Under Wraps Read Online Free PDF Page B

along hers was a pleasurable bonus.
    â€œDon’t be ridiculous.” She stepped back, her face flushed and her pulse twitching visibly at the base of her throat.
    Agitated because of his touch? Or his proposition?
    He couldn’t deny a bit of agitation of his own at the thought of spending time with her at some trumped-up luxury love shack. While he’d had every intention of getting close to her sooner or later, he hadn’t intended for the circumstances to be quite so intense.
    But then, he hadn’t considered what an asset she’d be in an investigation at a hyperexclusive resort. She knew the place. And if the real embezzler had set Marnie upto take the fall for the crime, she might be able to finger the enemy faster than he could on his own.
    â€œYou said it yourself.” Sliding the screwdriver from her grip, he set it aside, not needing it to free his surveillance equipment. “You visited dozens of properties all over the globe for Premiere, so you know these resorts well. You’ve been to the Marquis and you’ve dealt with the people who work there. Why let the trail turn even colder while I waste time trying to get the lay of the land when you know the place inside and out?”
    She gaped at him as if he’d just suggested she sign on for a suicide mission. Was the thought of spending a few days with him that bad? He forced his attention to the camera equipment as he extracted a tiny wireless transmitter.
    â€œEven if I wanted to do that—and I don’t—I can’t just take off at the drop of a hat. I have a business to run.” She held out her hand to take the transmitter from him while he pried out the camera itself.
    â€œEveryone deserves a getaway,” he parroted back her business’s pitch line, knowing he was onto something. He had to convince her to do this—and not just because he wanted to get to know her better. Her input could be the key. “Besides, maybe you can’t afford not to go.”
    Straightening, he tucked the small camera in his back pocket, then took the transmitter from her and did the same.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Frowning and distracted, she didn’t seem to notice when he put his hands on her shoulders to turn her around so they could converse somewhere besides the narrow space in front of the shelves.
    How easy would it be to slide his hands lower, to graze her chest just above the rise of her breasts? The fragrance of her temptress perfume wafted along his senses as he guided her toward the desk.
    With more than a little regret, he released her.
    For now.
    â€œSomeone went to considerable effort to make it appear as though you were behind a highly lucrative crime. That suggests you’ve got an enemy you don’t know about. What if this enemy raises the stakes next time?”
    Her gray eyes searched his and he could see the moment she wondered if he could be the guilty party.
    â€œHere.” He took out his cell phone. “Vincent is on speed dial. Call your old boss at Premiere Properties and check out my story. He can tell you how seriously he’s taking this investigation.”
    And although it stung a little to see how fast she reached for the phone and dialed, Jake knew the line separating the criminals from the cops—or P.I.’s—could be razor-thin sometimes. He’d left the force just because there was too much crossover in his opinion. He could hardly blame her if she found it difficult to know who to trust.
    Still, he didn’t care for the lack of color in her face by the time she disconnected her call and handed him the phone in silence.
    â€œYou okay?” He didn’t want to crowd her when she’d had one hell of a night, but she sure looked as if she could use a shoulder.
    â€œYou’re right. He says 2.5 million dollars is missing.That’s a lot of money.” Her bleak tone was a far cry from her normal Friday-after-five voice. Usually