In Pursuit of a Love Connection Page 6

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  BONUS

  Please enjoy a tease from the hot novella,

  TWISTS AND CURVES

  by Sandra Sinclair

  Yolanda walked past the other tables towards the sliding door at the end of a small corridor, knowing that led to the gardens where the restrooms where also located. Apart from the great food and the exquisite ambience inside the restaurant, Yolanda adored the French gardens, though she had little time to admire them as she walked quickly towards the women’s restroom, the considerable amount of wine she had drunken taking its toll on her.

  Minutes later, when she walked out of the bathroom, she felt both relieved and refreshed. She decided to take just a short stroll, unable to resist the lure of the beautiful gardens, but had only taken a few steps down the cobblestone path when she smelled the scent of cigarette smoke.

  Wrinkling her nose and not wanting to get the smell on her hair, she was about to turn away, but stopped as she recognized one of the men standing a few feet from her.

  Roy Carmichael, the newest CEO of Basix, the leading software company in the country.

  And one of the guests on her next show.

  She thought about introducing herself, but as her instinct as a former investigative journalist kicked in, she had a better idea. Carefully, she took a seat on a bench behind a tall hedge, covered her nose and listened in, thinking now was a good opportunity for her to get to know Roy Carmichael with his guard down and maybe learn something interesting which she could use in her next show.

  Besides, she could not deny that she was curious about the man who had been hailed as the most successful businessman of his generation.

  “That was cracking under pressure right there,” Roy was saying. “He knew the clock was winding down and he panicked.”

  “He should have just given up that ball,” the man with him said.

  Yolanda furrowed her eyebrows. Were they talking about basketball?

  “Well, not everyone can make the right decisions at the crucial moments,” Roy said. “It’s what separates the men from the boys.”

  “Now you’re boasting.”

  “I’m not. I’m just saying.”

  “So I guess you’ve already made up your mind about what to do with Wilbur.”

  “I have a few modes of actions I’m leaning towards,” Roy said. “I’m not going to let him off easy, of course.”

  “Smart and ruthless,” the other man said. “A deadly combination.”

  They fell silent for a moment, letting Yolanda think they were probably stopping to take a puff.

  “So, have you found your next target?” the other man asked when he spoke again.

  “I have.”

  The other man chuckled. “What is it with you and black women?”

  “I don’t know. They just astound me. This next one, in particular, is quite fascinating. I can’t wait to have her squirming beneath me, though I imagine she’ll put up a fight. She seems quite feisty, after all, but that’ll only make things more fun. You can’t call it conquering if the other side doesn’t put up a fight, can you now?”

  “And you pride yourself on conquering. So tell me, who’s the lucky lady?”

  There was a pause before Roy answered. “Yolanda Gray.”

  Yolanda’s hand moved from her nose to her mouth to stifle a gasp, the blood draining from her cheeks. Did she hear him right?

  “I’m going to charm her when I get on her show next week,” Roy went on. “That way, she won’t be able to stop thinking of me.”

  “Thought you didn’t go after celebrities.”

  “Celebrity my ass, she’s not even D-list. Besides, she has these really nice curves.”

  Yolanda blushed as the other man gave another chuckle. So Roy Carmichael really was planning to seduce her.

  “This I’d like to see,” the other man said.

  “Oh, you will,” Roy promised.

  At that point, Yolanda got up and walked away, not wanting to hear anymore.

  How dare he? she thought, her fists clenched at her sides and her brows furrowed in indignation. How dare he think he could be on her show and then just get into her pants?

  Well, he was wrong.

  She would prove him wrong.

  ~ ~ ~

  “What do you mean my appearance on Yolanda Gray’s show has been cancelled?” Roy asked as he set down his cup of coffee angrily.

  He had woken up late that Saturday morning after going to bed late last night and was looking forward to a relaxing morning, only to find a disturbing message on his phone.

  “I’m afraid that’s exactly what it means, Mr. Carmichael,” his assistant, Miranda, said on the other end of the line. “I received a message from the show this morning, saying they have decided to invite someone else to guest on the show next week.”

  “Did they say who?”

  “No.”

  Roy frowned. “You said the show sent you a message?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Was it the producer who sent you the message?”

  “It was Yolanda Gray herself. Apparently, she is also the assistant producer of her talk show.”

  “I’m well aware of that,” Roy said through gritted teeth.

  “Would you like me to call her and insist that you guest on the show?” Miranda asked. “They were the ones who invited you to guest in the first place, after all, so it’s quite rude to…”

  “I’ll handle this myself,” Roy interrupted. “Thank you, Miranda.”

  “Alright.”

  Roy hung up, tossing his phone on the table so that it slid across the surface. Then, he banged his fists on the table, still seething in frustration, though he tried his best to take deep breaths and calm down, knowing letting his emotions get the better off him was never a good thing.

  What in the fuck had just happened?

  Just as Miranda had said, the staff of the show were the ones who had invited him to be their guest, and it was both rude and unconventional for them to cancel, which meant there was a reason why. And since it was Yolanda Gray who cancelled, he had an idea what that reason was.

  She must have found out about his plans.

  He sat on his chair, deep in thought as he wondered how Yolanda could have found out. In the end, he simply shrugged.

  So what if Yolanda now knew about his plans? He was not about to change them, much less stop them.

  He was a man who was used to getting his way, who never gave up easily, and he was definitely not going to give up on Yolanda Gray. He would just have to give a little more effort, which was no problem for him at all. He had known she would be an elusive prey, after all, and it would have been disappointing if she had allowed herself to be easily caught.

  He grinned as he leaned back on his chair.

  So she thought she could dissuade him just like that, did she?

  He would see about that.

  To be continued....