Island Dreamin' (Escape! 7)

Island Dreamin'
Kate Douglas
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2007 Kate Douglas
An Authorized Excerpt

Teri threw her purse at the wall and burst into tears. Damn Brad and his ego and double-damn his stupid assistant. Her proposal was good! It was the best thing she'd ever done, and she should have had the account, but no-o-o-o. It wasn't good enough to present. But gee, here's one, Mr. Turner. Leave it to Steve to have something ready to go. She stomped into the kitchen and ripped open the refrigerator door. That slimy bastard Steven had done everything he could to screw her out of the bid. He and Brad made a good pair.

Two drop-dead gorgeous guys with the integrity of a pair of carnival shills -- and the new Hainesford account. She was out of wine, damn it, and the leftover Chinese didn't look remotely edible.

Climbing up on a chair, she shoved aside an ancient box of cereal. There it was! Ted, an old boyfriend, had stashed a bottle of Wild Turkey up there. She wrapped her fingers around the neck. Too bad it wasn't Brad's neck, or even Steve's. She'd squeeze until their eyeballs popped.

Climbing down, Teri poured a shot of the booze into a glass and took a sip. After she quit choking, she grabbed a can of soda, poured it over ice and added a good-sized shot. Drink in one hand, Wild Turkey in the other, she headed for the bathroom. A hot bath and a good drunk might just help her decide what to do next.

Should she stay on the job at the most prestigious advertising agency in the city, or call her own bluff and walk away? She was tired of fighting, tired of Brad and totally fed up with Steve.

The apartment might be small, but she had a bathroom fit for a queen -- larger than her bedroom. The tub had heated jets and held enough water to swim in. She sipped at her drink, realized she was down to ice, and poured more booze into the glass. The room spun in a nice lazy pattern. She lay her head back against the cushioned pillow and let the jets work their wonders on her body.

She especially liked the one shooting right between her legs. It made it easier to think of Brad and Steve without wanting to scream. Why did they always win? It wasn't fair. Not fair at all. She sipped at the drink. The soda was mostly gone, but it didn't taste half bad. Of course, she'd have one hell of a headache come morning, but at least the anger and frustration had eased. It was just so blasted discouraging, always having to fight both guys on every project. This had been the biggest prize yet. She couldn't believe she hadn't even been allowed to make her presentation.

If only they weren't both so gorgeous. Brad was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. Steve was almost as tall, but blond and well-built. Too bad they were both jerks. What would it be like, to get them away from their office fortress? Just her and the two of them, off on some deserted island? Some place where she had complete control… and all the time in the world to exercise it.