I just got back from a vacation that included several fantastic days in Singapore. So I thought I’d give you a Book Hooks snippet set in that remarkable city. Singapore Fling is part of my Asian Adventures series. The stories are available individually, or as a boxed set in KU.
Blurb
Thai entrepreneur Ploy Kaewkornwattanasakul has come to Singapore to close a deal. Ploy needs to convince tech whiz Jason Chow to license his ground-breaking innovation to her company on favorable terms. The future of her startup depends on her negotiating skill. When she meets Jason, though, she realizes she wants not just the invention, but the inventor, too.
Jason Chow is a brilliant engineer, a successful businessman and a bit of a rebel. He’s attracted to Ploy from the moment he sets eyes on her. However, he doesn’t dare respond to her advances, for fear she’ll discover his secret vice.
Ploy doesn’t understand why the sexy CEO has rejected her. She figures she’ll have to content herself with the cold comfort of a signed contract—unless the strength of Jason’s desire overwhelms his shame.
The Hook
Interia’s offices were exactly what Ploy had expected, functional but unprepossessing, crammed with desks, computer equipment and filing cabinets. Half a dozen more or less interchangeable Chinese guys sat in front of their monitors, some staring intently at the screen, others typing furiously. They barely looked up when Ploy entered. However, a diminutive young woman seated at a corner desk rose to greet her.
“Ms. Kaewkornwattanasakul?” The pronunciation was pretty close to correct.
Ploy flashed the girl a warm smile. “You can call me Surisa. That’s a lot easier. Or better yet, Ploy. My nickname.”
“Okay—um—Ms. Ploy. Mr. Chow just messaged me. He’s on his way.”
“Great! I am a bit early, I think.” Two minutes. She was grateful they’d renovated the elevators in the old building. She’d been worried about being late.
“If you’ll follow me, please...” The secretary led the way between the desks to a small conference room near the back of the office suite. An oval table and eight surrounding chairs barely fit into the space. However, a lovely view compensated for the crowding.
Instead of the concrete and glass cityscape Ploy expected, the window on the far wall looked out on a paradise of green. A hill rose behind the office building, probably less than half a kilometer away. For the most part, it appeared to be covered with natural vegetation. In the foreground lay several rows of low buildings, but behind them, she saw a steep slope carpeted in foliage. She thought she could see walkways among the old trees. The whole scene looked cool and inviting.
“That’s Pearl Hill,” said the secretary. “There’s a park up there, and a reservoir.”
“It’s beautiful,” Ploy replied. “I didn’t realize there were any parks in this part of the city.”
“At last estimate, more than forty seven percent of Singapore was green space, the second highest percentage of any city in the world,” a male voice interjected. “And the government has policies to increase that proportion.”
Ploy turned away from the window to face the speaker. It took every ounce of her considerable self-discipline not to gasp in shock.
Standing in the doorway was the man from the food court.
“Mr. Chow, this is Ms. Surisa from ShopGuru,” said the receptionist.
The CEO of Interia strode into the office, his hand outstretched. He was even taller than he’d appeared while sitting at his table, at least a head taller than Ploy. “Jason Chow. I’m glad to meet you at last.”
“Mr. Chow. Please call me Ploy.” She was astonished but grateful that her voice didn’t shake. His palm was dry against her own. Her panties were anything but.
“Fine. I hope you’ll call me Jason.” His even voice and neutral expression showed no indication that he recognized her. But how could he not?
With some difficulty due to the crowding, he seated himself at the head of the table. “Sit down, please. I’m sorry about the lack of space.”
Ploy gave him what she hoped was a collegial smile. “I understand. We’re a startup too.” She wormed her way into a chair with her back to the window. She did not want to be distracted.
Chow gave a low chuckle. “True. Would you like coffee or tea?”
“I’d love some coffee.”
“Anna, would you bring two coffees? And tell Franklin and James to join us.”
The young woman hurried away, leaving the two of them alone. Ploy rummaged in her purse to avoid looking at him. “Let me give you my card....”
The man waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal. He had long, slender fingers. Ploy immediately wished she hadn’t noticed this fact. She couldn’t help imaging them exploring her increasingly juicy orifices.
“That’s not necessary,” he said. “This is the twenty-first century. And I already know about you, after all.”
Ploy blushed—she could feel the blood climbing into her cheeks. Fortunately, Jason was looking at his tablet, not at her. He seemed to be reviewing her resume.
“Bachelors and masters in engineering from Chulalongkorn University. The Harvard of Thailand, or so I’ve heard.”
“Not the same...” she began.
“Then a stint with Microsoft Thailand and another with Google.” He raised his head. She realized that he was wearing his glasses. Alas, they made him look even sexier. “Why’d you leave?”
“Why did you quit your research job at Nanyang University?” she countered. “I wanted to be my own boss.”
“And you had an idea,” he added. “One that you thought could be the basis for a successful business.”
“Exactly,” she replied, grateful that he had adopted such a professional manner. “Just like you. Except that Interia has ten times more investment than we do.”
He peered at her over the top of his glasses and smiled. “Well, it’s not how much you have that counts, is it? It’s what you do with it.”
Find individual buy links at https://www.lisabetsarai.com/singaporeflingbook.html
Or on KU: https://www.amazon.com/Asian-Adventures-Erotic-tales-East-ebook/dp/B08XW69V2R
Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s MFRW Book Hooks!
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