Protection

by Shelley Munro

  “Shush,” Alice said, visibly calmer now. “Have you eaten?”

  “I…” Sorrel’s stomach let out an embarrassing rumble, forcing the truth from her. “No.”

  “James, release the girl.” Alice offered a kind smile, which settled some of Sorrel’s unease. “Come and have something to eat. You can describe your product while we have our lunch.”

  “I thought we were going to have a private picnic.” James scowled, his brows drawing together in displeasure. His longish dark hair gave him a disreputable air as did the stubble on his face.

  Alice reached out and ran her fingertips over his cheek. “I’ll make it up to you tonight.”

  “Promise?”

  The clear intimacy between the couple brought discomfort, and Sorrel shuffled from foot to foot, debating whether she should grasp this opportunity or try to make an appointment for a later date.

  “With a cherry on top.” Alice winked at her husband. “Come.” She grasped Sorrel’s hand and tugged her to their tartan picnic blanket. “Do you work in the Children of Nature store?”

  “No.” Sorrel’s mouth compressed into a tight line. She used to take her turn working in the store and had enjoyed interacting with the town’s people. But that had been before Brother Rick had taken over the running of Children of Nature from his father. That had—

  She broke off her thoughts. “No, I make the soap and other products to sell in the store.”

  “The cult won’t let you leave?” James asked, his eyes narrowed on her as if she were untrustworthy and out to take advantage of his wife. She’d seen the way he looked at Alice, as if she was the most important thing in his world. As a teenager she’d wished someone would gaze at her in that—

  Again she put a brake on her thoughts. Thinking of what-if wouldn’t help her situation. She had to make her own luck.

  “It’s difficult to leave if you lack money or contacts in the outside world.”

  “Sit,” Alice said. “Here, you can have my glass. I’ll share with James.”

  Gingerly, Sorrel kneeled and settled herself on the edge of the blanket. Now that she had their ear, fear writhed through her—a ravenous beast. She’d tested her product on herself, but what if her tingly cream didn’t work on other women?

  “I need to do more tests,” she blurted.

  “Of course you do.” Alice handed her a glass of homemade lemonade and a chicken sandwich. “Eat first, and then we’ll talk.”

  “Who stops you from leaving the cult?”

  Alice laughed lightly. “James, do let the girl eat before you decide to grill her.”

  “They’re not trustworthy.” James scowled at her. “None of them.”

  Sorrel’s shoulders slumped. “It’s all right. I understand your doubts. I’ll find another way.” Despite her hunger and her disappointment, she placed the sandwich back on the plate and set down the glass of lemonade. “Thank you for listening to me. I’m sorry I interrupted your private time together.” She stood and turned away, defeat a heavy sack on her shoulders.

  She could hardly blame them. Children of Nature held regular protests outside Alice and James’s company, Fancy Free. They organized petitions and talked to everyone who would listen about the evils of condoms—the very product Fancy Free manufactured.

  “Wait. You want out.” James glanced at his wife in clear speculation. “How far are you willing to go to leave the cult?”

  Gasping, Sorrel drew herself up tall, or as tall as a five-foot-three-inch woman could and scowled at him. “I don’t do group sex.”

  Turning away once again, tears of failure smarted at her eyes, but she held her shoulders square and departed. She’d have to find another way, and soon before Brother Rick implemented his plans to partner every woman above twenty-five with a man. There was no doubt in her mind he’d make good on his threats, and her twenty-fifth birthday was a mere two months away. Stars! She couldn’t pretend enthusiasm for sex when pregnancy would trap her in the compound.

  “We don’t participate in group sex, either,” Alice said in a wry tone. “One man is more than enough for me to handle. Wait.” She jumped to her feet and ran after Sorrel. “Please stay.”

  Sorrel hesitated, unsure. She cast a doubtful glance over her shoulder, her steps slowing.

  “Please, tell us about your cream. Please.” Alice smiled in encouragement and led her back to the blanket. “What’s your name? You know ours so you have us at a disadvantage.”

  “Sorrel Thyme. I know your names because I’ve been part of the picket line outside Fancy Free a time or two.” She lifted her chin in faint challenge when they scowled at her words. “It’s a change from making products for the shop.”

  “Glad our condom business offers you rest and relaxation,” James muttered.

  Alice elbowed her husband and smiled at Sorrel. “Share our food. Tell us what help you want from us.”

  Learn what happens next in Safeguarding Sorrel…

  Excerpt – Romp

  Fancy Free, book 2

  “Quiet!” James Bates hollered the order and waited for the bedlam to subside. All normal for a Fancy Free board meeting. Alice, his wife, winked at him and set down the fiberglass penis she’d been fondling in her hands. Just as well too. He had a devil of a time concentrating when she caressed the demos, and the saucy wench knew it pressed his buttons.

  “I don’t see why we needed this special meeting.” Richard Morgan placed his coffee mug on the table with a thump.

  Sam Glengarry, another of the elderly board members smirked, his face lighting with glee. “You’re pissy because you’d rather canoodle with Hinekiri.”

  “Damn straight,” Richard snapped. “Shut up like the man said or we’ll be here until Christmas.”

  “We might as well listen.” Joseph Craig indicated the crumb-laden plates in the middle of the table. “The cake’s finished.”

  “I’m ready.” Harriet Te Whare’s knitting needles flashed like silver swords, yarn twisting this way and that while she completed another row. “Hello, Gabrielle.” Her knitting needles ceased their clicking. “Were you looking for me? Can it wait until after my meeting?”

  “Hi, Gran.” Gaby stepped inside the boardroom and hovered uncertainly.

  “Gaby is here for the meeting.” James indicated the seat beside him, waving her over. “Come and sit beside me.”

  She still hesitated. “Should I bring in my bag of stuff?”

  James nodded with enthusiasm. “Bring it on.”

  Gaby disappeared, returning a few minutes later lugging a bulging green fabric bag.

  “Do we have a new condom design?” Katarina Wilson straightened, her pale blue eyes sparkling with eagerness. “When do we get to test it?”

  The second Katarina mentioned condoms the smart-ass comments and gossip subsided to quiet anticipation. James bit back his amusement. Condoms and the Vibration in particular had made them and the company rich. He couldn’t wait to learn what the board made of the product today.

  “Gaby approached Alice with this idea last year. We thought her concept held merit and sent her away to develop it into a product.”

  “What is it?” Ben Kumar leaned forward, a frown creasing his brow. “Surely they can’t come up with another condom design? Haven’t we done everything? There’s ones with spots and stripes, different flavors. They vibrate. Hell, they practically stand up and beg.”

  Joseph barked out a laugh. “They’re no use if something isn’t standing.”

  James ignored the interruption and resulting chortles to continue. “Gaby has developed several sex toys. We intend to choose one and do a Christmas promotion. We’ll target the toy as a special gift for the one you love.”

  “Sex toys are for women,” Joseph scoffed. “Stick to condoms. At least both men and women buy them.”

  James grinned. “Not this one.”

  “James, perhaps I should explain,” Gaby said.

  “Someone needs to explain,” Sam muttered. “I wan
t to know why we need another new product.”

  “Hush! That’s my granddaughter,” Harriet said, the knitting needles halting for an instant while she beamed at everyone. “She’s very clever.”

  “Go ahead,” James said drily, yielding the floor to Gaby. “Maybe you can control them better than me.”

  Gaby winked at her grandmother and lifted the bag onto the table. She made a show of opening the zipper fastening. Each of the oldies craned their necks, leaning forward for a glimpse of the contents. Her nerves subsided at their curiosity and excitement fizzled inside her. James and Alice had seen her invention and taken one of the prototypes home to test.

  “I’ve worked in the research and development department since I joined the company. I started thinking about sex toys and, in my spare time, I tinkered and developed my own.” Gaby pulled out her first toy. “This is a butt plug. It’s fairly standard in design. I’ve made the plug from a material that will hold both heat and cold. Once inserted, the toy will gradually acclimate to body temperature.”

  Richard winced. “That’s all I need. A red-hot poker up my arse.”

  “Look at Joseph.” Katarina chortled gleefully. “He’s crossing his legs.”

  The insults started to fly and, like James, Gaby ignored the interruption to continue with her product description. “Notice the flared base. That’s for safety reasons because we don’t want anyone having to go to hospital to have an item surgically removed from their rectum.”

  “I should think not,” Richard said in a weak voice.

  “We didn’t have any problems when we tested it.” Alice smirked at James. She let out a sudden eep of shock and fell silent, color spreading across her face.

  Silence fell and speculative glances winged their way around the boardroom.

  “James, hands on the tabletop,” Richard said sternly. “This is a meeting, not foreplay.”

  “Doesn’t that depend on your mindset?” Alice asked, cocking her head to the side like a curious cat. “How can talking about sex and condoms all the time not rate as foreplay?”

  “Ew,” Katarina said. “I don’t wanna imagine sex with anyone but my husband.”

  “As it should be,” James said, smirking at Alice.

  “James said you’d want to test my inventions,” Gaby said loudly. Inwardly she marveled at her lack of embarrassment. Not even blunt talk about sex threw her these days. Not even if it was in front of her grandmother.

  Maybe her mother was right and she was a lost cause. No man wanted a woman who always talked about sex or constantly thought about the act. Gaby pushed aside memories of the last hurtful conversation with her mother and older sister because they weren’t right. Sex was a normal bodily function, dammit. Nothing to get embarrassed about.

  “The secret to any sex toy is to make sure your partner is excited and to use lubrication. Lube is our friend,” Gaby said in a firm voice.

  “Gaby has designed several new lubes for us to test,” James added.

  “I’m a fan,” Alice said. “We need to market Gaby’s lubes. We could give away sachets of gels with the condoms to get people used to using them. You’ll see when you test them. The lubes make things nice and tingly. They’re excellent.”

  Gaby couldn’t help smiling at Alice’s enthusiasm. God, she loved her job. Working for Alice and James was the best job ever.

  “What else do you have in your bag of tricks?” her grandmother asked.

  “Could you pass these around please?” Gaby handed James several bottles of lube and butt plugs. “I’ve included detailed instructions with each product plus a questionnaire. If you have any questions you can ring me—not in the middle of the night,” she added, knowing her grandmother and her friends too well.

  Her mother blamed her grandmother for sending Gaby off the rails in the first place. Gaby didn’t want to follow the traditional route of her mother and sister with a secretarial job. She liked making things and she liked sex. Nothing odd about either of those factors.

  “This is my second invention and, I think, the best choice for Fancy Free to market. It’s a vibrator but different from the norm. I’ve managed to design a long-life battery that lasts significantly longer than most. I’ve also made several speed settings because everyone requires different levels of pressure and our bodies are diverse in the way we behave to stimulus. There are five different attachments.” Gaby reached into her bag and pulled out a vibrator plus her favorite attachment. “Most of you will have noticed the massage chairs they have at the mall. I’ve designed this attachment to massage either side of the clit. It gives the most delicious Os.” She handed the boxes containing the vibrators to James to pass around. “Make sure you read the instructions. I’ve tried to keep them brief and concise, but I want to know if you have any problems, either in understanding my instructions or working the toys. I can’t correct problems or confusion if you don’t tell me.”

  “Does your mother know about this?” her grandmother asked.

  “Nope,” Gaby said, forcing a smile and ignoring the tight sensation in her chest. “And you’re not gonna tell her.”

  Ben cast her a sly smile. “Do you still bake those cupcakes? The ones with the pink icing.”

  “Ah! Good point,” Sam said. “How many cupcakes will you give us not to tell her?”

  Gaby gasped. “That’s blackmail.”

  “You’d better get used to it.” Alice glowered at each of the elderly board members. “They’re good at blackmail. It was their misspent youth.”

  Learn more about Gaby’s New Invention…

  About Shelley

  USA Today bestselling author Shelley Munro lives in Auckland, the City of Sails, with her husband and a cheeky Jack Russell/mystery breed puppy.

  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 twelve-month 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 (strictly for research purposes), cycling, baking bread and curling up with an enjoyable book.

  Visit Shelley at her website.

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  Other Books by Shelley

  Contemporary

  Wild Child

  Cat Burglar in Training

  One Night of Misbehavior

  Blindside

  Fringe Benefits

  Lovers at Last

  Ain’t Misbehaving

  Playing to Win

  Summer Encounter

  Reformed Bad Girl

  Stranger Things Happen

  Fancy Free

  Protection

  Romp

  Buzz

  Friendship Chronicles

  Secret Lovers

  Reunited Lovers

  Clandestine Lovers

  Part-Time Lovers

  Enemy Lovers

  Military Men

  Innocent Next Door

  Soldiers with Benefits

  Safeguarding Sorrel

  Bundle

  Military Men

  Paranormal

  Sea of Change

  Price of Love

  Lynx to the Pharaoh

  Curse of Brandon Lupinus

  Dragon Investigators

  Blue Moon Dragon

  Blood Moon Dragon

  Middlemarch Capture

  Snared by Saber

  Favored by Felix

  Lost with Leo

  Bund
le

  Middlemarch Capture

  Middlemarch Shifters

  My Scarlet Woman

  My Younger Lover

  My Peeping Tom

  My Assassin

  My Estranged Lover

  My Feline Protector

  My Determined Suitor

  My Cat Burglar

  My Stray Cat

  My Second Chance

  My Plan B

  My Cat Nap

  My Romantic Tangle

  My Blue Lady

  My Twin Trouble

  Bundle

  Middlemarch Shifters 1 – 3

  Middlemarch Shifters 4 - 6

  House of the Cat series

  Sampled & Seduced

  Captured & Seduced

  Claimed & Seduced

  Merry & Seduced

  Stranded & Seduced

  Seized & Seduced

  Hunted & Seduced

  Festive & Seduced

  Bundle

  House of the Cat

  Sci-fi/Futuristic

  Interplanetary Love

  Sex Idol

  Alien Encounter series

  Janaya

  Hinekiri

  Alexandre

  Bundle

  Alien Encounter

  Gay Romance

  No Defense

  Best Man

  Last Wish

  Curse Across Time

  Eye on the Ball

  Fallen Idol

  Lone Wolf

  Seeking Kokopelli

  Historical

  The Spurned Viscountess

  Evening Tryst

  Unforgettable

  Mistress of Merrivale

  Copyright Page

  Protection

  Copyright © 2017 Shelley Munro

  ISBN: 978-0-9951026-7-5

  Cover: The Killion Group

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.