“I’m afraid so, but we’re going to be okay. Orders have increased lately since we’ve done the increased marketing and our debtors are paying. That’s the great thing. Can we start? I have a busy afternoon.”
Tony stood and placed a bag on the table. He opened it and pulled out his wares. “This is a board game, some dice, I have some mini vibrators that fit on a finger and some dildos.”
Alice suppressed a smirk when all the oldies leaned forward and paid careful attention.
“How do these work?” Joseph picked up a mini vibrator and held it up.
“Those? Oh, you flick the switch and massage nipples, the clitoris or anus.” Tony picked one up and switched it on. It produced a tinny buzzing sound before he switched it back off and passed it to Joseph.
“A board game. Can we play it now?” Katarina asked.
Tony’s mouth dropped open. A croak of dismay escaped and his head jerked toward Alice, his eyes holding panic. “They can’t!”
“Why not?” Ben asked.
“Because…because…”
Alice laughed, taking pity on him. The young male had visions of naked oldies dancing through his mind. It was as obvious as the nose in the middle of his face. “I don’t think they’re going to take off their clothes.” Alice narrowed her gaze on the oldies sitting opposite her. “At least they’d better not be thinking along those lines.”
Harriet sniffed. “James would have let us. You spoil all the fun.”
The mention of James brought a pang of sadness and thoughts of yet another empty night. Alice ran a hand through her hair, ostensibly to smooth her curls but in reality to gain control over her wayward emotions.
“Do we need to test all these products?” Ben asked.
“Rodney said the board liked hands-on tests,” Tony said. “I’ve worked up a checklist and have written down instructions for everything.”
“My wife enjoys testing everything,” Joseph said. “You know we should go in to books. There’s this company in America that sells sexy books. Forget the name. Some foreign place.” He frowned then clicked his fingers without warning. “A cave…Ellora’s Cave,” he finished in triumph. “That’s it. Ellora’s Cave.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Alice said. “We could market entertainment packs complete with a book, some toys, a game and some of our condoms. Make them themed.”
“That’s a good idea. I’ll get my wife to ring you tomorrow with the info of that company. I like it when she reads their books. She gets frisky.” Joseph turned a little pink but bore a pleased smile at the same time.
“Alice, who will you test your samples with?” Harriet asked. “Maybe you should ask Luke.”
The boardroom went suddenly quiet. All the oldies stared at her, and disconcerted, Alice crossed her arms and looked away. As much as she enjoyed spending time with Luke, they were only friends. She’d given her heart to James. “I don’t think—”
“Alice won’t be testing sexual aids with anyone but me.” It was a familiar voice.
“James?” Alice whirled around, half standing at the same time. “James, what are you doing here?”
“I missed you like hell,” he said gruffly. With two rapid steps, he closed the distance between them, grabbed her and whirled her round. His mouth covered hers hungrily despite the interested audience. He trembled, his heart pounding against her breast when he stilled and took the kiss deeper. Alice held on tight, unable to believe he was really here, holding her as if he would never let her go again.
Gradually, she became aware of the applause. James lifted his head and let her stand on the ground again but retained the physical contact with an arm around her waist.
“Oh, don’t stop now,” Harriet said.
“Yeah, we thought you were going to demonstrate the new products for us.” Ben smiled. “Give us some tips.”
James grinned, making his cute dimple flash. “And give you lot more ammunition to torture us with? Not bloody likely.”
Alice couldn’t take her eyes off him. Mr. James Dashing sported a healthy tan that brought out the blue in his eyes. His hair curled over his collar. She reached up and smoothed her fingers across the stubble on his cheek just to reassure herself he really stood in front of her. For the first time since James had left, she wanted to be alone instead of surrounded by people. Alone with James of course.
“Are there any more questions for Tony? Is everyone clear on what they’re doing with their samples?” Alice paused and waited for questions. There weren’t any—just lots of sly grins on the oldies’ faces. “Good.”
“Will you be in a meeting this afternoon?” Katarina’s left eyelid dipped in a wink.
Oh boy. “Stop with the innuendo,” Alice said. “I intend to go home for the rest of the afternoon. Don’t ring me unless the sky is falling down.” She grabbed James’ hand and dragged him from the boardroom.
“Yoo-hoo! Don’t forget your sample pack. Yoo-hoo!” Harriet’s bray of laughter followed them after Alice ducked back to get the pack of samples.
James drove them back to his house. Alice kept sneaking glances at him while her heart rejoiced. He was here. He’d come back. She didn’t understand why, but she could hope.
He pulled up outside his house. Her house now. James switched off the ignition and turned to look at her.
The expression in his blue eyes—it stole her breath. It made her hope they might really have a future. Just that one glimpse of the emotions flickering in his eyes soothed away the rough edges left by loneliness and doubt. Her palms felt suddenly moist and sweaty and her stomach fluttered inside. She wanted him, but she wasn’t going to settle for crumbs.
“Why are you here?” The question emerged as a croak.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I missed you. Can we do this inside?”
Alice nodded and climbed from the car. She longed to throw herself into his arms. Her heart ached with the need for him to hold her close again, to feel the solid security of his arms and the warmth his presence brought. Footsteps behind indicated James followed. Her hand trembled when she turned the doorknob. Why was he here? She didn’t understand and was afraid to hope even though she’d seen something in his eyes.
“Here. Let me.” James guided her out of the way and opened the door in one smooth move. He pushed her gently into the kitchen before turning her to face him. “I love you, Alice.” He paused to fish something from his pocket. “Will you marry me?”
Alice felt her eyes widen when she stared from the ring in his hands to his face. “Marry?”
“Yes, please. I missed you from the moment I left Sloan.” James ran his hand through his hair and shoved his hand back in his pocket. He cleared his throat, a look of uncertainty on his face. “I thought…hoped you felt the same way.”
“Marry?”
His shoulders slumped. “Sorry. Forget I asked. It seemed like a good idea at the time.” He turned away.
“No!” Alice grabbed his upper arm, terrified he would leave before her shock subsided. She hadn’t thought James would want marriage. “Don’t go. You’ve taken me by surprise.”
“So you might be interested?”
Alice smiled. “James, I missed you too.” She moved into his arms and clung to him. “I love you. I have for a long time.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
Alice shrugged. “I knew you weren’t happy here. You enjoy being footloose and fancy free. I couldn’t make you stay against your will. It would be like caging a beautiful bird.”
“I’m happy when I’m with you.” He gave a derisive snort. “I had to leave Sloan to work that out. I went to the Gold Coast in Australia. All those beautiful girls in bikinis and I didn’t feel a thing. All I could think about was you and how my freedom didn’t make me feel better. The gloss has worn off my fancy-free status. I missed you so much. Will you marry me?”
“Persistent.”
“Yes. I know what I want.” He cupped her face with his hands. “I want
you.”
“What about your wanderlust?” Alice wanted everything clear before she said yes. Not that she worried about security any longer. Her life was so different from what she’d planned and dreamed about from childhood. She loved life in Sloan. “Are you sure?”
“Very sure. The company is important to you. I know that, but once things are running smoothly, there’s no reason why we can’t take a few weeks off now and then. A honeymoon for a start.”
Alice grinned broadly. “Yes.”
“Yes? Really?”
“You make me feel secure, James. When I’m with you, I feel as though I can do anything. Can I have my ring now?”
“Of course.” James kissed her tenderly before he took her left hand and pressed a sapphire and diamond ring onto her finger. “Now what do you say we take this through to the bedroom?”
“Good idea.” She stood on tiptoe and touched her lips to his, sealing the promise. Engaged to Mr. Dangerous and Dashing. Wow! Strange things occurred in this rabbit hole called Sloan. The strange, the unpredictable and unexpected, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
About the Author
Shelley lives in Auckland, New Zealand, with her husband and a small, bossy dog named Scotty.
Typical New Zealanders, Shelley and her husband left home for their big OE soon after they married (translation of New Zealand-speak: big overseas experience). A year-long adventure lengthened to six years of roaming the world. Enduring memories include being almost sat on by a mountain gorilla in Rwanda, lazing on white sandy beaches in India, whale watching in Alaska, searching for leprechauns in Ireland, and dealing with ghosts in an English pub.
While travel is still a big attraction, these days Shelley is most likely found in front of her computer following another love—that of writing stories of romance and adventure. Other interests include watching rugby and rugby league (strictly for research purposes *grin*), being walked by the dog, and curling up with a good book.
Shelley welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Shelley Munro
Best Man
Curse of Brandon Lupinus
Ellora’s Cavemen: Dreams of the Oasis III anthology
Fallen Idol
Issy’s Infatuation
Last Wish
Men To Die For anthology
Peeping Tom
Scarlet Woman
Sex Idol
Sex, Spies and Sapphires
Stray Cat Strut
Summer in the City of Sails
Talking Dog: Never Send a Dog To Do a Woman’s Job
Talking Dog: Romantic Interlude
Talking Dog: Talking Dogs, Aliens, and Purple People Eaters
Unforgettable
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com
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