2
“LET’S SEE…” The overly voluptuous redhead in tight pink spandex licked her lips as her gaze raked up and down the length of Mitch’s body. “If I had to take a guess I’d say that you’re the male exotic dancer.”
Mitch winced inwardly, having been pegged as a “stripper” by three different women in the span of half an hour. “No, I’m an auto broker.”
“What a waste of a great body.” The woman with “Rita” written on her name tag shook her head, obviously disappointed that he didn’t take his clothes off for a living.
She glanced down at the paper in her hand once more, consulting the list of hobbies and individual interests each person on Wild Fantasy had contributed in order to participate in that evening’s “singles’ mixer.” The event was a getting-to-know-you icebreaker to get everyone better acquainted with participants of the opposite sex before selecting their weeklong partner at the end of the night. If it wasn’t for the fact that Mitch was assured Nicole as a partner, he might have changed his mind about this whole fantasy and charity business. The singles scene had never been his thing, and he’d yet to meet a woman he had any desire to spend an evening with, let alone an entire week.
So far, his experience on Wild Fantasy was proving not only to be interesting and surprisingly relaxing, but amusing as well. Other than being sized-up as a potential partner and possible plaything for the week, he was enjoying the luxuries offered by the resort and the fun, laid-back atmosphere of the island. He hadn’t known just how badly he’d needed a vacation until the moment he’d stepped off the commuter plane and the tranquility and hospitality of the island had enveloped him.
He’d arrived earlier that day on a separate flight from Nicole. He’d spent the afternoon unpacking then walking the grounds, taking in the lush beauty of the island and familiarizing himself with the fabulous amenities included in his vacation package, a vacation that was his own private fantasy. One that had been incredibly easy to put into writing once he’d agreed to this spontaneous getaway.
He was going to thoroughly enjoy this week away from business and the real world. Leaving responsibilities and obligations in the hands of his younger brother had been extremely difficult to do after eight years of holding tight to the reins of Executive Fleet Auto Sales, but Mitch was determined to embrace a whole lot of fun, pleasure and all the potential this incredibly sensual island had to offer. He’d become used to taking care of everything and everyone else, but now he was going to do something for himself for a change, without an ounce of guilt or worry to hamper the experience.
And his decision to enjoy himself included finally discovering if the strong chemistry between him and Nicole could be taken any further than the flirting they’d engaged in for much too long. He’d refrained from asking her out on a date a few years ago, but this vacation afforded him a chance to make up for that regret, as well as the opportunity to pursue Nicole at his own leisure and in his own way.
All or nothing. Mitch had meant what he’d said, in more ways than just giving one hundred percent to the charity events and competitions. For years he’d sensed a depth to Nicole buried beneath a cloak of complex, multifaceted emotions he’d only seen glimpses 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
