Today I am so pleased to welcome Anna Zabo to Joyfully Jay. Anna has come to talk to us about her releases Takeover and Just Business.  Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Just Business Excerpt

Justin White is an MBA grad student and barista at the coffee shop beneath Sam Anderson’s consulting company. He’s managed to score an interview with Sam, despite the rather cold reception of one of the other employees, Eli Ovadia, with which Justin has had a few adversarial conversations. 

In this scene, Justin is about ready to head up to the interview. For those who’ve read the teaser in TAKEOVER, this scene follows those—with the caveat that this isn’t the final proof and may change in the final version.

Justin stood in the coffee shop bathroom and adjusted his tie, then checked his watch. Eight thirty. Should he go up to the office now? Would anyone be there? He’d considered about showing up at seven and sitting by the door until Eli arrived, just to see his face.

Don’t be late.

He wasn’t a child; far from it. And fucking Eli shouldn’t judge people on appearance. Justin took a breath to settle his nerves. Didn’t work. He so needed this job, too. Shit. He opened the door and turned off the light.

Brian gave a low whistle when he stepped out into the shop proper and more than a few of the normal morning crowd whipped their head around to take a second look.

Well good. That’s what he wanted, that surprised look, those parted lips. With any luck, the transformation would impress Sam as well—and put Eli in his place.

Really think you’re going to be able to do that?

His pulse ticked up a notch. Focus on the CEO, not his sidekick.

“Dude,” Brian said between customers. “You look awesome.”

That coming from a straight guy. “Thanks.” He forced a smile onto his face. Time to head up stairs. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“You better.” Brian’s gaze lingered a bit too long, before he shook his head and went back to slinging coffee.

Justin didn’t break into a grin until he was out of Brian’s sight. Poor guy. He’d never really adjusted to the harmless flirting that seem to have the effect on straight dudes—the If you had a pussy I’d so hit on you, but you still kind of turn me on thing. Gotten a few good fucks that way, too. If it screwed with the guys head? Eh. ‘Bought time people figured out that being straight or gay wasn’t the only option.

He took the stairs up to Anderson Consulting and forced his heart rate and his cock down. Wouldn’t do him any good to walk in with a hard-on. Not the impression he wanted to make. Professional—but unique. That was the idea. They’d seen him in the coffee shop, knew that version. Time to shake things up.

Justin brushed a bit of fuzz off his lapel. Thank goodness the thrift stores also got in unsold clothing. The suit had been a fucking find.

Last step, then Justin looked up—and met Eli’s gaze through the glass door to Anderson Consulting’s office.

Holy shit. That smirk. Those gray eyes. Didn’t help calm Justin’s dick down at all. Fuck.

The bastard pulled a pocket watch out of his vest—because of course he was wearing a three piece suit—and made a show of checking the time before he opened the door for Justin.

“I’m not late.” Justin brushed past Eli, all to aware of how warm he was. Hard, too. For this guy? Please.

“No indeed. Seem’s you’ve come just a bit prematurely.”

Justin bit back the fuck you before it came out. Blowing the interview before he even saw Sam wouldn’t help him or Mercy. “Do you always meet candidates at the door?”

“Yes, actually.” Eli didn’t have his cane, and didn’t make any move further into the office, so Justin planted his feet and folded his hands behind his back. Kept him from fidgeting.

Which was good, because the predatory once-over Eli gave him sent ice straight down his spine and nearly had him on his knees. What the hell? Hadn’t felt that instinct in ages, not since he’d left Francis and the scene behind in California. “You the receptionist?”

A low chuckle rattled Justin’s bones. “Chief financial officer. I like knowing exactly what we’re spending our money on.”

Eli was the CFO? Oh hell. He schooled his expression. “I’m worth every penny.”

Wrong, wrong thing to say, because the flash of teeth Eli gave Justin wasn’t anywhere close to a smile and it sent a bolt of lust straight to Justin’s balls. “You don’t get to decide that.” He nodded toward the inner office. “Follow me.”

The cane wasn’t just for show, it seemed. Without it, Eli’s steps were more halting. It was his left leg, something around the ankle. An injury? Not that Justin would ask. He suspected Eli wouldn’t answer anyway. Mercy didn’t talk about hers, though not having legs anymore was pretty damn visible to anyone with a brain.

Justin rolled his shoulders. Time to relax. He could do this…had done it before.

They stopped at the first office—double office, actually, but the first room was empty except for a desk—an assistant’s desk. The inner office was spacious, decorated, and contained Sam. He glanced atJustin, then gazed at Eli and lifted his eyebrow.

“Justin’s arrived for his interview.” Now he knew exactly what Eli’s amused tone sounded like. As if his heart wasn’t hammering fast enough.

He schooled his expression. “Good morning.”

“Thanks, E. Justin, please take a seat.”

Here we go.

Takeover Blurb

Michael Sebastian thought Curacao would be the perfect place to have a little fun in the sun—and between the sheets. So far, no one has struck his interest, until Sam Anderson walks into the bar. With one look at his tense body and expensive suit, Michael knows that this is a man in need of release. And Michael is more than willing to lend a hand.

Shattered by the most intense sex he’s ever had, Sam has to face the facts—one night with a handsome, dominating stranger is all he gets before returning to the closet he’s been suffocating in for years. But when Sam starts his new job as the CEO of a failing technology company, he discovers that Michael is one of his new employees.

While Michael is desperate for another night with Sam, he knows he shouldn’t get involved with his boss, let alone another man who can’t accept who he is. But as they’re forced to work together to save the company, the desire sparking between them becomes impossible to ignore…

Bio

Anna Zabo writes contemporary and paranormal romance for all colors of the rainbow. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which isn’t nearly as boring as most people think.

She has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, where she fell in with a roving band of romance writers and never looked back. She also has a BA in Creative Writing from Carnegie Mellon University.