Unwrapping Mr. Wright
Lauren Brown has had it with being a "gal pal," and she's taking matters into her own hands. Slinky black lingerie and a complete makeover ought to wake up the apparently oblivious Jeff Wright to the fact that she's really a femme fatale. Her seduction is a runaway success. But there's one little problem–she arouses Jeff's identical twin instead!Dangerously attractive, Justin Wright is best known for his revolving-door relationships and uncanny ability to annoy Lauren, which he does every day as her overbearing boss.Unfortunately, Lauren isn't sure how to handle things when the wrong Mr. Wright turns up again–next to her Christmas tree with a tag that reads "Open me first."
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The wrong Mr. Wright keeps showing up!
Lauren Brown has had it with being a âgal pal,â and sheâs taking matters into her own hands. Slinky black lingerie and a complete makeover ought to wake up the apparently oblivious Jeff Wright to the fact that sheâs really a femme fatale. Her seduction is a runaway success. But thereâs one little problemâshe arouses Jeffâs identical twin instead!
Dangerously attractive, Justin Wright is best known for his revolving-door relationships and uncanny ability to annoy Lauren, which he does every day as her overbearing boss.
Unfortunately, Lauren isnât sure how to handle things when the wrong Mr. Wright turns up againânext to her Christmas tree with a tag that reads âOpen me first.â
âYouâre such a pal, Lauren.â
A pal. She was a pal. P-A-L, which could stand for Pitiful Always Around.
Lauren controlled the sudden raw anger that consumed her. The man in front of her probably didnât even have a clue that she was interested in advancing their relationship. She was like a properly functioning computerâtaken for granted and low maintenance.
At twenty-eight she didnât want to be a pal any longer. She wanted to be the girlfriend. Wanted to be the hot sexy one he couldnât refuse or resist. While her biological clock wasnât exactly tickingâokay, maybe a littleâshe did want the whole shebang: marriage, career and family.
Sheâd waited long enough for Mr. Secure and Safe to notice her. Sheâd have to be the one to make a moveâ¦.
In first grade Michele Dunaway knew she wanted to be a teacher when she grew up, and by second grade she knew she wanted to be an author. By third grade she was determined to be both, and before her high school class reunion, sheâd succeeded. In addition to writing romance, Michele is a nationally recognized, award-winning English and journalism educator who also advises the yearbook, newspaper and student website at her school. Born and raised in a west county suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, Michele has traveled extensively, with the cities and places sheâs visited often becoming settings for her stories. Described as a woman who does too much but who doesnât ever want to stop, Michele gardens five acres in her spare time and shares her home with two tween daughters and eight cats that rule the roost.
To all my friends at Harlequin.com,
and to Trish Gazall, Ken Williams and Vic Porcelli at FM 101.1 The River. Thanks.
And always, to Jon for believing in me.
Contents
Chapter 1
Justin Wright was Scrooge.
Not that he looked anything like good old Ebenezer. He was too young and too good-looking for that. âHot,â some misguided temp had called him. But that didnât stop the modern-day tightwad from frowning, leaning over the conference table and saying to Lauren Brown, current object of his wrath, âYou know, in all my time in this company, this has to be the dumbest way to spend money that Iâve ever heard.â
Lauren twirled the red-and-white candy-cane pen between her fingers, but the motion did little to calm her or fill her with any of her usual boisterous Christmas spirit. It did, however, keep her from reaching across and strangling the annoying, self-centered Justin Wright. At this moment, the fact that he was her boss was irrelevant.
He tapped his fingers on the table, creating an annoying staccato. âYou know, Lauren, the more I think about it, the more I have to disagree. That idea is a waste of money. My companyâs. We hired you for this?â
Justin Wright squared his chin stubbornly, but Lauren Brown glared right back at him. Her icy brown stare, though, like the rest of her, went totally unnoticed by the man who, unfortunately, looked too much like his gorgeous twin. Lauren tried thinning her lips in displeasure, but that, too, had little impact on her nemesis.
Once again she exhaled slowly in an attempt to rein in her temper. In the six months that sheâd been working for Wright Solutions, nothing sheâd proposed had been good enough for the high standards of the ultra-picky, master micromanager Justin Wright. She set down the pen lest she use it as a dagger.
âAs a matter of fact, you did hire me for this,â she said in a sweet tone that still contained an edge of steel. âYou hired me for PR, and thatâs exactly what the office Christmas party is. Thatâs why Jared, president of this company, assigned me the job of hosting it and thatâs why weâre having it at a hotel, two weekends from now, on December 18.â
The way Justinâs lips turned down indicated he hadnât liked her noting that his elder brother was president. âBut semiformal to formal? Youâve already got an open bar. Whatâs wrong with nachos and beer after hours? Thatâs worked ever since we started this company. Now weâre wining and dining employees with filet mignon and champagne?â
