Welcome to Romance Sweet Reads! Today, we’ll be featuring Escape to Paradise, by author Nancy Fraser, the ninth book in the new multi-author series, A Summer Vacation Romance. We're nearly to the end of this wonderful sweet/inspirational, contemporary romance series set among some of our vacation destinations. Sit back, enjoy a sneak peek, and let’s see just how far we can arm-chair travel!
Jace Bailey, thirty-three, is the new head of security for Tech Savvy Apps, Inc. After ten years as a member of the military police, Jace had always planned to return to the family business once he’s discharged. However, when a good friend and former mentor recommends him for a job in corporate security, he jumps at the chance to remain a ‘protector’.
His first major off-campus assignment requires him to escort his employer’s corporate attorney to the island paradise of Grand Cayman to close a major business deal. The job should be simple until he realizes the attorney in question is the woman known around the TSS watercooler as ‘Viper’. Unfortunately, their routine business trip turns into a game of cat and mouse with a handful of corporate spies.
Can these two distinctly different individuals navigate their growing attraction while still keeping themselves and those around them safe? And, once they’re back on their home turf, will they find a way to make their relationship work, despite their differences?
Prologue
Jace Bailey took a seat in the office of Nate Perkins, head of security for Tech Savvy Apps Inc. The man was imposing, only his salt and pepper hair giving away the fact he was pushing sixty with a vengeance. He didn’t say anything, just sat there scanning the contents of the file folder in front of him.
Jace hated interviews. He hadn’t done
many in the past twelve years, other than at promotion time. Yet, he was pretty
sure a private sector interview wasn’t nearly as complex as those of the
military. Not for the first time since he’d returned to Simi Valley, he
wondered why he hadn’t just followed his original plan and returned to the
family business.
Because you have no interest in being a construction foreman. Face
it, guarding people is in your blood.
Perkins looked up
from his perusal of Jace’s resume. “Major Bailey, you come highly recommended.
Your record is impressive.”
“It’s just Jace,”
he said firmly. “I’m no longer military.”
His comment drew
Jace’s nod and a smile he couldn’t quite hide. “I suppose you’re right.
Mustering out hasn’t been nearly as simple as I thought it would be.”
“Brent Walters
tells me you’re one of the best he’s ever served alongside,” Perkins commented,
his gaze firmly set.
“Next to you,”
Jace countered. “Brent loved regaling us with his early career exploits, and
you were always prominently featured in his stories.”
“We did have some
good times. And, unfortunately, some were not so good.” He paused, then asked
the question Jace had been expecting since he arrived. “So, why’d you get out?”
Jace felt certain
Nate Perkins would know a half-lie if he heard it, so the unvarnished truth
seemed the easiest option. “I’d had enough of guarding people who had no
business touring a war zone to further their political career. Especially those
who refused to listen when you gave them an order.”
“I take it you
lost one of your escort assignments.”
“I did,” Jace
confirmed. “However, it was the fact I also lost two good buddies because of
the man’s stupidity that really turned the last screw in my desire to re-up.”
“Well, we’re not
concerned with why you got out, only why you want to work here?”
“My original plan
was to go to work for my dad at his construction firm. However, when Brent
mentioned you were looking, I couldn’t resist applying. I’m far better at
security than I am at building things. I did enough of that in my teens and
throughout four years of college.”
“While our work
here is highly confidential, we rarely have cause for physical security of any
kind. Your assignments would be—”
“Nate! Have you
seen this latest report?” A woman’s sharp voice preceded her push through the
half-open door. “Are these people out of their ever-loving minds?”
“Ah, Allison,”
Nate responded, nodding in Jace’s direction, and narrowing his gaze toward the
tall, willowy brunette at the same time. “I’m a bit busy at the moment.”
“Oh. Sorry,” she
spit out. “But these numbers clearly indicate we have a problem.”
“I realize that,
and I’m in the process of hopefully hiring someone to fill out our staff. Then,
I can assign a cyber analyst to dig deeper into the problem.”
“Great.” She
turned her attention to Jace and offered a somewhat apologetic smile. “I’ll let
you get back to it then. I’ve got a brief to prepare for our—” Backpedaling to
the door, she apologized, “Sorry for the interruption.” She was about to close
the door behind her when she poked her head back in to add, “McKendrick’s
breathing down our throats, so—”
“Out, Allison,”
Perkins ordered. “Now.”
Once the door
shut, Jace smothered a chuckle and asked, “Who was that?”
“That was Allison
Dow, our corporate attorney in charge of contract negotiations.” Nate paused,
then explained, “She’s a pistol.”
“An attorney? No
wonder she seems so intense,” Jace observed.
“Oh, you don’t
know the half of it. However, if you come on board, you’ll soon get used to her
outbursts. She’s a perfectionist, dedicated to her job, and in line to be our
General Counsel in a couple of years when our current GC retires.”
“An overachiever,”
Jace guessed.
“I’m pretty sure
the phrase was created with her in mind. Even if they didn’t realize it at the
time.”
“You do have to
admire the dedication, though,” Jace decided to point out. After all, it didn’t
hurt to compliment another member of the staff.
“Oh, I do,”
Perkins agreed. “A company like TSA relies on dedication and discretion. Our
clients expect both. In spades.”
“I’d appreciate
the opportunity to show you I can provide both attributes, and any other
security-related skills you may require.”
Perkins leaned
back in his chair and stared Jace straight in the eyes. He’d seen that look
before. From lowly privates all the way up to four and five-star generals. He
was being judged. All he had to do to secure the job was not blink or look
away.
“How are your
computer skills?” Perkins asked.
“Top notch. I can
write code for a half dozen different programs, and in a few foreign
languages.”
Perkins grinned.
“How many languages do you speak?”
“Four, fluently. I
can stumble through another two or three. About the only one I can’t grab a
handle on is ‘women’. Believe me, I’ve tried.”
A loud snort of
laughter and shake of his head sent Nate Perkins to his feet. He stretched out
his hand, offering it to Jace. “None of us can do that, at least not as well as
we’d like. I think we can find a spot for you here at TSA, if you’re willing to
join us.”
Jace took Nate’s
hand and shook it. “I think I’d like that very much. Even if I don’t get to
dodge bullets on a daily basis.”
“God willing, son, you’ll never have to worry about that again.”
Her spicy romances have won top awards year after year and received cover quotes from some of the most recognized names in the romance industry. Her sweet romances have gained the attention of a number independent reviewers and she was named a “bright new voice in sweet/inspirational romance.
When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.
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