Fancy Free Read online

  “Alice! Lawyers can’t be involved in sex.”

  Alice opened her mouth and closed it again with an audible snap. Did Steven have to spout his views on sex in public? Heaven knows what the two men thought.

  “Is this a private conversation or can anyone join?”

  Mr. Dashing. Mortified, Alice blinked, her legs weak and shaky the second she heard his husky voice. Up close, he was Mr. Dynamic. His strong, masculine personality shone from his tanned face. And that voice… It reminded her of rich, dark chocolate, the smooth and decadent type that melted in the mouth and tasted exquisite.

  “Who are you?” Steven demanded.

  “James Bates. I work for Fancy Free.” He smiled at Alice, the gleam in his eyes evident as he extended his hand for her to shake. Alice’s pulse rate shot from slightly elevated to fast and choppy at the idea of his touch. Slowly, she placed her hand in his. Oh yes. Touching him was every bit as memorable and unsettling as she’d envisaged. The tingles, delicate at first, shot up her arm like a mild case of pins and needles. Then he squeezed, his calloused palm abrasive against hers. The tingles morphed into a full-body shot, much like a pick-me-up tonic. Bad-girl thoughts crammed her mind. With difficulty, she tugged to free herself of his potent masculinity. Breathless, she stared up at him and the scenario of a mouse cornered by a cat came to mind.

  He worked for Fancy Free? With his dynamic personality and good looks, he probably spent a lot of money on their products. He most likely took full advantage of cheaper rates for staff.

  “Hello.” To Alice’s horror, her voice came out breathless and low. A come-hither voice if ever she’d heard one.

  “Alice and I will work closely together.” James smirked. Mr. Dashing obviously thought she was interested in him too.

  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 closely together bit. Steven had noticed as well, and Glen Bellbooth, indicated by the lawyer’s sly chuckle.

  “I’ve called a board meeting so you can meet everyone.” The lawyer stood. “Tomorrow morning at nine sharp.”

  “We’re not on an overnight vacation. I need to get back to Remuera,” Steven said. “I must finish preparations for my court case that starts next week. I thought you had to shop and iron before work on Monday,” he added pointedly.

  Mortification filled Alice at Steven’s bossy, snippy tone. Had he always been like this? Or was she just noticing? Embarrassed by his behavior, she cast a quick, uneasy glance at James and the lawyer and the others who had stopped to witness the scene. Yes, she wanted security, but that didn’t mean Steven could smother her or ride roughshod over her feelings and the things that were important to her. “I need to think.”

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

  She hadn’t disagreed with him before. 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 nervously inside. She’d get her friend and next-door neighbor Jennifer to ship some of her clothes and other necessities. If Jennifer sent them by courier, they’d arrive tomorrow. Yes. That would work. Alice made eye contact with Steven and sucked in a deep breath. “I intend to stay.”

  “But you can’t. The idea is ludicrous,” he said, his distaste readily discernable.

  “Maybe you’d like to discuss it in private,” the lawyer suggested. His quiet words made Alice aware of people’s stares, their whispers and laughter. Some had even slowed their departure from the hall, as if they thought the entertainment wasn’t quite over. Alice straightened, determined to grab control and prevent the occurrence of anything further for them to laugh about later.

  “Good idea.” For the first time in their relationship, Alice took the lead, grasping his 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 a good idea.”

  She drew a deep shuddery breath and turned to face him, her heart drumming nervously 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 both set in flat lines of displeasure. “If you stay here in this hick town, our relationship is over.”

  Alice’s mouth dropped open in astonishment. Surely he didn’t really mean that? “I’m sorry.” She snapped her mouth shut, immediately 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? Yes, she should at least attend the board meeting tomorrow. “I think I should discover more about my inheritance.”

  “Alice, this is a strange town. Did you see the crowd camped on the outskirts of town? And surely you noticed the high number of shops that sell airy-fairy souvenirs and emphasize the mystical forces supposedly present in the town? 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 at all, since he never had a bad word to say about anyone.

  “One last chance.”

  Her eyes opened wide even as she shook her head.

  “Very well.” Steven stamped from the hall without another word, and Alice watched him until he disappeared from sight. Slowly, she walked outside to take in both the people and sights of Sloan and attempt to distract herself from the quarrel with Steven. She couldn’t believe his high-handed behavior and refused to pander to it. True, some of the town occupants were a little eccentric, but it would be a real bore if everyone looked and 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 small side street. Alice started in fright and attempted to back away, but they surrounded her. They waved placards in front of Alice’s face and pranced around with awkward ungainly steps, both in advanced stages of pregnancy.

  “No condoms. No birth control,” one hollered. She paused to hand 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 head to the cafe, hastening her steps to outpace the two women. She opened the door to the cafe and slipped inside, the soulful sounds of a Norah Jones ballad almost loud enough to drown out the shouts from outside.

  Alice took possession of a private table tucked away in a corner and let her breathing ease to normal while she waited for the waitress. She eyed the other customers, a little surprised but glad to see no one stared. Alice relaxed for
an instant until her mind drifted back to condoms. Things just 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 have a quarter of the spunk her godmother had shown. James was surprised she’d shown enough backbone to stand up to her pompous boyfriend. He’d watched her closely 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. James stood abruptly and stalked around his desk in an attempt 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. Pity, ’cause she looked cute in a next-door-girl kinda way with glossy brown hair, cut in a style that framed her face and made her look like a pixie. Her eyes were pretty, an unusual shade of brown. James clicked his fingers. Cognac. Yeah, they reminded him of the color of rich and 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 thought 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. At times 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 acquired playboy status because Ms. Knowall sprinkled details of his private life through the column on a regular basis. Between Ms. Knowall and the cult that protested about 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 frowned. 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… Of course, the constant aggravation from the Children of Nature cult didn’t help matters where his mother was concerned. “Damn, 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. Thought I’d better save one for our new boss too.”

  “Didn’t look like the condom type to me.” 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 furiously 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 indignantly, 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 up a condom company. Fierce pride filled James. 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 seemed to have diverted a rundown of Ms. Knowall’s column. He didn’t particularly want to know which of his latest dates had hit the gossip column with him. 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. Alice. His new boss. James let his gaze travel down her body and back up. Curious. Once again, she’d arrived in disguise, a black skirt today with all-encompassing layers of fabric. James cocked his head, curious and more interested than he should be 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 eyes 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 and frowned inwardly when she didn’t respond. Most women blushed or flirted back, unable to resist his charm and his sexy dimple. Miffed, he realized this woman had slipped stealthily into his mind yesterday and hadn’t left since. He was at a loss to explain his fixation. She wasn’t his type at all. 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 as well, in a graphic, sexual manner that left him hot and eager and desperate. A series of images flickered through his mind. Intimate images.

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

  “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 objective remained, to catch the person responsible for the sabotage of the trials for the X-100, he’d agreed because of family. Stupid idea as it turned out. His mother disapproved of everything he did. Some things never changed. But Alice might create a welcome distraction and maybe he could discover the body beneath 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 innocent and wronged on his face as he turned to the older man.

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

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

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

  James scowled. “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. He snorted inwardly. Probably the kick of male hormones. See a challenge and respond.

  Before Richard could add to his lecture, he 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 talked to him a couple of times, but he seemed preoccupied. Muttered something about crime sprees and damned 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 that they accosted Alice briefly. 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 at the moment. 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, I think you can conduct your regular meeting and I’ll leave to prepare for my court appearance.” He nodded at Alice. “James will go through the day-to-day procedures with you later. Don’t worry. By the time his contract ends you’ll be an expert.”

  Sounded fine to James. He wanted to know what made the young woman tick. Time spent with her 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.”