Corporate executive Shayla Kirkland has landed her dream job with one of Chicago's top new firms, Chenault Electronics. Now she's in a perfect position to destroy the company for unjustly ruining her mother's career. But she never expected that handsome CEO Nicholas Chenault would spark a passion that challenges her resolve—and makes her surrender to the most irresistible desire….
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A Harvard MBA, fluency in four languages and stunning beauty make landing a job at Chicago's Chenault Electronics a cinch for 26-year-old Shayla Kirkland. But her underhanded intentionAto destroy the company for falsely accusing her unwed, pregnant mother of corporate spying nearly 27 years earlier wavers during Shayla's first week on the job. As if this isn't enough excitement, Shayla loses her virginity to Nick Chenault, a gorgeous 32-year-old CEO. Jackson (Secret Love) bolsters their farfetched relationship with plenty of unexpected plot twists as Shayla soon realizes she is not the only one with a hidden agenda. The man Shayla believes to be her biological father is suspected in a break-in and fire at Chenault's Florida lab, and his son, who Shayla believes to be her long-lost half brother, is also Nick's best friend. Jackson's trademark ability to weave multiple characters and side stories together makes the shocking, though sometimes improbable truths all the more exciting. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The distinctive scent of a man's aftershave alerted Shayla Kirkland that she was no longer alone in the interviewing room. She had glanced up, thinking the fragrance was smooth, hypnotic, and sexy…very much like the tall, remarkably good-looking man who had walked in.
"Ms. Kirkland?"
"Yes," she'd responded, rising to her feet and parting her lips in a wry smile. She had known Nicholas Chenault was extremely handsome. Her extensive research of Chenault Electronics had prepared her for that fact. But the photographs she'd seen of him had evidently been of poor quality, because they'd failed to capture the vibrant coloring of his light brown skin and the brilliant gold of his eyes. He had taken her hand in a businesslike handshake. She'd let out her breath slowly, realizing that she'd been holding it since he had entered the room.
"I'm Nicholas Chenault. I appreciate your interest in my company. Please take a seat and we'll begin the interview."
Shayla sat down again, forcing herself to remember that this would not be an ordinary interview. She was here with a purpose. She was here with a plan. But first she had to get her foot in the door.
Now, Ms. Kirkland," Nicholas Chenault said in a deep husky voice as he sat behind the desk, "what exactly do you know about Chenault Electronics?"
If only you knew, she thought. Lifting her eyes to meet his directly, she wished she hadn't. His eyes were brilliantly gold, and they were brilliantly intelligent, sharp, and assessing. She wondered how good he was at reading people. For a brief moment an uneasy feeling swept through her. Knowing this was not the time to rethink her decision about what she was doing, she straightened in the chair and met his gaze. He had asked a common interview question, and thanks to her in-depth research she had an answer, one that was appropriate. She would tell him some of what she knew about his company, but not everything.
She would not tell him about her plans to destroy it.
"I can give you a historical summation dating back to the day Chenault Electronics was first formed by your father, Alan Chenault, thirty-five years ago, and how he transformed it from a corner store operation into a relatively neat and tidy electronic company. Unfortunately, he lacked vision, which is evident in his failure to tap into numerous domestic and international markets." She paused, giving him her best businesslike, professional look. Although she had just openly criticized what had been his father's narrow strategy for running the business, it had been the absolute truth. "However, I believe what I know about your present-day operation is what I'd like to address."
At his nod, she continued. "Under your leadership, Mr. Chenault, this company has emerged as a powerful force within the global economy. Your expansion into the overseas market is phenomenal, as well as timely. Sales for this year are expected to exceed thirty million. You've even gone one step further. You've capitalized on the failures of your competitors—who can't see the advantages of putting out new products and diverse technology—especially in the development of total wireless communications and advanced electronics that will ultimately replace the need for electrical outlets throughout the world."
When she stopped talking, a slow smile touched Nicholas Chenault's lips. "Please go on," he said, not hiding the fact that he was clearly impressed with her accurate summation of his company.
"Chenault Electronics was the first to deploy a wireless telephone network in Benin, Africa. This helped to provide the first telephone service in the area, providing a long overdue means of communication to hundreds of remote customers."
Feeling confident that she had the interview under control, Shayla relaxed. She was more determined that ever to convince the man sitting across from her that she was everything his company was looking for.
Nicholas Chenault was impressed with Shayla Kirkland's wealth of knowledge about his company. To say that she had done her homework and was fully prepared would be an understatement. So far they had been in the interview for over an hour, and each question had been answered in a way that definitely displayed her knowledge and her intelligence. She was now expounding on her educational background.
It was a good thing he'd already done a number of interviews that week, so that it required little thought—his mind was focused on the woman.
He glanced down at the notes he had jotted down on the evaluation form. The first category listed on the form was appearance. He'd written neat, dresses with good taste, professionally. He glanced back up to look at her and decided not to add that the fit of her navy blue, tailored, business suit was chic, precise, and enticing. Then there was her hair—short, black, and cut in a trendy style that didn't take away from her professional image. Her almond-colored skin had a light touch of makeup. The berry tone of her lips highlighted the glow of her cheeks and the sultry, dark, brandywine coloring of her eyes. Nicholas inhaled deeply, forcing his mind to concentrate only on those of Shayla Kirkland's assets that were important in terms of employment.
"Ms. Kirkland, why did you move back to Chicago?" he asked, trying not to notice her crossing her long gorgeous legs. Nicholas had to tighten his grip on the pen he held in his hand to keep his imagination from taking over.
"My mother passed two weeks ago, unexpectedly. Now that I'm here, I feel this is where I belong, and have decided to stay."
The deep sadness in her voice gripped Nicholas. "My condolences for your loss."
"Thank you."
Nicholas decided to move on to the next interview question. "Tell me about some of your other achievements, and how they can benefit us here."
When she began speaking, he couldn't help but zero in on her poise. She was definitely at ease, composed, and had a self-confident manner. She wasn't hesitant in providing eye contact. The dark coloring of her eyes was compelling and magnetic, and he found his gaze pulled back to them time and time again. He couldn't help wondering what color her eyes were when they glowed with passion and inner fire. How would they look when they became heated with pleasure?
"Ms. Kirkland, what do you see in this position of manager of international affairs that you did not have in your last position?" he asked in an effort to keep his mind on track.
As she began answering, he glanced down at the evaluation form. The next category on the list was personality. As he sat there watching her and listening to her, there was no doubt in his mind that she would be a perfect fit for his company. If first impressions were to be believed, she was friendly, but not overly so. That was good, because she was a single woman of twenty-six—a very attractive one at that—and he had a number of single men working for him. The last thing Chenault Electronics needed to deal with was a sexual harassment lawsuit.
After asking her a few more questions, for which she provided concise and informative answers, he leaned back in his chair and said, "That ends your interview, Ms. Kirkland. Is there anything you'd like to ask me about the position?"
"No, Mr. Chenault. You've told me everything I needed to know. However, I'd just like to add that I believe I can be an asset to your company."
Nicholas nodded, thinking that she could be an asset in a number of ways. He stood. "This was a very pleasant interview, Ms. Kirkland. I hope to make a decision within a week."
Shayla stood and offered him her hand. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to interview with your company. Good day, Mr. Chenault."
Nicholas walked her to the door, then stood and watched as she walked away. He let out a deep breath, thinking that everything about Shayla Kirkland was real class, even her walk. The graceful sway of her hips was enough to bring a comatose man back into the world.
Walking back to the desk, Nicholas sat down and looked over the evaluation form. Her communication skills were superb. She had expressed herself eloquently. Her answers had been clear, fluid, and organized, and her information had been accurate and informed. Her educational background was outstanding—an MBA from Harvard—and her fluency in four languages—Chinese, Spanish, French, and Swahili—was more than impressive. Her letter of recommendation from Howard University spoke volumes, and nearly glowed on the page.
He sighed, knowing he didn't have to cover the other categories of the interview evaluation form to know that Shayla Kirkland was the ideal person for the new Chicago office. She would definitely bring a lot of experience and diversity to the table. He would be a total fool not to hire her.
Yet he was contemplating that very thing.
Nicholas stood and walked over to the window. Since buying this building six months ago, he had decided he liked the location because it provided a stunning view of downtown Chicago. The metropolis was totally different from downtown Jacksonville, Florida, where his home office was located. Here in Chicago, the buildings surrounding his were tall and impressive, but the areas surrounding those structures were crowded and congested. One of the things he appreciated most about the location of his office building in Jacksonville was the beautiful view of the St. Johns River and the land space that came with it. Jacksonville had more land space than any other city in Florida. And with the revitalization plans the city had underway, it wouldn't be long before downtown Jacksonville boasted structures that were just as tall and impressive, a scenic river view that would continue to be breathtaking, and surrounding buildings that would still provide space.
Space was something he appreciated more than anything, especially personal space, which was why he was thinking seriously about not hiring Shayla Kirkland.
For the first time since taking over Chenault Electronics after his father's death three years ago, he had been totally captivated by a woman. He had definitely not expected the rus... --This text refers to an alternate Mass Market Paperback edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"It Surely Is True Love",
By
This review is from: True Love (Arabesque) (Mass Market Paperback)
If you are not a fan of Brenda Jackson, then let this book be the reason you now choose to become one of her fans.First, I have to give a shout out to Brenda Jackson who I have had the pleasure of not just reading all of her books, but to meet her personally and have the opportunity to work with her on major events. So I have seen first hand of the personality of Brenda Jackson. To my fellow readers, the love she illustrates in all her books revolving around family and friends; well for Brenda Jackson it comes naturally seeing it with my own eyes of how she loves and respects, family, friends and her fans. So it is no surprise to me after reading her most recent book, True Love that once again she had not disappointed me as one of her loyal fans and friend. Fellow readers of Brenda and those who need to become one, listen you will love reading about Sterling Hamilton's half brother, Nicholas Chenault. Remember Nicholas was introduced in the book called, "One Special Moment' featuring Colby and Sterling. Well in this book Nicholas takes center stage as CEO of Chenault Electronics and the heroine, Shayla Kirkland who comes to work for him. Now this does not have the high adventure like, Fire and Desire. But it offers you a story with many stories built into one book. If you enjoy high technology suspense, revenge, deceit, betrayal, lots and lots of intimacy, a few twists and turns, able to keep up with handling more than one relationship taking place.....Then this is a Brenda Jackson special that you will keep turning the pages until you realize its the wee hours of the morning but you just can't put the book down until its finished. Brenda, thank you for always bringing us such exciting books to read that leaves us with lasting memories. Always your friend and namesake, Brenda
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"True Love" Conquers All,
By
This review is from: True Love (Arabesque) (Mass Market Paperback)
Brenda Jackson does a masterful job of weaving connecting stories yet each one stands great on its own. The story of Nicholas and Shayla shows true love leaves no room for hate, revenge, or anger. It also shows love is not enough but needs more components to survive. This is beautifully shown with Nicholas and Shayla, Trent and Brenna, as well as Paul and Callie. This story fits a line from Mrs. Jackson's previous novel 'Secret Love'. "Nothing is as safe as a secret forever."
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brenda has done it again!!,
This review is from: True Love (Arabesque) (Mass Market Paperback)
Another great read by Brenda. This women has so much talent that it just spills out onto the paper. Ok, I'm bias, but the Lady has mad skills (that means she is very good at what she does)! I just loved Nicholas, but of course he is Sterlings little brother. Shayla 's character was the bomb! I loved this book. And what was even better is that there was an update on Trevor and Corinthians,and Corinthians' best friend, Brenna, got a story in this book. Her next book due out next year is Surrender, that's Ashton Sinclair's story. Brenda also has some work coming out with St. Martin's Press later this year and the next. Go out and get a copy of all Brenda's work. Keep up the great work Mrs. Jackson!
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