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She jumped into a boat about to sail, dragging the scoundrel behind her, willing the vehicle to move quickly enough to elude the reporters. By fate’s grace, it did, and they were already well started through the “Tunnel of Love” when the reporters entered the tent. She had exactly three minutes to figure this out.
She turned toward her Love Cruise partner. In stark contrast to her panic, he looked relaxed and comfortable. “Is the ‘Love Cruise’ your way of telling me you want to be my girlfriend?” he inquired with a smile.
She folded her arms over her chest, resisted the urge to toss him into the “Sea of Love.” Was he telling the truth or merely bluffing? She had two minutes and forty-five seconds to ascertain the truth or he would discover hers. Below plastic red hearts and dangling Styrofoam cupids, she speared him with her most dangerous expression. “I can’t believe you’re doing this,” she snapped. “Every time I think you’re a nice guy–”
“I am a nice guy,” he interrupted dangerously, “but I’m also a very powerful man. If someone with lower morals gets this information, my entire life will be back in the news again. I can’t take that chance. Tell me the truth.”
She wouldn’t give in to his demands, at least not in two minutes and thirty seconds. Desperately, she tried logic. “Your blackmail doesn’t even make sense. If you tell them I’m your girlfriend, we both lose. You value your privacy, yet you would confirm your love life on National Gossip Television?”
“They’ll gossip about me whether I like it or not. If I say you’re my girlfriend, I can later say it was merely a joke. My life won’t be significantly changed, but yours will.”
She clutched the sides of the boat as it rocked from side to side. Deep down she understood he was defending himself, to protect what he held most dear.So was she.“You’re not being reasonable.” She hated what she was about to say, but she had no choice. “I know something that would interest Ms. White even more – the truth about the fertility clinic. How do you know I won’t use that if you blackmail me?”
Expecting fury, she was shocked when he merely lifted a shoulder. “You wouldn’t do that,” he remarked simply.
He was right. Mentioning the clinic would put both her and Jeanie in danger, yet beyond that, she could never hurt a man who had lost so much. But how did he know that? “Why are you so sure?”
“Two reasons,” he replied calmly. “One, doing something like that would get you fired from your job, since I'm your main subject.” She hadn’t even thought of that, although of course it was true. He continued, “And two: I just know you wouldn’t do something so spiteful.”
She longed to protest, but it would make no difference. She would never carry out the threat, and he knew it. One minute and thirty seconds left. Sitting back upon the plush velvet seat, she grasped and discarded a dozen hopeless solutions. Aidan sat silently, his expression fathomless. Then, the atmospherechanged. It was inappropriate and inopportune, yet she suddenly became aware of the powerful frame relaxed against the cushions. He straightened, capturing her in his deep blue gaze.
What would it be like if they boarded the boat for the right reasons, as two cozy lovers looking for a moment of solitude? In that instant, the problems of the outside world vanished, her focus solely on the man next to her. Her breathing hissed an uneven staccato, set to the rapid beating of her heart. One force seized all attention – Aidan Bancroft.
Watching the man watch her, Laura sat frozen under the neon lights. The attraction was far more than physical, beyond the simple. He drew her in a thousand ways, his personality, his fire, his cleverness. And despite his current scheme, the goodness she knew resided in him. Then imagination became truth and fantasy, reality, as Aidan leaned closer. A whisper-soft touch graced her cheek, and he leaned closer… and closer… and closer… Then, a touch to start a firestorm.
The kiss was even sweeter than before, in the soft darkness of the ride. As they floated through fog covered caverns and dimly lit chambers, Aidan massaged her in tantalizing circles. He caressed her lips, and she, his. At first, everything was gentle, yet soon the warmth turned to heat, then the heat to an inferno, set to passion she couldn’t resist.
She gripped muscular arms as he grasped her tightly. Nameless emotion streaked through her, heightening every sense. It seemed it would never end, in their world within a world. Until, suddenly it did, as light brightened the dimness, piercing the fog. She jerked back, gasping rose scented air, as the tunnel brightened, signaling the ride’s imminent end and the reporters’ certain presence. She recoiled as she gazed at Aidan, her breathing heavy. Yet in that second, something else changed. Her fear vanished, all indecision disappeared. There was no decision to be made. As certain as she was of anything, he was bluffing. “You’re not going to tell them.”
He gazed at her intensely, his expression darkened with desire. “How can you be sure?”
She placed her hand on his cheek, tracing barely-there stubble. His features were chiseled strength, just like him. “Because you’re an honorable man,” she whispered, “and just like I would never hurt you, you would never hurt me.”
He didn’t have time to respond, as the rising light gave way to full-fledged brightness, as the pair emerged from the darkened tunnel into the bright afternoon sun. As expected, the reporters were poised and ready, the camera already pointed and rolling. Laura tightened, queasiness tilting her stomach like the tiny boat rocking in the manmade canal. One telling word could give them away.
“And so the financial risk will be lower than expected, because we're using existing resources.” Aidan started talking, as if in the middle of a long-drawn-out conversation. “As you can see, the startup costs will be quite negligible once we transfer the computer equipment from Albuquerque.”
The ride attendant gripped the boat, stopping the movement. Ever the gentleman, Aidan helped Laura off first, before disembarking himself. “Do you have any more questions about the financial implications of the collaboration between Bancroft Enterprises and Pine Ridge?” He turned, and with an expression of surprise that would have convinced even the most skeptical, he greeted the reporters. “Carol White!” He gave his most polished, businessman smile. “What are you doing here?”
The reporter, clearly miffed that her quarry emerged in the throes of financial positions and not compromising ones, quickly stepped forward. “Mr. Bancroft. Tell me, who is this lovely lady?”
Laura spoke for herself, boldly reaching out to shake hands with the reporter. “Laura Blake, ma’am, fellow journalist. I work for the Pine Ridge Press, and Aidan was just sharing the intricacies of his financial strategy.”And a lot more. “I’m sure your viewers would love to hear about this. Aidan, tell her about the ability to minimize sunk costs and maximize resource management under a vertically-based system of manage…”
“Actually,” the reporter broke in, her icy tone like nails across a chalkboard, “I’ll leave that sort of news to the Pine Ridge Press.” She made a cut signal to the cameraman. “We deal with more exciting news.”
“What’s more exciting than sunk costs?” Laura grinned. “Come on, Aidan, you can tell me all about your employee assistantship program as we walk to the circus. Good-bye, Ms. White. It was a pleasure.”
Muttering farewell in a manner that succinctly conveyed it had not beenherpleasure, the reporter let them go. Laura walked side by side next to Aidan, casually strolling down the grassy path past the bumper cars and giant slide. When they finally traveled beyond sight of the venomous gossipmonger, they broke into laughter. “Bravo!” Aidan applauded. “You are a master.”
Laura grinned. “You weren’t half bad yourself. Did you see the look on her face?”
He laughed again. “I sure did. Of course, we’ll have to be careful, because Ms. White is not easily deterred. Likely she’s still suspicious. For now, though, we're safe.” He slowly sobered, his thoughts clearly no longer on the wayward reporter. At least notthatwayward reporter. “I want to apologize. I never meant to hurt you." True regret laced sincere words. "I was hoping to get everything out in the open. I never would have carried out the threat."
“I know.” Laura softened. “I understand why you did it, and why you couldn’t do it. You truly are a good guy, Aidan Bancroft.”
“You have secrets. At first, I wanted to know because of how they affected me. But now…” His voice drifted off, as he shook his head. In the next moment, he was completely controlled. “It is something to discuss later.” His voice was again powerful and deep, his tone confident and assured, as he stopped in front of the rainbow-colored tent that housed the carnival circus. She longed to demand he finish the sentence, but stopped herself. Was he as confused as she was?
He led her into the tent, where a group of laughing children sharpened her focus. She had allowed herself to get distracted, but now she had to concentrate on keeping Aidan far away from Jeanie. Fortunately, the children were slated for a later performance, so she was safe – for now.
