“I’m pleased to meet you,” Alice said politely.
“If you hadn’t sunk your claws into James, he’d be heading the family law firm.” The woman shoved past without another word, leaving Alice staring after her in shock. James? A lawyer? First time she’d heard that. Ms. Knowall, the gossip columnist was falling down on her job.
“Wait, Alice!”
Alice turned to see Luke prowl toward her. “Where are you off to?”
“I have to meet James down by the river.”
Luke’s brows rose and he ran a hand through his curly dark hair. “Oh?”
Heat collected in her cheeks and she silently cursed her propensity for blushing. “We have work to discuss.”
“I’ll walk with you,” Luke said, his firm tone brooking no refusal.
“I…um…okay,” she said finally. With Luke at her side, she hurried past the flower shop, the cult shop, the town hall and down the road toward the river, arriving red-faced and out of breath ten minutes later. Luke teased her unmercifully the whole time.
When they arrived at the river, James waited on a blanket spread out on the ground, concentrating on paperwork.
“Hi.”
“You’re late.” He packed up a folder of reports and glared at Luke for an instant before his expression blanked.
“My fault,” Luke said, a lazy grin curling across his sensual lips.
Confused, Alice ripped her gaze away from the sexy sight. How could two men attract her at the same time?
“Dad and I waylaid her at the cafe. Nice meeting you, Alice. James, we have to catch up for that drink. How about later in the week?”
James stood. “Sure. Ring me when you can make it.”
“Have fun.” Luke grinned and wandered off, whistling a tune.
“Sorry. Richard and Luke stopped me to chat in the cafe. I bought some lunch for us.”
“Great.” James nodded, although he still didn’t appear happy. “I thought we’d go to a picnic spot that only Luke and I know about. It’s private. We can eat and do our tests there without fear of interruption.”
“Make love outside?” Alice wasn’t so sure about that. Exposing her breasts in broad daylight…
“We don’t have time for you to turn prudish now,” James said sharply.
She studied him. Faint circles shaded under his eyes. Worry clouded blue eyes that normally danced with fun and life.
“Is something wrong?”
“The bank manager phoned. They’ve decided to call in our overdraft.”
Money. Fear kicked her in the gut. Memories of a childhood with no money and little food came back to haunt her. “But why? I thought they’d agreed to extend it.”
“For some reason they’ve lost confidence in us. It means we won’t have enough money to keep paying the staff. Probably another three weeks and we’ll have to start with redundancies.”
“Can’t we try another bank?” She’d recheck the budgets when she returned to the office. There must be something they could do, some way they could cut corners.
“Rita and I have rung around every bank and financial institute this morning. Someone has spread rumors about Fancy Free and no one is jumping at the chance to finance an ailing condom company.”
Alice swallowed painfully, her chest suddenly tight and aching. If the company failed, she’d lose everything. “What will we do?” Her dreams…
“I’ll call a board meeting. Once we’ve met and pooled our ideas, we’ll take it from there.”
She’d taken leave from her job for the rest of the year. They’d already organized a replacement. It wouldn’t be easy to find another job that paid the same wage, which would force her to dip into her precious savings—her security blanket. She frowned, sick to the pit of her stomach. After all the time and energies they’d expended she couldn’t get past the idea that they might fail and lose everything.
“No point worrying about it until we know the worst.” James picked up the chocolate brown rug he’d been sitting on, grabbed her basket and led her toward an overgrown path.
They brushed past floppy ferns and skirted prickly blackberry bushes. The bubble of the stream followed them as they made their way deeper into the cool bush. Alice tried not to worry but it wasn’t easy. They walked past several punga tree ferns, karaka and totara trees. Moss grew on fallen tree logs and she spotted colorful red and white toadstools. The scent of moist foliage filled the air along with the faint drift of citrus from James.
A bird flitted from a low hanging branch and Alice’s heart almost jumped out her mouth. A nervous laugh escaped. It was the clown and the dog. They had turned her into a nervous wreck.
“It’s not far now.”
Alice trailed him, her gaze stealing to his butt. Sex. At least that was one way to keep worry at bay. He had a truly splendid rear end. Despite his managerial position, he always dressed casually in jeans and a shirt. Denim suited him, cupping his buttocks and drawing every feminine eye in the vicinity. Alice had noticed Harriet and Katarina give him the once over when they thought no one would catch them. It gave her a thrill to know she could not only look but touch.
Up ahead, the sky lightened and sunshine crept through the bush canopy. James kept walking and turned down a hidden path she hadn’t noticed. After another ten minutes, climbing over a fallen log and crossing a tiny stream, they exited the shade into the warm sunshine. A waterfall flowed into a pool before the water ran through the clearing, disappearing in the direction they’d walked from. He stopped by a grassy area and spread out the blanket.
“Feel like a swim before we get to work?” He started to unbutton his shirt before she’d answered, flinging it down onto the rug. He made short work of shucking the rest of his clothes then strode to the edge of the waterhole.
Alice sighed with pure appreciation. She’d never tire of studying his masculine form. Muscles that rippled beneath the surface but weren’t too bulky. Long legs. Slim hips. A butt worthy of photos. And she had the freedom to use his body as a playground. A slow grin crawled across her mouth. Yep, a tough job but someone had to do it.
James waded into the water without hesitation and ducked beneath the surface, kicking strongly enough to churn up white water before disappearing.
She waited for him to surface. When he didn’t, fear rippled through her. Apprehensive, she stripped off her white shirt and black trousers then sprinted into the water still dressed in her panties and bra. She squeaked as the chill washed over her calves and thighs, halting abruptly. Water surged around her legs while she searched frantically for him. It was bloody freezing.
Something brushed against her legs and she peered through the water, her mind dwelling on all sorts of dangerous creatures.
“James?” Her voice wavered with uncertainty and a trace of worry. She thought she heard a voice and listened intently. “James?”
“I went behind the waterfall,” he called over the rush of water.
Alice exhaled with a whoosh, concern giving way to irritation. “Don’t do that again. I was worried.”
He swam up to her and plucked her bra strap when he reached her side. “Your underwear is wet.”
“No thanks to you.” Shivering, she turned to head for the grassy bank. He held her fast, gripping her gently but firmly.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you. Since you’re wet now, why don’t you stay in? Let me show you the waterfall.” He reached behind her and flicked open the clasp of her sodden cotton bra. He had it off before she had time to blink, and while she thought about the expertise he’d shown and jealousy reared its head, her bra floated away on the current.
“My bra!” Alice splashed through the water after it but he held her in place.
“Good riddance. It’s not sexy enough for your beautiful breasts. I’ll buy you a new one.”
The money-conscious Alice was taken aback, horrified at discarding a perfectly good garment. “But I can’t afford—”
“Is money all you think
about?”
The sharp note in his voice brought a frown. Angry James had returned.
“No. I think about you and sex a lot,” she retorted.
As quick as the delete key removed words from a computer screen, his bad mood faded. A grin crawled across his face, highlighting his gorgeous blue eyes and spiky eyelashes.
“You won’t miss these then.”
Once again, he took her by surprise, ripping her panties with an ease that shocked the heck out of her. They drifted away on the current too. Alice stared after them hoping with a kind of morbid fascination that the kids of Sloan didn’t choose this particular day to fish.
“Come on.” He tugged her hand and led her toward the waterfall. “Take a deep breath and duck under the screen of water.” He disappeared.
Alice puffed out her cheeks with oxygen and followed his instructions. She came up with a gasp, her hair hanging in wet strands, obscuring her vision. After wiping it away, she spied him on a small rock ledge. The water rushed over their heads.
“Cool, huh? Luke and I discovered this when we were boys.” The glee in his voice reminded Alice of a kid.
Shivering with the chilled water, she slid up on the ledge beside him. “It’s cool, all right. I’m freezing.” She spoke a little louder than normal but didn’t have any difficulty hearing him.
“Come here.” He patted the spot beside him. “I’ll warm you up.”
“We can’t test condoms here. It’s dangerous.”
“Don’t you think about anything but those damned condom tests?” The sharp edge of his tone made her stare. What had she said now? Wasn’t that what they were here for? She didn’t understand his mood swings. And they said women acted temperamental.
Chapter Eleven
After a calming breath, she said, “I thought we were on a time line.”
“We are. But that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the sex. Savor it instead of bonking ourselves stupid until we’re tired and sore.” James sighed suddenly. “Hell, you’re right. We’d better get the latest samples tested and the results back to Rodney.” He jumped off the ledge, vanished behind the rushing water and left her staring after him in confusion.
Scowling, she jumped into the water to follow. Yep, unpredictable. She’d obviously done something to offend him. In the past, she might have backed away, but she liked James. Really liked him.
She held her breath and bobbed under the screen of tumbling spray. Gasping at the icy cold despite the sun overhead, she waded to the riverbank where James waited. She strode from the water, about to demand he tell her what she’d done when the play of his muscles distracted her.
“You’re beautiful,” she whispered. And it was true. His dark hair lay flat against his head while his face glowed with good health and a golden tan from the sunshine. Dark stubble shaded his jaw, giving him a rakish air. A droplet of water escaped the attention of his towel and traveled slowly down his chest, across his belly toward his lean hip. Alice had the sudden desire to duplicate the travel path of the water and stepped closer, almost as the idea formed. Grasping his shoulders, she leaned over and licked across his collarbone, dragging the tip of her tongue leisurely over his skin. He tasted clean and fresh, his flesh cool to the touch after the swim. She glanced up through lowered lashes to gauge his reaction.
He stood still as if waiting for her next move. A test. Alice froze, her heart thundering. She felt way over her head, on the verge of traveling into uncharted territory, especially since he seemed so moody.
“Go on,” he said when she hesitated.
Alice shivered again, but this time it had nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the sensual heat coiling in her pussy. With a deep breath, she licked down toward a masculine nipple. She dragged her tongue over the flat disc before teasing it with the tip. He growled deep in his chest, his hands coming up to tangle in her hair so Alice figured she was doing something right. Continuing by instinct, she scraped her teeth across his nipple and bit lightly. A groan slipped from him. Alice explored lower, stroking his skin with her hands. She licked and laved with her tongue. Her hands fluttered the length of his erection.
“Take my cock in your mouth.”
Alice hesitated, tipping her head back to stare at him.
“I want your mouth on me.” His gaze held steady and contained a hint of challenge. She considered remarking on their tests, but she held back. Mention of their task seemed to make him angry. “Alice?”
She wanted that too. Holding his gaze, she knelt in front of him. She grasped his muscular legs for balance, taking his shaft in her hands, and licked across the bulbous head before a glance up to check his expression. Encouraged when she saw nothing but pleasure etched on his face and desire glowing in his blue eyes, she explored further. She licked across the tiny slit at the end, tasting him before growing adventurous and taking him fully into her mouth. Alice sucked and ran her tongue over the flared head of his shaft. Her reward was a groan, and his hands laced in her hair while their gazes held.
She smiled around his cock, enjoying this power over him. She sucked again and hollowed her cheeks until another groan rumbled deep in his chest.
“Damn, that is awesome.”
Alice gripped his thighs and played the seductress, licking and sucking, hoping to drive him to lose control. He rocked, thrusting deeper into her mouth before he pulled from her without warning.
“What’s wrong?” she demanded, confusion roiling through her. She didn’t pretend to understand him. Originally she’d suspected the bad boy was all about lovin’ and leavin’ women, good times and no responsibility. Alice realized she’d made assumptions and assigned him a label.
“You’d better grab a condom.”
Resignation swiftly followed disappointment. Condoms. She was sick of testing the stupid things. Since they’d started with the trial, things had gone wrong between them. He’d changed, behaving differently. Not with everyone, only with her.
Reconciled to more tests, she reached for her bag. “Any particular number?”
“How about number one?” He sat and sprawled on the blanket, casual and at ease with his nakedness. “We should have probably gone through the samples in number order. It would have made it easier.”
Alice shuffled through the bags in lieu of staring at his sun-kissed body. Number one wasn’t there. With a frown, she went through the numbered bags again. She grabbed the clipboard from her straw basket and flipped through the pages.
“What’s wrong?”
She glanced over at him. His eyes were closed while he reclined at ease, waiting for her to find the condom.
“It’s not in my bag. I’ve checked our copies of the results. This is the third batch of condoms Rodney has given us.”
He sat up, his scrutiny intense. “Would one of the other board members have received it in their test lots?”
Alice shook her head. “Rodney delivered the box of samples to me. We checked them together before I divided them between us and the board members.”
“What did you do with the samples after that?”
His sharp tone and rapid-fired questions annoyed her. She wanted the company to succeed. Her future security depended on it. Surely he didn’t think she had something to do with the problems the company faced? “I locked them in my office and rang the board members concerned. Everyone except Richard Morgan came in to pick up their test samples, and I handed them over in person. I locked Richard’s samples away until he picks them up, probably this afternoon.”
James nodded. “What about our samples?”
“I put them in my handbag until I met you for lunch.”
“Did anyone come into your office this morning?”
“Rodney. Several of the board members—they came to pick up their condoms. I had a meeting with a sales rep from one of the latex companies this morning. Rita showed him in for me.”
“What about the other sales rep from Plastiques Incorporated?”
“I talked to
him via phone. He couldn’t fit in a visit this week.”
“Did you leave anyone alone in your office?”
Alice narrowed her gaze at his sharp tone. “No, I didn’t.”
“I’m not accusing you.”
“It sounded like it.”
He grunted and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Grab one of the other samples and come here. Please,” he added when she glared at him.
“Aren’t we going to go to investigate? Isn’t that more important?”
“As soon as we get back to the office,” he said. “Half an hour won’t make much of a difference.”
Alice scowled, not feeling like sex in the slightest. He’d practically blamed her when she had more to lose than anyone.
James moved closer and tugged her tense body against his side. “I’m sorry. I have a lot on my mind.” Such as feeling more for Alice than he wanted to. They were so different and had opposing points of view when it came to money. James had fought with his family all his adult life about money—he didn’t want it to drift over to his social life. “I’m not blaming you. So much is at stake. Although Rodney has worked on the design for months and we’re doing the final product tests, release on the market is still a few months away. At the moment we’re existing day to day. If someone has stolen that sample…” He trailed off. “You’re right. I won’t be able to concentrate until I know if there has been an error or something more sinister is afoot. We can do the rest of the tests tonight.” He stood and tugged Alice to her feet. “Get dressed and we’ll go back to the office now.”
“But I don’t have underwear.” Accusation shaded her voice and she glanced in the direction of the stream.
James grinned, the change of subject lightening his mood. Good riddance to them. “You’ll have to make do.” He made a mental note to purchase replacements, something sexy and enticing, and he knew the woman to help him with that chore. While James dressed, he watched Alice don her clothes. Although he knew she worried about her size, he thought she was perfect.
“Are you sure this doesn’t look indecent?”
He restrained his amusement. Her wet hair had dripped on her blouse, making it cling to her full breasts. Bedraggled and breathless from hurrying to dress, she looked so enticing he found it difficult to breathe. Hell, he had it bad. Only a few months to go…
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