Resisting the Billionaire Collection (11 page)

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--"