they would see it like that too.

_Just hang in there._ She kept telling herself. _We've been through worse times than this, the light is there at the end of the tunnel. Just a little longer now. We can beat this._

If her little sister was stoical about her illness, Melissa herself always put on a brave face about the medical bills, but in reality she was almost to the point of paying interest only on their accumulated medical debts. She never said a word of this to Suzy and never would as long as she could keep on paying the bills.

The ethics committee would have to clear her and the business would have to be a runaway success because there was no other option.

Just hang in there.

She took a small mirror out of her bag to check her appearance. Her auburn hair was pulled back tightly into a neat, if not particularly attractive bun, but it made her look older and more professional which was the desired effect. Her spectacles were serious rather than fashionable and tended to make her look older; something else she needed with her youthful face. The glasses also made her face look thinner. Although petite she often thought she was a little too rounded. With college, work, looking after her sister and now setting up a psychotherapy practice as well, she had never had the time to worry about getting into better shape.

Needless to say dating had been out of the question since forever.

She heard the door in the reception area open and sat up straight. Her receptionist Sandy was behind schedule today so she would have to meet and greet by herself unless that was him arriving already. She had left the door open to allow her first client to come into the waiting area.

She stood up and went to her office door but it opened abruptly after a short, heavy knock before she could get to it. The man who entered the room was unbelievably good-looking, even to Melissa; with all her worries and pre-occupations it took a lot for her to notice attractiveness in the opposite sex.

"Where's Dr. Price?" The well dressed man said gruffly.

_Someone needs manners._ She thought.

"I'm here to see Dr. Price." He added.

"Mr. Demovic?" She asked.

"Jason." He said, softening slightly. "Look, I'm already late. Are you Dr. Price?"

Melissa held out her hand.

"Dr. Melissa Price. It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Demovic. Won't you take a seat?"

"Pleasure." He said, and took her hand, sending a sharp jolt of electricity crackling through Melissa's body. She jerked her hand away and a hint of a smile came to his face.

"You need to get that carpet changed. Too much static." He said. To her complete surprise a vivid image of herself making love on the carpet to the mouth watering man in front of her flashed through Melissa's mind.

_Come on Melissa._ She berated herself. _You're a trained psychotherapist, not a schoolgirl_.

She smiled and indicated her analysis area to him to one side of her office, where there was a coffee table an armchair and a couch.

"Mr. Demovic, would you like to take a seat?"

He nodded and began to cross the room. Melissa followed behind him, watching his tall, muscular frame move in front of her. She couldn't help but notice that he was superbly healthy, radiating strength and athleticism. The suit he wore looked like a thin veneer of civilization on a man who was obviously a primal and instinctual being. Most of her few clients were older, or had the appearance of age. They were fatigued, anxious, worn down by their troubles, but not this tall, straight and self-assured man. He was downright hot and Melissa was feeling the heat.

He sat down on the couch and she took a seat next to him in the armchair.

"Make yourself comfortable." She said. "This is your hour, so I suggest we get started before anymore time is wasted."

"I'm all for that." He said. "I don't want to waste any time at all with you Dr. Price."

What did that mean?

_Before we fuck._ The words crossed Melissa's mind like a voice from a stranger in her head. She sat up straight in the armchair, taken off guard by her own reactions. She had been attracted to clients before but never quite like this. If she had felt things before it was after a period of getting to know the person, gaining insight into who they were and building a relationship of sympathy and trust. No one had ever walked into her office before and made her just want to...

A feeling of foreboding crossed over her. This client was bad news. Somehow she could feel it.

End of Sample

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About the Author

Drew is a Contemporary Romance Fiction Writer living near to Dublin, Ireland. When not writing romance Drew is hanging out with family, doing yoga, writing something else or just soaking up the mystical Wicklow countryside. Read Drew's Smashwords Interview at <https://www.smashwords.com/interview/drewsinclair>

Other books by this author

You have just read Teased, the first volume in a Trilogy dedicated to the irresistible Billionaire Drummond brothers. The story of the brothers continues in Tempted and Tamed, Volumes Two and Three in the complete Resisting the Billionaire Trilogy. Each book is a complete standalone read.

Resisting the Billionaire Series

Teased: Book One

Tempted: Book Two

Tamed: Book Three

Resisting the Billionaire - The Complete Collection

Scandalous Billionaires

Scandalous: Book One

Outrageous: Book Two

Totally Inappropriate: Book Three

Scandalous Billionaires - The Complete Collection

Disgraceful Billionaires

Disgraceful: Book One

Deplorable: Book Two

Totally Unacceptable: Book Three

Disgraceful Billionaires - The Complete Collection

Tamed by Him

The Billionaire's Desire: Book One

The Billionaire's Request: Book Two

The Billionaire's Strict Requirement: Book Three

Tamed by Him - The Complete Collection

Connect with Drew Sinclair

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