Resisting the Billionaire Collection (54 page)

Joshua smiled.

"It’s not the first word I’m worried about
getting in.” He said.

Alison’s mouth rounded in shock.

"I can’t believe you said that. I’m her
friend for God’s sake!"

"Alison, with all due
respect, get off the line. I need to check on
your
friend." He ended the call
without waiting for her to hang up and immediately contacted Jonas,
his head of security.

"There’s something wrong with MJ. Why
haven’t I been contacted?"

"She’s in her apartment, sir. Everything’s
just fine."

"Can you see her?"

"She’s not near a window sir."

"Make contact. Get back to me immediately as
soon as you are sure she’s okay."

"Yes sir."

Within seconds, the loitering stranger
across the street was heading into MJ’s apartment block.

Chapter
Seventeen

A crazy thought went through MJ’s mind. Just before
that delicious kiss on the lips, her cycle courier hero had said
'call me, call me tonight'. She pounced on her wallet and searched
for the scrap of paper. She scattered the contents on the
floor.

No sign of the thing.

She emptied out her bag, still nothing
there. She searched her office clothes, turned out all the pockets.
MJ began to get frantic.

"What the hell did I do with that number?"
Suddenly this was the thing she needed.

She hadn't been to a church in years but she
clasped her hands together and prayed. She looked down desperately
at her whitening knuckles and then saw it. The little white corner
of paper sticking out from a fold in the package he had delivered
to her.

"Oh Jesus Christ, thank you God." She
whispered as she pulled out the piece of paper.

He had written his name on
it, too.
'Adam'
.
And then in parentheses
'Hot Date'
followed by a happy face. She pulled out the card
and kissed it.

"Thank God!" She said. "Thank you, thank
you, thank you, thank you." She dialed the number and prayed he
would pick up. This was the one.

The phone rang one, then twice. MJ
hesitated.

He had already saved her ass one time today.
She was going to look like a real basketcase. The kind of stupid
needy damsel in distress type that attracted big controlling
assholes.

She was not, absolutely, positively not that
girl. She had even refused Barbie dolls when she was a little
girl--

"Hello?" It was his deep, sexy, friendly
voice.

"Oh, thank God." She let slip out. "I
mean, I'm glad I caught you at home, not somewhere else."

Adam recognized the voice
instantly. It was her. The g
loom and
frustration scattered from his mind.

"It's a cell phone. I'd have picked up
anywhere."

"Of course. I mean, of course you could pick
up anywhere. If you wanted to -- except maybe in a tunnel or
something."

I'm an idiot.
She thought.

"No," he said emphatically, "I'd have picked
up anywhere for you. As in because it is specifically you that's
calling."

He's doing it to me
again.
She smiled.

"And specifically because this is my 'hot
date' line."

"You have a hot date line?"

"Only one. For you."

For me?

It had all been worth it. Leaving the bike
to follow her. Chasing the thief. Losing his bike under a truck,
having to work his day off, maybe losing his job and spending his
last few dollars to replace his state-of-the-art road bike with a
piece of crap that would halve his delivery capacity.

"You are so damn cheesy." She said.

"So what's it going to be? Romantic dinner
at Jean Jacques and then back to my place? Or just back to my
place?" It would have to be the latter because he couldn't
afford the cab fare to Jean Jacques let alone a meal.

"Well actually, I might just have to take
you up on that last one."

The silence was deafening.

He couldn't believe it. She wanted to go
straight to his place? She had seemed so standoffish at her big
fancy office. Typical big city receptionist; cool, aloof, reserved,
sexy as hell. Saving a damsel in distress could really work
miracles. Then he remembered the stolen kiss he had given her as he
left. It had been unconscious, instinctive and as hot as any crazy
sex he had ever had, just that one touch from those sweet,
beautiful lips. 

He cleared his throat.

"Stop yanking my chain." He said. "Let's do
Jean Jacques first." He had no idea how he would pay for that, but
if she said yes, he would figure it out somehow.

"Look, Adam--"

"Hey! She knows my name!"
It was looking good. Maybe it really would be tonight after all.
Not only was he the absolute king of pickups, but this time the
gods were smiling and he had found
the
one
. 

Love at first
sight.
He thought.
Adam Hamilton, I'll be damned.
 

"You wrote your name on your card. Next to
your number." She said. "But anyway, look, the thing is I'm not
calling about a date but…"

Yes!
He thought.
This is it. Here it
comes.

MJ chewed her lip in anxiety. She hated
asking for help but still she didn't want to give Adam the wrong
idea. Sure he had pecked her on the lips and she had, well, kind of
loved it. But that didn't mean things were going to go any further.
She wasn't going to pay for a roof over her head with a night of
hot sex in his bed.

But then again, why not?

"I do need a favor."

"Anything." He said immediately. "Anything
for the cutest, most insanely hot redhead in New York City."

She took a deep breath. "Can you stop that
please? You're making me blush again."

"Am I? Am I making the cutest, sexiest,
hottest little redhead in New York City blush again? Can I have
pictures of that?"

"I need a place to stay." She forced the
words out.

"Hallelujah!" He said. "And I thought I was
having a bad day. Come on over and stay as long as you
like." 

"It'd be just for one night."

"Only? Couldn't we make it a little longer?
Like a year or two or maybe just the rest of your cute life?"

"Really, just one night and I'm not
promising anything--"

God MJ, don’t make this
worse.
She bit her lip again.

"Although something might happen."

"Nothing will happen."

"But something could."

"No, nothing could."

"But nothing is impossible."

"
That
is."

"What is?"

"Something happening."

"Like what?"

"Like you know exactly what."

"No I don't. Like what? Like you might paint
my apartment while you're here?"

"That's more likely."

"More likely? So that other thing is likely
to happen now, but just less likely than you painting my apartment
tonight?"

"Jesus, Adam. You're cute but--"

"Hold it right there. Can you just repeat
that again?"

"Jesus, Adam."

"I mean the bit right after that."

"If you don't stop this, I might just go and
sleep on a park bench instead. Just cut it out okay?"

He was still standing outside the bike shop
in the street but things were coming alive in his pants again. This
seriously couldn't be happening. The girl was asking him to stay
overnight in his apartment? He would have to get home, shower,
clean up his stupid single guy room and then get totally ready;
pull out all the stops to make this happen.

"Okay MJ, but look at us bickering like, you
know, like a couple already. This is kind of crazy fast, even for
me."

A sinking feeling went through MJ. Was this
really worth the risk? Sure he was cute, but this was all so kooky.
And what would happen tomorrow night? Was she just putting one more
night between her and the inevitable homeless shelter? Putting off
her problem just to have to deal with it later?

"Can I bring some things over?" She said,
thinking practically again.

Bring stuff over? Adam’s head was dizzy with
excitement.

What did that mean? A guaranteed night of
hot steamy love. She wouldn't regret it. He would make sure it was
the hottest, sexiest night of her life.

"Bring everything over.
Move in if you’d like. Do you need any help?"
Please say yes.
He
thought.

MJ’s heart sank. She definitely needed help.
More Damsel in Distress Syndrome. She would need a ride or a taxi
to get her couple of boxes and suitcases over to his place.

"I'm so sorry." She said. "Do you think you
could give me a ride? It's just a couple of boxes."

"Of course I can. Look MJ, I'm just kidding
around here. You're more than welcome and I'll be sleeping on the
sofa, okay? I'll be at your place in 30 minutes. See you
there."

God he was sweet. He hadn't even asked why
and just said yes. She set to packaging up her last few bits and
pieces.

When Adam hung up, he immediately called a
buddy of his who had an old beat up van. He headed straight over to
pick it up and then on to MJ's apartment. He couldn't get there
quick enough.

Chapter
Eighteen

Joshua was pacing up and down through the spacious
living area of his private jet. He was seriously considering
getting a new head of security. His cell phone was jammed to his
ear.

"Jonas, it’s been nearly fifteen minutes.
Why haven’t I heard from you? Did you get eyes on her?"

"Not yet sir, but the security detail was
able to eavesdrop on a conversation through her front door."

"Does he know how to knock on a front
door?"

"There was no need, sir. The walls and doors
are thin as hell in that place. She made a call to Adam
Hamilton."

"Shit. Why can’t he just back off from
her?"

"I’ll take care of it, sir."

"No, don’t do anything. I’ll take care of
him. Find out why she called him."

"She needs a place to stay."

"What? Say that again?"

"She’s being evicted."

"Are you sure?"

"I can double-check it."

"No, I trust you. So why the hell was she
calling Adam? How does she even have his number?"

"He returned her wallet and phone to her.
They must have exchanged numbers. Now she’s looking for a place to
stay and he’s coming over to pick her up. Should be there any
minute now."

Joshua sighed. "This is totally ridiculous!"
He shouted into the fuselage.

"I agree, sir. Shall I intercept him?"

"Let me think a minute. If you slow him
down--"

"We’ll do more than that, Mr. Drummond.
He’ll be out of her hair for the next twenty-four hours, no
problem. Piece of cake to have him arrested and held overnight on
some traffic violation, followed by resisting arrest. He’s a
hothead. Easily done."

"Then MJ spends the whole night thinking she
has nowhere to go and is out on the street with all her belongings
in the morning. No, that’s no good."

"We can leave her some cash. Slip it
anonymously into her mailbox. Or pay off her landlord. Dunne
doesn’t care about who lives there; he just wants his money."

"No, all too hard to explain. Just let it
go. Keep your eyes on her at all times. At least she’ll have a roof
over her head and be far away from that sewer rat Dunne."

"What about the kid?"

"I’m not worried. I know MJ. She’s got a
good head on her shoulders. Just keep eyes on. Anything funny and
you get in there fast. Act first, deal with the consequences later.
I’ll back you up one hundred percent."

Joshua’s word was solid gold; everyone at
Drummond knew that. His straight down the middle black-and-white
way of dealing with the world inspired intense loyalty among his
employees.

"Roger that." Jonas said.

Chapter
Nineteen

Thirty minutes after hanging up with her, Adam was
ringing MJ’s doorbell, just like he had promised. He had
changed out of his courier outfit and into jeans and a t-shirt.

MJ gave a short gasp. He looked amazing,
like something out of GQ. The transformation was ridiculous, from
overgrown adolescent to full-grown man. Maybe getting kicked out of
her tiny apartment wasn't such bad luck after all.

They stood without saying a word to each
other for several seconds.

The girl who had answered the door looked
totally different to the girl with the neat little receptionist's
suit whose wallet and phone he had rescued an hour ago.

This girl was way cuter, if that was even
possible. All the coldness was gone and she looked kind of
embarrassed to be asking him this favor. He could see there was a
wild fiery spirit underneath the embarrassment of asking for
help. 

Her little mini-skirts, boots, tight top,
and flowing red hair made him want to cum in his pants.

"Are these all coming with us?" He finally
stuttered out, looking to a small tower of boxes next to the
entrance.

She nodded her head guiltily.

"Thank God for that. When girls say they
need to bring a few things over, normally it means you need a
container truck to move it all."

God you are so
sweet.
She thought.
Making this all so easy on me.
She
felt herself getting a little emotional again. Good generous people
still alive and well in New York City.

Adam grinned.
You are mine baby.
He
thought.
You don't know it yet, but you
belong to Adam Hamilton.