Unwrapped (Unwrapped and Unraveled 1)

But he had a fix. He'd just have to convince her that he could give her what she needed and that he had no ulterior motives in doing so.

He looked up at the sound of the bathroom door. Their gazes met and she paused, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second before her cool, professional face settled back into place. She slipped into her seat and glared at him.

"Nice nap?" she asked, disdain in her tone.

"Yeah. Had some wicked hot dreams, too."

He caught the telltale blush on her cheeks as she shot him an icy glare. "Spare me the gory details and take a look at these documents I worked on while you were having your long nap."

She pushed the laptop toward him and shuffled through her briefcase, effectively ignoring him.

He grinned, opened the document and scanned it quickly. Of course everything was in order. Amy never made mistakes. She'd long ago perfected a competent, don't-fuck-with-me attitude.

That was about to change, because he was definitely going to start fucking with her.

The Magruder Sports Company wasn't the only thing that was about to be acquired in Hawaii.

Justin had an acquisition of an entirely different sort in mind.

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Jaci Burton

Chapter Two

Amy waited outside her bungalow for Justin. Since his room was next door, he'd told her they could meet before heading to the main hotel for dinner with Mitch.

They'd been assigned adjoining bungalows instead of rooms in the main hotel. The bungalows were spacious and right near the edge of the beach. The setting sun shimmered over the water, casting it a glittering gold. A handful of swimmers still hung out on the beach to catch the last rays of sun.

What a great place to spend the Christmas holidays. If only she was on vacation.

Instead of enjoying the water, she'd spent the afternoon at the resort gift shop, buying new clothes. She took a quick glance at her red and yellow flowery sundress, feeling a bit too casual for a business dinner. But Mitch had insisted they wear casual clothes instead of business suits. And he was right. It was entirely too warm for anything else but minimal clothing and she hadn't had time to shop before they'd left Los Angeles.

"Well, that's a new look for you."

She turned at the sound of Justin's voice, as always, a small hitch interrupting her normal breathing pattern whenever she looked at him. Typically he wore business suits, but today was different. Much different. The white tank top and royal blue shorts showed off his tanned, well-muscled arms and legs. Way more than she'd ever seen of him, making her wonder how it would feel to slide her hands under his shirt and palm his chest. Shaking off thoughts of moving her hands even lower on his sculpted body, she asked, "You're really wearing that to a business dinner?"

He grinned, showing off straight, white teeth that seemed even whiter against his dark skin. He must have been out in the sun today. "I've known Mitch for a lot of years.

Trust me, he'll be wearing the same thing. And you," he added, tilting his head and perusing her skimpy sundress, "look damn hot in that dress. Quite a departure from your typical buttoned-up look."

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Ignoring his comment as well as the internal heat shooting through her nerve endings, she said, "Shall we go?"

He nodded and stepped beside her as they made their way along the walkway leading to the main hotel. The Royal Surfer Hotel was a sprawling resort with twin white towers curved toward each other. They passed three swimming pools on their way into the main entrance, all filled with laughing children and very relaxed looking adults.

Along with his sporting good interests, Mitch owned this hotel as well as a few others on neighboring islands. His decision to concentrate on the hotel business was the reason they were meeting to finalize the divestiture of Magruder Sports.

The scent of gardenias filled the air around her and she inhaled, enjoying the smell of fresh, clean air. You didn't dare take too deep a breath in Los Angeles, otherwise you might choke on the smog.

This, on the other hand, was paradise. She might not be on vacation, but she still intended to enjoy every moment of her visit to Maui.

The lobby of the hotel was pristine, decorated in white marble and pale, whitewashed wood interspersed with flowering tropical plants and waterfalls.

Mitch was waiting for them by the dolphin waterfall. As always, Amy felt a pure rush of feminine appreciation when she saw him. At forty-two, he had the body of a man fifteen years younger, no doubt due to the time he spent surfing. The only evidence of his age was a slight graying at the temples. Otherwise, his hair was still a rich, midnight black, his face darkly tanned from years in the sun, and his eyes such a vivid, turquoise blue any woman looking at him would do a double take.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "Glad you took my clothing suggestions seriously."

She smiled. "I always do what a client asks."

Mitch arched a brow, his gaze flitting quickly to Justin, who grinned and shook Mitch's hand. "Hey, buddy. Long time. Sorry I missed the last meeting, but I was finalizing another case."

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Jaci Burton

Mitch shook his head and motioned them toward a long breezeway. "You're always too busy, Justin. You should still be here working for me here in the tropics instead of that overpopulated plastic Los Angeles."

Justin laughed. "You didn't need my help back then. Besides, you already had an army of attorneys. How the hell was I supposed to shine in that crowd of sharks?"

"Still out to be number one, huh?"

"You know me."

"Yeah, I do. And it suits you. Though I still think you should come work for me again."

As always, Amy felt like an unwanted third whenever she and Justin met with Mitch.

Justin had apprenticed for the legal department of one of Mitch's corporations while in college before coming to work for McKenzie and Shoals. They were close, almost like brothers, even though they weren't close in age. But their easy, relaxed camaraderie was always a bit disconcerting. She wasn't used to sitting back and being quiet. That wasn't her style at all.

The Tiki Lounge stood high on a deck overlooking the ocean. The swirling breeze provided a cooling respite from the humidity as they walked outside and were seated at a table cornering the outdoor restaurant.

"Mai Tais," Mitch announced to the waitress, holding up three fingers before turning his attention on Amy. "Hope you don't mind eating here. I hate being stuck inside the offices or the suite. Nothing like fresh air and a Hawaiian sunset to relax after a hard day.

Besides, if I know you, you haven't been outside much yet."

"I spent the afternoon at the gift shop."

"There's a surprise," Justin said. "I thought you'd spend it working."

If she hadn't needed clothes, she would have. "I'll work later tonight."

Their drinks arrived and when Amy took a sip, she grinned at the tangy, fruity flavor.

"Oh, this is good." She'd always been a sucker for a sweet drink. It was like having a forbidden dessert.

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Their business was discussed over drinks, all the last minute details ironed out. They had only to go over the documents tomorrow to finalize everything and make arrangements for the transfer of assets to complete the deal.

Amy spied a couple strolling along the water's edge, the woman wearing a simple white shift, a row of flowers in her hair. She held a bouquet. The man had on a white linen suit.

"Newlyweds," Mitch said with a grin. "Lots of people come here to get married.

You'll see a ton of them."

Amy nodded. "Uh-huh." She really should have bought a new vibrator.

"Hawaii is all about sex and romance, you know," Mitch said. "Must be something in the air."

Amy shifted and squeezed her legs together, d

etermined to quell the throbbing of her clit. She would not think about sex. "So, Mitch, are you satisfied with the arrangements for the acquisition?"

Mitch laid his hand over hers. "Amy, relax. The acquisition is fine. There's nothing left to do but paperwork." He gave her fingers a light squeeze. "You really need to let loose and enjoy yourself, breathe in the Hawaiian air, have another Mai Tai."

Let loose? "Mitch, I appreciate the sentiment, really. But Justin and I are here to work. For you. We're not on vacation."

"There's not much paperwork left to do except going over the finer details and making sure everything's signed," Justin said. "Mitch is right, Amy. Have fun while you're here and relax."

Easy for him to say. He took everything lightly, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Amy was serious about her job, her career, advancing up the corporate ladder.

This acquisition had to go down perfectly.

"Don't you ever unwind?"

"Of course I do."

Mitch leaned back in his chair. "Really. And what do you do for fun?"

"I work out at the gym."

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Jaci Burton

Justin snorted. Amy shot him a glare.

"That's relaxing to you?" Mitch asked.

"It releases the tension and keeps me in shape."

"Well, there's no doubt you're in shape, but there are much better ways to release tension."

Oh, God. She didn't even want to think of all the "better" ways she could release tension, and she wasn't about to discuss the other ways she released, especially in the privacy of her bedroom. And she especially didn't want to start thinking about said release while in the company of two very sexy men. Her fantasies were vivid enough without sending her mind into overdrive.

She took a long swallow of her drink. It was sweet, so she took another, quenching her thirst until the glass was empty. At least one of her thirsts, anyway. Mitch signaled the waitress and in short order she had another full drink. Yummy.