Free MARRYING MR. RIGHT (The Brides of Hilton Head Island Book 3) by Sabrina Sims McAfee Page A

lifting the phone to her ear. God, she could use a facial.  “Hello?”             
                  “You’re up early, I see, honey. Good. Good. I have some great news for you.” Pierre’s chipper French accent immediately perked up Taylor’s spirit.
                  Walking back toward the window, Taylor smiled. “I’m always up early, Pierre. You know that.”
                  “True. True.” Pierre clucked his tongue. “I tell you, this darn dog I have is becoming a nuisance. Prissy, stop hunching on my leg! Horny dog. Anyway, what was I saying?”
                  Giggling, Taylor flopped back down on the chaise lounge. Elbow perched on the window sill, she extended her legs in front of her, crossed them at the ankles.  “You had some—”
                  “Oh yeah. Revlon called, and they want to book you for a hair commercial. There’s only one problem, though.”
                  “Uh oh. What?”
                  Pierre cleared his throat. “They want you to color your hair this God-awful red.”
                  A picture of Zeke’s red-headed stepmother, Katherine, popped inside Taylor’s head. “Red? Not red, Pierre. No.”
                  “Honey, what do you mean, no?”
                  Having red hair would remind her every second of the day of Katherine. “I mean no, I’m not doing it. I’ve reached a point in my career where I’m only taking on jobs that make me happy, and coloring my hair bright red won’t make me happy. It’d only make me look like—”
                  “A damn fool! I agree, honey. Okay. I’ll let them know. Tootles.” Without further speaking, Pierre clicked her off.
                  Coloring my hair red; like hell I’m doing that . A few moments later, Pierre called her again. “Yes, Pierre?” she answered after spying the Caller ID.
                  Pierre stated, “I spoke with the casting director at Revlon, and you’re not going to believe how much they offered to pay you if you agree to do the commercial shoot!”
                  “How much?”
                  “Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars,” Pierre’s voice pitched.
                  “Umm. For that amount of money, I think the red will look great!”
                  Pierre’s light chuckles came through the phone. “Me, too, honey. Me, too.”
                 
    Hilton Head Island
    ZEKE PUSHED THROUGH the glass door of Balfour Resort & Hotel, located on the ocean, with a huge frown on his face. Wondering why in the hell his father had called a mandatory meeting at the last minute so late in the evening, Zeke stalked past the concierge desk and headed for the elevator. While he loved working for his father at the hotel–and loved Colton with all his heart–he just wished his workaholic father hadn’t interrupted him this evening, he thought, pushing the button to the elevator.
                  As Zeke waited for the elevator to arrive, his mind traveled back to what he’d been doing moments prior to his father calling him. He’d been at the group care facility with Braylon and Richmond, tutoring underprivileged boys. Giving back to his community meant so much to him, and there his father had to go and interrupt it. The gold elevator doors swished open, and Zeke stepped inside. “Interrupting my pastime; this better be good, Father.”
                  A few seconds later, Zeke stepped off the elevator and headed toward the conference room at the end of the hallway. Photos of his ancestors clung to the wall to his left. To his right, expensive sculptures lined the walls. For their protection, only certain people had access to the twenty-fifth floor, where the executive offices and boardrooms were located.