Under Wraps by Joanne Rock Page A

of her breath on his skin, the brush of her shoulder against his as she moved in close. It was all he could do not to press her down to the bench and see how fast he could unfasten all those clothes she was wearing. No matter how many ties, bows and buttons between them, he knew he’d set a land speed record getting her naked and hot underneath him.
    â€œI don’t want anyone to recognize you,” he spoke softly in return, her neck within tempting reach of his mouth.
    Memories of what had happened in the dressing room had never been far from his mind this morning. Every now and then, he’d catch a hint of her exotic floral scent and he’d be transported right back to that moment behind the curtain, tugging off her gown with his teeth like a damn ravenous beast.
    â€œI bought a mask, remember?” From her drawstring purse, she withdrew the white scrap of satin. The fabric had been decorated with green sequins patterned to look like pine boughs.
    She wrapped the pliable satin about her eyes and tied the white ribbons behind her hair. And wow, she was a knockout with the red hair spilling onto her shoulders, her plump lips the only feature of her face that remained visible.
    â€œIf I was looking for you,” he confided, letting his breath warm the skin around her collarbone, “I would know that mouth anywhere.”
    The lips in question parted slightly. She licked the top one.
    â€œLucky for me, no one else is going to take such an interest.”
    â€œThat’s lucky for them, actually, because if I caught anyone checking out your mouth, I’d have to hurt them.” He’d seen plenty of men notice her already, even though the resort was fairly quiet at this time of day. She had a natural confidence that drew the eye, a way of moving through the world that said she knew what she was doing. Maybe traveling the globe for her job had given her that ease.
    â€œViolence will attract far more attention than any facial feature, so let’s hope you can behave.” She nuzzled his cheek as another couple walked by them, effectively hiding from view while driving Jake out of his ever-loving mind.
    A lock of silky red hair slipped forward, teasing along his jaw. He struggled with the urge to plunge both hands into the auburn strands, to hold her still for a kiss that wouldn’t stop until tomorrow….
    Focus, damn it.
    He needed to think about his investigation and notpersonal pleasure. His first responsibility was to protect her from whoever had made her a target.
    â€œMaybe we can find some of the rooms with secret viewing.” He passed her the security card bearing a picture of a peephole. “As long as we don’t mingle, we can circulate a little while longer. I’d like to meet whoever runs the place on a day-to-day basis.”
    Something that had been tough to do with a resort run like a private club. Everyone he’d talked to so far—from a doorman to a waiter—was working in order to accumulate points that would help them to book rooms in the future. Marnie had explained that most of the guests volunteered for the jobs, but he’d thought they were just enjoying the fantasy of being a maid or a lusty waiter. But apparently the Marquis had a whole elaborate system in place to fill the gaps in the staff by offering guests incentives to work extra hours.
    Jake had to hand it to the operation. It was a clever piece of business.
    â€œThat’s very admirable of you to work so hard. Doesn’t the atmosphere ever distract you?” Marnie nodded meaningfully to a white marble statue on a nearby end table.
    The piece hadn’t caught his eye before since the style was more impressionistic than realistic. But now that she’d pointed it out, the lines became clear. Like carvings he’d once seen in an historic Indian temple, the statue featured a woman lying on her back with knees parted to accommodate a man’s shoulders. Clearly,