Jacquie D’Alessandro - Just Trust Me…

The second book in the Adrenaline Rush series, 2006

KAYLA WATSON hurried through the Miami airport, cursing the high heels that prevented her from breaking into a dead run. Of course her gate was at the very end of this seemingly endless concourse. Damn it, if she missed her flight-

She cut off the thought, refusing to consider the havoc that would wreak with her already insane schedule. Her cell phone rang and she shot it an impatient glance, grimacing when the name Nelson Sigler showed on the caller ID. As much as she didnt feel like talking to her boss at the moment, he was the CEO and expected her to answer the phone when he called.

Howd the photo shoot go? Nelson asked without preamble.

Exhausting. But, as the director of public relations at the New York office of La Fleur, the worlds most innovative cosmetics company, Kayla was well-acquainted with putting a positive spin on things. Especially headache-inducing photo shoots that pitted cranky, moody models against impatient, moody photographers.

Fine, she answered, forcing a cheery note into her voice as she wove through the crowd. The photos will be fabulous. Perfect for the new ad campaign. Right. Just dont ask how much finessing and cajoling and feather-smoothing it took to make certain of that.

Good. No problem with Alicia?

The mere mention of the petulant models name made Kaylas eye twitch. Alicia possessed a million-dollar face-and a diva streak the size of North America. She showed up late for her bookings, and was difficult when she finally did arrive. Which was why the photo session had run late. Which is why sweat now oozed down Kaylas spine as she hurried to make her flight.

Everything with Alicia worked out perfectly, she told Nelson in a soothing voice.

Excellent. You sound out of breath.

The shoot ran a bit long and Im dashing to make my flight. Ill see you at the office tomorrow.

Shed no sooner disconnected than the loudspeaker warned, Final boarding call for flight 254 to New York.

Many gates and travelers still stood between her and her flight. Too many. Reaching down, she yanked off her heels and ran. When she arrived at the gate five minutes later, barefoot, sweating, breathless, the gate agent said, Im sorry, you missed the flight. But Ill be happy to re-book you on the next one. It departs in two hours.

Swallowing her frustration, Kayla thanked the woman, then, with her new boarding pass in hand, she flopped into the nearest seat, her mind spinning with the various appointments shed need to reschedule courtesy of this delay-when all she really wanted to do was take some aspirin for her pounding stress headache and go to sleep.

With a sigh, she reached down to slip her shoes back on, and her gaze fell on an issue of U.S. Weekly Review magazine a previous traveler had left on the chair next to hers. She read the bold-print headline: Stressed? Out Of Balance? No Change, No Gain!

A short, humorless sound escaped her. Between her job, helping to plan her older sisters wedding, dealing with the drama that was her younger sisters life, her matchmaking mother and what seemed to be a never-ending string of miserable dates, stressed and out of balance perfectly described the chaotic whirlwind her life had become over the past year.

She glanced around at the nearby travelers. Most seemed to be business people, talking on cell phones, tapping on laptops, all engrossed in their own little world, oblivious to everything and everyone around them, frowning, looking stressed. Is this what shed become? Unfortunately, it seemed so.

With a sigh, she picked up the magazine and settled back to read the article. By the time shed finished, Kayla felt emotionally drained, yet at the same time elated, renewed and filled with purpose. The articles dead-on descriptions of the discontent and frustrations shed been experiencing both personally and professionally made it seem as if the words were written expressly for her.

Yes, she was stressed. Yes, she lacked balance in her life. And according to the article, if she didnt shake things up, step out her comfort zone, things would only get worse. No change, no gain.

Her gaze settled on the handwritten testimonial scribbled in ink at the end of the article, obviously by the magazines previous owner: This changed my life. I hope it does the same for you.

Kayla closed the magazine and held it against her chest.

She hoped so, too. Because she badly needed a change.

YOU WANT ME to go where? To do what? With whom?

After uttering those questions, Kayla stared at Nelson. Until thirty seconds ago, shed thought her boss was a rational human being. Clearly, however, the man was insane.

Nelson stared right back at her over the tops of his bifocals. To Peru. To spy. On Brett Thornton.

Brett Thornton. Kayla barely managed to suppress a grimace. How was it possible to so thoroughly dislike a man shed never even met? In the course of only four months, hed become the bane of her existence. She was well accustomed to dealing with everything from the media to demanding executives to high-maintenance, diva-like models. Who would have thought that some unknown nerdy scientist could prove such a problem?

I flunked Spying 101, she said with a breezy laugh. So clearly Im not the best choice.

You are the best choice, Nelson said in the deep, implacable tone Kayla recognized all too well after working for him for the past ten years. It was the tone that indicated hed made up his mind and thered be no changing it. Thorntons claims of developing an anti-aging formula that will not only render cosmetic surgery obsolete but has aphrodisiac qualities, as well, is the cutting edge we need.

Unfortunately every other cosmetics company in the world feels the same way.

Exactly. Which is why I want to make sure La Fleur has the upper hand right from the beginning. We lost out two years ago on that new sunless-tan formula. Were not losing again.

But Thorntons been dangling that golden carrot for four months and hasnt produced yet.

Doesnt mean he wont.

She made a disgusted sound. My personal opinion is that hes loving all the attention every cosmetics firm-including us-is lavishing on him. Basking in the perks, the wining, dining and wooing-hes milking it for all its worth, and when it finally comes time to put out his so-called miracle product, hell have nothing.

That is a possibility, Nelson agreed. But its also just as likely hes being cautious, and as aggravating as that is, I cant blame him. If his claims are true, the product will revolutionize not only skin care but foreplay as well. Who could resist such a product? You know as well as I do that sex sells. And La Fleur will own the product.

There was no need for him add or else-it was fully implied. And certainly if Thorntons claims were true, Kayla wanted La Fleur to own the miracle formula. But after months with no physical proof, she had serious doubts as to whether Thorntons claims were valid.