by Joanne Rock
“I felt bad you didn’t get to have much of a vacation so I talked to Vincent Galway, and he helped me figure out some of the Premiere Properties resorts you liked best. I figured you haven’t gotten to travel much since you started your own business and while this isn’t exactly Paris and Rome—”
Happy sparks showered through her as bright as the Northern Lights. She all but tackled him, squeezing him and her gift tight.
“You gave me a road trip.” She’d been envious of the ones she’d booked for her clients, needing a getaway herself. “It’s the best gift.”
“Vincent says you can have your job back any time you want it, but at the least, he wanted to give you some comp rooms to apologize for terminating your position with Premiere.”
“I’m really happy running my own business.” She looked up into his eyes, feeling as if she were still spinning—no, floating—even though her skates remained in place. “But I’ll gladly take the comp rooms as long as you’re sharing them with me.”
Jake nodded as he took the papers back and shoved them back in his pocket.
“I’m part of the deal.” He wound an arm around her waist, his hand curving possessively over her hip. “And I’d be glad to take you back to your cabin and show you what an asset I’m going to be during this vacation of yours.”
A light, swirling snow started to fall around them, the flakes as fat and glittery as the kind that came in a snow globe.
“Mmm,” was all Marnie could manage, happiness and pleasure making her dizzy with wanting him.
“I want you in my life, Marnie. Thank you for giving me another chance.”
“Thank you for coming for me.” She kissed his cheek, so glad to have the promise of this night with him. This week. A future. “And thanks for making this the best Christmas ever.”
Slanting his lips over hers, he met her mouth in a kiss that promised many, many more.
Epilogue
Nine days later
“SMILE FOR THE CAMERA.” Marnie stalked her quarry barefoot across the carpet in the hotel room they shared at a historic property on Jekyll Island off the coast of Georgia. They’d spent Christmas together in Vermont before starting their road trip south, straying from the course when the mood suited them.
Now, on New Year’s Eve, they’d decided to return to their hotel room, ditching the small champagne party in the dining club downstairs before the clock struck the zero hour. Shortly before midnight, with the sounds of the dance band wafting right through the closed balcony doors, Marnie sashayed around the room in her emerald-green satin cocktail dress, counting her blessings for the year.
Starting with the man in the middle of her zoom lens.
“Not more video.” Jake shook his head as he unwound a black silk tie that he’d paired with one of the dinner jackets he’d bought during their stay at the Marquis. With the undone tie looped around his neck, he went for the buttons on his crisp white dress shirt. “Are you still trying to get payback for that hidden camera of mine? I don’t think you can possibly capture as much footage of me as I’ve got of you.”
His wicked grin teased her, but she deliberately panned lower on his strong, muscular bod to take in his exposed chest. The taut abs she could start to see as his fingers kept up the work on the buttons.
Would she ever get enough of this man?
They’d spent every moment together since the night he’d followed her to the Vermont skating pond, but she still got breathless when he got close to her. Not just because of the phenomenal heat that sparked between them. She just flat out liked to be with him. To hear about how he’d caught various bad guys. To understand how committed he was to his work. To be a part of his world. Yeah, she had it bad for him. And she couldn’t be happier about that.
Especially now that two more witnesses had come forward to make statements about Alec’s various schemes. According to Jake, they already had enough evidence to put him away for at least twenty-five years.
And that hadn’t been all the good news they’d gotten on their winding road trip south. Lianna had called her two days ago, asking her to book a trip to the California coast for her to see the sights and take in a few neighborhoods for prospective house hunting. Marnie had been only too happy to oblige, spending an afternoon researching fun places for her and Rick to stay.
Right now, she was glad to think about her own future, however. It seemed to be turning out just right with this hot stud of a man in her viewfinder.
“I’m dispensing with the boring bits,” she explained “and getting only the juicy parts on tape. So my video archives are going to be way hotter than yours.”
Jake stripped off the shirt and her mouth went dry.
“All flash and no substance?” He went for his belt buckle and she had the feeling her gasp of anticipation would be well documented in the audio. “Where’s your artistic integrity as a filmmaker?”
Downstairs, she could hear the sudden blare of horns from the dance band and a chorus of shouts. Setting down the video camera, she checked the clock and saw the time.
“It’s a new year.” Her eyes went to his without the filter of the lens between them.
“To new beginnings.” He spoke the words like a toast, but instead of lifting a glass, he stepped toward her. Clamping his hands around her waist, his fingers warmed her skin right through the silky green satin of her dress.
He bent close, the heat of his body kicking up her pulse. She licked her lips in anticipation. Nudged the strap of her slim sheath toward the edge of her shoulder and down. Off.
“Cheers to that,” she agreed, her heart and her body so very ready for him.
As she shimmied her way out of her dress, Marnie was glad she’d turned off the camera for what she knew would come next. She had the feeling it would be a New Year’s neither of them would ever forget.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-7583-0
UNDER WRAPS
Copyright © 2010 by Joanne Rock
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