One Night of Misbehavior (18 page)

“And yet I haven’t made you smile,” he said. “I can’t be as funny as you thought.”

Warning:
Condoms were tested and a few harmed during the writing of this story
.

Copyright 2008 Shelley Munro

“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 business 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.”

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

James sighed. Alicia had been able to explain 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 brings out new products on a regular basis. If we want to keep our market share, we have to do the same,” he explained in a calm voice. Some days he felt like a damned 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.