Too Wilde to Tame (26 page)

"So what did Amy tell you?" he asked.

"You know those erotic pieces I left with her during my meeting with her on Tuesday? Well, she had such a phenomenal response to the stained-glass art, and so many of her clients were interested in purchasing the pieces, that she decided to put them up for auction!"

Her excitement was infectious, and a huge grin spread across his face. "Mia, that's incredible!"

"I know! I'm just stunned. And that's not all," she went on breathlessly. "Amy wants to schedule a gallery show, just for me and my stained-glass artwork. Can you believe that?"

He laughed, resisting the urge to remind her he was the reason her art was on display at the Brennan gallery—because he'd seen the potential in her art, and her mass appeal. "Of course I can believe it."

She grew quiet and then said, "I guess at some point I'm going to have to tell my family about all this, huh?"

He followed Trish into the city, keeping his distance as she started traveling on surface streets. "I think they'd be hurt if you didn't."

"I know." Her soft sigh drifted through the phone. "It's just that they don't know about the erotic pieces, and I have no idea how they'll react to them. I mean, I've done many things over the years to shock my family, but this is just so… public. And personal."

Hearing the barest hint of insecurity in her voice, he sought to reassure her. "How can they not be anything but proud of what you've accomplished? A showing is not something every artist gets, so this is a huge testament to just how amazing your work is. And just for the record, I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks," she said, and this time he detected a smile in her tone. "Care to celebrate with me tonight?"

God, it had been too long since they'd seen each other. It had been nearly a week since they'd spent the day at his parents, and even longer than that since they'd been together intimately. And he honestly and truly missed being with her, in every way.

Unfortunately, he wasn't going to see her this evening, either.

"I'd love to celebrate with you, but I can't tonight," he said regretfully. "Right now I'm tailing Irish to some unknown destination, and after this surveillance I have to head back to the office to go over some open cases with Wes. Then, I'm meeting with a new client this evening, and I have no idea when I'll be done."

"I understand," she said, but he knew she was disappointed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at Steve's."

See, but not touch because their affair was a secret, he thought in frustration. "Just insult me a few times, and everyone will think things are normal between us."

She laughed huskily. "Oh, I plan to do more than just insult you tomorrow, sugar."

That tempting, teasing note to Mia's voice aroused more than Cameron's curiosity. He had no idea what she had in mind, but he wouldn't put anything past her and had no doubt it was something that would include tormenting him in some way.

They said their good-byes and Cameron disconnected the call, though his thoughts remained on Mia and their affair. After spending the past few weeks with Mia and discovering the deep, emotional layers hidden beneath her wild ways and outrageous personality, he already knew he was in over his head with her. Way deeper than he'd ever intended to fall for the sexy, raven-haired vixen. And he was beginning to hate the fact that he couldn't openly date Mia and let everyone know they were a couple and see if they had any chance at a future together.

That thought made his palms sweat and his heart race. He'd never thought of himself and Mia in terms of the future. But somewhere along the way, he'd come to realize that the decision to have a hot affair with her to get her out of his system had given way to something far more intimate. For him, it wasn't just about sex anymore. It was about wanting this woman, despite how opposite they were. It was about viewing her as someone he could possibly have a strong and lasting relationship with because she excited him and made him feel things no other woman ever had.

Unfortunately, he knew Mia wasn't ready to take their relationship to an emotional level, and maybe she never would be. He was well aware of her past with men and her inability to sustain anything long term. And for as much as she'd shared with him, and he'd learned about her, there were still a few barriers left for him to scale. He planned to do his damndest to tear every one of those walls down before they were through.

But for now he'd let her believe she was safe with him, that he posed no threat to her heart and emotions. He'd go to the party tomorrow and pretend as though they'd never slept together, that he didn't know how funny she could be, or that she created erotic stained-glass art her family didn't even know about. But once they found out who was stalking her, they were going to have to face what was happening between them—even if it meant forcing her to do so.

He continued to drive a few car lengths behind Trish until she turned her vehicle into the circular drive of the St. Claire Hotel to valet park her car—leading him to believe she had a late-afternoon date with her lover. But who was the million-dollar question he'd yet to find the answer for.

Cameron opted for the regular parking lot so he'd be able to see Trish when she left the hotel—hopefully with whomever she was meeting there. He was lucky enough to find an empty space in the first row and took it, though he didn't have enough time to take any pictures of Trish entering the hotel since he needed to stay close behind her. As soon as she disappeared into the lobby, Cameron made his way inside as well, just in time to see her step into one of the elevators with a few other people, effectively putting an end to him following her.

Hands on his hips, he watched in frustration as the elevator stopped on four different floors, making it impossible to figure out what level she'd gotten off on. He swore beneath his breath, seeing yet another dead end to the investigation unless she ended up leaving the hotel with her lover and finally gave him some substantial evidence to report back to her husband.

"Hey, stranger."

The soft, husky female voice was a familiar one, and Cameron turned around to find Ashley St. Claire, now Wilde—heiress to the St. Claire Hotel and Scott Wilde's wife—standing behind him. Even though she'd married Scott, she still worked for the family's chain of hotels managing the boutiques. She looked beautiful as always, sophisticated and chic and everything you'd expect from someone of her social stature—but very down to earth despite her wealth and family name.

"Ashley," he said with a smile and then dropped his gaze to the small bump showing beneath her skirt. It had been a while since he'd seen her, and he was surprised to find she was expecting, though that explained her glowing complexion, which he'd seen many times on his own sisters' faces when they'd been pregnant. "Looks like you and Scott have been busy."

Laughing, she placed a hand on her protruding belly. "A honeymoon baby. I'm about five months along. For months I had a nice, flat belly, then about two weeks ago I woke up and nothing in my closet fit because my waist had expanded a few inches. Literally overnight," she said wryly.

"Well you look great. And happy," he said, knowing she and Scott had gone through a lot to be together. But everything had worked out for the two of them in the end, despite their issues. "I'll have to congratulate Scott when I see him at Steve's tomorrow."

"Ah, yes, Cody and Tara's birthday party," she said lightly. "It should be quite a gathering, considering how many family and friends are going to be there."

"Cody and Tara?" Cameron was aware of Steve's son's one-year celebration, but hadn't known the party included Eric's daughter as well.

She nodded. "Steve and Eric decided to go ahead and have the kids' parties together this year, because they were born on the same day and the family will all be there. It's like having twins I suppose, even though Cody and Tara are cousins. They'll be sharing the same birthday for a lifetime, and I'm sure as they get older they'll want individual parties."

"No doubt." But at a year old, they didn't know the difference, and it made sense to have their birthday party on the same day.

"So what brings you here?" Ashley asked curiously. "Business or pleasure?"

"Business," he said, remembering Trish's swift getaway. "Which is pretty much over at this point."

Then he had a thought, that maybe Ashley might be able to help him out as far as Trish's visit to the hotel was concerned.

Maybe find out if Trish had been a registered guest for the day, and with whom. At this point, he'd take whatever information he could get.

Except it wasn't a discussion he wanted to have with her in the middle of the hotel lobby. "Can we go somewhere private and talk? I have a favor to ask."

"Sure. Come on over to the boutique." She started in that direction with Cameron following beside her as she said, "I need to relieve my salesgirl for a half-hour break. The shop has been pretty quiet and slow all day, so we can talk there."

Of course slow and quiet wasn't the case once Ashley let her salesgirl leave the boutique for her break. As soon as the young girl was gone, an older woman walked in, wanting to find a new pair of comfortable shoes to wear because the strap on her current sandals had snapped apart. So while Ashley helped her customer, Cameron strolled through the boutique, taking in the expensive items and designer-end accessories on display.

A long thirty minutes later, the woman finally left the shop, happy with her purchases—because of course once she found new shoes she'd needed a new purse to go with them and that had been an ordeal as well.

Ashley came back to Cameron, her expression apologetic. "It figures that would happen, right after I claimed how quiet it was today. I'm so sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he replied easily. "Business is business, and I completely understand."

"So what kind of favor can I do for you?" she asked with interest.

Knowing he could trust Ashley, Cameron briefly explained his current case, how he'd ended up at the hotel today, and how he needed to find out the name of the person Trish Shelton had met up with.

"If there's anything you can do in terms of finding out if she's a registered guest here for today, or who she hooked up with, I'd appreciate it." Cameron wasn't holding out much hope for that, though, considering her lover had most likely paid for the room.

"Sure. I'll find out what I can and let you know."

"Thanks."

He chatted with Ashley for another fifteen minutes, and just as he turned around to head out of the boutique to wait in his truck for Trish to leave the hotel, he caught sight of her stepping off the elevator—alone.

He cursed beneath his breath. "There she is," he said to Ashley so she could get a good look at Trish as she walked across the lobby. "Have you ever seen her here before?" he asked hopefully.

Ashley shook her heard. "I can't say I have. There are just so many people who come through here on a daily basis. I'm sorry."

It was just his luck, or lack thereof, when it came to this case. He'd just spent an hour and a half tailing Trish, and he had absolutely nothing to show for it.

SHE'D worn those lace-up, fuck-me boots on purpose.

Cameron took a long drink from his bottle of beer, not doubting Mia's wicked intentions for a moment. He'd taken one look at her simple but pretty outfit she was wearing when she'd arrived at Steve's and then saw those sexy leather boots with the ties up the side and had known she meant to torment him today and keep him on the razor-sharp edge of wanting her.

It worked. More than two hours into the celebration and he'd already entertained half a dozen fantasies about Mia in those heeled boots. Even now, as he watched her from across the backyard where she was mingling with her family on the porch and playing with her one-year-old niece and nephew, he was thinking about having her legs wrapped tight around his waist and imagining the feel and friction of that soft, supple leather against his skin. If he wasn't careful, he was going to be sporting a perpetual hard-on for the rest of the day.

She'd already managed to insult him a few times and provoke him with mat smart mouth of hers, enough to make her family think everything was normal between them. He went along with the act, issuing a few gibes of his own, though he wanted more than anything to grab her, pull her body flush to his, and kiss her senseless in front of everyone to stake his . claim.

Mia stopped to talk to her cousin-in-law Chayse, who'd married her cousin Adrian Wilde a year ago. Just a few weeks ago Chayse had given birth to their first child, a baby boy they'd named Brandon who was currently cradled in his mother's arms. But that didn't last long, because Mia gently scooped him up and cuddled him close to her breast. She spoke to Chayse while looking down at her newest nephew adoringly, the longing on her face so tangible Cameron felt the same emotion deep in his gut.

Then Mia's stepmother, Amelia, joined them to fuss over the baby, too. Recalling the conversation he'd had with Steve about Mia losing her mother at such an early age, Cameron watched with interest at how Mia and Amelia interacted around one another—and learned more than he thought possible.

Though Mia and Amelia conversed easily, something about their body language told him they didn't share the kind of close-knit bond most mother and daughters did. True, they weren't blood related, but it appeared they'd never developed a strong, secure relationship throughout the years. In fact, there was a definite reserve between them—mostly on Mia's part, as if she'd never let those walls of hers down far enough to let her stepmother get close.