The loud buzzing of Daniel’s phone against the surface of the nightstand is what woke him up. He rolled over careful not to wake Erica up. He looked at his phone and almost gasped loudly when he read the text that woke him up.
Hey bro. I know you are in Belize having a good time but I also feel like I need some time away from everything so I got on a plane and I am headed your way. By the time you read this, I will be almost landing. Maybe you would like to come for me? Love, Mel.
“This is not happening,” he thought as he looked at a sleeping Erica. Truth be told, he loved his sister but she was a handful. She was at the age where everything to her was just easy. All she wanted was to have fun. A smile played on his lips when he remembered the way his sister would get herself in trouble almost every single day. It was like she had an art of getting herself into trouble. And even after she had established a career for herself as an advertising agent, she hadn’t calmed down. He was not sure whether she would hit it off with Erica. He looked at his watch; it was almost eight in the morning. He shook his head and wondered what time she was getting there. He noticed there was another message on his phone.
I am coming in on Virgin Atlantic Flight 220.
He quickly checked out what time the flight was supposed to be getting in and sighed when he saw that Melanie’s flight would be touching down in exactly forty five minutes. He rushed to the bathroom and freshened up and pulled on an ECKO t-shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans. He leaned over and kissed Erica’s cheek before he walked out of the suite.
He hailed a cab when he got outside and rode to the airport wondering what would push Melanie to take an impromptu holiday like this. He looked at his phone and dialed his mother.
“Hey mom,” he said when his mother picked up. “Sorry to call so late,” he added guiltily.
“I actually can’t sleep. I’ve been up for most of the night watching reruns of my show,” she said.
“Anything wrong?” he asked.
“Not really. I just couldn’t sleep, that’s all,” she said. “So is it my birthday or something because you rarely ever call,” Mrs. Eleanor Reese said. Daniel smiled.
“Mom, come on. It’s just this month that I have been a little…dormant,” he said.
“Well, that is one month too long, Danny, and you know it,” Eleanor said. “So, how is everything in…where are you anyway?”
“Belize,” he said.
“Belize? When did you leave Caracas?” Eleanor asked.
“How did you even know about Caracas?” he asked surprised.
“Well, the trip had to do with the company. Of course I had to know about it.”
“But did you actually expect me to stay there? I mean, there was only so much to do and Caracas wasn’t even in my plan.”
He heard his mother laugh.
“Maybe if you had stayed there a bit longer you could have met a nice girl and…” she started but he laughed, cutting her short. He wanted to tell her, so much.
“Let’s just say that I am hoping this long vacation might be fruitful to that effect.”
“What is that supposed to mean, Daniel? Is there some good news that you maybe want to share with me? Have you met someone?”
He smiled.
“Well, if I had, don’t you think I would tell you about it?” he said even though he knew that it was a blatant lie. “I have to ask though, did anything happen at Melanie’s job or something?”
“Why?” Eleanor asked.
“Because she just told me she is on her way here.”
“On her way where? To Belize?” Eleanor asked obviously surprised.
“So you didn’t know?”
“Absolutely not. She has been a little withdrawn lately. When I asked her she said something about this new company that is supposed to launch soon. Or did the launch already happen…I’m not very sure,” she said. “But for her to just up and leave without a word? That is very much unlike her even for someone as unpredictable as she is.”
He rubbed his temple.
“Well, I am on my way to the airport right now. Her plane touches down in a few minutes,” he said.
“Well, that’s Melanie for you,” Eleanor laughed.
“I’ve got to go. I am almost at the airport.”
“Well, tell her to call me,” Eleanor said.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure whatever it is, it’s no big deal,” he said. The cab was now pulling into a parking spot.
“And she is going to be there with you. I’m not worried,” Eleanor said.
“Bye mom,” Daniel said smiling contentedly.
“I love you,” Eleanor said.
“Love you too.” Daniel hung up. “Would you wait for a few minutes? You can keep the meter running if you have to,” he said. The cab driver smiled and nodded. Daniel stepped out of the cab and walked to the arrivals terminal. He looked at his watch and sighed. Melanie’s plane had already touched down. He looked at the crowd walking out of the terminal for any sign of his sister. He had been standing there for almost ten minutes when he saw Melanie. She was in a pair of high heeled boots that made him wonder how the hell she had survived a ten hour flight.
“Daniel, hey!” Melanie cried excitedly when she saw her brother. Daniel made his way through the crowd and gave her a long hug. “You look…really good. Belize must agree with you…or wherever it is that you have been,” she said with a smile.
“Why do I have a feeling that you have been tracking my every move?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t be a good sister if I didn’t,” she said with a smile. He looked at her bags and raised an eyebrow over the other. She only had two bags, very unlike her.
“You are packed awfully light,” he said. She shrugged.
“I’m just here for a few days. Clearing my head and everything,” she shrugged. He looked at her, his gaze dropped to her shoes.
“And you thought that a pair of six inch boots were the best footwear for a ten hour flight?” he asked. She looked at her shoes.
“Correction, the heels are only four inches long,” she said.
“It’s a difference of two freaking inches. There is no way those were comfortable,” he said.
She laughed.
“Two things. One, comfort never got you anywhere and two, a couple of inches can make a very big difference. I mean a man who has…” she never got a chance to finish what she was saying. Daniel had already grabbed her luggage trolley and was headed in the opposite direction. There was no way he was staying there to hear his sister compare the length of various penises. “Hey! I’m not done yet,” she said looking at him. She ran after Daniel but he was walking too fast. “Are you ever going to let me make my point?” she asked as she looked at her brother who was now busy loading the bags into the cab’s trunk. She looked at him as he turned to look at her.
“After years of living with you, I know exactly what you are about to say and honestly I don’t want to hear my little sister talking about dicks,” he said as he held the door open for hers. She climbed in smiling. He looked at her and shook his head. “So, what is going on with you?” he asked.
“Oh come on, I haven’t even been here that long,” she said.
He looked at her and smiled. “I am just concerned, Mel. That’s all.”
Melanie sighed and ran her fingers through her hair.
“I just needed some time off…everything,” she said.
“You live such a carefree life. What could you possibly want to get away from?” he questioned. She looked at him and smiled.
“What, just because you run the family business and I don’t makes you think that you have a better reason to take off than I do?” she asked.
Daniel looked at her. “Come on, that is not what I mean and you know it.”
“It was a joke, big brother. Relax,” she laughed. Daniel shook his head. “It was just work. I needed to get away and just figure something out.”
“What’s going on down at the advertising firm?” he as
ked.
She ran her fingers through her hair again.
“My lawyer is playing tricks with me…actually, the word is, backstab. He just got me into three more years at the company,” she said.
Daniel was confused.
“What do you mean? Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing?” he asked.
“I am supposed to be starting off my own firm this year, remember? And he knew that but apparently my boss cut him a pretty good check to ensure my continued services to the company,” she said.
“Just how much are you making for these guys anyway?” Daniel asked as he looked at her.
“Last year, seven million dollars in billable hours and a five million profit,” she said.
“Shit. What are you doing working for them? You should be working on the family business,” he said mater of factly.
She shook her head and smiled.
“I told you when I went into advertising the first time. I wanted to make it on my own merit and at QKM I would always be the boss’ daughter, the CEO’s sister…I was always going to be favored,” she explained.
“So you thought you’d just hop on the next company’s train, huh?”
“Well, at least they are not competition and I did take care of the QKM advertising campaign last year. Pro bono,” she said.
“I guess you’re right,” he nodded. “But I have to ask, this act you put up. The carefree thing,” he started.
“It’s not an act. I live for the day,” she smiled.
“Really? You want to tell me that you are a hippie with a white collar job?” he asked. She playfully punched his arm.
“Hey? I am no hippie,” she said laughing.
“Well, you sure as hell live like one. I mean, you have a perfectly good penthouse apartment but you choose to live in a loft above an arts and crafts store,” he started.
“It’s nice and intimate and I have barely ever have any company. The loft makes a lot of sense to me,” she said.
“Alright. There’s the elephant adoption,” he said.
She rolled her eyes. “We did that together.”
“Yes, but I adopted fifty. The African orphanage called me the other day when they couldn’t reach you and asked me when you were going to check up on your new babies,” he said.
“What’s wrong with that?” she asked.
“You have adopted over three hundred elephants,” he exclaimed.
“It’s not like they live with me. I’m just trying to make sure the poachers don’t get to them,” she said. “And I must add, I don’t use the trust fund. It’s all my hard earned cash. So…yeah.”
“Can’t argue with you there,” he laughed. “So the loft, did you rent it or something?” he asked.
“I bought it. Some guy was trying to get the building demolished so he could build some mall in the area or something,” she said.
“How does buying a loft prevent anyone from demolishing it?”
“I bought the building and the one next to it,” she smiled.
He looked at her and laughed.
“And people thought I was crazy buying that beach plot in Malibu,” he teased.
“Now, the trust fund paid for that,” she said.
“You know I have to admit, I am kind of jealous of how you live your life. Sometimes I wish I could just do the same. Take life less seriously,” he said.
She smiled and put her hand on his.
“You know all you have to do is actually just take life slow. It’s never that serious,” she said.
“I think I have been doing that lately. Just living life as it comes,” he said.
“Yes you have. Speaking of which, when do I get to meet this mystery woman you’ve been keeping hidden for so long?” she looked at him and smiled.
“I haven’t been hiding her,” he said.
“Really? Is that why no one in the family knows what she looks like?” she asked. He looked at her as the car pulled up in front of the hotel. “I hope you already booked me into the VIP suite,” she said.
“Actually, that’s where we are staying and I literally just found out about you coming to Belize an hour ago. So I haven’t booked you in yet,” he smiled.
“Wait, she is here?” she asked grinning.
“Yes, she is and hey,” Daniel said holding her shoulders. She looked at him wondering what he had to say. “We are already accustomed to the time here so she is still asleep. You cannot just barge in there like an overjoyed puppy,” he said. She was smiling and he was giving her one of those looks that said that he was not kidding.
“But I really want to meet her,” she said sadly.
“Well, you can wait for her to wake up and maybe join us for brunch.”
“That’s too far away. How about breakfast?”
“We never make it for breakfast on time.”
“You are always bumping uglies, huh?” she asked. He looked at her and shook his head.
“Okay, that’s it. We have to establish some ground rules. Any sentence that has me and/or Erica and sex is forbidden,” he said.
“Erica, huh? Cute name,” she said.
He shook his head. “That’s all you got from what I just said.”
“What, it is. Oh my God, you are worried that I am going to embarrass you, aren’t you?” she asked with a smile.
He looked at her and shook his head.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said as he carried her bags to the hotel reception. She looked at him and smiled. It was like back when they were kids. When Daniel would get a new girlfriend and Melanie would do everything in her power to drive them away. But the story according to Melanie was that she was saving him from a terrible relationship. According to her, most people liked Daniel just because he was the hot guy from a rich family. And that attracted a lot of bitches but Daniel was always skeptical when it came to his relationships and his sister. It seemed like she never really liked anyone but when it came to his ex, he had to admit that she had been right.
“What can I do for you Mr. Reese?” the receptionist asked.
“I’d like a room for my sister, please,” he said.
“And will that be a regular room or a suite?” the receptionist asked again.
“Suite, duh,” Melanie said as she looked at the receptionist. When they got everything sorted out at reception, they walked to the elevator in silence. “All I want to do is meet her. That’s all,” she said.
Daniel took her hand and smiled. “I know.”
“By the way, the other reason I came is to let you know that I have something to tell you too,” she said. He looked at her as they stepped out of the elevator.
“Well, what is the news? Or are you going to make me work for that as well?” he asked. She smiled as he walked her to her room and then turned to look at him.
“I kind of want to hold back on this because I don’t really know how you are going to take it,” she said.
“Why? What’s the big deal? You already told me you bought two buildings,” he said. “What could be such a big deal that you would hold back? It’s not like you eloped or something,” he said matter of factly. He looked at her and she was smiling. “Wait, did you get married or something?” he asked but she was not answering. All she did was smile.
Chapter 13
“You’re married?” Daniel asked in a surprised tone. Melanie was still smiling. By that time, the porter was already at the floor with her bags. She looked at him and reached into her coat pocket.
“Thanks so much. I haven’t had a chance to change my money to local currency. I hope American green is good enough for you,” she said as she handed him a bill. The porter smiled and graciously accepted the money before he walked away. She turned around and walked into her room.
“Good night Danny,” she said as she closed the door in his face.
“And what about the ring? Why don’t you have a ring?” he asked through the door. He sighed and began walking down to his own room. He shook his
head as he walked into his suite. Erica had just woken up when she saw him.
“Hey,” she said as she walked towards him. “I woke up and you were gone,” she said before she kissed him softly.
“My sister decided to join us,” he said as he held her tight.
“What? Where is she?” she asked pulling away from him.
He looked at her and shrugged in both confusion and exhaustion.
“She’s one floor down and she is apparently married,” he said as he walked towards the couch. He collapse on the plush couch and exhaled loudly. “I talked to my mother earlier and she didn’t even sound like she had any idea of anything,” he said. Erica walked up to where he was and sat across his lap.
“So, aren’t you happy for her?” she asked. He rubbed one side of his head and then smiled but the smile disappeared almost as soon as it had appeared.
“I am actually very happy for her. I guess I just feel hurt that she didn’t include me in everything,” he said.
She smiled and kissed his forehead.
“You are such a softie,” she said before she got up and walked to the bedroom. She took off the pajama shirt she had on and walked to the bathroom. She stood under the running water and closed her eyes as she felt the warm water running down her scalp to her back. She didn’t even notice when Daniel quietly entered the bathroom.
“May I join you?” he asked in a soft voice. She turned around and brushed her wet hair from her face before he took off his clothes. She smiled as he walked in, pressing his naked body against her. He slowly ran his hand down her arm as his other arm secured him firmly against her. He was getting hard just holding her. Her flawless brown skin looked perfect under the running water. She pulled away and turned around. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her to one wall. She looked into his eyes past his ridiculously long eye lashes. She looked at him and he brought his head down to kiss her softly. She was moaning into his mouth as his hand went down her back and cupped a feel of her wet ass.
“I want you, again,” he was saying in a soft voice. “Right now,” he added softly. She looked at him and turned off the water before she took his hand in hers and began leading him out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. She turned around and slowly got on the bed. He looked at her as she spread her legs and he climbed on the bed, in between her legs. He looked down at her as he positioned himself at her opening. She closed her eyes and waited to feel him getting inside her but all she heard was the loud knocking on the front door.
Passion Overseas: A Billionaire BWWM Holiday Romance Page 11
