Campaign for Love Read online

  CAMPAIGN FOR LOVE

  Annabelle Stevens

  Sorcha MacMurrough

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  SYNOPSIS

  REVIEWS

  COPYRIGHT

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  CHAPTER FORTY

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  CHAPTER FORTY-TWO

  AFTERWORD

  MORE TITLES BY AUTHORS

  SYNOPSIS

  Tired of being hassled over her gorgeous looks, Suzanna Sills disguises herself by dressing down in order to get a wonderful new job in a top-notch advertising agency. However, she soon begins to regret her frumpy new appearance when she has to work side by side with the gorgeous Quentin Pierce.

  Quentin hasn't failed to notice that his talented new co-worker has more to her than meets the eye. But office intrigues get them both into a spin. Is Suzanna really the marketing genius she appears to be? Or is she a corporate spy set out to destroy the agency from within?

  Only by learning to trust one another can they avoid losing the biggest ad campaign of their lives. But do they dare trust their hearts as well? Are Suzanna and Quentin willing to risk all for the sake of the fiery passion that flares between them every time they meet?

  The more she gets to know her elusive new boss, the more Suzanna is determined to get her way in both the boardroom and the bedroom, making them both winners in this battle of the sexes one if they choose to join forces and campaign for love...

  "God, Suzanna," he breathed, "you're the most incredible woman I've ever seen!"

  Suzanna stood motionless in the dim light that concealed her flaming cheeks, but not her rapid breathing, or the deep rise and fall of her breasts under the filmy material as she stood before him in her lace and silk robe.

  Her ragged breathing finally seemed to bring Quentin to his senses.

  He stopped his hand midway before he did the unthinkable, and summoning all his strength, resisted the temptation to pull her into his own room and spread her on his bed as he had ached to for so long. Instead, he retreated back behind the safety of the box hedge that divided their private terraces and heaved a ragged sigh.

  "I seem to be apologizing to you all the time, Suzanna. I had no right to invade your privacy, or to ogle you. I couldn't blame you if you despised me."

  She laughed bitterly. "Am I really that unattractive, that you can't bear to touch me? Just when I thought we were getting past all the strain of working together and starting to become, well, friends?"

  "No, of course you're not unattractive! What did I just say to you? What were we just doing a moment ago? Surely that must tell you how I think of you."

  "They stop talking, and just start feeling." With more bravado than she really felt, she opened the lacy robe and let it drop to the floor. She stood like a voluptuous nymph bathed in moonlight, her wide, sensuous mouth curved in an inviting smile. Summoning up all her courage, she held out her arms to the man she ached for in a silent plea....

  REVIEWS

  "A sizzling novel. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is superb. She is sassy and bold, but it takes true love to awaken her to the joys of passion. A super read from a fabulous new talent."

  Jacinta Carey

  The Wildest Heart

  "Sultry Suzanna Sills goes on a Campaign for Love in this wonderful novel. Suzanna wants to succeed in her career without sleeping her way to the top, so she takes the drastic step of making herself as unattractive as possible to get a job at a top-flight ad agency in New York.

  "She soon finds herself in way over her head with both her accounts and her boss, who is so handsome he makes her weak at the knees.

  "Abused as a child, she never wanted to be near any man, but Quentin brings out her true personality with his kindness and patience. He supports all of her ideas for their new accounts, and she is so much of a hit that she is asked to star in all of the Femme Fatale Cosmetics 'before and after' ads.

  "It doesn't take Quentin long to figure out that Suzanna is the sexiest woman he has ever laid eyes on under the tents she was wearing, so why the deception? Even leaving aside her disguise and lies, does he dare give his heart to the woman who has become the best colleague he has ever had?

  "The author has set up a wonderful romance with a splash of mystery, and some very real obstacles to their happiness. Suzanna is a feisty heroine who knows what she wants and is determined to get it, though she always tries to play fair.

  "Quentin is a marvelous hero, romantic and supportive, but afraid to commit his whole life to one person who has made his world spin. Exotic locales add to the sensuality of the book, and the celebrations of Thanksgiving and Christmas make the novel a memorable one which readers will treasure."

  Carolyn Stone

  In From the Cold

  "This is the tale of the ugly duckling in reverse, for stunning Suzanna Sills disguises herself as a dowdy frump in order to prove that she can succeed in her career without having to resort to her ample sex appeal.

  "As she develops a firm friendship with her new co-workers, including her boss, the worldly Quentin Pierce, she develops more confidence and for the first time in her life, thinks she knows what it is like to fall in love.

  "Quentin knows Suzanna is the best assistant he has ever had, but is shocked when she begins to work on the Femme Fatale cosmetic account, and at last shows the true physical beauty hidden under all the plain Jane outfits she has been wearing.

  "Obviously there is more to his new employee than meets the eye, but is all of it good? Or is she an industrial spy out to steal all their ideas and accounts for her own?

  "This is an excellent contemporary romance, beautifully written, with fascinating characters and the glorious backdrops of bustling New York City and the tranquil Bahamas. Quentin and Suzanna are a terrific couple in the boardroom and bedroom, showing that a modern woman can have it all, and an intelligent modern man will happily share it with her. "

  Evelyn Trimborn

  Italian Interlude

  "I loved it! A divine hero, a gutsy girl with a problem we all think we would LOVE to have, and an excellent cast of supporting characters to create a wonderful world for the modern romance reader. This was one book I did not want to put down!"

  "Campaign for Love is a witty and well-drawn foray into the world of advertising. Gorgeous Suzanna Sills, alias sexy Suzy, has fended off men all her life. She wants to be valued for her mind, not her measurements, and so takes great pains to disguise her breath-t
aking beauty to get a job at a prestigious Madison Avenue agency as the right-hand person of stunningly handsome Quentin Pierce.

  "Quentin is puzzled to find himself completely drawn to his intelligent but frumpy new assistant, but with all the work they have to win two new and very lucrative accounts, he can't afford to let himself get distracted.

  "When another executive keeps coming up with the same ideas as Suzanna over and over again, Quentin must decide whether or not to trust the enigmatic young woman who has come into his life and tangles with his career-and his heart.

  "The author has come up with a recipe for success with this intriguing novel. A dash of mystery and suspense, exotic locales and a whole lot of sexual tension between Quentin and Suzanna make this novel a pleasure to read."

  Sorcha MacMurrough

  Heart's Desire, Star Attraction, and The Rakehell Regency Romance Series

  CAMPAIGN FOR LOVE

  Annabelle Stevens

  Sorcha MacMurrough

  HerStory Books

  AS's Dedication

  To all my family and friends, for supporting me as I followed my dreams. and for Sorcha MacMurrough, who has not only believed in me as a writer, but made this novel what it is today.

  SM's Dedication

  With many thanks to Belle for being such a super student of the craft of writing romance, and her generosity in asking me to be listed not just as editor, but co-author of the later editions of this romance.

  Copyright the author 1999 USA, UK, Rest of World

  Second Edition, 2003

  Third edition with all new material 2009

  Fourth edition with all new material 2011

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information and storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  Under the 1988 UK copyright laws, the author asserts the right to be identified as the creator of this work.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the product of the author's imagination, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  ISBN: 978-1-58345-281-3

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  CHAPTER ONE

  Seated in the outer office when Suzanna Sills entered were four other young hopefuls, one of them male. Suzanna announced herself to the receptionist with a pleasant, "Good morning," after which she turned toward the other four with a shy smile and took a seat.

  She couldn't help noticing the complete indifference in the man's eyes as they slid past her en route to the three decidedly pretty girls beyond, or the smug look exchanged by the girls themselves as they dismissed her with a slight air of disdain.

  Great, thought Suzanna. It's working!

  Suzanna had applied for the position of assistant to the top advertising executive of the biggest and best advertising agency on Madison Avenue, Elder and Rubin. She looked neat and well-scrubbed. Beyond that her only concession to her femininity was a slight slick of pale pink lip gloss. Until she had walked into the room, she'd had no way of knowing what the competition would be. Now she knew that there had been at least four other applicants with equally good resumes who had been given appointments. Probably a good deal would hinge on the personal interview.

  The wait seemed endless as the four other aspiring copywriters were called in turn. Each one left with a self-conscious show of confidence and a brisk step, as if relieved that the ordeal was over. They studiously avoided the gazes of the other applicants.

  Finally it was Suzanna's turn. As she strode purposefully into the inner sanctum, she was aware of a large man silhouetted against the light from a huge floor to ceiling window behind him. She approached his desk and extended her hand in a no-nonsense manner.

  "How do you do? I'm Suzanna Sills."

  Her hand was enveloped in a firm clasp. She looked up into the man's face, which she could see clearly now that she was close enough to be shaded from the window's glare.

  Then a strange thing happened. Her knees felt weak; her heart started to pound. She cursed the impulse that had made her turn herself into a dowdy frump. As if from a distance, she heard his deep, resonant voice say, "How do you do? I'm Quentin Pierce. Won't you sit down?"

  Suzanna took the chair opposite his desk and sat erect, both feet firmly on the floor, skirt well below her knees and hands folded demurely in her lap. Quentin Pierce seemed to be taking her in from head to toe with a faint smile, almost of amusement.

  Examination complete, he said, "Relax, Ms. Sills. I've gone over your resume, and I liked what I saw. You've started out with a slight edge over your competitors, which is why I held you back until the last.

  "But tell me, why have you changed positions three times in five years? You weren't fired, so the moves were always voluntary. Yet, you don't look flighty. I'd hate to get you all broken in as my assistant and right-hand person only to have you decide to move on."

  "To be perfectly frank, Mr. Pierce, my previous positions have all been dead-ends, as far as I could see. I was passed over several times for promotions merely because I was a woman, I'm sure. My work was as good as, or better than, that of any man who was promoted over me.

  "Also, I found there was a great deal of dishonesty. Many times a superior took credit for my work merely by submitting it to management as his own. I felt that in a top-rated agency, things like this wouldn't happen, and promotions, if any, would be strictly on merit, irrespective of sex."

  He nodded, seeming not in the least put out by her frankness. "Well put, Ms. Sills. You're absolutely correct. This is the twenty-first century, after all. Well, now that we've got that out of the way, I think we'll make a good team."

  He rose and proffered his hand as he said, "Welcome to Elder and Rubin. Can you start work immediately?"

  She blinked, and then jumped hastily to her feet. She was so delighted that, without thinking, she gave him a dazzling smile as she looked him in the eye, shook his hand enthusiastically and said, "I certainly can, Mr. Pierce."

  Suzanna realized her mistake the minute she detected the quizzical look in his eyes. He was staring at her now as if he was sure he had somehow overlooked something important. He dropped her hand as though it was hot.

  It probably is, with nerves, thought Suzy, embarrassed.

  "One more thing, Ms. Sills, although it doesn't really matter now. We do check out references or people being considered for positions before we schedule any appointments. Your last employer said, and I quote, 'the young woman has too much appeal for her own good. It's difficult to take her work seriously.' What did he mean by that?"

  Suzanna shrugged, and hoped that her face had remained neutral. Why, that swine, how dare he! She had half a mind to go after him for the sexist pig he was.

  Conscious of his continuing stare, she tried to shrug it off lightly. "Who knows? He was a throwback to prehistoric times who didn't take any woman seriously because he was too busy thinking of her as a plaything. I feel sorry for his wife."

  He looked at her carefully again, and then gave a small smile. "I'll buy that, if only because you don't look to me like a femme fatale, and I have no trouble at all taking you seriously with the portfolio you've shown me."

  "A dubious compliment at best, Mr. Pierce, but thanks for the vote of
confidence."

  He colored. "Sorry. It wasn't meant as a put-down."

  "I understand. Best to start off on the right foot, eh?"

  He nodded and at last tore his eyes away from her. The mood became briskly businesslike once more.

  "Now that you're officially on the payroll, I'll notify personnel. In the meantime, your office is right through that door. Perhaps you'd like to look it over and get settled in today, that is, if you haven't got anything else planned. If there's anything you need, just call through. We will get your e-mail accounts and so on set up straight away.