Who Knew Read online

  An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

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  Who Knew

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  Who Knew Copyright © 2009 Amarinda Jones

  Edited by Helen Woodall

  Cover art by Syneca

  Electronic book Publication June 2009

  The terms Romantica® and Quickies® are registered trademarks of Ellora’s Cave Publishing.

  With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502.

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  This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

  Who Knew

  Amarinda Jones

  Dedication

  Dedicated to the power of e-mail and the soft, sexy words that only a lover can read and understand.

  Chapter One

  “You.” Bridie’s fingertips stroked the bristly skin of James’ face as her other hand ran down the smooth, muscular skin of his back to the firm flesh of his ass. They were skin to skin. The heat of his flesh burned into her like a branding iron. He is the one. Never had Bridie imagined he would come along.

  “Yeah, me.” James raised his hips and slid his cock out from her pussy as his mouth ran along the side of her jaw and down her neck.

  Bridie didn’t even try to hide the shiver that ran through her body at his touch. She gripped her thighs around his waist to draw him back inside her body. The stiff cock against her inner thigh teased the tender flesh and made her long to have it deep and hard within her once more. It seemed like forever she had waited for this moment with James and she didn’t want to waste another moment empty. “Who knew?”

  “I did.”

  “Smarty pants.”

  “I have no pants on, but then, neither do you.”

  Bridie slapped his ass. “I know that and I need you to come back inside me now.” She squirmed against him, using the wet heat of her body to entice him inside.

  James shook his head in mock disappointment. “You’re as pushy in person as you are on e-mail.” He reached for both her hands, linking his fingers with hers as he raised them above her head. “This will be done my way or not at all.” James rubbed the tip of his cock over Bridie’s clit as his tongue flicked the pink flesh of one taut nipple.

  Okay, his way was pretty damn good, Bridie conceded as she sighed and arched against him. “But I want cock now. You can’t give it to me one minute then take it away the next.” There was just so much temptation a woman could bear. She raised her hips so her pussy ground against his cock. “I know you want me.”

  “Oh yes, I do.” James laughed. “Are you feeling empty?”

  “I am hot and wet and if you do not fuck me now I swear I will scream my head off.” The desire to be filled once more with James was so overwhelming she was trembling with need.

  James’ gaze met with hers. “I guarantee you’ll be screaming but not in frustration.”

  “You talk big.” I love this pushy, arrogant man.

  “I am big.” James pushed the head of his cock back inside her.

  “Ahhh,” Bridie moaned as she pushed forward for more. “Please love me, James.”

  “I have from the first angry word you spoke to me.”

  “So?”

  “What?”

  His smile lit up her heart. “What part of, “I want cock now” don’t you understand?”

  James thrust back inside her in one plunging stoke. “Better?”

  “Oh yes.” I love hot male.

  * * * * *

  What is wrong with you people?

  James Harper looked at the e-mail on his screen. “So much for corporate etiquette in sending e-mails,” he muttered to himself as he typed a response. I beg your pardon?

  Who is this?

  James Harper.

  Well, James Harper, your office is sending us the wrong data and it’s pissing me off.

  He raised his eyebrows in amusement. And you are?

  Bridie Clare from the Brisbane office.

  Ah yes, the she-devil who has started sending us daily e-mails pointing out our inadequacies.

  That would be me. You lot have been doing this job long enough to have got it right by now.

  And you are perfect.

  Damn straight. Now get someone to re-e-mail me the correct data now.

  “What the hell? James stared at the screen in amusement. “Bridie? Short for Bridget?”

  His assistant David shook his head. “It’s actually short for Bride of Frankenstein. She’s a pushy bitch, that one.”

  James opened the spreadsheet she had sent back to them. He glanced quickly at the data. “Yeah but she’s right. Our figures are wrong.”

  “Don’t tell her that.”

  “Why?” James smiled. Was David scared of her? He liked scary women. They hid so many interesting things under flimsy layers of defense.

  “Because we’ll never hear the end of it.”

  James fixed the data and resent it. He mentioned nothing about being wrong. “I’m not going to make it easier for her.” James Harper loved a challenge.

  Ms. Clare, please find attached reworked graphs and figures.

  “About frigging time,” Bridie mumbled under her breath, though to be honest she was kind of surprised at the speed of his response. Normally no one in the Sydney office moved that fast. Thank you, Mr. Harper. Bridie tapped the keys quickly. “If he wants to be formal, I can be formal,” she muttered to herself. She had a killer headache, her favorite chocolate had run out of stock in the office candy machine and the café next door where she bought her bucket-o-coffee each day was closed “due to personal reasons”. “What a crap day.” Bridie banged away on the keyboard. Please ensure it does not happen again.

  Or what?

  Or I’ll… Bridie stopped typing. “Hmm, they never usually answer back.” What would she do exactly? It was different when people were scared of you, for you never had to justify yourself. And, basically Bridie could do nothing much if they messed it up again because she wasn’t in charge of them. She relied on them for data but they did not answer to her. Bridie had just made them believe they did. She liked things done the right way. Her way. If it’s correct I’ll leave you in peace.

  Had a bad night?

  What?

  Broke up with your boyfriend?

  Excuse me?

  Knicker elastic too tight?

  “What?” Bridie sat bolt upright at her desk. Who was this guy? She had heard someone new was going to shake up the Sydney office but she’d assumed he would be just another business suit barking out half-assed orders to inefficient staff on his way out to lunch at the golf club.

  What’s your favorite color?

  Why?

  I want to know?

  What has that got to do with work?

  Humor me.

  Black. Bridie shook her head in wonder. “Why am I even responding to this guy?”
/>
  Come on.

  Red.

  Favorite flower?

  Why?

  Just tell me. It will relax you.

  How? Was he a mind reader? Bridie hadn’t been relaxed since the seventh grade. Some people didn’t do relaxation well. She was as tense as a bowstring.

  You ask a lot of questions.

  It’s my job. It wasn’t. It was her nature to be suspicious.

  Will it kill you to tell me your favorite flower?

  Daisies.

  Really?

  Why?

  Old fashioned and sweet.

  Bridie knew where this was going. She could be an absolute bitch at work when people pissed her off as the Sydney office did. They dragged the work day out with their inefficiency. And nothing like me, I suppose you’re going to say?

  I don’t know you. You tell me about yourself.

  Nope. Bridie had heard enough. James Harper was a charming man and the last person she wanted to play with. Men like that were players and she hated games where she wasn’t sure of the rules. Two minutes later as she was focusing on a column of figures, the phone rang. “Divisional Management, this is Bridie.”

  “This is James.”

  “Holy crap.” The man had a voice that sounded like sin and sex. It washed over her mind and seeped into her skin.

  “I’m not sure crap is holy.”

  Bridie slapped her forehead. “I said that out loud.” Bugger, I said that too.

  “Yes. So what’s going on, Bridie?”

  The way her name sounded on his tongue made her thighs sweat and her heart beat madly. “Your office sucks.” Yes, that was better. Channel the office shrew within.

  “Probably,” James conceded without offence. “But we’re working on it.”

  “Work faster.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Some men just had the ability to make the simplest things sound sexy. “That it?” Bridie barked at him. She was annoyed at herself for going all gooey over a voice. He’s probably cross-eyed with a wart on his nose.

  “Yeah, I just wanted to hear your voice.” The call ended.

  Bridie leaned over and turned on her small desk fan. “Oh my.”

  * * * * *

  “Good morning, Bridie.”

  “James.” She would have liked to say she was not hoping it was him calling but that was a lie. Bridie wanted to hear that voice one more time to make sure it was real.

  “You remembered me.”

  Your voice was in my head all night. It was so hard to sleep. Bridie cleared her throat. Get a grip, woman. “What can I help you with?” he was a professional as was she. This was work and it was boring. Remember that.

  “Are you married?”

  “What?” Bridie almost fell off her chair.

  “It’s a simple question.”

  “Are you?”

  “No.”

  “Really?”

  “Do I sound married?”

  What woman was silly enough not to live with that voice? It made her wet just listening. Bridie closed her legs together firmly. The office was no place for an orgasm. There had to be a policy on that somewhere. “No… I don’t know… Why was it important?” And why do I sound so rattled? No man had ever gotten to her like this. In fact she had sworn off men after her last disastrous venture there twelve months ago.

  “I just wanted to know if you had someone in your life.”

  Oh lordy. The way he said it made her wish it was him. Bridie shook herself. “I don’t believe in romance.” Oh crap why did I say that? The minute it was out of her mouth she regretted it. She never told anyone that.

  “Everyone believes in romance.”

  “I’m in Divisional Management. We’re not romantic here.”

  “What are you then, Bridie?”

  Mostly lonely. “I’m busy.”

  “I’ll leave you to it then.

  The called ended so suddenly that Bridie felt a wild rush of disappointment shoot through her. There were a hundred things jumping into her brain that she should have said. Or not. “Get a grip. He’s just a guy on the make.”

  Ten minutes later, James e-mailed her. I was thinking…

  Bridie had been too. She had been clicking on the send-receive like a mad woman hoping he would post. Good to know someone in your department does.

  About you.

  Uh-huh.

  Do want to know why?

  Of course she did. Nope.

  Liar.

  You need someone to love.

  And you need to send your petty cash receipt forms in.

  Or?

  There was no “or”. How could there be an “or”? No one from the Sydney office ever acted like this. Listen up, James. I don’t know what sort of game you are playing here but I’m not like other women.

  How so?

  I mean, I am but I’m not after a man.

  Me either.

  I never for one second thought you were gay.

  Why not?

  Your voice.

  You like my voice?

  “Oh jeez, why did I say that? I should have a stupid stamp on my desk instead of a date stamp.” The phone rang. Bridie knew it would be James. Her heart pounded and her hands shook. I should not answer this.

  “Bridie, are you there?” James knew it was complete madness but he felt a strange rush of feeling just talking to Bridie. She was different from any woman he had ever known. Pithy, smart and amusing. He could hear her breathing over the line. At least Bridie had not disconnected the call. “Okay, just listen then. I’m single, thirty-eight, I have my own house, teeth and car. I rarely belch, I can cook and not all women hate me.”

  “I don’t hate you.”

  “Excellent.” Against every rational reason he could think of, James wanted to meet Bridie Clare. I have to get up to the Brisbane office. The feeling was so strong that the urgency of it gripped him. He had never believed in soul mates or love at first anything, but the mad rush of feeling he was feeling demanded a response.

  “I mean—”

  “So tell me everything about yourself.” James wanted to know everything.

  “Why?”

  “Because, Bridie, I believe I am falling in love with you.”

  She snorted in disbelief. “You’re mad.”

  “Maybe,” James conceded, but it was a good madness that he wanted to indulge in. “Tell me, have you ever felt this instant a connection with anyone?” James knew by her sudden silence he was not alone.

  “You live miles away.”

  Barrier one by the lady. “They have planes now. The Wright brothers invented them.”

  “You scare me.”

  Barrier two, honesty. James liked that. “Why?”

  “Because men generally don’t want women like me.”

  “Well they’re idiots.” He cared not what ruled other men’s lives. James judged by the spirit of another and by his own gut instinct.

  “This can’t go anywhere. It’s not like we will ever meet.”

  Barrier three, rationality. “How do you know?” He was making plans in his mind as they spoke. Not meeting her was not an option.

  “Oh God,” Bridie choked out.

  James gripped the phone in worry. She sounded upset. The primal need to protect his mate grabbed at him. “What?”

  Bridie saw the flowers heading in her direction but never for one second did she assume they would be for her. They were always for someone else. “Daisies. On my desk.” For the first time in a very long time Bridie burst into tears. “You—you sent me flowers.” James sent me flowers. It just didn’t seem real and yet as she touched the petals she knew he was the only real, true thing in her life at that moment.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “You know. Don’t you feel it?”

  Oh yes. “But it’s not rational.” James had no idea what she was like or even looked like. It was crazy.

  “Life isn’t about getting facts and figures done by
knock off time, Bridie.”

  “No.” She stopped and blew her nose. Fellow staff members were looking at her but trying not to look at her, as people did when someone got flowers. “Everyone thinks I’m mad.”

  “Is that any different from normal?”

  Bridie laughed. “No.”

  “So here’s what I propose. Let’s get to know each other on e-mail and the phone and go from there.”

  “Where’s there?” I want to go there right now with you.

  “We meet.”

  “Oh. I look better over the phone.” Meet? I would have to lose ten pounds, get a new body, hair, skin…

  “I doubt that.”

  There was so much she wanted to say, to explain, to make him understand. “James—”

  “Don’t give up on me, on us, Bridie.”

  * * * * *

  For the next two weeks, James and Bridie abused the corporate mail and racked up personal calls on the business telephone talking about anything and everything. It was an old-fashioned courtship conducted with modern technology and if it had happened to anyone else, Bridie would have scoffed at the notion.

  I will be in Brisbane on Friday.

  Bridie stared at the screen for what seemed like hours but was only minutes. He was coming to her. She didn’t know whether to cry or scream. Friday was two days away. The phone rang. Bridie snatched it up.

  “James.” Come. Don’t come. Please come or not—God, I don’t know.

  “You knew it was me.” He sounded pleased.

  Who else could it possibly be in her world right now? “This is a bad idea.”

  “Why?”

  “What if—”

  “I have to meet you, Bridie.”

  “I know.” Their fate had been sealed over that first e-mail.

  Chapter Two

  Bridie knew the exact minute James walked in the door. The fine hairs on the back of her neck stood up and her stomach tightened with anticipation. She was positive everyone in the office could hear the pounding of her heart. It was crazy and ridiculous. James was just another person. A colleague and yet—