This rivalry is too hot for the tropics…
In Bed with the Competition
J.K. Coi
Release Date: June 30, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Book
Synopsis:
This rivalry
is too hot for the tropics…
Elizabeth Carlson
and Ben Harrison used to be friends, coworkers... and almost lovers. But that was
before Ben proposed mixing business with pleasure. Elizabeth refuses to lose
her heart to a hotshot tycoon with a cutthroat, take-no-prisoners attitude. Not
with the prospect of starting her own company at stake.
Driven to
succeed in all areas of his life, Ben couldn’t resist the temptation to make
Liz his. But then she
walked away, igniting a bitter rivalry. Competing for the same contract at a
Caribbean conference ignites sparks too hot to ignore, and Ben’s determined to
finish what they started, even if it’ll only last a few steamy, tropical
nights.
Elizabeth’s
resolve begins to crumble under Ben’s blatant seduction. Can she walk away from
a hot island fling with the sexiest man she’s ever known with her heart intact,
or will losing herself in Ben destroy everything she’s fought to achieve?
Author
Bio:
J.K. Coi is a multi-published, award winning author of
contemporary and paranormal romance and urban fantasy. She makes her home in
Ontario, Canada, with her husband and son and a feisty black cat who is the
uncontested head of the household. While she spends her days immersed in the
litigious world of insurance law, she is very happy to spend her nights writing
dark and sexy characters who leap off the page and into readers’ hearts.
Schedule:
June 30
Book reviewed at The Star Angels
Interviewed at I’m Shelf-ish
July 1
Guest blogging at Kate M. George
Book Featured at Joyfully Reviewed
July 2
Interviewed at Romance for Every
World
Reviewed & interviewed at
Reviewed at She Hearts Books
July 3
Book featured Simply Ali
Interviewed at Literal Exposure
July 4
Book featured at Queen of the Night
Reviews
|
July 7
Book reviewed at Bookaholics
July 8
Book featured at Escape by Fiction
Guest blogging at Becky on Books…and Quilts
July 9
Book featured at Romantic Reads and
Such
Book featured at Book Nook Nuts
July 10
Book reviewed at Ramblings of a Book Lunatic
Book featured at I Heart Reading
July 11
Book featured at Read Me
Interviewed at Review From Here
|
Excerpt:
Excerpt
from In Bed with the Competition by
J.K. Coi
Copyright © 2014 by J.K.
Coi. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or
transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary
rights, please contact the Publisher.
Chapter One
Ben
Harrison had seen his fair share of women in bikinis, but this one seemed
different. For one, she wasn’t model thin with toothpicks for limbs, but had
killer curves and legs that went for miles. His mouth went dry as he took it
all in. A wide straw hat. The thin ribbon ties of her top coming together in
the middle of her back. The ends trailing down a few inches, drawing the eye to
the curve of her waist and then lower, to bright red bottoms.
He
felt guilty for staring and averted his gaze, but Nolan’s low whistle of
appreciation reflected Ben’s sentiments exactly.
He
turned to his friend with a raised brow. “What are you looking
at?”
Nolan
leaned up on one elbow and tilted his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose.
“The same thing as you, I’m thinking.”
“Well,
you can just lie back down and forget about it. We might be here a couple of
days early, but there’s still a lot to do to get ready for the convention.” Ben
enjoyed the occasional break, which is why he and his business partner Steve
Nolan had come to Antigua two days before this convention was scheduled to
begin. But no matter where he went, he never left the work entirely behind,
because he still hadn’t achieved his goals.
“Not
for me,” Nolan protested with a grin. “And not for you, either. We got this
nailed, Harrison. Everyone will be lining up to hand over their money. And you
have to admit, if you look at any more reports, you’re going to go blind. Trust
me, nobody likes a squinting playboy without a tan, no matter how innovative he
is.”
Ben
frowned. A year ago he’d been a nobody, fighting tooth and nail to make his
mark along with all the rest, but after appearing at a few gala events with
heiress and model-turned-CEO Meredith Stone, someone had decided to run a story
on him, and suddenly he was considered a playboy. “It’s bad enough I get that
shit from the media. I don’t need to hear it from you, too.”
“What?
You don’t appreciate the attention?” Nolan smirked.
It
was disconcerting and inconvenient, but Nolan was of the opinion that a little
media attention of any kind was a good thing. It had the potential to translate
into the kind of corporate interest they desperately needed, and that made it
worth putting up with for a while. Both of them had sunk everything they had
into their cutting-edge software development company, but it just wasn’t
enough. They needed more capital, and they needed it now.
That’s
what had brought them to Antigua. The Artificial Intelligence world was a small
one, all the industry players would be at this convention, and they would all
be looking for the next big Internet money-maker—that’s where Optimus Inc. came
in.
Nolan
grinned. “If you ask me, the fact that the media hounds have locked onto
someone else’s scent for a while is fucking fantastic.”
“Yeah,
I’m sure you’re ecstatic,” Ben answered with a shake of his head.
The
reporters might suddenly consider Ben Harrison’s life fodder for their pages,
but they practically wet themselves over any chance to photograph brilliant mathematician
and bad boy Steve Nolan, whose family had been the stuff of society legend
until it all fell apart in a public scandal a few years ago…and who was now
having too damn much fun at Ben’s expense.
Ben’s
attention shifted back to the woman on the pool deck. She faced away from them,
having arranged herself on an available deck chair in front of the sparkling
pool. She was applying lotion to her legs and thighs. Her motions were slow and
smooth, the sun bouncing off her perfect, slick skin. It didn’t take much for
him to start imagining those legs wrapped around him…
Maybe
he had been staring at reports too long. After all, he’d left
New York early to scratch his itch for adventure…and a reckless island fling
could be exactly the thing he needed.
Nolan
moved to get out of his chair. “Well, since you’re not going over there, I
think I’ll introduce myself—”
“No
way.” Ben shoved him back. He stood and grabbed his shirt, flinging it over his
shoulder. “You’ve got your wish. I’ll clock out for the rest of the day, but
that means you have to check in with Clarissa in New York.”
Nolan
groaned good-naturedly. “Where are you going?”
“Don’t
worry about me.” He glanced over his shoulder. “With any luck, I’ll soon be
sufficiently distracted for the rest of the night.”
Ben
walked away, but having escaped Nolan, he quickly changed his mind, deciding he
was going back to his room after all. He didn’t want to intrude on the woman’s
privacy. There was going to be a preponderance of a certain type of person at
the resort this week: execs and programmers specializing in programming
initiatives, and the marketing bottom feeders who were just looking to
capitalize on someone else’s innovation. The facilities had been completely
booked by the convention, so while he couldn’t picture many software engineers
who looked like her, it stood to reason she was another early arrival taking
advantage of an opportunity for some time to relax before the hordes descended,
and he didn’t want to encroach on that.
As
he passed her chair, though, he couldn’t help but slow. A large beach bag
rested on the ground beside her, a colorful towel spilling out of it. He
wondered if she planned to take a dip in the pool later. That was something he
didn’t think he’d want to miss out on.
Right
now, she lounged back in the reclined deck chair. Her drop dead gorgeous body
was presented to the sun like an offering, and the front of her was equally as
stunning as the rest. The round globes of her breasts teased him from behind
smallish triangles of bright red Lycra. Her skin was smooth and creamy,
gleaming with the layer of sunscreen she’d just applied, but pale, as if she
took vacation about as often as he did. Then again, after a few days in that
tiny bikini, she’d be golden in no time.
She’d
taken out a book, presumably from the depths of the large bag, but it lay
closed in her lap. He raised his brows. That was some dense, technical subject
matter. His first instinct had been correct; she was obviously here for the
convention. That put a different spin on his interest, and he stopped walking
altogether, trying to decide if he recognized her. He thought he might, but
oversize dark glasses covered her eyes.
She
wore a thick gold band on her thumb that looked better suited to a man, but no
rings on any of her other fingers, including the third finger of her left hand.
Not that such an absence meant as much these days as it used to. The band gave
him pause, though. He used to know someone who wore a thumb ring like that.
Looking
closer, he tried to see past the floppy straw hat. It covered her face and
hair, with a red ribbon that matched her bikini. Thick curls escaped from
beneath it and fell to her shoulders. He used to know someone with tight curls
like that, too.
“Um,
excuse me. You’re in my sun.”
He
was startled by her relaxed, husky voice, as if she’d just been through a long
night of steamy sex, and he was the man who’d awakened her with kisses to do it
all over again. That voice was familiar, too.
Very familiar.
He
cleared his throat and inclined his head with his most approachable smile. “My
apologies. You caught me daydreaming.”
“Oh,
is that what you were doing? Not staring at my…uh…hat?” Her lips were coated
with some kind of clear gloss that made them look wet and full. A cocked
eyebrow rose above the rim of her sunglasses. The way she did that, the tilt of
her head as she looked up at him…
He
laughed, but his gut tightened. “Ah, maybe you’re right, and that’s what got me
daydreaming. You have a very lovely…hat after all.”
The
hair was different. Her body was different…or maybe he’d just never seen so
much of it before. If only he could look into her eyes to know for sure.
He
readjusted the shirt he’d thrown over his shoulder and stepped closer. “Would
you and your hat care to meet me in the bar tonight for a drink?”
That
eyebrow went up again at his boldness, and her hand clenched on the book in her
lap like a shield.
“I
don’t mean to intrude on your holiday,” he added quickly. “But if you’re here
alone and you’d like some company…”
She
pressed her lips together, and he felt the weight of her assessing gaze
travelling down the length of him, even though he couldn’t see past the barrier
of her dark sunglasses.
After
a long moment, she reached up and slid the glasses down the bridge of her nose,
revealing deep green eyes. Green like the tropical water surrounding the
island.
Her
gaze was the same as a physical touch to his skin. Hot and unexpectedly
jarring. Those eyes.
Yes.
He knew those eyes.
He
knew her.
In
the time it took for him to verify his suspicion about her identity, her smile
turned brittle, and her expression hardened. “It’s only been a little over a
year, Harrison. Don’t tell me I was that forgettable.”
Chapter Two
“Beth.”
She
winced. He was the only person who’d ever gotten away with calling her that.
Her brother had tried once, and she’d nearly decked him, but for some reason
she’d never objected when Ben had done it.
He
sounded so surprised. Yes, she’d changed in the year since seeing him last.
She’d let her hair grow out and lost some weight—okay, a lot of weight—but it
wasn’t like she was a different person.
Anger
flared…or was the heat building inside her something else entirely? She
couldn’t take her eyes of those pecs, unless it was to stare at his abs.
Put
your damn shirt on, she wanted to scream. That was the only way she’d be able
to concentrate. Of course, he hadn’t changed at all. He was
still too distracting for his own good.
You’re
concentrating just fine, Liz. Yeah, but she didn’t want
to concentrate on him. She didn’t want to concentrate on the wide
expanse of his shoulders, the bulk of his chest, and the grin still curling his
damned lips. Or the way his blue eyes glimmered like sunshine bouncing off the
water in the pool. She hated that his voice started a fluttery thing way down
in the pit of her stomach, and that she couldn’t help but notice how his black
and red swimming trunks hung low on his waist, showing off more muscle than a
man had a right to have.
She
definitely did not want to admit that her heart had leapt into
her throat when he’d stopped in front of her.
“What
are you doing here, Harrison? Aren’t you much too busy going to dinner parties
with society heiresses for a boring industry convention these days?”
He
only crossed his arms over that massive chest—which did unexpectedly exciting
and traitorous things to her insides.
She
had the sudden urge to stand up from the deck chair to give herself some
height, but since she was only five-foot-five in her short-heeled beach
sandals, he would still be looking way down at her.
“I
didn’t recognize you for a minute there,” he said, gaze dipping down again.
“It’s nice to see you.” His voice lowered.
Go
figure, he actually sounded sincere.
If
he took off his sunglasses, what would she see? Welcome or nuisance?
Indifference or regret? Had he thought about her at all? Did he think about
what had happened between them, or was it all a wash? Forgotten in the
excitement of his new venture…and dates with famous women?
“I
wish I could say the same.” She readjusted her sunglasses so he couldn’t read
anything from her eyes. He’d always said that all he had to do was look into
her eyes to know what she was thinking.
Well,
he could try to figure her out all he wanted, but the last year had been filled
with changes, and she’d learned a lot, including how to perfect her poker face.
She
purposely picked up her book, thinking he’d take the hint and go away.
Just
as she realized the book was upside down and hastened to flip it over, he came
closer, blocking out the sun with his to-die-for physique.
The
sudden shade didn’t cool her body down. As he closed the distance between them,
she only got hotter.
She
held her breath as he dragged another lounger across the pool deck until it was
right beside hers.
He
repeated his invitation. “Have a drink with me.”
Her
mouth dropped open. “Why the hell would I do that?”
“Because
we should talk.”
“I’ve
been in the same place with the same phone number. If you wanted to talk,
you knew very well how to reach me every day of the last fourteen months.” She
winced at the hint of bitterness in her voice. She couldn’t really blame him
for not keeping in touch. He’d moved across the country and started his own
company, and since she’d gone into business for herself as well, she knew what
a huge, time-consuming undertaking it must have been. Not to mention that they
hadn’t exactly gone their separate ways on the best of terms.
“Are
you saying you’re busy then? What else do you have to do tonight?”
As
if she couldn’t possibly have anything better to do on an island paradise than
spend the evening with him?
Dropping
the book to her lap, she crossed her arms in front of her, but wasn’t deluded
that she was any better protected from his piercing looks and disarmingly
familiar smile.
“Not
that it’s any of your business, but I came here for work, not to waste my time
tramping down memory lane with the likes of you.”
“Are
you pitching something?” His expression narrowed. With competitive calculation
or simply interest?
Wouldn’t
you like to know? In college he’d been the
only person to get better grades than her. The only person to get more
attention from their professors. He’d gotten a scholarship she had applied for.
A job she’d wanted. When he left for New York, she’d thought she was done
competing with him, but she’d done her research and had no delusions. Their two
companies were producing a very similar product, and being forced to compete
with Ben again had been bound to happen sooner or later, despite the geographic
distance that was now between them.
Yes,
Liz knew exactly the kind of competition she was up against at this convention
and in this industry on the whole. The same competition she’d always been up
against.
Ben
Harrison.
I’m
not discussing my business with you,” she said stubbornly.
“That’s
fine,” he said too easily. “We don’t have to talk business.”
“There’s
nothing else we could possibly discuss with each other.”
“Beth,
we were friends for three years, and it’s been over a year since I saw you. Is
it so difficult to believe that I just want to know how you’ve been?”
She
looked away and pretended to be captivated by the beauty of the pristine pool.
Yes,
they’d been friends, and the good-natured competitiveness between them had
always been grounded in respect and an admiration for one another’s
intelligence and abilities.
Ben
had been a good friend…a great friend…her best friend…right up
until the moment he’d suggested they go into business together, and then, just
to make matters even worse…he’d kissed her.
No
matter how hard she’d tried to get them back to their friendship place, it
hadn’t been the same after that. And when he left for New York a month
later—alone—it had almost been a relief, because she knew she’d never be able
to banish the other feelings he’d forced her to acknowledge, the ones that
stripped her raw and left her vulnerable.
How
could he do that? How could he just ruin everything? Shock
and denial had left her shaken, angry, and scared for a long time, but she’d
refused to admit she might be angry with herself, too. Because part of her had
seen it coming, part of her had wanted it so badly…but she never would
have risked it.
She
dared a glance back at him. The sight of all that sculpted male flesh and those
strong, capable hands sent shivers racing through her even now. Her mouth went
dry, and her nipples tightened.
“Eight
o’clock in the bar?” he said expectantly. He appeared calm, relaxed, and criminally good
looking.
She
shouldn’t. Corporate secrets were stolen every day in her industry. She needed
to protect herself, especially from him. She remembered well how competitive
Ben could be, and they no longer had friendship between them to protect her
from his ruthless business practices.
“All
right. I’ll have a drink with you.”
His
smile was radiant as he stood, his big body casting a shadow again. “Good. I’ll
see you tonight at the bar then?”
She
nodded slowly, transfixed by the sight of those flexing arms and rippling abs
as he pulled his T-shirt over his head and tugged it down, covering
everything—and yet not covering enough, because the shirt molded to him like a
second skin.
Good
God. Are you seriously thinking what I think you’re thinking? He’s going to eat
you up and spit you out.
Watching
him walk away, she clenched her jaw and imagined exactly how the “eating up”
part might play out.
0 comments:
Post a Comment