Swept Away (The Escape Series Novellas Book 1) Read online

  “I am,” Wyatt suddenly announced. “Can’t wait to taste this pasta Cassie raves so much about.”

  Rayna smiled. “The sauce has been simmering for the past few hours, I just need to boil the pasta now.”

  Liz took a sip of her champagne before she asked, “I hear you’re interested in opening up an online ad agency?”

  Wyatt shuffled around in his chair. “Yes,” he affirmed, turning to face the attractive blond. “I’m looking for a website to gather incoming leads, emails preferably, and take payments. I’d like to sell packages or bundles and do everything online.”

  Liz smiled graciously, “I can help you with that.”

  Rayna then popped her head over the peninsula while she walked around the kitchen opening a bag of spaghetti and plopped it into a pot of water she already started boiling. “She’s really good, too,” she chimed in.

  Wyatt gave Liz a lazy smile. “So, I’ve heard.”

  Liz soaked in Wyatt’s pleasing grin both steamy and sensual. She envied Cassie in that moment. Liz had been working so much lately, she forgot she was single and could have a good time. Never any time to meet anyone, always at her computer or drawing on her tablet. One of the disadvantages of working from home was that you’re isolated from the public and any social contact. She reached over to her purse and took out one of her business cards. “I have a new boss now, so he’ll be changing the logo soon, but our business line is still the same,” she said, handing Wyatt her card. “Call me Monday or anytime, and we can get started.”

  Wyatt grabbed the card, “Thanks Liz.”

  Rayna stirred the pasta around in the water with a spatula. She threw a kitchen towel up over her shoulder and opened the cabinet just above the stove. Inside was the pasta strainer and she brought it over to her sink. “What kind of ads did you used to do? Have we heard of any?”

  Wyatt swallowed the last of his champagne. “Have you seen that commercial with the little girl with a smile full of missing teeth? For Bright Toothpaste? I came up with that one a few years back. The ad ran for nearly a year. Made me a fortune.”

  Rayna was impressed, “Oh wow! My son loves that toothpaste.” She did a double-take at the pasta inside the boiling water and suddenly realized she might have left it in a bit too long. Grabbing the kitchen towel away from her shoulder she placed it on both ends around the knobs and picked the scalding water up only to burn herself from the water’s steam. Reacting immediately to it, she released the pot with both hands and the pot of blistering water burst on the ground while her kitchen towel flew up in the air only to land right on top of the oven burner. “Ohmigod!”

  Within hearing the commotion, Liz, Wyatt and Cassie all stood up from their chairs and shuffled out of their seats trying to see what had happened.

  Within those short few moments, the kitchen towel burst into flames and fire began to crawl up Rayna’s new sheer kitchen curtains. A small gradual blaze quickly erupted into a black, smoky bonfire.

  “Ohmigod!” Cassie shouted out.

  “I’ll call the fire department,” Wyatt quickly reacted. “Get away from the fire, Rayna! All of you,” he demanded, waving his arms out in the air. “Let’s all get out of this area. Do you have a fire extinguisher?”

  Rayna began to panic and ran from one point to another. “Ohmigod! Ohmigod! My kitchen!”

  Liz grabbed her friend and pulled her away from the growing flames. “Rayna! Let’s go outside.”

  Cassie yelled out at Wyatt who was wandering around the kitchen trying to find a fire extinguisher. “Wyatt! Let’s go!”

  “Does she have one?” Wyatt shouted back, bringing his arm up to his face in a protective stance over his eyes. “Does she have a fire extinguisher?!”

  “I don’t know!” Cassie shouted back at him. “Let’s go, Wyatt!”

  Cassie and Wyatt finally make it outside and tried to listen for any sirens. Nothing, no one was coming.

  Rayna stood in anguish and watched from her grassy lawn her kitchen go up in smoke. “Ohmigod…”

  One by one, next door neighbors began to appear. All gesturing amongst themselves and pointing towards Rayna’s burning house.

  One neighbor in particular, Rayna’s neighbor who lived across the street walked over to her straight away and put his arm around her shoulder. He gave her a concerned hug before he easily asked, “You okay? You call fire and rescue, yet?”

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading Swept Away, Novella One in The Escape Series Novellas.

  What to read next…

  Fire & Rescue, Novella Two in The Escape Series

  The Domain King, Novella Three in The Escape Series

  The Obsession Series

  The Hollinger Series

  For a complete book list, visit Trisha at her official website at: trishafuentes.com

  If you like this book, don’t forget to leave her a book review :)

  Fire & Rescue

  Fire Down Below...

  Rayna Russo just turned forty-five. She was a single mother, divorced and not looking for love ever again. Her ex, Marty was such a bad husband, he forever ruined her trust in men. All males were deemed untrustworthy until the great spaghetti incident of 2018. Enter the gorgeous Tim Thompson, firefighter extraordinaire who melts the heart of the Ice Queen.

  Available in eBook & Paperback