Magenta Mine: An Invertary Novella
Page 14
“I can’t believe I’m doing it,” she told him. “Actually leading my first guided trip into the mine. I really hope people enjoy themselves.”
“They will.” Especially since this first tour was made up of their friends and family. Even the twins were daring to go underground. They’d bought matching pink jumpsuits for the occasion, in honour of the Magenta Mine colour scheme. Magenta had taken one look at them, shrugged in disgust and declared it was Barbie Does Caving. Matt had almost choked, he’d laughed so hard.
Harry followed Magenta to the front door, passing the framed photos she’d taken that lined the walls. His chest swelled with pride. She was an amazing photographer. She managed to make the mine seem exotic and mysterious, rather than a rat-infested hole in the ground. He shook his head. Mustn’t think like that. He didn’t want to lose it and run screaming from the mine. Not only would that embarrass his woman, but he’d never hear the end of it from his cousins. He wondered if there would be time to stop at the pharmacy on the way to the mine. There must be some over-the-counter anxiety medication he could buy to help him out. He reached for his mobile phone. He’d google it while they walked.
Before he could get to Google, he spotted an email from Rachel. Things were still tense between them, although the distance helped. He wouldn’t be surprised if she was looking for another job. It hurt to think about it. He had eight years of friendship with her that had been damaged by her behaviour towards Magenta. He wasn’t sure they’d ever get past it.
He was so busy with his phone that he didn’t realise Magenta had stopped in front of him. He walked into her back. She turned on a sigh, reaching up to cup his cheek with her hand.
“You don’t need medication.”
Harry blinked at her. How did she know he was thinking that?
She smiled. “You were mumbling again. Don’t worry. You’re going to be fine in the mine. You’re going to have fun.”
He wasn’t convinced. And he wasn’t great at hiding it either. Magenta grinned at the look on his face. She pressed in until her body was flush against his. As usual, the blood in his head rushed south to enable a much more important function than allowing him to think. Magenta trailed her black-painted nails up his chest.
“You need to think about something else to take your mind off the rats.” She gave him a pointed look. “Of which we won’t see any, I can promise you. As soon as they hear the noise we’ll be making, they’ll run and hide.”
He didn’t bother arguing. He’d already told her every story he’d read where the rats had done the opposite.
“How about when we get home, we have a bath together and I’ll wash all the dust from the tunnels off your body.” She blinked up at him, a fake-innocent look in her eye that made his mouth water. He swallowed hard. “And when you’re nice and clean, I’ll lick you from head to toe.” She leaned in and whispered, “Maybe we could tie you to the bed tonight and I can show you exactly how much fun I can have with you. Would you like that, Harry? Would you like to be at my mercy? Would you like to feel my fingers, my lips, my tongue, my hot breath, over every inch of your skin? Every. Single. Inch.”
He shuddered as she gave him a wickedly mouth-watering grin. “Yeah.” She nodded. “I think you’d like that a lot.” She reached up, wound her fingers into his hair and pulled his head down to her. Her lips moved slowly and seductively as she tasted him. She moaned as his hand found the spot on the small of her back that drove her wild. He pulled her to him. Holding her tightly as she gasped and he took control of the kiss.
Sadly, she pushed away from him, but he was pleased to see her eyes were heavy with desire. She licked her lips, making his jeans painfully tight.
“Now, how about you think about what’s going to happen after our excursion, rather than during it,” she said.
Harry doubted he’d think about anything else. He pretended to narrow his eyes at her. “You’re sneaky.”
“And horny. Remember that as we walk the mine. I’m as desperate to get back here and get naked as you are.” She tapped her chin in thought. “As a special treat, I’ll let you know more about my plans for you throughout the day. That should keep your big brain occupied.”
Damn. Now he didn’t want to leave. “Maybe we could do this trip another day?”
With a laugh, Magenta tugged him out of the door and slammed it shut behind them. Guess they were still going into the mine. He let out a disappointed sigh that made her giggle.
“Thanks for wearing the present I gave you,” Magenta told him as they headed for the car.
Harry looked down at the T-shirt. It was bubble-gum pink—a colour Dougal, the town’s unofficial mayor, thought was a fashion statement. On the front in bold black writing were the words Magenta Mine. He grinned at it. He knew the shirt was supposed to advertise her business, but as far as he was concerned it told the world whom she belonged to. She was definitely his.
“You’re going all caveman again, aren’t you?”
He looked over his shoulder to see Magenta staring with pride at the back of his T-shirt. It said: Property of Magenta Fraser.
“I don’t think I’m the only one,” he told her. “You think you own me.”
Magenta smiled knowingly, but didn’t deny it was true. Harry couldn’t argue otherwise. The T-shirt was right. Magenta Fraser totally owned him.
And he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Invertary book 4, Calamity Jena, will be out in 2015. If you’d like to hear about future books, you can sign up for my newsletter here: get Janet’s newsletter.
Invertary Book One
Englishman Lake Benson loaned his life savings to his dippy sister so that she could buy a shop. It was a big mistake. His sister was steadily flushing his money down the drain - and now he wants it back. Years in the special forces taught Lake that if you want a job done, do it yourself. So he steps in to make the shop profitable, sell it and get his money back. The only problem is, the business is an underwear shop. And all Lake knows about underwear can be summed up in how fast he can unsnap a bra. To make matters worse, the tiny highland town already has a lingerie shop. A successful one, run by an ex-lingerie model. A very gorgeous ex-lingerie model, who’s distracting him from his mission more than he’d like to admit. If Lake wants to get his savings back, and get out of Scotland, he only has one option - wipe out the competition.
Kirsty Campbell has spent years rebuilding her life after she woke up in hospital in Spain to find her body scarred, and her ex-fiance had run off with all her money. The last thing she needs is a cocky, English soldier-boy trying to ruin all she has left. Her home town is only too happy to help her fight the latest English invasion, although Lake is beginning to sway them with his sex appeal and cut price knickers. With the help of her mother, and the retired ladies of Knit or Die, Kirsty sets about making sure that her shop is the last one standing in Invertary.
It’s Scotland versus England as you’ve never seen it before. It’s lingerie war.
Invertary Book 2
Take one American singer who doesn’t believe in falling in love…
Josh McInnes’ biological clock is ticking and he wants to get married—now. After 20 years singing soppy love songs, he knows that there is no such thing as romantic love. There’s only hormones and lust. At thirty-five, he’s tired of his playboy lifestyle. He wants a wife who isn’t interested in fame, money, or romance. A sensible wife, who values commitment. He wants a partnership, a friendship, and none of the craziness that goes with falling in love. As far as he can see, there’s only one way to get exactly what he wants—he needs an arranged marriage.
…add a Scottish librarian who has given up on ever falling in love…
Caroline Patterson terrifies men. With her no-nonsense attitude, and ice queen demeanour, she’s in control of everything—and everyone—around her. Her sensible shoes and grey skirt suits act like a force field, repelling male attention. At thirty-one, she can’t remember the last time she went on a date
and is beginning to think she’ll never have a family of her own. When an American stranger approaches Caroline with a marriage proposal that resembles a business contract, she quickly accepts. She doesn’t expect romance. But she does expect to control each and every detail of their lives together. Because as life has taught her—if you aren’t in control, bad things happen.
…and you get romance Invertary style!
Josh and Caroline learn the hard way that falling in love isn’t something you can avoid. And it definitely isn’t something you can control. Their well laid plans are about to degenerate into chaos, as they fall in love the Invertary way.
About me
I’m a Scot, living in New Zealand and married to a Dutch man. I write contemporary romance with a humorous bent – this is mainly due to the fact I have an odd sense of humour and can’t keep it out of anything I do! If I wasn’t a writer, I’d like to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or Indiana Jones. Unfortunately, both these roles have already been filled. Which may be a good thing as I have no fighting skills, wouldn’t know a precious relic if it hit me in the face and have an aversion to blood. When I’m not living in my head, I’m a mother to two kids, three pet sheep, one dog, three cats and an escape artist chicken. If you’d like to sign up for my newsletter, which happens sporadically – usually when books are being released – click on this link. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy my books!
Janet’s books
Mad Love (London Book 1)
Laura’s Big Break (London Book 2)
The Davina Code
Lingerie Wars (Invertary Book 1)
Goody Two Shoes (Invertary Book 2)
Magenta Mine (Invertary Book 3, a novella)
Calamity Jena (Invertary Book 4) Coming 2015
Janet’s website
Janet’s facebook page
Magenta Mine Copyright © 2014 by Janet Kortlever
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior permission can be obtained by contacting the author through her website. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Author’s website:
www.janetelizabethhenderson.com