Protection Page 2

  Steven drew up to his full height of five foot eight. “I don’t think so. Tell him, Alice.”

  Alice gulped. Okay, so James had emphasized the togetherness bit. Steven had noticed and Glen Bellbooth, as indicated by the lawyer’s sly chuckle.

  “I’ve called a gathering of the board for you to meet everyone,” the lawyer said. “Tomorrow morning at nine sharp.”

  “We’re not on an overnight vacation. I need to get back to Remuera,” Steven protested. “I must finish preparations for my case that starts next week. You need to do the shopping and ironing. Isn’t that what you told me?”

  “I need to think.” Steven’s bossy, snippy tone flooded her cheeks with mortification. Had he always been like this? Or was she just noticing? She cast an uneasy glance at James and the lawyer and at the others witnessing the scene. Yes, she wanted security, but that didn’t mean Steven could ride roughshod over her feelings.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong with you. There’s nothing to think about. We can’t stay here.”

  He wasn’t used to her contradicting him, but in this case, she intended to stand firm.

  “I need more details before I can make an informed decision.” She strove for calm even though her stomach jumped with anxiety. She’d get her friend Jennifer to ship some of her clothes. If Jennifer sent them by courier, they’d arrive tomorrow. Yes, that would work. Alice made eye contact with Steven. “I intend to stay.”

  “The idea is ludicrous,” he said, his distaste discernible.

  “Perhaps you’d like to discuss it in private.” The lawyer’s quiet words made Alice aware of people’s stares, their whispers and amusement. Some had even slowed their departure from the hall to eavesdrop. Alice straightened, determined to grab control of her future.

  “Good idea.” For the first time in their relationship, Alice took the lead, grasping Steven’s elbow to drag him from the hall. “We’ll discuss this over coffee. I noticed a cafe when we drove into town.” The snickers from behind brought a flash of discomfort but she kept moving despite Steven’s resistance.

  “I don’t like coffee.”

  “I’m sure they’ll have tea,” she said. A hand on her shoulder made her jump and to her great chagrin, a squeak emerged.

  James Bates’ blue eyes twinkled and his dimple flashed into prominence. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He didn’t wait for her answer but strolled from the hall with the lawyer at his side.

  “Alice.” Steven’s sharp tone pierced any chance of daydreams. “You can’t seriously consider this ludicrous legacy is a worthy idea.”

  She drew a shuddery breath and turned to face him, her heart drumming against her rib cage. “It’s a chance to improve my future. I thought you’d understand.”

  He stared at her for a long, drawn-out moment, his brows and mouth set in flat lines of displeasure. “If you stay in this hick town, our relationship is over.”

  Alice gaped at him. “I’m sorry.” She pressed her lips together, irritated with her apologies when she had nothing to regret.

  The legacy presented an opportunity, a chance to grasp her future in both hands. How could she walk away when she knew nothing about the company? She’d attend the board meeting tomorrow. “I intend to discover more about my inheritance.”

  “Alice, this is a strange place. Did you see the crowd camped on the outskirts of town? Did you notice the number of shops that sell airy-fairy souvenirs and emphasize the mystical forces present in the area? The town is full of wackos and weirdos. Add a condom company to the mix and it’s downright peculiar.”

  Alice frowned at his behavior. This wasn’t like him, since he never had a bad word to say about anyone.

  “One last chance.”

  She shook her head.

  “Very well.” Steven stamped from the hall.

  Alice watched him until he disappeared. Shocked, she walked outside to take in the people and sights of Sloan. She couldn’t believe Steven’s high-handed behavior and refused to pander to it. True, some of the town occupants were eccentric, but life would be a real bore if everyone behaved the same. A little color was a good thing.

  She turned left and wandered toward the cafe she’d noticed earlier. First a strong, trim latte and then she’d make a list and find somewhere to stay the night.

  “Down with condoms. Birth control is bad!”

  The two white-robed women sprang from a side street. Alice started and attempted to back away, but they surrounded her. They waved placards in her face and pranced around with ungainly steps, both in advanced stages of pregnancy.

  “No condoms. No birth control,” one hollered. She handed Alice a business card before screeching, “Down with condoms.”

  Alice frowned at the business card. On one side it was plain white and the other bore a picture of a dog. The absence of further details, names or phone numbers to say who it belonged to or what it represented surprised her.

  “Bad, bad birth control,” the other shouted. She also handed Alice a business card before resuming her protest. “Down with condoms. Down with condoms. No birth control.”

  The second business card depicted a clown but nothing else. More bemused than frightened, Alice stuffed them into her handbag and continued to the cafe, hastening her steps to outpace the pregnant women. She slipped inside the cafe, the plaintive sounds of a country ballad almost loud enough to drown the shouts from outside.

  Alice took possession of a table tucked away in a corner and let her breathing ease to normal while she waited for the waitress. She relaxed until her mind drifted to condoms. Things kept becoming weirder by the minute while her life raced out of control. The parallels between her day and the adventures of the original Alice were plain scary. A sudden thought brought a choked gasp. Perhaps she should have stayed away from the cafe because wasn’t there a tea party somewhere in the story? And hadn’t Alice almost lost her head?

  Chapter Two

  After a restless night where work problems encroached on sleep, James had come into the office early to take care of paperwork. Instead of an empty in-tray, Alice Beasley had intruded on his concentration and he hadn’t finished a damn thing. He tapped his pen on the desk, the staccato beat an echo of his irritation.

  The girl didn’t possess a quarter of the spunk of her godmother. James was surprised she’d shown enough backbone to stand up to her pompous boyfriend. He’d scrutinized her before and throughout the reading, trying to understand what made her tick, to gauge her character, the type of woman he’d have to deal with for the next six months.

  The answer screamed at him, as obvious as the nose on his face. He rose and paced to disperse the jumbled-up energy and pent-up frustration that had stalked him from the moment he’d climbed out of bed this morning.

  A prude.

  What the hell had Alicia been thinking?

  The woman had seemed shocked to the core when she’d learned Fancy Free sold prophylactics. A pity, because she was cute in a next-door-girl kinda way with glossy brown hair, cut in a style that framed her face and made her resemble a pixie. Her eyes were pretty, an unusual shade of brown. James clicked his fingers. Cognac. Yeah, they reminded him of the color of expensive brandy. Golden freckles danced across her nose and cheeks, reinforcing the pixie image, while her pink rosebud mouth cried out for kisses. The rest of her body had remained hidden beneath a baggy woolen skirt and voluminous white cardigan. It was only a guess but he suspected her body would be neat and compact like the rest of her.

  James checked his watch and sighed. Let the fun begin. He plucked a purple folder from his desk and strode down a short passageway to the boardroom. Once inside, he closed the door behind him.

  The other board members, Richard Morgan, Sam Glengarry, Harriet Te Whare, Katarina Wilson, Ben Kumar and Joseph Craig already sat around the oval table, cups of coffee at their elbows. All retired, apart from Richard, most of them had grandchildren.

  James thought they’d reverted to childhood because some days he felt like a
babysitter instead of the company manager. He slapped the folder on the table and grabbed a coffee before taking a seat.

  An empty white china plate sat in the middle, the dark crumbs evidence of its previous contents. Everyone pored over the latest edition of the Sloan Gazette, the gossip column in particular. No one knew Ms. Knowall’s true identity but she seemed to have the inside scoop on lots of juicy secrets.

  Since his arrival back in Sloan, James had gained playboy status because Ms. Knowall sprinkled details of his private life through her column. Between Ms. Knowall and the cult that protested the use and manufacture of condoms, his life reverberated with conflict.

  “James has been a busy boy,” Joseph Craig said.

  “Oh, we’ve made this week’s column,” Katarina Wilson declared with a hint of glee. She placed her cup down and tsk-tsked under her breath. “Bother, I didn’t come out in my scarlet-woman costume today. It’s at the drycleaners.”

  James scowled. He’d like to wring the gossip columnist’s neck. Thanks to her, his sister didn’t speak to him except for the occasional lecture. Things had been bad before but now…

  The constant aggravation from the Children of Nature cult didn’t help matters where his mother was concerned. “Have I missed out on the chocolate cake again?”

  “Saved you a piece.” Rita Jamieson, Fancy Free’s administrative wonder winked at him. “I know what this lot is like. Human vacuum cleaners. I saved one for our new boss too.”

  “She didn’t look like the condom type.” Sam Glengarry dropped his coffee cup on his saucer with a clatter. He stretched his arms above his head, groaning at the creak of bones.

  “Huh.” Harriet Te Whare snorted, her knitting needles clicking as she worked on her current project, a striped scarf for her granddaughter. “You weren’t the condom type when Alicia approached us to help her raise the money to float the company. You’re sure as hell in favor of condoms now.”

  Sam puffed up with indignation, making James grin. They’d all gone to school with Alicia and settled in Sloan to have families. Now years later, they’d taken a risk with their investment in Alicia’s foolish idea to start a condom company. Fierce pride filled James. A pity his mother wasn’t part of the same group.

  “Have we received the test results for the X-100?” Katarina Wilson asked.

  James nodded, thankful he’d diverted a rundown of Ms. Knowall’s column. He didn’t want to know which of his latest exploits had hit the gossip column. No doubt he’d piece it together over the course of the day. “Yes, that’s what I wanted to discuss—”

  The door flew open and Glen Bellbooth and Alice entered the boardroom. Alice, his new boss. James let his gaze skim her body. Once again, she’d arrived in disguise, a black skirt today with all-encompassing layers of fabric. James cocked his head, curious about the hidden curves.

  Did she have something to hide?

  “Morning all,” Glen Bellbooth said. “Coffee, Alice?”

  She nodded, her distraction allowing James to look his fill. His attention strayed to the golden speckles on the bridge of her nose before his gaze drifted downward to the creamy skin at the base of her throat. Did she have freckles on her breasts as well? And what about size and shape? Hard to tell with the baggy clothes.

  A soft, choked sound brought a grin. He winked at her, chagrined when she didn’t respond. Most women blushed or flirted in return, unable to resist his charm and his sexy dimple. Miffed, he realized this woman had slipped into his mind yesterday and hadn’t left. He was at a loss to explain his fixation since she wasn’t his type. James admitted it—he normally went for obvious. Long legs and big breasts, women who knew how to highlight their assets. He shot another glance at the new owner. The sleeplessness of the previous night hadn’t just been work related. This woman had intruded, in a graphic, sexual manner that left him hot and eager and desperate. A series of intimate images flickered through his mind.

  James cursed. His body had no such qualms, suddenly tense in places that had no business reacting in the middle of a board meeting. He redirected his thoughts to the more mundane and away from dangerous territory. When he added Ms. Knowall to the equation, his dick subsided.

  “Have a seat.” Rita motioned to a chair. “I saved you some cake. You too, Glen.”

  James grabbed a pen from inside the folder, his mind on the future. He wasn’t staying in Sloan for much longer. Just the six months his contract stipulated, the six additional months he’d promised Alicia. Although his main aim remained, to catch the person responsible for the sabotage of the trials for the X-100, he’d agreed because of family.

  A stupid idea. His mother disapproved of everything he did. Some things never changed, but Alice might create a welcome distraction and he could discover the body beneath the layers before he left…

  Richard Morgan, one of Sloan’s cops, nudged him in the shoulder. “Mind out of the gutter, boy,” he said gruffly.

  “What? I’m not doing anything.” James summoned an innocent and wronged expression as he turned to the older man.

  “Huh.” Richard gave a snort, half laughter but laced with disapproval too. “I’ve seen the same look on Luke’s face. You have mischief on your mind.”

  “My mind is on condoms,” James countered. “The X-100—”

  “Yeah, but not in a business sense. I wasn’t born yesterday. Don’t hurt that girl, James.”

  James scowled, irritated now. “I don’t intend to hurt her. We have to work together.” But exploration of mutual pleasure wasn’t out of the question. No pain involved in a little consensual sex. Before Richard added to his lecture, James changed the subject. The genuine care in the older man’s voice brought the rush of memories of lighthearted childish days spent roaming Sloan with his friend Luke Morgan. Richard and Luke were like family to him, more supportive than his own. “How’s Luke? I’ve spoken to him a couple of times, but he seemed preoccupied. Muttered something about crime sprees and damn cults. At least, the demonstrations against Fancy Free have died down. I half expected a protest inside the hall when Glen read the will but they behaved for a change. I heard via the gossip vine they accosted Alice. Has the cult been up to something else?”

  “Yeah, rumor says cultivation of wacky weed. They’ve been baking it into cookies for sale to the local teenagers, or at least that’s what we think. We have to prove it first, catch the blighters red-handed. Yep, we’re busy. The newspaper story about mystical powers in Sloan has brought a new batch of weirdos into town. A few strange things going on.”

  “Is everyone ready to start?” Glen Bellbooth asked, interrupting the questions James had intended to ask. “Alice has agreed to stay for the six months stipulated by the will, which will work out well since James can show her the ropes before he leaves. Once Alice knows everyone, you can conduct your regular meeting and I’ll leave to prepare for my court appearance.” He nodded at Alice. “James will cover the day-to-day procedures with you later. Don’t worry. By the time his contract ends you’ll be an expert.”

  That sounded fine to James since he wanted to learn what made the woman tick. Time spent together would give him that opportunity. A quick glance around the six board members confirmed their acquiescence. James conducted the introductions and opened the purple folder he’d placed on the table in front of him. “I want to talk about product development. The new condom design is complete and we’re ready to begin trials to test the X-100.”

  “I still don’t know why we need this new one,” Joseph Craig grumbled. “We’ve got glow in the dark ones, varied sizes, flavored ones and who knows what else. Why do we need to develop more? Who wants another condom?”

  James bit his tongue. Alicia had explained everything to the board, discuss things in old-fogey terminology. The elderly board members didn’t like change. Sometimes he wondered how Alicia had talked them into their investment in the sex industry, although he had to admit they showed more interest and asked insightful questions these days. “Our opposition b
rings out new products regularly. If we want to keep our market share, we must do the same,” he explained in a calm voice. Some days he felt like a parrot.

  A cough attracted his attention. Alice’s face had turned bright red.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, although James suspected the reason for her unease. Her gaze focused on the photo of their newest condom design. Stretched out in all its glory over a fiberglass penis, the X-100 looked high-tech and very impressive.

  Alice nodded and reached for a glass of water. The tremor of her right hand brought a self-conscious frown. “I’m fine. Please continue.”

  What on earth was she doing here? She pushed a lock of hair off her face and wished she could fan away the fiery heat. And she still didn’t understand why her godmother had left her the condom company. When she’d attempted to ask her parents, they’d brushed her off with excuses about church and religion. Even the lawyer Mr. Bellbooth had said he wasn’t sure of her aunt’s reasons, but did it matter? An unladylike snort emerged.

  “Is something wrong?” James asked in a husky voice.

  “I’m fine. No problem.” She barely halted the telltale shiver of bliss at the sound of his voice. As one, everyone turned to stare at her and that heightened her awareness of the wretched man.

  This was ridiculous. How could an almost virgin run a condom company? She couldn’t count her one time at university as experience. The heat in her cheeks intensified even farther when she sneaked a look at the photo on top of the folder. Half expecting a voice to shout, “Off with her head,” she swallowed and wondered if they’d notice if she ran from the room. Her gaze wandered to the photo again without waiting for her brain to give permission.

  The condom was a delicate violet color and had tiny raised dots all over the surface. It looked like an alien creature with chicken pox. There were strange appendages attached. It was hard to say what that round bit did. Dragging her gaze from the photo, she turned her attention to James’ run down of the product and the current state of play. Tests. Trials. Okay, that made sense. They had to know if they worked.