Too Wilde to Tame

Chapter Nine

MIA glanced down at the current stained-glass design she was working on and smiled to herself, feeling a rush of excitement and satisfaction with the way the image was coming together. After her conversation with Cameron the day before about her artwork, and his positive response to the pieces she'd shown him, she was more inspired than ever. She just wasn't sure how Cameron would feel knowing her latest design immortalized the two of them in a very provocative embrace.

She bit her bottom lip and thought about everything she'd shared with Cameron-not only her artwork, which was personal enough, but even the insecurities and doubts she had about making a living at what she loved to do. Not to mention her family dashing her hopes of integrating her stained-glass designs into the business.

She'd never shared that part of herself with another man before and never meant to enlighten Cameron, either. But he'd seen the sketches, and once he'd started prompting her with questions, it had all spilled out so easily. She had to admit it felt so good to get everything out in the open and to let another person see her more erotic pieces. Cameron's enthusiasm had fed her own, and although she didn't believe putting her regular designs in a consignment shop was going to make her enough money to support herself, it would at least provide her an outlet for all the panels and pieces she'd already created. As for the more intimate stuff, well, those designs were most likely going to be a part of her own private collection.

Including the one of her and Cameron. Just looking at the two images lustfully intertwined made her breasts grow heavy and achy and a familiar tug of desire to curl low. Spending two nights in a row with Cameron had been nothing short of sensory overload, and while she should have been physically satisfied, it seemed she was completely and utterly insatiable when it came to him. Not to mention orgasmic. All because she'd opened up to Cameron, trusted him with her body and more.

By the time they'd finally roused themselves out of her bed yesterday, it had been late Saturday afternoon. With Gina gone for the weekend, they'd ordered in pizza for two and indulged in the meal while discussing the vandalism to her car and the fact that Cameron didn't want her going anywhere alone or without him knowing where until the culprit was caught. Such a strict order would normally go against her independent nature, but knowing he was only concerned for her safety and well-being made the request much easier to accept.

After dinner Mia went to take a shower, and it wasn't long before Cameron joined her. He'd washed her hair for her and scrubbed her back, and she was happy to return the favor. Playful touches and caresses across wet, sleek, soapy skin turned into more sensual strokes and breathy moans of pleasure. They'd barely gotten themselves dried off before they were tumbling back into bed and enjoying another night of fulfilling carnal hungers and sinful, wicked fantasies.

But this morning her idyllic weekend had come to a disappointing end when a call had come through on Cameron's cell phone from a client that had demanded his immediate attention. He'd given her a kiss and a promise to call her later and then he was gone.

In the wake of his departure, and with Gina still not home from Ray's, Mia had been struck with a sense of loneliness, which she'd tried to shake off by reminding herself that she was used to being alone and usually preferred the solitude. But the quiet felt so oppressive, and she'd picked up the phone to give Carrie a call to see how she was doing. Her friend hadn't been home, so she'd left a message that maybe they could get together for lunch or go shopping one day soon. Then, determined to keep herself busy for the rest of the afternoon, she'd returned to her bedroom and immersed herself in her latest stained-glass design.

Now, her stomach growled hungrily, reminding her that she hadn't eaten anything since earlier that morning when she'd had a bowl of cereal. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was five-thirty and she needed food.

Heading into the kitchen, she decided on a quick and simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a glass of milk to wash it down. She'd just finished her meal when she heard the front door open and quietly close.

"Gina?" Mia called out as she tossed her paper plate in the trash and set her empty glass in the sink.

When she didn't receive an answer, a sense of unease prickled along Mia's spine. She always kept the apartment door locked when she was home alone, and the disturbing thought flitted through her mind that maybe Gina had given Ray a key-or he'd copied one for himself without Gina's knowledge. Mia certainly wouldn't put something so calculating past the distrustful man.

With her heart hammering in her chest, she cautiously walked into the adjoining living room, but no one was mere. She moved down the hall to Gina's closed bedroom door and knocked lightly.

Again, nothing.

Her hand dropped to the door knob, and she slowly turned it to the right, finding it unlocked. Silently, she pushed the door open, looked inside, and was incredibly relieved to find Gina standing across the room, putting something away in her dresser drawer.

"Gina?" Mia said softly, not wanting to frighten her friend who obviously hadn't heard her enter the room.

Gina gasped and spun halfway around, her eyes wide and startled. She didn't move or speak, just stared at Mia.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Mia smiled but couldn't ignore the instinctive feeling that something was very wrong with Gina. Her eyes were puffy, as though she'd been crying, and her entire body seemed stiff and tense. "Hey, is everything okay?"

Gina nodded jerkily. "I'm fine."

Mia didn't believe her. Her friend's tone and body language were too reserved and distant. "Did you have a good weekend?" she asked and slowly took a few steps closer.

"Mmm-hmmm," Gina replied as she deliberately took a step to the side, retreating farther away from Mia's approach. "Look, I'm really tired and I'd like to be left alone."

Halfway across the room, Mia abruptly stopped, a little hurt and confused by Gina's terse brush-off. "All right."

She turned to go and got as far as exiting the room and nearly closing the door when she changed her mind. Mia just couldn't bring herself to walk away and allow Gina to withdraw further emotionally, not when Mia sensed that her friend needed her-even if Gina wasn't in the right frame of mind to admit as much. And that meant being there for her roommate and making sure Gina knew she cared. No matter what.

She swung the door open once again just as Gina turned, completely facing Mia for the first time. Gina's right arm was wrapped in an ace bandage, from her hand all the way to just a few inches below her elbow.

Immediate concern had Mia striding across the room, wondering what the hell Ray had done now. "Gina, what happened?"

Her friend held up her good hand to hold off Mia, but the panic in her eyes spoke volumes. "It's not what you're thinking."

Mia highly doubted that claim, because she knew with absolute certainty that this recent injury, just like all the others, had been caused by Ray. She'd bet every cent she had on her hunch.

Mia crossed her arms over her chest, doing her best to keep her anger in check-along with the overwhelming urge to reach out and shake some sense into her friend. As calm as she could manage, she said, "Then tell me what happened, because I'm not leaving your room until you do."

"Fine." Gina said defensively. "I sprained my wrist."

"How?" Mia asked, wanting, needing details.

Gina glared at her, a snap of anger raising her voice to a high pitch. "It doesn't matter!"

"Yes, it does," Mia shot right back, furious now. "Did Ray hurt you?" Again.

"He didn't mean it," Gina finally said. "It was my fault. He hit me because I made him angry."

Mia was so stunned by Gina's reply that she felt as though she'd just been slapped, but she quickly recovered. "No man should hit a woman, Gina. Ever."

"It's none of your business, all right?" Gina yelled at her as tears welled in her eyes. "Just leave me alone!"

Gina's words felt like a knife in Mia's chest-sharp and cruel. They were also filled with a desperation Mia no longer knew how to deal with. Ray was turning her friend into someone she barely recognized anymore, and all Mia could do was watch helplessly as Gina allowed him to dominate her body, her soul, her entire life.

"It is my business because I care about you," Mia whispered around the tears clogging her own throat. Then she turned and headed back out of the room but stopped before closing the door behind her.

She met Gina's gaze and saw the pain and misery there. "You need to leave him, Gina," she said softly but didn't sugarcoat her words. "Before he does something to really hurt you."

On that parting remark, Mia left Gina alone and headed for her own bedroom down the hall. Without a second thought, she picked up her phone and dialed the number for Cameron's cell phone. She needed to tell him to step up the investigation on Ray.

Not for her sake, but for Gina's.

"HERE are a few case files for you to review, along with a new client we're scheduled to meet with first thing tomorrow morning."

Cameron leaned back in his chair and watched his partner, Steve, slide the aforementioned documents across the conference room table to the new guy they'd hired the day before. Wesley Donner was only twenty-five, young by both his and Steve's standards, but surprisingly he'd arrived at his interview with five years of P.I. experience under his belt and an eager, go-get-'em attitude. Steve and Cameron had liked him immediately. Wesley was one of those high-tech computer whiz kids and the first applicant both Cameron and Steve had agreed on, without any reservations, so he'd been the one they'd hired on as an associate.

Now, late Wednesday afternoon, they were in the process of handing out some of the newer cases to Wes for him to take home and review, along with familiarizing him with the business, their list of retainer clients, and how they did things. It was such a relief to have a new guy onboard, and while Cameron's workload still felt overwhelming, he was at least able to hand over a few of his easier cases for Wes to handle and finish up.

In the middle of the meeting, Cameron's cell phone rang, and he glanced at the display to see who the call was from. He had every intention of letting the call forward to voice-mail and retrieve it after they were done briefing Wesley, until he recognized the number as Mia's home phone.

He hit the connect button. "Sinclair here."

"Cam, this is Mia. I need to talk to you. Do you have a few minutes?"

The urgency and slight tremor in her voice reminded him of the way she sounded when she'd called him Sunday evening to tell him about her exchange with Gina-and her growing concerns about Ray. And that was enough to make her a top priority for him.

"Of course. Give me a sec."

Cameron glanced at Steve as he pushed away from the table and stood, all too aware of the huge secret he was keeping from his partner. Mainly, Cameron's affair with Mia.

"It's a client." Which wasn't a complete lie, because Cameron was handling Mia's case. "I need to take this privately."

"Go on and take the call." Steve waved him away with his hand. "I'll finish up with Wesley. We're just about done here anyway."

"Great." Cameron left the conference room and waited until he was behind closed doors in his own office before he spoke into his cell phone again. "Are you okay?"

"Honestly, no." She laughed, though the strained echo he heard made him realize just how vulnerable she was feeling. "I received more pictures in the mail today. I thought you might like to see them."

He swore beneath his breath, hating that she'd been subjected to yet another assault-and that she had to deal with this latest attack by herself. "Yeah, I want to see the pictures."

Unfortunately, his evening was shit tonight, and he had no idea what time he'd be able to make it over to Mia's place. He had a few interviews lined up for a legal case, and Doug Shelton had called him earlier to let him know his wife had an "appointment" at seven p.m. and was supposedly working late. Cameron had no idea how long that surveillance would ran, but he didn't want to leave Mia home alone, considering her current mental state.

A solution came to mind. "Are you free tonight?" he asked.

"Yes."

Perfect. He glanced at his watch to gauge his time frame. "Tell you what. I'll swing by and pick you up around six fifteen, after I finish up with some interviews I have scheduled. I've got surveillance tonight on another case, but because there's always a lot of waiting time involved, we can use that downtime to talk."

"Okay." She sounded grateful for whatever time he could give her. "I'll be ready when you get here."

"Hang in there, and I'll see you in a while."

He disconnected the call, belatedly remembering he had some very interesting information on both Ray and Mia's neighbor, Will, to share with her in terms of them being suspects in her case. Cameron had been crazy-busy since Monday, and he hadn't seen Mia since leaving her place Sunday morning, so tonight would give him the opportunity to bring her up to date on what he'd discovered so far on both men.

AS usual these days, Cameron was running late. His interviews ran longer than he'd anticipated, and he'd picked up Mia twenty minutes later than scheduled. He was starving to the point of getting a headache, so he'd made a quick stop at a fast-food joint for a burger and soda. Mia had already eaten dinner, so she ordered just a drink.

He'd scarfed down his meal in a few bites as he drove to Trish Shelton's offices, which didn't leave a whole lot of room for conversation with Mia. Luckily, he arrived just as Trish was leaving the building and getting into her car, and he tailed her to the same restaurant she'd gone to the week before. He parked the company's Ford Excursion across the street where it was dark but still afforded him a view of the front entrance of the place.

Cutting the engine, he turned toward Mia, who'd been uncharacteristically quiet since he'd picked her up. Then again, he was certain she had a lot on her mind, which they'd get to just as soon as he made a quick assessment of Trish's after-work meeting.

"I'm going to lock you in the truck while I go inside for a few minutes to find out who this woman is hooking up with," he said, taking the keys out of the ignition. "Stay put until I get back and then we'll talk."

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." She smiled, but he could see she was still very troubled by the pictures she'd received earlier-and he'd yet to get the chance to look at.

He got out of the vehicle, locked her in, and engaged the alarm for good measure. Then he crossed the street and entered the restaurant. Before he could stroll past the hostess stand, the young woman standing behind the podium stopped him.

"Party of one for dinner?" she asked and reached for a menu.

Cameron leaned an arm on the edge of the stand and flashed the hostess a flirtatious grin that usually worked to his advantage. "No, actually I'm meeting a friend for dinner, and I'd like to check to see if he's arrived yet. Do you mind if I take a quick look around?"

She returned his smile with a shy one of her own. "Sure, go right ahead."

Permission granted, he casually scanned the dining area until he caught sight of Trish sitting in a booth-surprisingly, with the same woman she'd met there the week before. They were both into their conversation and the wine that had been delivered to the table, and Cameron couldn't help but wonder what the relationship was between these two women.

Maybe it wasn't another man Doug Shelton had to worry about, but another woman. Considering what Cam had learned about Mia's neighbor Will earlier that week, this new development with Mrs. Shelton wouldn't shock him at all.

Not wanting either woman to spot him, especially when this case wasn't over yet, he started back out of the restaurant, only to be waylaid by the hostess again.

"Did you find who you were looking for?" she asked, eager to help.

"No." Cameron stopped for a moment so he didn't appear to be in a rush to leave. "Maybe he's running late. I have a few calls to make on my cell phone, so I'll check back in a few minutes."

He exited the establishment and jogged back across the street to the Excursion. He wouldn't be returning inside the restaurant again because he'd already discovered who the focus was of Irish's rendezvous tonight. Last week, he hadn't been concerned about the mystery woman Irish had met with. Now, Cameron had to find out who the other woman was, and if the two of them were possibly involved in an intimate relationship. Something was definitely going on with Irish if she had to lie to her husband to see this other woman.

And just like the last time, he'd stick out this surveillance until they left the restaurant and he could take his pictures and be sure Trish drove home afterward. Despite his suspicions of Irish's relationship with this woman, he needed concrete proof to back his inkling and something more incriminating than the two of them having a private dinner together.

He slid back into the driver's seat and made himself comfortable, because it would be a while before Trish and her date would be leaving the restaurant. So he focused on a different form of business instead.

He glanced across the darkened cab of the truck to Mia, who'd waited patiently for his return. "So let's take a look at those pictures you received today."

Reaching into her purse, she withdrew an envelope and handed it to him. He switched on the overhead light, examined the outside, which looked exactly like the envelope she'd been sent before, without any indication of who the sender was.

As he pulled out the pictures, he noticed that Mia averted her gaze to glance out the passenger window, as if she couldn't bear to look at the photographs again. He flipped through each one, disgusted by the slanderous phrases written across each picture. The photos were just as grainy as last time and seemed to be taken from a distance, but Cameron easily recognized the sexy outfit Mia had worn Friday night, which told him her stalker had been at The Electric Blue that evening.

"Is that how other people really see me?"

Mia's softly spoken question redirected his gaze back to her. Her brows were furrowed, and her expression held a wealth of doubts. She'd obviously had too much time to think about the pictures and the obscene words on them, and she was coming to some pretty unpleasant conclusions.

He felt bad she had to deal with this crap. He wasn't sure how to answer her question, but he was curious to hear her thoughts on the issue. "Is that what you think? That this is how other people view you?"

"I don't know." She shrugged, reached for her soda, and took a quick drink. "I'm just trying to make sense of all this, and why someone feels the need to slander me in such a degrading way. They obviously feel, for whatever reason, that I'm a tramp and a slut. It makes me wonder if that's the image I project."

He cast a quick glance at the restaurant and switched off the overhead light so they were sitting in relative darkness once again. The few extra moments gave him time to formulate a response that was truthful but not hurtful.

"You're a very sexy woman, Mia. You dress and act the part, you're flirtatious, and you don't hold back. I suppose someone could feel very threatened by that outward display of sexual confidence."

She set her drink back in the holder as she thought about his reply and then she smoothed her palms down her denim covered thighs. "Do you see me that way?"

He turned in his seat toward her, and even in the dim shadows there was no mistaking the insecurities in her gaze. She'd obviously had time to reflect about all this, and he sensed that his reply was very important to her.

Again, he had to tread a fine line so as not to hurt her with his reply, but at the same time he also saw this as an opportunity to make her think about her reckless, brazen behavior and how it might affect a person's perception of her. And he ought to know, because he'd spent years believing she was much wilder than she really was. Only in the past few weeks had he been privy to Mia's softer, more vulnerable side enough to realize that her wild antics were mostly a ruse.

"Do I think you're a tramp or a slut? Absolutely not," he said with conviction, knowing without a doubt she wasn't a woman who slept around, despite her flirtatious, teasing nature. "But I do think you deliberately project an outward image of being this hot, tempting party girl as a way of keeping yourself from letting down your guard. You don't want anyone to get too close for fear of getting hurt, and being bold and aggressive does the trick."

A startled look flashed across her features, as if he'd manage to tap into dormant fears, but it was quickly replaced with the defiant lift of her chin. "What makes you say that?"

"I used to think you were this big tease who led guys on only to dump them. That's how it looked, anyway." He stretched his arm along the back of her seat and threaded his fingers through her soft, silky hair. "But you know what? I'm beginning to see a different side to your actions and the motivations behind them. There's so much depth to who you are, so many layers, and I think the outrageous way you sometimes act is your way of hiding something deep and emotional and painful." And he could only hope that in time Mia would trust him with those secrets.

She rolled her eyes-clearly her way of dismissing his too-accurate observation. "Nice psychoanalysis, sugar," she drawled.

The fact that she'd reverted to calling him "sugar" was a sure sign she was feeling emotionally threatened by just how close he was to unearthing the truth.

"You spend enough time with a person and you begin to see who they really are inside. No walls, no pretenses. Just honest actions and real emotions that are gradually revealed." He caressed the pad of his thumb along her jaw and was pleased when she didn't physically pull away from him. "And you, Mia Wilde, are an intriguing, multifaceted woman I find very exciting."

She looked away, breaking the hold of his gaze on hers. "Can we get back to the pictures, please?"

"Sure." He didn't think she'd appreciate him pointing out the fact that she'd been the one to veer their conversation off course, not him. But he knew he'd said enough, maybe even gone too far, too soon. But he didn't regret a word. Not if it managed to eventually get her to open up to him and let him past those personal barriers of hers.

"Someone who was at The Electric Blue Friday night took those photos of me," she said as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "And neither one of us saw anything."

"You're right." He took one last look at the pictures before putting them back in the envelope, then tucked them inside the middle console so Mia didn't have to see them any longer. "But I don't think it was your neighbor Will."

"Why not?" she asked curiously.

He sat forward again, slid his seat back as far as it would go, and stretched his long legs out in front of him. "Because I came across some interesting information that pretty much rules him out as a potential suspect."

"What did you find out?"

Out of his peripheral vision he saw a couple exiting the restaurant, and he checked to be sure it wasn't Trish before dropping his bombshell on Mia. "Your neighbor is gay."

Her silver-gray eyes widened in startled shock. "He's what!?"

"Not gay as in happy," he said in a light, teasing tone. "But gay as in homosexual. He prefers men."

"I get it. I just can't believe it." She shook her head, still looking stunned. "I never knew."

"No, he certainly doesn't have a flamboyant, look-at-me-I'm-gay personality. I'm guessing he didn't want many people to know about his sexual preferences and tried to keep it a secret."

Her gaze narrowed. "Then how did you find out?"

He laughed at her skepticism. "Digging up dirt on people is my job, remember? I ran a check on him for basic information, which is normally a good starting point for an internal investigation, and it came up that he has an exclusive membership to a private gay club called Rainbow V.I.P."

"Oh, wow," she breathed and sank back against her seat. "I guess that explains why I've only seen him with guys and not women. I just thought they were friends of his."

Friends or lovers, apparently. "I honestly believe, despite the camera he has, he doesn't have any interest in you, other than as a possible photo subject."

Confusion etched her features. "What makes you say that?"

"He's taking a beginner's photography class, so that's probably why you've seen him taking pictures with his camera. He's strictly an amateur. And as far as I can see, he really has no motive to stalk you or send degrading photos, so for now I'm dismissing him as a possible suspect."

She nodded in understanding. "I agree. So where does that leave us now?"

He'd given that plenty of thought. "Well, your friend Carrie wasn't there Friday night, so that leaves Ray… or Gina. Or even someone we haven't even pinpointed yet."

"Gina?" Doubt tinged Mia's voice. "She'd never do something like this."

"I believe that also." As far as he was concerned, Gina wasn't high on his list of potential targets. Staring at the restaurant, he did a quick mental review of last Friday night and the events that took place at The Electric Blue. "You know, there was one point when Ray wasn't with Gina for a good ten minutes Friday night, which would give him the opportunity to vandalize your car. He came back with drinks, but that doesn't mean he'd spent the entire time at the bar." He hadn't followed Ray that night because he was protecting Mia, and he hadn't been about to let her out of his sight.

"Well, I haven't made any secret of the fact that I completely distrust the guy." Her loathing for Ray was unmistakable. "By the way, have you been able to find out anything on him?"

"Not nearly enough." He speared a hand through his hair in frustration. "I've tried to do a basic background check on Ray, and it's as though he doesn't exist before coming to Chicago, which leads me to believe he's taken on a new identity for some reason." And that very real possibility didn't sit well with Cameron, because it meant the guy had something in his past he wanted to hide.

Mia sighed. "So now what do you do?"

"Dig deeper, but it might take some time and work." He planned to pursue Ray until he uncovered his past, no matter how long it took. "I'm going to get to it as fast as I can. We just hired a new guy at the office, so now that Steve and I are passing off a few cases to him to handle, I'll make it a priority. But in the meantime, stay away from him."

"That goes without saying," she said wryly. "I'm just grateful he hasn't been spending much time around the apartment, though I wish Gina would dump him before he does something even worse."

"I know. It's tough seeing someone you care about being hurt." Reaching across the space separating them, he gave her leg a comforting squeeze. "Just hang in there for a little while longer, until I get some concrete information on Ray. Hopefully I'll be able to find out something that makes Gina change her mind about him."

She nodded gratefully, and they were quiet for a few moments. Cameron took advantage of the break in their conversation to scan the restaurant's parking lot to be sure he hadn't missed Trish's exit. After spotting her car, he glanced at his watch. She'd been in the restaurant for nearly an hour now.

"So this woman you're watching tonight… she's cheating on her husband?"

Mia's inquisitive question had him switching his attention back to her. "Supposedly. He believes she's having an extramarital affair, and everything he's told me about her behavior are classics signs of infidelity. So far I haven't been able to gather any solid evidence to verify that she's fooling around on him."

"Do you get this kind of case often?"

"Unfortunately, infidelity cases are common." He exhaled a rough breath. "And they're the cases I hate the most."

"I can understand why," she said quietly. "I mean, why stay together if you're not happy in the relationship and you have to have an affair to make up for whatever is lacking in your marriage? Why not just go your separate ways instead of hurting the other person like that?"

He smiled to himself, because her values reflected his own. Yet another trait about Mia that drew him, way beyond just the physical aspect of their relationship. "I agree, but that's not how everyone thinks or feels."

A large, noisy group of people leaving the restaurant had him glancing back across the street. He scanned the small crowd for a familiar face, but there was still no sign of Irish.

He shifted restlessly in his seat, certain Mia was growing just as impatient with all this downtime. He was used to it, but she wasn't. "I'm sorry about the long wait," he said apologetically. "Surveillance is boring, tedious work, and there's no telling how long this will take."

"I'm in no hurry to go back home, and there's nowhere else I need to be."

Cameron watched in fascination as a slow, seductive smile curved the corners of Mia's full lips and her gaze turned smoky with desire. He knew he was in big trouble when she lifted the console between them, which enabled her to lean in closer and nuzzle the side of his neck with that incredible mouth of hers.

"In fact," she murmured huskily as she tunneled her hand beneath his T-shirt and grazed her fingers across his taut belly, "I can think of a very pleasurable way to pass the time. You game?"

He swallowed back a groan. Hell, he was already rock-hard with wanting her, but for as much as he'd love to fool around with her, he was being paid very well to watch and follow Trish.

"Mia, we can't do this," he forced himself to say before he changed his mind and dragged her to the back of the truck and had his wicked way with her. "I'm working."

"I don't see that as a problem. You work, and I'll play… with you." Her hand molded to the hard length confined beneath the fly of his jeans, and she nipped playfully at his lobe, sending a shock of arousal straight to his already aching groin. "Keep an eye on the restaurant, and let me blow you."

She followed that provocative comment with a gust of warm, damp air into his ear that made him shudder. God, she knew exactly how to get to him, and it was all he could do to keep from coming right then and there.

"That hardly seems fair to you," he rasped, desperately trying to hang on to the last thin thread of his control.

"I'm not asking for anything in return." She began unfastening his jeans, relieving the pressure against his erection, but creating a stronger, undeniable kind of tension and anticipation instead. "You've done a whole lot for me. I want to do this for you."

Obviously, there was no discouraging her, not when she was so intent on seducing him. Yes, they were in a public place, but they were parked in a darkened, secluded area and no one would see what she was doing unless they walked right up to his window. So when she reached into his briefs and eased his straining dick out into the open, he lost the will to fight what he wanted so badly… and she was more than eager to give.

With a sultry smile on her lips, she lowered her head and set out to tease him in the most tantalizing, mind-blowing ways. The soft, wet warmth of her tongue lapped along the underside of his cock, all the way up to the sensitive head, and pure lust slammed through him. Her fingers gripped him tight, and when she finally enveloped him in the moist heat of her mouth and took him all the way to the base of his shaft, a deep, tortured groan rumbled up from his throat.

It was too much… yet not enough. Needing to touch Mia, to be connected to her in some small, intimate way, he slid his fingers through her dark, silky hair until his hand was cradling the back of her head. Beneath his palm, he followed the rhythm of her lush mouth sliding up and down his sex. Again. And again. And again.

Even as the building pressure gathered low, he kept his gaze focused on the restaurant across the street, which added to the eroticism of the act-because what they were doing, what Mia was doing to him, was certainly forbidden, and incredibly risque.

The breath-stealing way she slipped and swirled her tongue around his shaft, all the way down, then pulled back up in a long, suctioning pull of her mouth shook his sanity and his restraint. His fingers knotted in her hair, and each time he came close to erupting, she deliberately slowed down, keeping him just on the edge of release and making him a slave to her playful whims.

"Jesus, Mia," he growled in frustration. "You're killing me."

She pulled back, laughing in a way that told him she loved being in control of his climax. "Would you rather I stop?" she asked oh-so-innocently.

"Hell, no," he rasped around a gruff chuckle. "Just remember, turnabout is fair play."

"Mmm." She licked him, her tongue a velvet caress along the length of his cock. "I'm gonna hold you to that promise."

She took him in her mouth once again and settled into a slow and steady rhythm, making the pleasure last for a few more excruciating minutes. Finally, she tightened her grip, adding a slick friction that had his hips instinctively thrusting in tandem with the stroke of her lips and fingers.

Knowing the end was near, he gave her a warning she didn't bother to heed. His cock thickened, and his breath hissed out on a violent shudder as his body clenched in orgasm. She took him all the way, finished him off, and sucked him dry-leaving him dazed, completely wasted, and shaking.

He was still gasping for air when she moved away, a pleased smile on her face as she slowly licked her glistening bottom lip. He groaned, amazed at this woman's ability to turn him inside out with wanting, even after he'd just had an incredibly explosive orgasm.

"That was… fun." Mia's amused tone vibrated like a soft purr in the darkened cab of the vehicle. "It's nice to know you do have an adventurous side."

When it came to her, he realized he was game for just about anything-and that being adventurous did have its perks. She excited him and added an element of surprise to his life he was coming to enjoy. A whole lot. "Yeah, well, you seem to bring out a reckless, daring side in me."

She tipped her head, causing her hair to slide over her shoulder in a beguiling way. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No. Not at all." Now that his heart rate had slowed and his body was no longer shaking, he readjusted the front of jeans and zipped them back up. "Actually, I kinda like it."

"That's good to hear." Smiling, she glanced out the side window. "Hey, there's two women walking out of the restaurant. Is that who you're waiting for?"

A quick look confirmed it was Trish and the other dark-haired woman who had dinner with her. Swearing beneath his breath, he reached for the camera in the backseat. He'd almost missed her, and how in the hell would he have explained that to Doug Shelton?

I'm sorry, but I was lost in the most incredible blow job of my entire life and didn't see your wife leave the restaurant…

Oh, yeah, that would go over real well, he thought wryly.

He took the pictures he needed of Trish and the lady who'd accompanied her and came to the conclusion that bringing Mia on any future surveillance jobs wasn't a good idea. The woman was just too damn tempting and distracting. And resisting her, in any way, was impossible.