Clandestine Lovers (Friendship Chronicles Book 3)

by Shelley Munro

  Finally, their group reached the spot where the train was parked, ready to make the return journey. Susan wandered in the rear, the gravel path crunching beneath her boots. The gravel gave way to a boardwalk, which led up the last rise to the summit. Since it was the middle of the week, most of the other visitors were tourists. Nolan and his harem didn’t attract attention.

  “This way, ladies,” Nolan said. “We have lunch boxes for everyone in the clearing over here.”

  An assistant—a pencil-thin Asian male—appeared from the direction Nolan indicated and had a muffled conversation with the cameraman before turning to face them. “Ladies, before you eat, Jennifer wants me to organize one-on-one chats for each of you with Nolan. These will be filmed and some shown during Thursday’s show. This will also give Nolan an opportunity to get to know you better and help him to decide who to choose for the next stage.”

  “How many of us are eliminated this time?” a blonde asked.

  Susan frowned when she realized most of the women were blonde. Interesting.

  “Nolan needs to eliminate two today and another three next week,” the assistant said. “We’ll do your interviews in alphabetical order.” He consulted his clipboard. “Elle, you’re up first. We have a private spot set up over here. If you’ll follow me.”

  Nolan gestured for Elle—a strawberry blonde—to precede him and the pair followed the assistant.

  “Are you nervous?” one of the women asked Susan.

  “Not really,” Susan said. “After flashing my butt at the camera, I figure things can’t get much worse.”

  The woman chuckled. “I saw that. I felt bad for you and at the same time I was glad it wasn’t me.”

  Susan clicked a photo of the women as they opened their lunches. “I wonder what sort of questions Nolan will ask us.”

  “I hate to think,” the woman said.

  Elle appeared on the track and ambled over to the group. “Cherry, you’re next.”

  “What were the questions like?” Susan asked.

  “You have to pick a sealed envelope then Nolan opens it and reads out the three questions.” She giggled. “He asked about my first kiss.”

  Cherry went off and came back, her cheeks scarlet. “He asked if I enjoyed sex. If that portion airs on television, I’m going to be mortified. My parents watched the first show. My grandparents. Oh, Jasmine. It’s your turn.”

  Susan’s gut did a nasty buck, her confidence sailing in an arc to fall to the pit of her stomach with a crash. Oh, goody. She had a sex question to look forward to, and she’d have to wait until the end because her surname was Webb.

  Jasmine returned, grinning. “Your turn, Maxine. He asked me to tell him about my favorite sexual position.”

  Susan felt her mouth drop open and snapped it shut. The questions seemed to becoming more personal. “What did you say?”

  “Reverse cowgirl,” Jasmine said. “That’s what the couple in the erotic romance I’m reading was doing, so I went with gut instinct and lied. I’d better warn my parents about this next segment of the show, but I guess they did say the show would be adult rated.”

  “As long as they don’t expect to film us having sex,” Susan muttered.

  Maxine returned, shaking her head. “Lucy, you’re up.”

  “Tough question?” Susan asked.

  “He asked me if I’d be willing to let a man tie me up. I said no way, no how. If there was any tying up, I was the one who was gonna be doing it. With all the hype about that BDSM novel, he was probably disappointed with my answer,” Maxine said.

  “Wow,” Elle said. “I think I lucked out with my question. Talking about a first kiss is much easier.”

  Foreboding shot to new heights in Susan. She watched the remaining girls disappear to meet with Nolan then it was her turn for questions.

  “Why do I feel as if I’m about to appear before the firing squad?” she asked Nolan before she remembered that blasted cameraman. She shot a quick glance at the camera and sure enough, she saw a smirking mouth beneath the camera housing.

  She sank onto the picnic blanket, relieved when she didn’t suffer any clothing malfunctions.

  “Are you nervous?” Nolan’s eyes laughed at her.

  “Should I be?” she countered.

  His mouth twitched. “Since there was only one envelope left, I opened it before you arrived.”

  Her gaze narrowed. “Bring it.”

  The cameraman sniggered.

  Nolan flashed a grin before his gaze went to a single sheet of white paper. From where she sat, she couldn’t read the questions. Blast. “Question number one: do you prefer your men to wear boxers or briefs?”

  Okay, that wasn’t so bad. “Neither,” she said.

  There was a moment of startled silence. The cameraman made a choking sound behind his camera.

  “You prefer commando?” Nolan asked.

  “Well, I can live with commando some of the time because, I mean, it’s so convenient when you’re in a hurry.” Where on earth was this coming from? She was channeling her inner bimbo—that was clear. “But mostly a man should wear boxer-briefs. You get great support plus you look good,” she said, her sugar-sweet tone daring him to take umbrage at her reply.

  Nolan’s lips quivered again, and he cleared his throat. “Great answer. Uh, the next question—this one is mine because I’m curious. I’ve done some research on your burlesque. I know your dancers do the fan dance at the club. How many garments are you left wearing at the end of the fan dance?”

  “Are you trying to get me to admit I’m a stripper?”

  “Answer the question, please.”

  “The object of the fan dance is to titillate and make those in the audience wonder if they’ll catch a glimpse of the dancer’s body. Part of the dance is removing the top without revealing extra skin to the audience.”

  “Do you do the fan dance?”

  Susan sucked in a quick breath. Curse the man. “Yes, I am one of dancers at Maxwell’s who do the fan dance.”

  “Which means you’re technically a person who takes off their clothes to entertain,” he said in a silky voice.

  Why bother arguing? “That is correct.”

  “How do you get off the stage without anyone seeing your scantily clad body?”

  “I’ve answered more than three questions, but for your information—I leave the stage when the curtain comes down. The only people who are backstage are the other dancers and my friends. I do not flaunt my nudity. Maxwell’s is a decent club with a good reputation, and we have so many applicants to join our dance team we don’t have to advertise.”

  “Hmm,” Nolan said. “I still don’t understand why you’d want to live in the country when it’s obvious your job skills require an urban setting.”

  Susan bit back the tumble of words that battered her brain in a demand for freedom. She took a deep breath. “Smug, arrogant men are not a turn on.”

  The cameraman let loose one of his chuckles and kept right on filming.

  “Is that all?” Susan demanded. “I want to take more photos before we have to leave to catch the ferry.”

  “One last question,” Nolan said. “What is your biggest sexual fantasy?”

  She cringed a little inside. Her mother would watch this. She’d probably laugh, but that wasn’t the point.

  “Cat got ya tongue?” The daredevil gleam in Nolan’s eyes told her he expected her to balk.

  “I think sex should express the love between a man and a woman. There should be passion and lust, but those emotions should be tempered with honesty, caring and laughter. If I were honest, I’d have to say that my biggest sexual fantasy would be to please my partner in bed. The pleasure should flow in both directions.”

  “But that’s not a fantasy, is it? You’re sidestepping the question.”

  Susan’s hands clenched in her lap and heat layered on top of layer in her face. “All right. I fantasize about being alone on an island with one special man. We play hide and see
k, but there’s an edge to the game because if he captures me within half an hour he gets to spank me and tie me up so I’m at his mercy. That’s his favorite kink,” she added. “Me, I’m determined to outwit him because in return I get a sexual slave for the rest of the day who will do whatever I want, get me off how I want. Would you like more detail?”

  “Yes,” said the cameraman.

  Nolan gave a curt nod.

  “It’s really a win-win situation for me,” Susan said. “Because I get off on my lover tying me up and spanking makes me so hot I start creaming at the first love tap. But I don’t like to make it easy for my lover. I creep into the forest and find a hiding place. In the distance, I hear a shout, the signal the search has commenced. My heart is thumping so loud I wonder if he’ll hear. My nipples are hard—did I mention I’m wearing an itty-bitty bikini? No? Okay, that’s what I’m wearing and it’s not doing a good job of hiding my sexual response.

  “Time ticks away. Ten minutes. Fifteen.

  “My muscles are cramping from crouching in position for too long. I shift my weight and then it happens. In my uncomfortable shifting, I put my weight on a stick. A sharp crack rings out. My heartbeat goes crazy. I swallow. Maybe he hasn’t heard?

  “Another five minutes pass, and I become aware of insects. They’re biting my skin in tender places. A cramping pain starts in my foot. I bite my tongue and stand carefully. I shift my weight, and this time I’m careful of foot placement. Then there’s a whisper just behind me.”

  “Why don’t you run, little girl?”

  Chapter Four

  “It’s him! Instinct makes me bolt, but of course, it’s too late. He’s bigger, stronger, and before I take half a dozen paces, he grabs me by the hips, drags me to a stop. The next minute, I’m draped over his shoulder and watching the ground.” Susan paused to judge Nolan’s reaction.

  “What happens next?” His gaze held a hint of challenge and an irritating smile played around his mouth.

  Susan flexed her fingers and rearranged her hands. She would not resort to violence. “He carries me back to his camp and ties me to a tree. Then, he gets his big knife. Fear makes me whimper as he approaches, and I beg him not to hurt me. His dark eyes glitter, and he sticks the blade under the shoulder strap of my bikini. It’s a relief when he cuts my clothing from my body.” Susan stopped talking and frowned. “How long do you want this fantasy? We’ll have to leave to catch the ferry soon.”

  Nolan’s glance held speculation. “One last question. Did you get off on him tying you up? Was the sex good?”

  Susan stared right back, not flinching. “That’s two questions.” She was proud of her even tone.

  “Pick one and answer,” Nolan ordered.

  Susan cocked her head to the side and stared straight into the camera. She let her tongue moisten her top lip in an unhurried swipe. “Oh,” she said. “It was very, very good. The best sex I ever had.”

  Hey, Susan.

  I have a few minutes before I need to collect Katey from a birthday party. How did your second date go? If you’re falling for my big brother, I’m going to need to put a contract out on him or something. Maybe you could give me a couple of hints about what happened on your date since the suspense is killing me. Thursday night has become my favorite night to watch TV.

  One other thing. I’d like to meet you in person. Would you consider that? My in-laws will babysit Katey for the weekend if I ask. They’re always telling me I need to get out more with people my own age. The drive to Auckland isn’t too bad—about five hours, or I might be able to get a flight. I know you have to work, but maybe we could spend a few hours together. No pressure, but it’s difficult to get to know a person via email. You don’t know me well, and if you’d feel better going out in a group situation—maybe drinks and dinner with your friends—I’m fine with that. More than fine. It would be great to meet some of your friends, since they sound like a fun bunch.

  Let me know what you think.

  Best wishes,

  Tyler

  A shiver worked through Susan, not fear, but something resembling exhilaration. Grinning, she went in search of Julia.

  “Tyler wants to meet. He suggested coming up to Auckland and said if I was nervous about meeting him alone, we could go on a group date with my friends. Will you do it? Will you be my chaperone?”

  Julia let out a shriek.

  Christina came running from the direction of the dancer’s dressing room. “What? What’s wrong?”

  “Tyler has asked Susan out on a date,” Julia said.

  “The hot younger brother.” Christina fanned her face, her flapping hand doing nothing to hide her grin. “When?”

  “He hasn’t mentioned any particular dates. I think he’s floating the idea.”

  “What are you going to do?” Julia asked.

  Susan thought about it for two seconds. The answer was easy. “I want to meet him.”

  “What about Nolan?” Christina asked.

  “I doubt he’ll pick me again. For one, he seems to have a thing for blondes since I’m the only brunette in the group. And two, we seem to strike sparks off each other and end up bickering like kids. He’s attractive, but I think we’d make better friends.”

  “I wish you’d give us some hints about the show,” Julia said.

  Susan made a buttoning motion across her lips. “Not gonna happen. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow night to see it with everyone else.” A full day of peace before the teasing commenced. “At least the club is getting good publicity. Numbers have been up since last Thursday.”

  Julia arched her brows. “Will the numbers increase again this week?”

  Susan felt the color sweep into her cheeks. “Quite possibly.”

  “Ooh.” Christina rubbed her hands together. “Tell us more.”

  Susan ignored the demand. “Do you think Maggie and Connor would come for dinner with us?”

  “What am I? Chopped liver?” Julia demanded. “Ryan and Caleb are due home in two days. What if I organize Christina and Caleb to look after the club? Ryan and Connor would love to help chaperone.”

  “I demand a secret in exchange,” Christina’s eyes twinkled behind her glasses. “That’s fair. And I get to tell Caleb the secret too.”

  Susan huffed out a sigh. “Deal,” she said. “But you don’t get your secret until Tyler confirms he’s coming up to Auckland. I’ll email him back and see if he can visit next weekend. That will give him time to arrange a sitter, and we’ll have time to sort things out here.”

  “Tell him not to book a hotel,” Julia said. “Caleb won’t mind Tyler bunking at the apartment with him. I think Caleb gets a bit lonely now that Ryan and I are renting our own place.”

  “Go and email Tyler back right now,” Christina said. “I want my secret tonight, so I can gloat to Julia and Maggie. If I have to put up with the handsome, sexy Caleb, I want compensation.”

  Her friend’s comment had Susan chuckling as she hurried back to the office. Christina and Caleb had become good friends, and they were continually trying to fix each other up. They entertained themselves and everyone else by telling outrageous stories about their blind dates.

  Dear Tyler,

  I’d love to meet you in person. Would next weekend work for you? My friend Julia said you can stay at Caleb’s apartment—that’s her husband’s best friend—so don’t bother booking a room anywhere. Julia and Maggie plus their husbands have offered to chaperone me. You’d better be on your best behavior because both Maggie and Julia are protective mother-hens. Don’t tell them I told you that or I’ll have to break a part of your person. I’ve done a self-defense class, so you’ve been warned.

  The date was another disaster. I embarrassed myself, yet again. When it comes to your brother, I seem to develop foot-in-mouth disease. It was a bit different this time though. I mislaid my verbal filter. I hope the director decides to cut my portion because I’m still cringing at the memory. Yeah…are you sure you want to meet me?


  Anyhow. Movin’ on… Does your brother have a thing for blondes? I wondered because I’m the only woman left with dark hair.

  At this stage, I’m not sure who made the next cut. Jennifer decided to up the suspense and film the guys making their choices at a separate location. She said she didn’t want to take the chance of a leak and it gave them a bit longer to weigh the pros and cons of each woman. Her assistant is going to ring the successful applicants a couple of hours before the show airs.

  I hope next weekend works for you because I’m looking forward to meeting you.

  Susan

  Thursday was sale day, and Tyler rose early to check on the cattle they’d mustered the previous afternoon. The truck to cart them to the sale grounds arrived half an hour late. A puncture, the harried driver explained.

  With the cattle safely loaded, Tyler took care of shifting a paddock of ewes and fed the chooks for Josie. Katey had already departed for kindergarten when he arrived back at the house for a quick breakfast.

  “Trouble?” Eric asked. “I was about to come looking for you.”

  “The truck had a puncture. No point both of us getting up so early,” Tyler said. Eric and Josie had done so much for him. Taking care of the early morning chores was nothing in exchange.

  Eric checked his watch. “I’m going to head off and meet Jock and Buck for a late breakfast before the sale.”

  “Sorry, Tyler,” Josie said. “You’ll have to eat on your own. Eric is dropping me at Janet’s. We’re going shopping.”

  The elderly couple departed with hurried farewells, leaving Tyler to himself. He’d catch up with them tonight and ask about looking after Katey during the weekend.

  Hours later, Tyler settled in front of the television alone. Katey was in bed and Eric and Josie had decided to have dinner with friends before heading home. The opening credits came on for Farmer Seeks a Wife and anticipation swirled within him.

  “Welcome to the second installment of Farmer Seeks a Wife.” Hailee bubbled, her words punctuated by her trademark bright smile. “I don’t know about you, but I’m eager to learn what happened during our farmers’ second date. Let’s see, shall we? Over to our first farmer, Ray.”