Diamond in the Ruff by Emily Carmichael

Author:Emily Carmichael [Carmichael, Emily]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-48379-9
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2012-09-06T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

When the overhead light flipped on, they all froze still as statues. Alicia’s jaw dropped, but it was the only movement she made. With her tousled blonde curls and startled blue eyes, she could have modeled for Wronged Woman Barbie. “I … I just came in to say good night,” she stammered. The statement seemed woefully inadequate to the situation.

Caught beneath Ben, Joey didn’t even breathe. The only sign she was alive was the rapid flow of blood to her face. If her cheeks got any redder, Ben reflected with a strange calm, they were going to burst into flame. As for himself, he was trying to control the part of him that every man despairs of controlling once it goes on the rampage. And that part was truly on the rampage. The moment he moved, Joey was going to know exactly how upstanding he was, and Alicia also. Not that he wasn’t in a heap of trouble without that little detail, but his condition would certainly put the icing on top of the devil’s food cake.

Abruptly, Alicia laughed. It was not a cynical laugh, or disillusioned, or hysterical. The laugh was genuine and unalarmed.

Irritated somehow by Alicia’s equanimity, Ben snapped back to life. “Just what is so funny?”

“You! Oh dear, you both look as if the world is coming to an end.”

Joey made a strangled sound. Alicia chuckled. “Joey, sweetie, you’re as red as a beet. I wish I had a camera. All the time I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you looking like you were going to explode with embarrassment.”

“Alicia,” Ben choked out, “this isn’t what it—”

“—looks like,” she finished for him. “I know.”

“What?”

“I know,” she assured him with a smile. “Joey probably lost her way in the dark and climbed into your bed. I’ll bet that was a surprise for both of you!”

Joey sputtered and struggled free of their entanglement. When she brushed against the unmistakable evidence that Ben had reacted to their encounter with much more than surprise, her eyes widened and she jumped away from him as if he’d poked her with a hot brand. Then she squawked, remembering her lack of decent clothing.

“Aaaack! Close your eyes, Ben Ramsay! I don’t believe this is happening. Close your eyes, I say!”

He had no intention of doing so, not out of perverse desire, but from the simple knowledge that it wouldn’t do any good. The image of long legs and high, perky breasts attractively set off by lacy panties and camisole was burned on his retina. Who would have thought that anything about businesslike Joey DeMato was actually perky?

And then there was that part of him that was still perking along quite nicely. As Joey hastily snatched her clothes from the floor and wrapped her jacket about her, Ben took advantage of the distraction, arranging the blankets to disguise his little problem.

“I didn’t lose my way,” Joey insisted. “Ben did. He’s in my bed.”

“Oh no,” he replied. “This is my bed. Look around.”

She did, taking in his luggage, the clothes hanging in the little closet, the shaving kit on the dresser.

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