Alice nodded, afraid to speak for fear of blurting out something to cause more embarrassment. Her face emanated heat, which, given her sudden leap to femme fatale status, she should expect. If only her brain would get with the program and give her the nous to act cool as a cucumber as a good femme fatale should. She snorted. Yeah, like that would happen. Her friend Jennifer was the poised one not her.
She picked up the package and studied the writing on the label. It wasn’t Jennifer’s. Mystified, she unfastened the string and unwrapped the plain brown paper to reveal a square white box. Alice peeled back the sticky tape that held the box closed and lifted the lid. Something jumped from the box straight into her face. She let out a shriek of surprise and shot backward, her chair toppling over in her haste.
“Alice? Are you all right?” Lindy asked.
Alice stared at the box and the lurid colored clown face that leered at her. It still moved, jiggling from side to side on a shiny silver spring. Her heart fluttered in an erratic manner and her legs shook so much she had to sit. She righted her chair and the seat cushion that had fallen to the floor and sat, studying the box with distaste. “I’m sorry. It gave me a fright.”
“It’s a jack-in-a-box.” Jake’s lips curled in a delighted grin. “Who’s it from?”
“I don’t know.” She stared at the red envelope sitting beside the clown box. Her skin prickled as she ripped open the flap and pulled out a card. The front depicted the same dog picture she’d noticed on the business card handed to her after the reading of her aunt’s will. Inside the card was one word. Surprise.
Trepidation hit Alice. She’d received a surprise all right, but what did it mean? She reached for the cup of coffee Lindy had poured for her with a trembling hand. Fancy Free. That had to be the connection. The women who had given her the business cards both belonged to the cult. This must be something to do with condoms.
The shrill of the phone broke into her reflection. The noise shut off when Jake leaned back in his chair to snag the phone off the marble counter. “Hello. Sure. She’s still here.” Jake handed her the portable, his dark eyes twinkling. “It’s for you. The playboy.” His smirk said more but after a brief glance at his wife, he returned to his breakfast.
“Hello?”
“Alice, we have a problem. How soon can you get here? I’ve called an emergency board meeting.” Not a hint of the lover shaded his voice. This was the businessman and he sounded worried.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes.” She could do businesslike and professional too.
* * * * *
James tapped his foot and waited in the boardroom for everyone to arrive. How the hell had this happened? He glanced at the brochure spread out on his desk. It belonged to their main competitor. Their opposition’s new condom, a replica of the X-100, went on sale to the public today.
The X-100 wouldn’t ship from Fancy Free for another two weeks since they hadn’t finished tests and the final design of the packaging still required tweaks. He cursed under his breath. Someone, somehow had stolen their design.
Loud shouts attracted his attention and he strode over to the window. A group of cult members loitered outside the premises, placards held aloft. Their white robes flapped in the stiff breeze but the cool start to the day hadn’t deterred their enthusiasm. With turban-covered heads held high, they marched in a tight circle, chants loud and strident.
“Condoms are evil.”
“Make love and babies!”
“Down with Fancy Free!”
James frowned. The cult had moved into town about six months ago, around about the same time small, niggling problems had started at Fancy Free. They opposed contraception and judging by the number of kids around the property they’d purchased, they practiced what they preached. James’ frown intensified. Was it possible that one of the cult had infiltrated the company? No, too far-fetched. He swung away from the window, knowing there was nothing the company could do about the protest in front of their building. Richard and Luke said the cult weren’t breaking any laws. They had a right to protest.
Richard Morgan and Sam Glengarry wandered into the boardroom first. One look at him wiped the grins from their faces. They dropped into chairs.
“What’s up?” Richard asked. “Has Ms. Knowall attacked Fancy Free in her gossip column again?”
Ms. Knowall—yet another person who wouldn’t shed any tears if the company failed.
“Worse,” James muttered. “I’ll wait for the others so I don’t have to repeat everything.”
Alice hurried into the boardroom, flushed with her luscious body hid beneath another of her shapeless suits. This time it was gray. She wore a white blouse underneath but a large maroon scarf hid her best assets. A short ponytail emphasized the cuteness aspect. James now knew the freckles only covered her nose and her skin was pale and petal soft. The rest of the board followed not long after, redirecting his thoughts from Alice to the X-100.
His gut tightened while the board members ambled to their chairs, as if they had all the time in the world.
“Where’s the coffee?” Richard asked. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
Ben smirked and it hit sly with bells on. “I bet it wasn’t work. I saw you with that woman last night and you looked mighty cozy. Yes sir, mighty cozy. Mark my words, we’ll see a mention of you in the Sloan Gazette any day now.”
James cut in before the oldies went off on a tangent and started in on the local gossip. “We have a problem.”
“I’m missing my bowls tournament,” Harriet said. “I have a good chance of winning today since Mildred Walker is sick. You’re the manager. I can’t see why you don’t manage the problem.”
The board members nodded and talked at once.
James bit back an uncomplimentary curse, trying to remind himself he must tread warily. He inhaled and then exhaled before attempting to get his point across. “T.J. and Co have a new condom out on the market today.” James spoke above the chorus of complaints. The noise abated, and he lowered his voice. “It’s a replica of the X-100.”
“The same?” Alice asked, grasping the implications.
James sighed. “Yeah. Our edge is shot to hell. The company will lose its shirt on the X-100 because after the problems we’ve had, it’s still not ready to hit the market. It will be another two weeks before we ship.”
Ben opened his mouth, hesitating before he spoke. “No dividends for the shareholders this year?”
James closed his eyes and wished for Alicia’s calm presence. She had a way of cutting through the crap. He missed the way she managed the board in times of crisis. “Not after this.”
“What are our options? How did it happen?” Alice asked. She hadn’t joined in the general outcry. Her eyes were huge and the freckles stood out against her pale skin. At least he didn’t feel so alone at the top. He shoved aside a sliver of concern as his suspicions took another turn. He hoped Alice wasn’t doing this for the money. Contrary to his parents’ beliefs, there were more important things than accumulating wealth. He scanned her face again. It was full of quiet determination. Instinct told him she would do whatever it took to help the company succeed. Just as he would. Neither of them could afford failure.
“Our development team has another possibility they could develop.”
“But that’s more money down the drain,” Katarina stated. “It’s a risk we can’t afford.”
“But if we don’t take a risk, we’ll end up with nothing,” Alice said quietly. “Let’s give James an opportunity to tell us his plans so we can make an informed decision.”
James had the urge to grab Alice and kiss her, especially when the rest of the board nodded in grudging agreement. Perhaps there was more of Alicia in her than he’d realized.
“I’ll admit this will hit our cash reserves hard. I’ll work with Rita to redo our budgets and arrange for extended overdrafts at the bank. There shouldn’t be any problems there. Meanwhile, we need a plan to minimize our losses. I’ve asked
Rodney to come up to discuss his ideas for a new product. Richard, can you review security and find out how the hell our innovative idea ended up in the hands of the opposition? We want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Richard nodded. “No problem. I might need a helper since I’ve got a few other things on my plate. Joseph? Ben?”
“We can help,” Joseph said.
A tap sounded on the boardroom door. James strode across to answer, ushering Rodney, their chief product inventor, into the room.
He dropped into a seat next to Ben and ran his hand through his curly brown hair. The unruly tufts of hair indicated he did this on a regular basis. Next, he took off his glasses and polished the lenses.
Harriet pulled out her knitting, seeming to accept she wouldn’t get to bowls today. “Tell us about your new idea, young man.”
“I c–c–all it V-vibrations!”
The board let out a collective sigh of relief. James hid his grin. It always took Rodney a while to warm up, as if his enthusiasm oiled his voice and helped with his tentative disposition.
“Vibrations. Weird name for a condom.” Richard stood, checked the coffee filter and then switched on the machine. The drip-drip began, and the invigorating scent of coffee soon permeated the boardroom.
“This is a-a deluxe model. It has a dual purpose to function as a condom and a vibrator.” Rodney glanced around the table with a proud grin. “Good, uh?”
Doubt seemed the major reaction. Exactly his response when Rodney had first told him about the new idea.
“Have you done any trials yet?”
Rodney’s grin faded. “No, not yet. We decided to wait for the X-100 to launch, doing final tests on that first.”
“How soon can the trials start? How much will they cost?” Joseph asked.
Alice listened with a sense of dread. Thankfully, she hadn’t swallowed more than coffee this morning. The knowledge that her inheritance was in dire danger wasn’t doing much for her security levels. The shiny picture she held inside her head of a three-bedroom house with a husband and family was slipping from her grasp. Alice swallowed the lump of terror in her throat and decided to face the problem instead of trying to hide from the truth. She needed to act and fight for her future.
“Can we be sure that the same thing won’t happen with the new product? That the idea won’t be copied by an opposition company?” she asked.
“Excellent point.” Sam Glengarry shook his mane of grizzled hair. “No sense throwing good money after bad.”
Richard tilted back on his chair until two feet left the carpet. “Did we use the group of final testers we normally use?”
The image of naked couples in a lab, lying on a sterile white bed with discarded X-100s surrounding it popped into Alice’s mind. She suppressed a snort of humor and forced her mind to the current discussions.
Joseph straightened from his slouch, looking more like an ex-property tycoon than a retiree. “Do you think that’s where the confidential leak is? The people who test our products?”
“It’s one possibility. They’ve signed confidentiality clauses, but maybe someone isn’t sticking to the terms.” James rose to pluck the full carafe of coffee off the coffeemaker. He filled several cups and passed them round.
“We need to do everything differently this time,” Alice said.
James nodded, his gaze caught hers and held. Heat seared between them. It was like putting her fingers in an electrical socket, or at least how she imagined it felt. The heat traveled from her face, down her throat and lingered in her breasts. The tips reacted, pulling tight. The exquisite sensation shot from her breasts to her sex, tingling with possibilities and bringing a rush of moist arousal. Oh boy.
“Well, who will test the condoms?” Rodney asked, drumming ink-stained fingers on the polished tabletop. “They can’t go to market without trials. I need human guinea pigs to run tests in conjunction with the machine tests, especially since I’m experimenting with different latex processes. I’d offer to test, but I’m so busy with design work I don’t have a life. I can test them on myself but that’s not enough. We need male and female testing.”
“Don’t look at me.” Harriet’s knitting needles flashed silver in the stream of sunlight coming through the bank of windows. “I’m too old to test condoms.”
“Ask Richard. He might want to test some with the mystery woman,” Joseph said.
“Leave me out of this,” Richard snapped.
“The way I look at it.” Katarina’s voice was firm. “There’s only one sensible solution. We need to keep this in-house. James and Alice can test the condoms for us.”
Chapter Six
A rusty bark of laughter escaped Ben. “Better shut that mouth, girl. A fly will happen by and will think it’s an invitation to come inside.”
Heeding the warning, Alice pressed her lips together, her teeth meeting with an audible clack. They didn’t expect…
She scanned their lined faces. Their expressions ranged from grim to determined. They did. They expected her to help test the condom. With an inward eye roll, she glanced at James and found him observing her. His expression told her nothing. She didn’t know him well enough to tell if he favored the idea or not.
“Alice, we wouldn’t make the suggestion but it’s obvious there’s chemistry between you and James,” Katarina said.
Joseph nodded. “You didn’t get those swollen lips from sucking lemons.”
“I hear the two of you left The Thirsty Cricket together last night,” Ben said.
Alice’s cheeks burned. Was nothing sacred at Fancy Free? “I don’t think—”
“It’s a great idea.” Rodney interrupted before she voiced her objections.
Harriet paused her knitting to nail her with an intense stare. “The thing is, we will lose our shirts if we don’t take drastic action. Alicia drove this company and we’re drifting without her.” She wrinkled her nose. “Like a rudderless ship. We need you. No offense meant, James. We need you too.”
“Stop the pressure, guys.” James’ gaze rested on her for an instant. “Alice and I will discuss the testing later. Meantime, are you in agreement about the development of a new condom model?”
“Take a vote,” Rita suggested. “All in favor raise your hands.”
Alice watched the hands go up one by one. Officially, she was still almost engaged to Steven. He’d made his views clear about condoms and hadn’t returned her calls. Perhaps she’d try to ring Steven again and ascertain where their relationship stood and she’d arrange for an extended leave from her job. She’d put that off because it felt as if she were closing the door on the security she knew in exchange for something unknown. Yes, there might be money in the future, but risks littered the way.
Scary risks.
“Alice, are you voting?” James cocked his head, his bright blue eyes full of questions and something more difficult to discern.
Alice had difficulty breathing as she stared back.
“If we go ahead, we’ll stretch our financial resources, but I believe we can weather this rough patch,” he added.
Risk. Huh! Losing her inheritance, after walking away from her accountancy job, made her stomach roil. But what were the options? Now that she’d told the lawyer she agreed to the terms of the will, she had to support the company. Time to join the tea party or leave the rabbit hole.
She raised her hand.
“That’s all of us. Okay. We proceed.” James stood. “Rita and I will start with the budgets and the bank. I suggest we meet tomorrow morning at nine. I should have an update by then.”
Rita and the board members dispersed to take care of their daily activities leaving Alice alone with Rodney and James.
“I have several of the prototypes ready to test,” Rodney said. “Should I get them?”
“Please.” James smiled.
Rodney hustled from the room.
The oxygen leached from the boardroom with him. Alice swallowed, aware of her body’s hei
ghtened reaction to James. She gasped to fill her lungs. A bad boy, her mother would have said. She agreed, and she should keep her hands off. Except after one taste she wanted more. Every instinct demanded she move closer and take everything he offered. So, he’d leave, but she’d have memories to drag out when she moved into her own home. She’d learn about sex and passion and how to run the company.
“You don’t have to do this. It’s a stupid idea. I don’t mind doing the tests—it’s a good plan since it cuts down on the possibility of information leaks. But you don’t have to help.”
No. Her reaction came instantaneously. Pain, layered with a slice of jealousy, pierced straight through her heart. The idea of James testing the condoms with another woman…
No! If anyone tested condoms with James, it would be her.
“I’m up for this crazy scheme.”
“Well, let’s hope I am.” James gave one of his sexy, bad-boy grins. “We’ll be in trouble if I can’t rise to the occasion.”
After this morning, it wasn’t difficult to imagine the scenario. Long. Thick. Blunt-tipped with a reddish crown on full arousal. Her body tingled, and she wished she was brazen enough to undo the row of brass buttons on the denim blue shirt he wore and slide her fingers beneath to touch warm flesh. Even better, she’d like to strip the clothes from his body and explore. She’d search out the tender places—his flat masculine nipples, the soft skin below his ear, his belly. Alice fought a smile. She’d work out what made this bad boy tick.
“Earth to Alice!” His hands curled around her shoulders and he shook her. “Are you sure you’re okay with this damn-fool idea?”
An imp of humor broke free. She leaned closer until the tips of their noses touched. His eyes widened, the irises deepening in color until they reminded her of mysterious rock pools she’d played in at the beach as a kid. “Tick-tock,” she said seconds before she leaned right in and kissed him.
At first, he didn’t react, his lips remaining slack beneath hers. She hesitated. Okay, so she was still an almost virgin, but she knew a thing or two about kisses.
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