A Jewel In Time; A Sultry Sisters Anthology
Page 36
“He’s busy.” Olivia twirled the brooch and pondered how he’d react if she showed up and surprised him.
“I’m sure he’d love to see you.” Stacy batted her eyelashes and made kissy sounds.
Olivia laughed. “I just got back, Little Miss Princess still requires damage control, and we haven’t completed the pitch campaigns for the three premiers.” She shifted her weight.
“The pitch campaigns are done. We just have to execute, and the Execs can do that. Remember, we weren’t expecting you back until after New Year’s.”
Olivia sat up, and it occurred to her that Stacy could actually run the firm without her. “That’s fantastic.”
She popped off the couch and paced. Olivia couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of that idea sooner, but she could put Stacy in charge of Los Angeles, move to England, and expand DuBois PR by opening an office in London.
“Oh, no.” Stacy narrowed her stare. “I’ve seen that look before. What are you plotting?”
“I’m contemplating giving you a promotion.” A surge of energy flowed through her. Taking DuBois PR international was a great idea. Given the years she’d already spent developing processes and systems, she could implement her business model in a new location easily. But more importantly, she could be with Emerson.
“Right now? In the middle of your man discussion?” Stacy unscrewed the cap of her mini Perrier and took a swig.
“Yes. You see it all ties in together.” Olivia proceeded to share Emerson’s fears of taking her away from her world and how her moving to England and expanding the firm would resolve all of them. When she’d finished laying out the plan, she asked, “What do you think?”
Stacy launched herself off the sofa. “What are you waiting for? Get home and pack!” She plucked Olivia’s purse from the hook on the back of the door, pushed it onto her shoulder, and guided her out of her office. “We can work out details, later.”
“Are you sure?” Olivia circled back and snatched her keys from her desk.
“Everything will be fine. Get out of here.” Stacy waved.
“Call or text me if you need anything.” Excitement bubbled within Olivia as she trotted onto the elevator.
The drive home was a blur, as she mentally mapped out what she was going to take with her. She didn’t own very many winter clothes. She giggled. She could spend a lot of time naked under Emerson to stay warm. It had worked in Boston.
The desire to call him and tell him that she was coming was almost overwhelming, but she wished to see his expression when she walked into his office and surprised him, so she suppressed the urge.
She danced around her bedroom and tossed items into her suitcase, while she simultaneously booked a one-way ticket to London, online, from her iPad. She made sure to pack the red lace bra and panty set, as it was a favorite of Emerson’s.
By the time she’d boarded her flight—a red-eye to New York--the butterflies in her stomach were performing Cirque Du Soliel moves. She couldn’t wait to see him. And to tell him the great news that he was the pirate. Her pirate. And that she’d figured out how they could be together.
She’d have sworn that she’d squirmed the whole flight. She’d first attempted to read Captain of Her Heart, the latest novel by one of her favorite authors, Barbara Devlin, but the mention of ships just brought her back to worrying about if Emerson had saved his company, so she’d tried to read Deadly Delivery, a romantic suspense novella by another favorite author, Jeanne Adams, but couldn’t focus on that book either. Finally, she stuck her headphones in her ears and settled on half watching the onboard movie.
She had a three-hour layover in New York. She bought a smoothie and then wandered around the stores. She was trying on a Juicy Couture jacket in Fashion Exclusive that she had decided would need to come to London with her, when someone said her name.
“Olivia?” She froze. She recognized that voice.
She spun around and dropped the hanger out of shock. Her true love stood on the opposite side of the clothing display. “Emerson?”
“What are you doing here?” He moved toward her.
She peeled off the coat and tossed it over the rack. “I’m coming to see you in London.”
He hugged her. “But I’m coming to see you in Los Angeles, as I couldn’t be without you for another minute.”
She returned the embrace. He was warm and strong. “Me either.”
He kissed her neck, sending shivers down her spine. “I figured it out.”
She leaned into him. “Me too.”
“Did you have the dream and see my face as the pirate?” She’d forgotten she’d shared her concern about that with him.
“One better, you know that painting in your office. That’s what I kept dreaming about.” She ran her hands through his hair and considered pinching herself to make sure the moment was real.
“Bloody hell.” He picked up her bag, threw it over his shoulder, picked up the jacket, and then took her hand. “I’m going to buy this for you, then let’s go somewhere and talk about all this.”
“Sounds fabulous.” She squeezed him. “I can’t believe you are here.”
“I could say the same.” He paid the clerk and put the purchase in Olivia’s carry-on.
“Thank you.” She kissed him. “I’m so happy.”
“Me too.” He scanned the airport. “So where do you want to go?”
“When do you have to be in Los Angeles?”
“Not until two weeks from now, but I couldn’t wait to see you.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.
She shot him a mischievous smile. “In that case, I’ve never been to London.”
A broad grin spread across his face. “Then let’s go, girlfriend.”
SULTRY SISTER BIOS
Bestselling author Barbara Devlin was born a storyteller. A Texan, through and through, Barbara hasn't been without a book in her possession since she was in kindergarten. She wrote her first short story, a really cheesy murder-mystery, in high school, but it was a Christmas gift, a lovely little diary with a bronze lock, given to her in the fifth grade that truly inspired her love of writing.
After completing part of her undergraduate studies at the University of London, where she developed a love of all things British, Barbara returned home and began a career in banking. But the late 80s weren't too promising for the financial industry, and every bank that hired Barbara soon folded. So she searched for a stable occupation, and the local police department offered the answer to her prayers.
Initially, Barbara wasn't too sure about her new career in law enforcement, but she soon came to love being a police officer. And then one uncharacteristically cold and icy day in December 1998, Barbara was struck by a car and pinned against a guardrail while working an accident on a major highway. Permanently disabled, she retired from the police department and devoted her time and energy to physical therapy.
Once Barbara got back on her feet, she focused on a new career in academia. She earned an MA in English and continued a course of study for a Doctorate in Literature and Rhetoric. She happily considered herself an exceedingly eccentric English professor, until success in Indie publishing lured her into writing, full-time, featuring her fictional knighthood, the Brethren of the Coast.
Connect with Barbara Devlin at BarbaraDevlin.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, The Knightly News.
Twitter: @barbara_devlin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barbara-Devlin/536542626431032
Jeanne Adams likes calling North Carolina home, but for now, she lives in DC, where her latest full-length novel, THE TENTACLE AFFAIRE (Sept. 2014), is set. She often jogs on the C&O towpath with her dogs, just like the heroine in that particular book! Her favorite holiday is Halloween and she starts planning the annual yard decor spectacle on November 1. Alas, in this case however, “The Adams Family" - one husband, two sons and three dogs - is all bark and no bite.
On another spooky and suspenseful note,
Jeanne used to work in the funeral and cemetery business, and knows a thing or two about getting rid of the body....bwhahahah! (She even teaches classes about it to other writers!) She claims that’s one reason she took up writing romantic suspense!
Jeanne has written award-winning suspense novels for Kensington/Zebra Publishing since 2007, including the highly acclaimed DEADLY LITTLE SECRETS, and its follow up, DEADLY LITTLE LIES.
THE TENTACLE AFFAIRE is her first urban fantasy/romance. The recently published DEADLY DELIVERY (Nov. 2014) is a short romantic suspense novella set at Thanksgiving, and BEHIND ENEMY LINES, the novella here in a A JEWEL IN TIME, is her first novella in an anthology.
She loves hearing from readers, so find her in any of the following places:
On The Romance Bandits blog - www.RomanceBanidts.com
On her website - www.JeanneAdams.com where you can sign up for her newsletter.
Follow her on Twitter @JeanneAdams
Or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/JeanneAdamsAuthor
Caitlenn T. Ainnsley writes edgy, sexy chick lit stories about fabulous women, hot men, and the often crazy situations they encounter on the road to love.
She won her first creative writing contest in the sixth grade and has always found pleasure weaving stories.
A big fan of Harlequin’s Intrigue series, her first novel was a romantic suspense. Its rejection was a blessing because it challenged Caitlenn to explore other genres. When she scribbled a single scene to enter in a Romance Writer’s of America editor’s critique, and all three editors said they wanted more from her, she knew she’d found her voice in chick lit.
“The Brit, The Brooch, and The Blizzard” is her debut novella.
Caitlenn T. Ainnsley is a pen name for Leah Grant. Leah is a Business, Life, and Spiritual Coach as well as a singer.
When she’s not traveling, which she does very frequently, Caitlenn lives in Las Vegas.
Visit www.caitlenn.com to sign-up for Love Notes from Caitlenn.
Join Caitlenn’s FaceBook Community at www.facebook.com/caitlenntainnsley
Table of Contents
untitled
A JEWEL IN TIME: A SULTRY SISTERS ANTHOLOGY
COPYRIGHT
DEDICATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Loving Lieutenant Douglas
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
EPILOGUE
Behind Enemy Lines
Chapter I
Chapter II
Chapter III
Chapter IV
Chapter V
Chapter VI
Chapter VII
Chapter VIII
Chapter IX
Chapter X
Chapter XI
The Brit, the Brooch, and the Blizzard
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
SULTRY SISTER BIOS