LITMIR.BIZ

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of so far. Now he wanted to peel away each fascinating layer, until he revealed precisely what had molded this incredible woman into who and what she was. Not that he expected her to make the discovery process easy on him. He had no doubt Nicole would try to thwart his attempts every step of the way.

      Rita looked back up at him, hope and excitement mingling in her eyes. “You’re in the auto business, right?” she asked, repeating the information he’d just given her. “Then you must be the one who owns a Ferrari!”

      “Nope,” he replied, watching as her interest in him gradually dwindled with each question he refuted. “I drive a Ford Excursion.”

      Frowning at his choice of vehicle—she apparently preferred fast sports cars—she perused the list of data again.

      Two questions down, one more to go, Mitch thought wryly. After the third wrong guess the general rule was to recirculate within the group of guests, unless there was a mutual attraction the two people agreed they wanted to explore further. No worry of that happening with Rita, thank goodness.

      Rita lifted her gaze from her notes and graced him with a sly smile. “I bet you like to wear leather beneath your clothes, don’t you?”

      The restricting and very uncomfortable image that popped into Mitch’s mind made him grimace. “Sorry. I’m strictly a cotton brief kind of guy.”

      “Too bad.” Sighing in defeat, she moved on to another male guest with long hair, a goatee and a pumped-up physique. The first words out of her mouth were, “I’ll bet you’re the male exotic dancer.”

      Chuckling at the woman’s relentless quest to find the stripper in the group, Mitch continued to mingle in order to look as though he was searching for his perfect match for the week. The variety of women he met ranged from sweet and shy to the more direct and brash. They exchanged information on their lists to learn more about one another, and while he found a few of the women very nice and likeable, none of them so much as kindled anything more than friendly interest.

      The only woman he wanted to be paired up with was Nicole, and so far she’d done an exemplary job of avoiding him since arriving on the island. But as it was getting late and couples were starting to sign up as partners for the charity event, Mitch decided it was time to stake his own claim on the woman he desired—a gorgeous, sexy, spirited woman that would be all his for a week.

      Strolling around the large, outdoor courtyard that had been set up for the welcome reception, he perused the crowd for a certain evasive, blond beauty. Torches illuminated the area, casting flickering light over the elaborate buffet of food and the dance floor, which was already half full with couples who’d paired off and were enjoying the soft rock tunes the band was playing. An occasional balmy breeze sifted through the palms and lush foliage, bringing with it the fragrant scent of tropical flowers and something more illusive and seductive…like wild, forbidden fantasies.

      The familiar sound of vibrant, teasing laughter stimulated a very basic male response in Mitch—the kind of heated anticipation directly linked to Nicole. Glancing to the left, he found the object of his search flirting with a group of eager men vying for her attention.

      Considering how fresh and energetic she looked, even after having spent the better part of the day traveling from Denver to Florida, he could easily see why those men had flocked to her. She was wearing a white eyelet top that played peekaboo with her flawless, tanned flesh shimmering in the torchlight, and the rounded neckline displayed her full, rounded breasts in a way that was enticing, yet innocently provocative. Slim pink capri pants hugged her hips, thighs and calves, outlining a centerfold figure, and strappy, heeled sandals boosted her height a few inches, making her legs seem endlessly long.

      One of the men leaned close to say something to her, and another burst of amused laughter rent the air. Then she slanted the other man a coy look, and the possessive spark that jolted through Mitch took him completely off guard. He’d never been the jealous type with women, but much to his surprise he was feeling a tad territorial where Nicole was concerned. The sensation was a novelty, but one he didn’t find at all intrusive. In fact, he welcomed the potent mix of desire and need she inspired, knowing he had a week with her to sate every emotion, curiosity and craving she evoked.

      Giving the list of feminine traits, hobbies and interests one last cursory glance, and picking out the tidbit that best reflected Nicole, he sauntered up to the gathering and interrupted her little soirée. The three men hoping to claim Nicole as their partner didn’t look happy to have yet another rival in their midst.

      He made a place for himself next to Nicole and his arm brushed hers, making his presence known. “Mind if I join your group?” he asked her specifically, knowing the company she was currently keeping would object if they could.

      She gave him a slow once-over and bestowed one of those dazzling smiles of hers on him, but there was nothing in her expression that gave away the fact that they knew each other. “Not at all. The more the merrier.” She held out her hand for him to shake. “I’m Nicole Britton.”

      He slipped his hand into hers, savoring the soft, supple feel of her flesh against his rougher fingertips. He inhaled deeply, and the ripe, luscious scent of apricots assailed him. Despite having enjoyed a small feast from the buffet earlier, his stomach growled hungrily, but his sudden appetite had nothing to do with food and everything to do with her. She smelled good enough to eat, every bare inch of her, and he couldn’t help wondering if her skin tasted as sweet and tempting as the fragrance teasing his senses.

      He wanted to find out. Seduction and surrender played tug-of-war between their clasped hands and their clashing gazes. Nothing new there as far as the two of them and their attraction went. A lazy smile edged the corner of his mouth, and she watched his lips with a combination of fascination and guardedness. Her reticence made him even more determined to take this opportunity away from the real world, free from familial expectations, to explore what was between them.

      His blood pumped heavily in his veins, and if the subtle way she tried to finagle her hand back from his grasp was any indication, she was just as affected by their silent, sensual exchange. And that was enough for him. For now.

      Finally, he released her hand and introduced himself, shattering that breathless spell that had held them both momentarily immobile. “Mitch Lassiter,” he returned, following her lead in keeping their association anonymous. “Has anyone figured out which bit of personal information is yours?”

      “Not yet.” She tossed her head back in an attempt to restore her composure, and ticked off the failed guesses so far on her fingers. “I’ve been pegged as a model, someone thought I loved to travel abroad, and another person believed that I’ve jumped out of a cake for someone’s bachelor party.”

      She grinned at the three other men, seemingly enjoying the fact that she’d stumped all of them. “Can’t say I’ve ever done any of those things, but the last suggestion certainly sounds like a whole lot of fun.”

      And being the unabashed woman she was, it wasn’t hard for Mitch to visualize her as a bachelor’s fantasy, dressed in something skimpy that would show off her sinuous body. The only problem was, Mitch wanted it to be his fantasy she fulfilled. “Care if I take a guess of my own?”

      She turned toward him, initially surprised by his question. Then she shrugged and an impudent light in her eyes replaced her hesitation. “Go right ahead. Give it your best shot.”

      Clearly, she didn’t think him capable of nailing her contribution to the list of personal information he held in his hand. While he had no idea if his guess was accurate, it suited her competitive, athletic nature the best. “You’ve tried out for the women’s Olympic swim team.”

      Her mouth opened, then promptly closed. He’d stunned her into speechlessness, which was a first between them. While he would have loved to rib her over that, he kept to their pretense of being strangers in front of their audience. The last thing he wanted to do was get them disqualified before they’d even had a chance to compete together.

      “Wow,” she breathed, her tone awed. “You’re very good.”

      “So

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