Page 14 of Strictly the Worst

And my eyes widen in horror. This is worse than not going to Exuma at all. I don’t want to go to the Bahamas with Linc Salinger. Yes, he’s pretty. Okay, stupidly handsome with a smile that lights up cities whenever he walks into them. And yeah, every woman in the office would be fighting to take my place if they knew I was about to spend five days in paradise with Hampshire PR’s very own panty-melting god.

My skin is tingling right now at the thought of being that close to him for days on end, but I’m putting it down to early-onset heat rash at the thought of a trip to Exuma with him.

How did this happen? How did I think I was winning and yet I’m walking out of Roman’s office feeling like Linc’s just got one over on me without even trying.

I close my eyes, trying to center myself, but all I can see is his slow sexy smile. I hate every perfect tooth in Linc’s imaginary grin.

And now I have to share paradise with that ass.

LINC

“This is pointless,” I say to Roman when he finally tracks me down the next day. I’m on a video call in Paris and he asks me to stay behind so he can talk to me. There’s no pretending it’s windy or that I can’t hear him.

Hampshire PR has state of the art videoconferencing tools. We use them so much, Roman invests a lot of money in them.

“Why send both of us to Exuma? It’s expensive and I have a ton of work to do. Send Carmichael in on her own, she’ll be fine.”

“I don’t want fine, I want us to win that account. I need you both there. This isn’t negotiable, Linc.”

I loosen my tie, because it’s getting hot in the conference room. And yeah, I might have caught the sun a little too much on the boat with our European clients yesterday. “Tessa and I don’t always see eye to eye on things,” I tell him.

“Then get yourself some glasses or something. I’m sick of you two sniping about each other. You’re supposed to be my two best employees so start acting like it.” He lifts a brow, letting me know there’s no arguing with him. “Think of it as a chance to bond. Get to know each other outside of work. I have plans for both of you, but I need you to play on the same side here.” He drops his voice. “Charm her like you do everybody else. I need you to rub off her hard edges. Come on, Linc, this is why I employ you. To bring home the bacon.”

“And in this case the bacon is… Carmichael?”

“No, the account. Tessa is the farmer. You’re the butcher.”

I shake my head because I’m not liking this analogy. First of all, why do I have to be the bad guy butcher? I want to be the farmer.

And second of all, I’m picturing Carmichael in a milk maid’s outfit. And fuck, she’d look good in it. She’d look good in anything.

If she wasn’t such a she-devil, I’d actually be looking forward to spending time with her. Truth be told, she’s the most interesting person at Hampshire PR. And yes, I mean interesting in an attractive, bitchy kind of way. But she’s also prickly and has made it clear she hates my guts.

“Okay,” Roman takes my non-answer as an answer. “Great, I’ve already booked Tessa on your flight. Don’t let me down, Linc.”

Before I can say anything else the screen flickers to black and I sit back in my chair and groan.

Roman wants me to rub off her hard edges. And now all I can think about is Carmichael all soft and pliant, her eyes dazed with the pleasure I know I could give her.

Fuck. Why are Carmichael and sex sharing the same thought space in my head?

Because you’ve always wanted what you can’t have. Since you were a little boy.

I blink that thought away. Not true at all. Maybe it’s just that I only know one way to soften a woman.

And the thought of doing that to Tessa Carmichael is making every part of my body feel as hot.

Fucking Exuma. This might be Roman’s worst idea ever.

CHAPTER

FOUR

TESSA

Two Weeks Later…

I let out a long breath as we taxi toward the tiny yellow terminal nestled at the end of the runway. The sun is blasting through the porthole windows, warming my face, and I can’t help but stare out of the one next to me as we come to a stop. A gentle breeze rustles the leaves of the palm trees on either side of the low, red-roofed building.

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