Resisting the Billionaire Collection (29 page)

“
Okay, so that’s settled.
Now tell me about this Brad guy." He said, straight to the point,
taking Alison totally by surprise.

"What's to tell?" She said.

"Like where did you meet?"

Inwardly she groaned.

"Do you really want to talk about him?"

Goddamn right, I want to
talk about the little asshole.
He
thought.

"Well, he's my principal competition here so
why wouldn't I want to talk about him?"

Alison was aghast. Daniel was so gorgeous
and so direct. Nothing like Brad and his go with the flow, rolling
stone attitude.

She was getting flustered again.

"Look, Daniel, I'm serious here. I'm in a
relationship with Brad and that's that. I don't believe in screwing
people around, no matter what they do to you."

He felt a jolt of anger go through him. He
would find him and pound him if he had done anything to hurt
her.

"What has he done to you?" He asked, his
voice tense with restrained rage, his huge hands bunched into
fists.

"Nothing, really." She put her hand to his
fist and then withdrew it immediately, remembering that there were
at least eight pairs of jealous eyes watching them. "He's a good
man, really. He is. I can trust him."

"Really?"

You don't know men.
He thought.

"Yes, really. I think so. Yes. No, really.
He's a good man."

Bullshit.
Sebastian thought.
Better get my security people on this loser. Then we'll see
who can be trusted or not.

He took a deep breath and then after a
moment of seriousness gave her one of his beautiful, soft and oh-so
sexy smiles. He drained his little glass of beer and then gathered
up his coat.

"Where are you going?" She said.

"I think its better I say goodnight here."
He said. He had decided that this was enough for tonight. There was
no need to rush her. First, he would get rid of this guy Brad and
then she would be all his -- forever.

"Why? Is something wrong?" Suddenly she was
desperate for him to stay. After all, she didn't even know where
Brad was the last two days and the idiot was on the brink of being
fired. She wanted Daniel to stay. Alison needed him to stay.

"Something is definitely wrong." He said.
"I've only known you for three days and already I want you more
than any woman I've ever known."

Alison's jaw nearly fell
off. This beautiful man was saying these words to
her
? Words that she
hadn't even known she longed to hear and words that Brad would
never in a million years utter. The girls at the other table
couldn't hear what was said, but they could sure as hell see that
something juicy was happening. MJ cursed her seat at the back of
the booth, she flashed daggers looks at Olivia, but her friend
seemed to be as fascinated by the exchange as all of the other
girls.

"If I stay here with you
tonight, I may have no control over my actions later on. And you’re
taken,"
but not for long,
"by this Brad guy. So it wouldn't be fair.
Goodnight." Sebastian said, leaning in to give her a kiss on the
cheek, swiftly, deftly, sending a thrill of pleasure that shot
through her body and sharply down to her loins. He felt a jolt of
lust fire its way through
his
body and straight to his cock.

God, you are
gorgeous
. He thought. Her hair, her smell,
her soft touch. He wanted to pick her up right then and there, call
his driver and limo, and take her straight back to his Manhattan
penthouse. 

But that would ruin the plan.

"Good night guys, see you all tomorrow.
Thanks for all your help today." He said to the table of women
staring at them.

"Goodnight, Daniel." They said in
chorus.

"Sleep tight you beautiful thing." One of
them squeaked and then exploded into nervous laughter. He gave them
the same little smile that was guaranteed to only make things worse
and then made his exit.

"God, that ass just makes me want to stick
my head out and bite." Olivia said.

MJ rolled her eyes to heaven. Even
Olivia...

After the rest of the girls had gone home
MJ, Olivia, and Alison moved on to another bar. One that was more
stylish, dimly lit and with good Manhattan cocktails. It was only
Thursday night but the girls didn't feel like going home. It would
be a long day tomorrow.

They chose a table and once their
Cosmopolitans arrived, MJ dived straight in.

"So? Tell all." She said.

"Tell what?" Alison said, feigning
innocence.

"Don't play dumb with us. You've been all
dreamy eyed since Prince Charming left you hanging in that filthy
pit Reilly's. What gives?"

"Oh, that? Nothing. And I am not dreamy
eyed. You know I would never cheat on Brad or on anyone else, for
that matter."

MJ stared at her. Olivia followed suit.

"What?" Alison said defensively.

"I'd fuck him." Olivia said bluntly. Then
all three women burst into laughter.

"Damn right I'd fuck him." MJ answered.

“
Okay," Alison said, "so
he is kind of gorgeous, right?"

"Gorgeous ain't the word, sweetie." Olivia
said. "If it was legal, I'd throw a lasso on that steer’s sweet
ass, brand him, tie him up, and drag him home bucking and kicking
into my bed. Then I wouldn't let him go until his voice was gone
from screaming my name."

The girls cackled in laughter again. The
beer and cocktails were really beginning to kick in. Sometimes MJ
and Alison couldn’t be sure just how much of Olivia’s sex talk was
based on real experience and how much was just her dirty mind.
Whatever the ratio of reality to fantasy, she was always fun to
have around.

"After that, I’d release him back out onto
the range. Let someone else enjoy that bronco ride."

"Damn straight." MJ said. "One night. That's
it. If it's cute but it can't pay the bills, then we have a
catch-and-release policy only."

"You guys." Alison tried to say playfully,
but she was suddenly feeling jealous -- hotly jealous and savagely
defensive. "You wouldn't seriously..."

"Me? No way." MJ said. "I've got higher
aspirations than that, honey. I don't want to end up like you,
picking up beer tabs and paying rent. No way. I've got my eye on
bigger game."

Like that jackass
Don?
Alison wanted to say, but she stopped
herself. Better that MJ was interested in him than in
Daniel.

"I would." Olivia said. "In a heartbeat."
Alison glared at her. Olivia was her other best friend after MJ and
the three women had stuck together through thick and thin. She had
never looked on either of them as rivals. The thought had never
even occurred to her.

Not until just now.

"Don't look at me like that, honey child."
Olivia said. "That man only has eyes for you. I ain't got no chance
there."

"Shut up, Olivia. Don't encourage her. Sure,
he's a pretty face but that's it. They all look like that in the
beginning and before you know it, you're ironing his damn underwear
while he drinks bear and watches the game.

"I'll run my hot iron over his pants
anytime." Olivia said and giggled again. This time the other two
didn't join her.

"Hell ladies, I'm just joking." She paused.
"Kinda." They all laughed again. "You know I'm holding out for Mr.
Big-time billionaire, Donald Trump. Now he's my kinda guy."

"Amen to that." MJ said, clinking her Cosmo
to Olivia's.

"Mmm. That sexy comb-over. I’m hot just
thinking about it." Alison said sarcastically.

"I think you should do that pretty boy while
you're waiting though." MJ said, determined to stay on message.

"Maybe I should MJ, maybe I should. I mean
Ally baby, if you really ain't interested in him, that is?"

Alison tried to hide her agitation, to deny
it to herself as well as her friends.

"You do what you want, Olivia. I mean, would
it really matter anyway?"

"Hell girl, you're betrothed to young
Bradley now ain't you? You wouldn't hold one night of ecstasy with
our beautiful trash boy from heaven against little old me, would
you?"

The rush of jealousy was throwing Alison off
balance. She had no right to feel that way. If Olivia wanted him,
then she had every right to take Daniel from her for as many nights
as she wanted. And Olivia could do it, too. Once the southern
Latina beauty turned on the charm, no heterosexual human male could
resist. Hell, her friends were convinced she could turn the whole
of San Francisco Gay Pride straight if she set her mind to it.

Alison was committed to Brad. But if that
was true, then why in God’s name did she feel so much like emptying
her drink across her friend’s face right now?

"I bet he's real slow in bed." MJ continued,
stoking the flames of Alison’s jealous confusion. "You know? Takes
his time. The way he makes a coffee, slow and methodical. Careful.
Thorough. And have you seen the biceps under that shirt? God. That
guy may be a loser financially, but I bet he's an all-star between
the sheets."

"That's it." Alison stood up, knocking over
the remainder of her drink. "I can't listen to this anymore. I'm
going home." She snatched her bag and left, her two friends staring
after her in disbelief.

Satisfied disbelief.

MJ looked at Olivia and shook her head.

"I knew it. She's hooked, goddamn it. Same
thing every time. Another loser. Well not this time. I've got a
plan, you want to help me?"

"What kind of plan?"

"Those two will never be together, not if I
can help it. That trash can Romeo will have to pry Ally away out
from my cold dead fingers before I’ll let him suck her down to his
level."

"And I will do everything in my power to
help you sister. Even if it means I have to prostitit...
prositu...,” she was slurring her words. "God damn it, even if I
have to suck his--"

MJ put her finger to Olivia's lips.

"Shhhh," she said, "Just listen, I've got a
much better plan than that."

Olivia shut her mouth. She looked
disappointed.

Chapter Seven

Brad had been on a bender for nearly three days
without even calling in sick to work. Even he was genuinely
surprised when MJ told him there was no problem and that he could
return to work as usual. Hell, if that was how things worked at
Tête-á-Tête, then so be it. Who was he to complain? On the other
hand, his long-suffering girlfriend Alison was another question.
She was more upset than his employer was and she wasn’t even paying
him to be around.

If you didn’t count his share of the rent of
course.

Alison was so upset that he considered
buying her a gift. Brad quickly realized that he would have to
borrow money from her to do so, and that was out of the question.
For the moment at least.

There was a tense atmosphere when he showed
up for work the next day. He was late as usual and when he
sauntered in the door, Alison greeted him with an unusually happy
smile.

"Hi there!" she said. But then corrected
herself and gave him a filthy look instead.

"Hey babe." He said.

She'll get over it.
He thought.
She always
does. I'll be real nice to her today and by tonight, those sweet
lips will be in my pants again.

He went to go in behind the counter but a
tall man blocked his way. He looked up slowly. The guy was nearly a
full head taller than him.

"Hey dude, I need to get through here. I
like, uh, you know, work here and shit?"

"Who are you?"

The guy was wearing a Tête-á-Tête apron but
Brad had never seen him before.

"I'm Brad, dude. The one and only. And you
are..." He squinted at the nametag. "Daniel. Well how the hell are
you, dude? You must be new. Welcome aboard." He put out his hand
and Daniel’s swallowed it. The big man squeezed down hard, making
Brad give a little yelp.

"Shit dude, easy on the gloves there if you
don’t mind. Don’t think Ally would be too thrilled if you busted my
strumming hand." He gave Alison a suggestive wink, which she
ignored. "That is one hell of a squeeze you got there."

Sebastian squeezed a little harder before he
let go.

"I've heard a lot about you." He said.

"All good I hope." Brad said. Sebastian
didn’t say a word. He knew Brad’s type. He hadn’t been so different
himself once. His security people would make mincemeat of him.
There was no point even tossing him out the front door and
certainly no point in wasting any words on him.

"Uh, still need to get by, dude." Brad said.
Sebastian finally stood aside and let him go through to the locker
room. He looked over at Alison and could see something was wrong.
By God, he would make that guy pay.

MJ was waiting for Brad when arrived in
back.

"Hey MJ, long time no see. Feels like
forever since I've seen that beautiful face." He gave his famous
winning smile.

"Hi Brad." She said with a truncated smirk.
It was the best she could manage considering how much she hated the
sight of him all that he represented to her.

"What's with that new guy?"

"Daniel? He's working the counter with
Alison now."

Brad stopped. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Seems like they make a great team as
well."

"Is that so?"

"Sure is. They really seem to, you know,
mold together well."

Brad held that thought for a moment.

"I thought you seemed a little too nice to
me, MJ. What is it you're telling me? Am I out the door with
Alison? Has she moved on while I was away? Is that it? You finally
got your evil wish?"