Ashley marched to her bedroom and studied the two outfits Summer had suggested she could wear for the debate. In the end, she chose a slim-line black dress with the ruby-red trim on the hem and pockets. She showered, did her hair in a French braid, and moisturized her skin. Her contact had told her not to bother with makeup since they had studio artists to do that for them.
She drank the cup of soup Josh had prepared and ate a toasted cheese sandwich before hitting the road.
The first question, when it came, concerned her changed appearance. “Don’t you think your new look will be too trendy for the older voters?” the man chairing the debate asked. Mike was an experienced journalist and known for his hard-hitting questions.
“Perhaps,” Ashley said, instinct leading her to tell the truth. “Last night, what I thought was a courier package from my office turned out to be a prank. When I opened it, the head of a soft toy flew out and splattered me with red dye. I could throw out my clothes, but the ink stained my hair. I could’ve gone to a hairdresser to get my hair dyed back to the original color, but I’m busy with the campaign. The last thing I want is to cancel and disappoint people, so on the advice of a friend, I decided to display Labor party colors and fix my hair.”
“You made lemonade out of lemons. What sort of toy was it?”
“That is correct, Mike. It was a dog. Is it time to discuss policies now? I’m eager to hear what my fellow politicians have to say.” She smiled at each of the men. The man standing nearest to her had clenched his teeth, and his return smile held strain.
“Quite so,” Mike said, and he launched the first real question of the debate.
When it was over, Ashley thanked Mike and the producer before walking over to join Josh, Nelson, and Gerry. “How did I do?”
Josh entwined their fingers and kissed her knuckles. The sizzle of heat no longer took her by surprise, but the parallel yearning gave her pause.
“Great job,” Josh said. “It was an even debate—at least between you and the National leader. All that matters is you answered the questions while sounding informed and intelligent.”
“Are you ready to leave?” Nelson asked.
“Yes.”
“Gerry will get the car and collect us outside at the front door,” Nelson said.
“What do you fancy for dinner?” Josh asked.
“I’ve been craving a cheese omelet and salad. Something that isn’t too heavy.”
“I’m terrible at omelets,” Josh said. “My last attempt turned into a burned, watery mass of rubber.”
“Then we’re lucky I’m the champion of all things egg.” Ashley wiggled her brows. “If you want to help, you can make the salad. Did you hear two New Zealand students won the World egg-throwing contest yesterday? They did a throw of sixty meters to beat the Canadian team.”
“You’re kidding,” Josh said.
“Nope. According to the students, they took a crack at it.” She laughed at her egg pun while Josh groaned.
Even staid Nelson’s lips twitched. His phone rang, his smile vanished, and he answered in his usual abrupt manner. “Yes.” He listened. “Car okay?” He paused. “Yeah, I’ll bring Ashley out now.”
“Something wrong?” Ashley asked.
“Someone tagged your vehicle while we were in here.”
Ashley closed her eyes, took a deep breath, but it didn’t halt the snakes of fear from writhing through her chest. “Let me guess. Murderer or something along those lines.”
“Not sure of the exact wording,” Nelson said.
“At least it’s dark and not many will see us on the way home.” Josh embraced her in silent comfort.
Ashley shivered, her feel-good mood dispersed with the call. “I wish I knew what I’d done to deserve this harassment. Have the police located Robert yet?”
Gerry pulled up outside the door.
Ashley grimaced at the blue paint and the slogan that said Vote National. “Charming. I should’ve kept my mouth shut about my hair color.”
Josh ushered her into the vehicle. “Two reporters heading this way, Ashley. Keep your head lowered, so they don’t get the money shot.”
“This is the part of politics I loathe,” she muttered as Josh joined her in the back. She ducked and pressed her face against Josh’s chest.
“You’re shivering,” he murmured.
“Yes.” His chest muffled her reply.
“Are both sides of the vehicle tagged?” Josh asked.
“Yes,” Nelson replied once Gerry moved off.
Ashley stiffened, anger pumping through her veins. She detested this helplessness bearing down on her. None of this situation was fair, and it was impossible to fight an invisible villain who forced her to react instead of taking action. And Robert. What was up with his disappearing act? He was making himself appear guilty. She’d known Robert for years, and in that time, he’d never missed a day of work. She’d relied on him to run the office, and now everything was falling apart.
If Robert didn’t turn up soon, she’d have to replace him. The campaign manager might suggest a suitable candidate, but a replacement wouldn’t possess Robert’s knowledge or experience.
No! She couldn’t believe Robert was her stalker.
The car stopped, and she straightened. “Oh, we’re home.”
“Wait until Gerry checks around the house,” Josh murmured, his body tensing as his gaze swept the area the security lights illuminated.
After five minutes, Gerry returned and opened the vehicle door for her. The lights gleamed off his bald head. “Everything looks normal.”
“What, no parcels?” Ashley asked as she slid from the car.
Gerry offered a faint smile. “Not this evening.”
“Give me your keys,” Josh demanded, holding out her hand. “I’d prefer to enter your house first. Wait with Nelson and Gerry.”
“I hate this.” Ashley clenched her hands at her sides. “Have you checked with Robert’s parents? Last I heard, they still live in Taupo.”
Ashley’s shivers had ceased during the journey home, but now a chill prickled her limbs. A someone-walking-over-her-grave sensation, according to her grandmother.
“I’ll pass on the info,” Nelson said.
“Clear.” Josh stood in the doorway. “Let’s cook that dinner.”
“If Robert doesn’t turn up with credible explanations, I need help in the office. I don’t have time to vet a suitable candidate.”
“Won’t the party have someone who could help?”
Ashley set down her handbag. “Yes, but I have a certain way I prefer things done. I want a loyal assistant. Someone who can tell me to pull in my head if I need checking. The party candidate might be experienced, but they’ll be set in their ways.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want traditional. I want someone younger with initiative. Gah! I’m not making sense.”
“Is it possible to do the work from home?” Josh asked.
“I don’t see why not. As long as the information remains secure. Some is sensitive.”
“Summer might help you on a short-term basis. At least get you through until election day. I mean, Robert might turn up with a reasonable excuse.”
“Summer… Hmm, that might work. Disappearing—this is unlike Robert. I mean, why would he do this? I thought Summer intended to visit your parents in Eketahuna?”
“Against my advice, she and Nikolai had a rethink and decided to stay. I’ll start dinner,” Josh said. “Why don’t you talk to Summer?”
Ashley wandered to her bedroom and rang Josh’s sister.
“I’d love to,” Summer said. “The library has received a funding cut, and they’ve decreased my hours to the point where the pay barely covers my fuel costs. What tasks did you have in mind for me? I’m happy to sign a non-disclosure document if you require one, but remember I intend to vote for the opposition.”
“I haven’t forgotten. It’s not as if you’ll have access to top secret info. I just need someone to keep me on track. I figure
my future sister-in-law can do that.”
“And you’re paying me for my loyalty,” Summer said, her tone cheeky.
“There is that.” Ashley grinned as she explained Summer’s duties and ended the call, her mood more positive. She’d give Summer a chance, and if the situation didn’t work out, she could always get the campaign manager to suggest someone. She changed into an old pair of jeans and a T-shirt and removed the heavier studio makeup before joining Josh in the kitchen.
“Your omelet is served.” Josh slid a plate across the breakfast bar.
It held a perfect omelet and a side salad.
“But is it edible?”
“Gerry supervised me.” Josh studied the golden omelet with pride. “It looks ten times better than mine, so we’re ahead already.”
The enticing cheesy scent wafting toward her settled the matter. While Josh made another one, she attacked her meal.
“Well?” Josh asked.
“I doubt I could’ve made it better myself,” Ashley said. “Gerry is an excellent teacher. Nelson, is that permanent paint on my car? Will it clean off?”
“No,” Nelson said. “I’ve arranged for us to use a department vehicle. We might swap vehicles every day to keep your stalker guessing.”
“I hate this.” Moodily, Ashley finished her meal and stood to help clear the kitchen.
“I’ll stack the dishwasher,” Gerry said. “Watch television or catch up on your rest.”
“Thanks, we appreciate it.” Josh wrapped his arm around Ashley’s waist and urged her down the passage.
“I feel like a kid being sent to bed for misbehavior,” Ashley complained, balking at her bedroom door.
“I didn’t have anything childish on my mind.” Josh tugged on her braid. “I was thinking of something more adult, and the bedroom is the perfect place. Sex is an excellent stress release.”
Heat bloomed low in her belly. A sizzle of anticipation. “Misbehavior. I love your idea.” She grasped his forearm and yanked him into her room. With the door shut behind them, she advanced on the sexy, enticing man. “Shirt off,” she ordered, nimble fingers already slipping the buttons from the holes. “Give me skin.”
Josh dragged off his shirt and didn’t stop there. He stripped off footwear and his black trousers. His upper arm still bore a light dressing, but thankfully, the injury hadn’t slowed him.
“Someone is happy to see me,” she whispered, her gaze roving his broad chest, his lickable abs and settling on the erection tenting his black boxer-briefs.
“Always,” he whispered, his blue eyes full of sensual heat.
Ashley melted inside. This man… He did it for her. She’d never met a man who meshed so well with her life. He hadn’t once complained about the constant waiting, and he made her feel safe. Happy, despite everything else going on in her life.
She sashayed closer and slid her hands over his muscular back. When her hand met the band of his underwear, she slipped her fingers beneath and squeezed his buttocks.
“Nice,” she said with appreciation.
She backed him toward the bed, laughing at the second of surprise in his expression when he toppled to the mattress. Ashley followed him down and tugged off his last garment. “My turn. I’ve been wanting to explore.”
“Have at it,” Josh murmured. “I’m all yours.”
Ashley leaned over him to snatch a quick kiss then pulled back to strip off her outer clothes. His appreciative gaze warmed her again, and the stress of the day slid away. Grinning, she traced a finger along his length and settled in to have some fun.
16 – Sex Tapes And Shenanigans
A phone woke Ashley from a deep sleep. She rubbed her face.
“Is that your phone?” Josh rumbled, his voice thick with sleep.
“Yes, it’s becoming a habit. A bad one.” She sat up and grabbed her phone. “Hello.”
“Ashley, have you been online this morning?” Summer asked, her tone urgent.
“No, you woke me. I didn’t set the alarm.”
“Boss, someone posted a sex tape of you,” Summer said.
“What?” Ashley shrieked. “I’ve never. I haven’t!”
The sound of clicks and mutters sounded on the line. “Oh my god!” Summer cried. “It’s you and Josh. I thought this—”
Josh took the phone from Ashley. “Summer, it’s Josh. Tell me everything right now.”
Ashley sat frozen, her arms wrapped around her waist. A sex tape. She hadn’t. They hadn’t. She rose and pulled on a wrap. She needed coffee to deal with this—cluster-fuck.
A coffee-scent floated in her direction before she reached the kitchen. Nelson and Gerry sat at the breakfast bar, cups in hand while they whispered their conversation. They fell silent when they spotted her.
“I have never, ever made a sex-tape in my life. Never,” she added with emphasis. “I need coffee.” She stomped to the coffeemaker and poured herself a cup. “I don’t understand any of this.”
Josh appeared in the kitchen wearing jeans and nothing else. “Bastard had a camera in our bedroom,” he snapped. “I’ve disabled it now, but Summer said the video has spread over the web. Thank god, it was pictures only and not audio too.”
That was good news? Ashley moaned, her stomach roiling. Pictures were bad enough. “What am I going to do?”
“You will get ahead of this shit-fest before it rolls downhill,” Josh stated and set her phone on the counter beside her. “Summer is drafting a press release for you to approve. Ring your campaign manager and tell him what has happened. Make a public statement detailing everything the stalker has done to you. Be as honest as you can.”
“Josh is right,” Nelson said. “Where is the camera? I suppose it has your fingerprints on it now.”
“Probably,” Josh said, unrepentant. “There was no need to give the guy more entertainment than necessary.”
Ashley’s phone rang, and she scowled. “So it begins.” She answered the call. “Geoffrey, how can I help you?”
“We need someone to search every room for more cameras,” Josh said to Nelson. “Are we any closer to finding Robert?”
“The local cops spoke to his parents last night. They haven’t heard from him, but it wasn’t unusual to go a week between calls. They have no idea where he is or might have gone. According to them, he lived for his work and is loyal to Ashley. Neither of them had heard him speak negatively about her. As far as they knew, he was dedicated and thought she had a good chance of winning her seat.”
“Another dead end,” Josh said.
Nelson shrugged. “He’ll make a mistake soon. Get sloppy. Whoever the stalker is, he’s angry and vindictive. Someone will see him.”
Josh dragged a hand through his hair. “Summer informed me I’m in the video, toward the end. Ashley’s brother is gonna kill me. What a fuckin’ mess.”
Ashley jumped into damage control, and during her first engagement of the day, she read her statement. Her voice remained steady, she kept her head held high, and she didn’t flinch when the press pounced and asked questions.
“My stalker is deluded and wrong in his or her assertions. I am a law-abiding citizen who has become a victim of these increasingly serious pranks. He shot at my fiancé, and it was only pure luck that saved Josh from a worse injury.”
“What about the sex tapes?” someone called from the back.
“As I told you,” Ashley said in a frosty voice. “I have never and will never make a sex tape. My stalker planted a camera in my bedroom, where one assumes a measure of privacy. I’m engaged to Josh. What we do in the privacy of our bedroom is our business, and this stalker has broken the law by filming us. It is a breach of privacy, and when the police discover this person’s identity, they will charge him to the fullest extent of the law. Thank you.”
“I don’t believe you,” a man’s voice called from the rear. “Hand me the popcorn. I think you’re using drama to make the public sorry for you. You’re not a suitable candidate, and you’ve concocted th
is plan to win votes.”
Josh relocated toward the man hurling accusations at Ashley. Surely the press would see through this bullshit. The bullet graze on his arm had gushed enough blood to show the stalker was real and not a figment of Ashley’s imagination. Josh pushed past two men and a woman reporter. The speaker was in his sights but retreating. Josh thought back to the night Ashley’s car had broken down. From memory, she’d mentioned a man who’d asked her if she had secrets. She’d intimated he looked like a homeless man.
He’d make a safe bet that Ashley’s stalker was hiring people to harass her and put her off stride. With his gaze on his quarry’s black beanie, Josh closed in. He glimpsed two policemen approaching the man from the other side.
The man spotted them and turned toward Josh, his long black coat flapping as the man swung around, intent on escape.
Josh planted himself in front of the man and braced for contact.
“Get out of my way,” the man shouted.
“I believe the police wish to speak with you.” Josh swiveled and blocked the man when he attempted to duck around Josh.
“This is harassment.”
Around them, reporters started to pay attention. Josh stayed the man enough for the police to grab him.
“You can’t arrest me. I have done nothing wrong,” the man shouted.
“We’ll take it from here,” a policeman told Josh.
“This is false arrest!”
“We’re not arresting you, sir,” a third policeman, a female officer, said. “But we want a chat with you. Once we talk, you can go on your way. Deal?”
“You’re not arresting me?”
“No, sir,” the female officer said. “We just want a chat.”
Once he was confident the cops had the situation under control, Josh drifted through the groups of bystanders and press to stand nearer to Ashley. She’d completed the speech part of the informal meeting at The Viaduct in central Auckland and was now speaking one-on-one with the locals.
“Who chooses your wardrobe each day?” an elderly woman asked.
Ashley smiled. “I do, but I also get advice from my female friends.”
“I don’t hold with hair dye and cosmetics. You should be satisfied with what God gave you.” Her querulous voice carried to everyone in the vicinity.
Josh's Fake Fiancee (Military Men Book 5) Page 16
