He moved with me until he got one knee up on the bed and then the other. When we were both firmly on the bed, he covered me with his length, holding his full weight off with his arms. "I love you, Blair."
"Good thing, since you're intending to marry me." I stroked his face. "I love you too." I meant it with all my heart.
I expected him to relax then. For us to roll onto our sides and wait until he slid out of me. But he was still tense. Something was bothering him. "There's more," I said. "What else has Nigel done?"
"He called the authorities and told them I kidnapped you."
I laughed and put a hand to my mouth. "You're kidding?"
He shook his head. "Not kidding. Not in the slightest. I'm a wanted man."
"Oh, damn," I said, tracing the lines of his chest lightly with my fingertips. "Does this joining at the hip seem like kidnapping to you?"
"Not to me," he said. "Nor to anyone, not as wonderful as it is. But I'm not snapping a picture of this and sending it out as proof."
I laughed. "Good plan." I sighed. "I'll call the authorities and set them straight in the morning."
"But will they believe you?"
"Why wouldn't they?" I said.
"Stockholm syndrome," he said seriously.
I kissed him quickly. "That's ridiculous. They won't believe that. But I could kill Nigel."
"Shhhh." He put a finger to my lips. "Don't let anyone hear you. I've had the same thought myself. He's out to make as much trouble for us as he can. As long as we're in the news, he's in the news. The more sensational the story, the more airtime he gets. The more notoriety. The better revenge."
Austin had finally gone small and slid out. But even now he was growing again.
"He'll give up eventually." I grabbed Austin's shaft. "Nigel doesn't have your stamina."
"Good to know I'm the better man." Austin grabbed my wrist and spread my legs again. "I'll show you stamina."
"Is that a threat?" My lips were inches from his.
"No, that's a beautiful promise."
We woke in the morning to Austin's phone ringing. He grabbed it. I heard Cam's voice on the other end, but only enough to make out that it was Cam, not the details of what he said. Austin's side of the conversation was cryptic as well. When he hung up, Austin smiled.
"You look happy," I said. "What's up?"
"We were under heavy cyberattack last night."
"What? We were under attack and you kept it to yourself?" I frowned. "That's some night—threats from all sides."
"Nothing the guys and I couldn't handle. I can protect my lady and my assets." He shrugged. "On top of everything else, why bother you with it? Anyway, it doesn't matter. That was Cam reporting that the new defenses we put in place worked. No breaches. Working with the guys to install them and defend against the attack is why I was so late to bed last night."
"And here I thought it was because you were losing interest now that you snagged me," I said.
He glanced down at his crotch. "Not losing interest. Not by a long shot. I woke up with this and still have it after talking to Cam. That's saying something."
I grinned and reached for him. "So what are we going to do about it?"
"I have to meet the guys in the media room." He didn't sound eager to go.
Well, I did have him by his dick.
"How long do you need, big guy?" I said in my sultry voice. "I can take care of you in minutes."
"Can you now? And what about yourself?"
"I'm not going to take much longer."
And I did—take care of him. And I didn't take much longer. After he left, I showered, dressed, and left our private deck to join the men in the main deck salon for breakfast, which was several decks below ours.
The weather, fortunately, was once again clear, sunny, and calm as we cruised the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. Even Austin was weathering the trip well, without any seasickness, thanks to motion sickness drugs. I commented on the fine weather to one of the stewards on my way down. He told me the captain and first mate were pleased with the weather reports and to expect a pleasant trip for the remainder.
"How long will it take to get to Glasgow?" I asked.
"We cruise at twenty knots, ma'am. The distance is a little over five hundred miles. Ordinarily, we could make it in twenty-five to thirty hours if we pushed straight on," he said.
"But we're not 'pushing straight on,' I take it?" I said.
"We've been asked to make a few stops along the way." He looked embarrassed. "I don't want to spoil any surprises, but I believe we aren't scheduled to arrive in Glasgow for several days."
"I won't push for more details, then," I said, and left to continue to the salon.
We had a wonderful chef onboard, and there was no shortage of food. The way they fed us was a bit like being on a cruise ship, only we didn't get to dine with the captain. As I approached the salon, something smelled delicious. It was a healthy sign that my appetite—all of my appetites—were returning full force.
I found the men in the salon, looking grim as they gathered around a table, watching something on one of their tablets.
"Something wrong?" Was it my imagination or did they look up guiltily, as if they were trying to hide something from me?
Austin scowled. "That breach I mentioned?"
I nodded. "The one you thwarted?"
"Yeah." He came to me and, taking me by the arms, looked me in the eye. "We prevented an attack on our assets. But our photographer, the one I hired to photograph the engagement, our private engagement—"
"Oh, no." My mouth went dry. "What happened?"
"Someone hacked his server and stole our engagement video. He was still working on it. He knows exactly which version was taken, and it isn't the final." Austin muttered some choice words. "I didn't even think to strengthen the defenses there. I have no idea how the hacker even knew about the photographer."
"We weren't exactly stealthy in our visit," I said. "We drew our fair share of attention. All a hacker had to do was search online for us." I braced for the worst. "And?"
"We've traced the hack. We think it's Randy." Austin rubbed my arms. "He sold the video to one of the major celebrity gossip sites, probably to finance his run from the law. And to get revenge on us. It's all over the media now."
I swore beneath my breath as Austin pulled me to his chest.
"I'm sorry, Blair."
The guys stood by silently, uneasy as they waited for my reaction.
I took a deep breath. "Well," I said when I calmed down enough to find my voice, "at least this proves you didn't kidnap me."
Austin pulled back and grinned down at me. The guys applauded.
Austin shook his head. "I like your attitude. I wish I was off the hook so easily. Nigel has already responded, claiming I brainwashed you."
I rolled my eyes. "Crazy! That's nonsense. I'll call the authorities and put a stop to this right now." I pulled my phone out. "Have any of you tweeted a response?"
Lazer came up beside us. "I have my social media management team on it. They're handling your response, and Austin's. They're very good at their job. They've recommended we fight by not hitting back directly. It's better to show people how happy you are. To show them you're free to come and go as you please. Not that there's much doubt. But we need to make the most of this.
"Heeding their advice, we're making a stop in Kinsale, Ireland, so you can give a statement to the police. It's a nice town, several thousand people. A good size for us. A large enough port for the yacht. But a yacht this size will get people talking. We could stop in Dublin, but that's a big city. We won't make as much of a splash there."
"Ireland isn't part of the UK," I said.
"Exactly," Lazer said. "If things go wrong, we can beg them not to extradite Austin."
"It can't be that grim," I said. "But I wouldn't mind seeing a bit of Ireland."
"I hope you won't mind seeing a few things on the way." Austin kissed me and then hesitated aga
in. "The show called."
"Yes?" I said warily.
"They've seen the engagement video. They think it's brilliant and want to use it. They're willing to pay for a legitimate copy and use it to promo the show. If you agree?"
I shrugged. "Why not? It's already out there. At least we should get the final version out and make sure we all look good."
The tension in the room eased.
I looked around at the guys. "Just make sure you protect that poor photographer so that nothing else gets stolen. I guess this is a lesson—from now on, we protect the moat. All moats."
They applauded.
"Good," I said. "Now that that's settled, let's eat."
During breakfast the talk was of Nigel and Randy and how to stop them from causing more trouble.
"They seem to be working at cross purposes," Lazer said. "What one does undermines the other." He laughed. "We can hope they eat each other. Or we can neutralize them both."
"Why do I keep hearing that as neutering?" Jeremy said.
"Wishful thinking." Cam laughed.
"Neutering, neutralizing," Lazer said. "Same difference Personally, I vote for neutering…neutralizing."
"I agree," Austin said without hesitating. "We can't rely on their self-interests running counter to each other forever. If they ever get together…"
Jeremy's eyes lit up. "Where do we start?"
Chapter 6
Blair
Kinsale, Ireland was a beautiful port town on the south coast. It was a tourist town, a holiday resort for both the Irish and the flood of tourists who came to the country every year. It had a reputation as a foodie's place. We were eager to give the local eateries a whirl. It was also known for its yachting. Convenient for us. There were many fine yachts in the marina as we cruised in. But none anywhere near as luxurious and large as ours. In our case, size mattered.
Lazer had been completely right. We created the desired stir. There was no need for any Jamie fame here. No need to call out the press. The yacht was conspicuous enough to get us all the attention we wanted and needed.
We had worked the plan out ahead of time—I was to disembark from the yacht alone. A single woman, dressed for a holiday in town on her own. Stylishly, I might add, in yet another of the casual dresses I'd bought for the trip. Though, I must admit, I was fast running out of new outfits. If I was going to continue to be in the spotlight, and not be seen wearing the same thing day after day, I would have to go shopping soon. In that regard, too bad we hadn't chosen Dublin. Fortunately for me, the rest of my luggage would be waiting for me in Inverness.
A crowd of people had already formed by the time the yacht was fully docked. All I had to do was walk out to meet my adoring crowd. Adoring. Right. Curious, yes. Certainly. Who was this woman who commanded a yacht? And what was her mission in town? I could almost hear the local merchants salivating at the thought of "my" money.
I looked out at the town and took a deep breath, trying to pull on my cloak of confidence. Courage, Blair.
Austin took me in his arms and gave me a quick kiss. "You got this. Lazer's Irish lawyer is meeting you at the station. I'll meet you at the restaurant after. Kinsale's a small town. The high street is just a few blocks off the harbor. Think you can find your way?"
I nodded.
"Do you feel up to the walk?" He was still protective. Gotta love a protective guy. "Say the word and I'll call for a ride."
"I'll be okay. I'd rather walk." The exercise would do me good.
"All right, then." He nodded. "Good luck." He signaled the steward that I was ready.
On cue, the crew lowered the gangplank. I walked it alone, sunhat pressed to my head to avoid it being blown off by the sea breeze. Had to keep the sun off my delicate Seattle-bred skin. Though how much did I have to fear from the Irish sun?
I walked with a swing in my step, acting as if I was completely carefree and off on an adventure. As if arriving in a luxury yacht with a crew of nearly twenty was no biggie for me, just an everyday occurrence. As if I was unaware of the pictures being snapped of me and posted who knew where.
There were reality stars that would die for this kind of attention. I hated to think I'd become one of them. I certainly wouldn't die for this, but right now it was important to put on a show.
I walked past the crowds, smiling at those who waved at me. So this was what it felt like to be a princess. I pitied real princesses. I would rather have been one of the anonymous tourists in the crowd—so much more freedom in anonymity. But I played my part to the best of my ability and walked up the hill away from the harbor into the narrow streets of town. It was the kind of quaint town the Irish countryside is famous for.
I found the police station without a problem, guided by my trusty phone. A lawyerly looking, and surprisingly young, man waited outside. How could I tell? He was dressed in what I could only describe as a city style, not casual holiday attire like the vacation crowd. He was sophisticated and had the characteristic Irish dark hair and striking blue eyes. "Dr. Edwards?"
I extended my hand. "My lawyer, I presume."
"Aidan Byrne at your service."
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Byrne." I suppressed a laugh, but only with effort. His Irish accent was delightful. But it made it hard for me to understand his last name at first. When I did…Lazer. What a sense of humor. Did he only hire lawyers named "burn" in some form? Did he have a secret desire to burn the competition? Or maybe a not-so-secret desire. Lazer was a take-no-prisoners guy.
"Please. Call me Aidan."
I nodded. "Do you practice in Kinsale, Aidan?"
"No. I came down from Dublin."
"Ah." That explained the "city-ness" of him. "You have to forgive my lack of knowledge. Lazer hired you. Thanks for coming."
"Oh, it's no problem. When the senior partners get a call from a man of Mr. Grayson's stature and say jump, I do. It's nice to get out of the city." He briefed me quickly and held the door open. "Shall we?"
Taking a breath, I steeled myself and went in in front of him. We drew attention immediately.
A high-powered Dublin lawyer and an American doctor weren't to be ignored.
A uniform behind the reception desk jumped to our service, possibly more out of curiosity than anything. Or the sense that we had connections and it was in his best interest to take care of us. "May I help you, ma'am? Sir?"
I smiled my brightest. "Dr. Blair Edwards and my lawyer, Mr. Byrne." I indicated Aidan and gave his credentials from his prestigious Dublin firm. "I'm here to report that, contrary to what my former boyfriend Nigel Helyer is claiming, I haven't been kidnapped on the Cornish coast by a band of American pirates." I laughed.
Okay, this was fun. Too few people got to take this kind of revenge on their revenge-seeking douchebag exes. And, as I was realizing, everyone should have the chance. "I'm hoping you can help me convince the British authorities of that fact. As you can see, I'm here completely of my own volition. No rapacious captors in sight."
The uniformed officer quickly wiped a look of astonishment off his face. "Right this way." He guided us to a private interrogation room. "It's an unusual request you're making, it is." He glanced at Aidan.
"We're aware." Aidan pulled a chair out for me. "Dr. Edwards wants this nonsense dealt with quickly and thoroughly."
I nodded. "As Mr. Byrne says. It may be completely unnecessary to go through all this. But I don't want my fiancé arrested on a nuisance charge. This is harassment by my ex-boyfriend, pure and simple.
I hesitated. "I wasn't sure where to turn. We were sailing from Cornwall to Glasgow when we found out about the allegations Nigel is making. The Irish seemed like a good choice."
I let Aidan explain who I was, what had happened, and the remedy we were seeking. Which was pretty simple—put a stop to this nonsense. And embarrass Nigel back into his corner. But Aidan didn't say that. I was glad Aidan was with me to handle the details. He described the situation eloquently and passionately. And he knew how to handle the
local authorities. The situation was laughable, really. But after what Austin had been through lately, we were taking no chances.
"Can you help me?" I said when Aidan finished.
All right, I played the helpless female card, doing everything but batting my eyelashes. It was beneath me. But it was effective. Along with Aidan's elegant making of my case, what could the poor officer do but help?
"Well," the officer said. "Let's get Scotland Yard on the phone, shall we? We'll get this cleared right up for you."
Austin
The guys voted to go to the best steakhouse in town. The reviews online claimed it had a romantic atmosphere. But the men were only interested in the steak and the ale. Never get between a carnivore and his meat. Even the romantic atmosphere didn't turn them off the place. We asked for a secluded table in the corner to avoid any prying eyes, and ordered a round of drinks. When in Ireland, one must drink either Guinness or Smithies. The guys all ordered one of each for comparison's sake.
Waiting for Blair, I was more nervous than I liked to admit. She could handle herself and the situation. I worried about her overdoing it. I didn't want any setbacks. She should be taking it easy. I cursed Nigel for adding to her stress. She had a mild headache on the way in to port. Typical of an injury like she had, she told me. Nothing to worry about. At least she was with the lawyer. I glanced at my watch.
Beside me, Cam shook his head. "Stop checking the time. She'll be here any minute."
Jeremy nudged me. "Look. There she is. And she's already making friends with the locals." He waved and caught her attention.
"That's her lawyer?" I said, glancing at Lazer for confirmation. He nodded.
Blair smiled, waved back, and walked toward us with her lawyer.
I stood to greet her, taking her in my arms when she reached the table. "So? Am I a free man?"
"Free as a bird." She kissed me, eyes shining. "I felt silly. But the sergeant who helped us was very nice and understanding. So were the people at Scotland Yard. All charges, and thoughts of charges, dropped. It's hard to dispute a purported victim's claim that she isn't a victim and never was."
Simply Austin Page 6