Wilde Thing

Chapter 10

Liz had been under the mistaken impression that Steve's father's birthday party was going to be a small family affair. Apparently, the man who'd coaxed her into coming to the celebration had failed to mention the fifty or so friends and relatives who'd been invited as well.

Sitting at a round table shaded by a large tree, Liz took a drink of her lemonade, completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of guests milling about in the Wildes' large backyard, which had been festively decorated for the occasion in a country-western theme. A live band belted out all the latest country-tunes as party-goers two-stepped on the patio. A catered barbecue buffet, the selections of which had been absolutely delicious, had been set up to feed everyone, and an open bar flowed with unlimited beer and drinks. Adding to the gaiety, the sun shone bright and warm, though a light breeze made the afternoon bearable.

The atmosphere was casual and fun, and while her appearance definitely drummed up interest and glances of speculation, especially with Steve insisting on holding her hand whenever he was by her side, his immediate family was just as accepting and genuine as he'd promised. She'd been introduced to his mother and father, whom she immediately liked. The only brother she'd yet to meet was Adrian, who, according to Steve's mother, Angela, was running late on a rock-climbing expedition he'd taken a client on earlier that morning. Adrian was expected to be there soon, and Liz was undeniably curious about the sibling both Steve and Eric referred to as the Wilde One.

A round of jovial laughter brought Liz's attention back to the occupants seated at the table. With herself, Jill, and Steve's good friend and partner, Cameron, as an audience, Eric and Steve were sharing humorous tales about years gone by, and their power of persuasion with the female gender at a very-young age.

"Remember when you coaxed Tess Callen into our clubhouse and convinced her to play doctor with you, Eric?" Steve drawled, and took a drink from his cold bottle of beer. "The two of you were only seven, but even then she had a crush on you and willingly played as your patient."

Eric ducked his head and chuckled. "Yeah, I remember."

Jill slanted him a curious look, tempered with amusement, from her seat beside him, obviously wanting to hear more. "I can't wait to find out how you took advantage of that situation."

"Me?" Eric feigned innocence, though the naughty sparkle in his eyes gave him away. "I'd never do such a thing."

"Uh-huh, sure. I know better." Jill motioned for Steve to continue the story.

"Mom thought the kids might like some fresh-baked cookies, and when she peeked into the window of the clubhouse, she caught Tess with her pants down around her knees, and Eric giving her a pretend shot on her bare rump."

Laughter erupted around the table, and Liz joined in. She could easily imagine Eric as that precocious, mischievous little boy, flirting with girls to get his way.

Cameron saluted Eric with his beer and scooped up a handful of party mix out of the bowl on the table. "What a charmer you were."

"Still am," Eric replied with that trademark Wilde grin that had no doubt set plenty of pulses aflutter, but which now only belonged to one woman. "I've always been a sucker for a nice butt, even then. Lucky for me, Jill's is world-class."

Jill rolled her eyes, her cheeks flushing a becoming shade of pink. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

Eric nuzzled her neck, not bothering to hide his affection in front of friends and family. "God, I'm hoping," he growled playfully.

She jabbed him in the side with her elbow, a halfhearted attempt to make him stop. "You are so incorrigible. Try and behave yourself in public."

"Now, what's the fun in that?" He waggled his brows at her. "You know, if I remember correctly, I still have that doctor's kit packed away at the house-"

Jill pressed a hand over his mouth, cutting him off.

"Here's a bit of brotherly advice for you," Steve said as he reclined back in his padded folding chair. "You'd better stop while you're still ahead, or you're going to end up sleeping in the clubhouse tonight. Alone." He grinned.

"You're the one who started this," Eric groused good-naturedly. "In fact, you're not so innocent of wrongdoing, either, big brother."

"This I definitely want to hear." Jill perked up now that the spotlight was off her. "How about you, Liz?"

Liz warmed to the female comaraderie, though she was certain that Steve had been just as much of a rogue in the female department as his brother. "Oh, absolutely."

Eric smirked. "What about the time Dad took all three of us fishing at the lake for a weekend, and you spent the majority of the time ogling all the girls in their skimpy bathing suits."

Steve shrugged unrepentantly. "I was thirteen years old and my hormones were raging. Of course I was going to look."

"The problem was, you were also trying to impress them by looking like you knew how to handle your rod and reel."

Cameron snickered at Eric's play on words. "Oh, that was a good one."

Steve shot his friend a quelling look. "I knew exactly what I was doing with my rod and reel."

"Really?" Eric arched a brow, letting everyone know that there was much more to the story. "Then how do you explain the fact that when you tried to cast there was so much slack in your line that your hook got caught on the bikini top of the sixteen-year-old girl who was standing behind you?"

"That was an accident," Steve insisted, and draped an arm along the back of Liz's chair.

"One you took full advantage of." Eric munched on a few peanuts. "As soon as she squealed, you dropped your fishing pole and jumped right in to help her remove the hook from her itty-bitty bikini. Except from my vantage point, you ended up groping her breasts more than anything."

Steve grinned roguishly, his fingers absently grazing along Liz's arm. "She didn't seem to mind my attempts to unhook her."

"Until Dad stepped in to help your adolescent fumbling, and she found out you were only thirteen and still wet behind the ears."

"It was an easy mistake for her to make." Steve finished off his beer and set his bottle on the table. "I was big for my age."

"There you go again, exaggerating about size," Eric countered right back, his sibling banter filled with masculine innuendo.

The entertaining tales continued, with each brother trying to top the other with a more outrageous story. As the party went on around them amid loud music, great food, and hearty celebrating, Liz had to admit that she was enjoying herself. Immensely. For a few wonderful hours, and before she had to go to work tonight, she pretended that everything was right in her world.

Guests and relatives stopped by their table to say hello to Eric and Steve and introduce themselves to the faces they didn't recognize. There wasn't a person that Liz met that she didn't instantly like. A few had even been to her cafe and recognized her as the owner.

"Uh-oh, here comes trouble," Cameron muttered beneath his breath.

Liz followed his line of vision, along with everyone else's, to find a petite woman with silky black hair and silver eyes sauntering up to their table. She was wearing white jeans that rode low on her slender hips, and an off-the-shoulder top that bared her toned midriff and plenty of cleavage. Cameron, Liz noticed, was watching the other woman with a bland expression on his face that contradicted the hot look of interest in his eyes, while the other two men at the table welcomed her with a fond smile.

"I heard we had a new face in the crowd, and thought I'd come over and introduce myself," the pretty young woman said as she came up beside Liz and held out her hand in greeting. "I'm Mia Wilde, Steve's cousin."

Liz slipped her hand into Mia's for a warm and friendly shake. "It's nice to meet you."

"Mia, also known as the Wilde child," Cameron drawled, his tone deliberately taunting. "And the name certainly fits, now, doesn't it, sweetheart?"

Mia merely smiled at Cameron, taking no offense at his comment. "Being the only girl in a family of all boys does tend to spark a certain… wildness." She smiled, the gesture as seductive and daring as the awareness crackling between her and Cameron. "Care to try and tame me, sugar?"

"Not in this lifetime." Cameron tipped the beer bottle to his lips and took a long, thirsty drink.

"Aww, come on, Cam," Mia teased, and trailed her fingers along his shoulders as she came to stand by his side. "Many have tried; none have succeeded. You could be the first."

Cameron turned his head, and since his gaze was eye-level with her navel, he swept his glance upward, taking in everything between her belly and her face in a slow, lazy perusal. "What, have you run out of willing victims?"

"Not at all." She tipped her head, and her slightly wavy hair brushed along her jaw. "I just like a good challenge."

"Find yourself another plaything, Mia." His tone was dismissive, but there was no mistaking that his body was tense and she was the reason he was so on edge. "I'm not interested."

"What's the matter, sugar, afraid I'll bite?" She bared her straight white teeth for effect.

"Barracuda usually do," he replied dryly, though his gaze blazed with green fire and barely restrained control. "And I like my manhood intact, thank you very much."

"That shouldn't be a problem," she said huskily. "I like your manhood intact, too."

"Oh, boy," Steve murmured, so low that only Liz could hear over the music and din of conversation around them. But that simple statement was enough to let her know that the sexual attraction between Mia and Cameron was an ongoing battle that neither was willing to let the other win. But it sure was fun watching the two interact, Liz decided.

Cameron shook his head adamantly. "Thanks, but no thanks, sweetheart. That's not a chance I'm willing to take with such an important part of my anatomy."

She caressed her palm along Cameron's cheek. "I'd treat it with care. I promise."

Across the table, Eric choked on the drink of beer he was swallowing. "Jesus, Mia, can you be any more blatant?"

Her delicate shoulder lifted in a casual shrug. "Men usually find a woman who's up front about her intentions refreshing."

"That's where you're mistaken about me," Cameron said roughly. "I'm not like every other man you've wrapped around that little finger of yours."

"No, you're not. Maybe that's why I find you so fascinating." Her voice was soft and undeniably intrigued. "If you change your mind, you know how to find me." Before Cameron could issue a response, she waggled her fingers across the table at Liz and said, "It was nice meeting you."

Liz smiled. "Same here."

With that, the other woman moved on and blended into the crowd of guests, leaving Cameron staring after her.

Cameron jerked his gaze back to the witnesses at the table and scrubbed a hand along his jaw. "I swear, I've never met a woman so goddamn aggravating."

The corner of Steve's mouth quirked with amusement. "Funny, she's only like that with you."

"Because I'm not chasing after her like she's a dog in heat, like every other guy does?" Cameron downed the last of his beer and looked like he could use another one-or two.

"I'm sure that's part of your appeal to Mia, but don't let that vixen act of hers fool you," Steve said. "She's only twenty-five, but there's a whole lot of interesting layers beneath that tough facade of hers."

Cameron shifted in his seat, a bundle of pent-up restlessness. "I don't want any part of her act."

But it was obvious that he did, and he was fighting her, and himself, for whatever reasons.

"One of these days, she's gonna make you snap like a dry twig," Eric said, expressing his own observations of Cam and Mia's love-hate relationship. "And then look out, for both of you, because the two of you together are going to be combustible."

Cameron snorted incredulously. "Not likely. Mia's a handful I don't want or need. I like my women soft and sweet, not infuriating me at every turn. She's like a rose with a shit-load of thorns attached, and I have no desire to be pricked over and over again."

"Maybe she just needs to be pruned," Eric suggested.

The two other men at the table groaned, and Jill smacked Eric on the arm. "Gawd, that was an awful analogy."

Cameron stood up and grabbed his empty beer bottle. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to trade up to something much stronger." He stalked off toward the open bar, his agitation tangible.

Eric looked at Steve. "So, how long do you think it'll take before those two finally realize that they're perfect for each other?"

Steve laughed. "If you go by Cameron, it's not gonna happen in this lifetime."

"Hmmm, that's too bad," Eric said thoughtfully. "Because Cameron is exactly what Mia needs to ground her."

Jill arched a dubious brow at the man sitting next to her. "And when did you become such an expert on relationships?"

"Since you, of course." He gave her a quick kiss on her lips and abruptly stood, pulling Jill up with him. "Come on, they just cut the birthday cake. Let's go check out what's on the dessert table."

"Notice how quick he is to change the subject when it comes to discussing our relationship?" Jill's eyes sparkled with laughter, but she followed Eric, her affection and love for him open for anyone to see.

As soon as the other couple was out of earshot, Steve said, "That's because my baby brother is nervous as all hell."

"Nervous?" Steve's observation peaked Liz's curiosity. "He seemed perfectly fine to me. How can you tell?"

Steve reached out and smoothed wisps of hair off her cheek, his touch infinitely tender. "Because I know Eric and his moods, and I also know he's got every reason to be nervous tonight."

"Oh? Care to share those reasons?"

"Nope. I'm not at liberty to say, but you'll see what I mean in a little bit." He softened his refusal with a sexy grin that made her forget everything but him. "How about a refill on your lemonade?"

"Sure." Hand in hand, they headed toward the table holding the soft drinks. "So, what was that all about with Mia and Cam?" she asked, finding that whole scenario equally interesting.

"Cameron has been a friend of mine for years, and he's known Mia since she was a teenager. Mia has three older brothers, and she's always been a handful. She seems to like the thrill of the chase when it comes to men, and it drives her nuts that Cam is immune to her. But he's not, as you saw earlier."

"Which only makes her more determined to get his attention." That much was easy to figure out.

"Exactly." His tone was succinct as he filled a cup with ice and poured lemonade from a big barrel. "Honestly, she needs someone like Cameron, who isn't threatened by her aggressive, forward nature, but Cam is resisting big-time."

"Aggressive and forward, huh?" She grinned up at him as she took the cup from his fingers. "Sounds like a normal Wilde trait to me."

He cocked his head toward her. "Are you complaining?"

The man was entirely too confident, and she hid her smile around the rim of her cup as she took a quick drink. "No, just so long as you know where your real place is."

"In your bed?" he guessed wickedly.

In my heart. The thought jumped automatically into her mind, and her heart stuttered in her chest. "Yeah, you do real well for yourself in my bed."

He leaned close, slid an arm around her waist to pull her close to his side, and nuzzled near her ear, which sent a series of shivers skittering down her spine. "I do believe the pleasure is mutual."

And temporary, she reminded herself. As were her presence at this party, Steve's affection, and her place in his life. It could be no other way.

Steve's mother, Angela, appeared beside them and helped herself to a refill on her soda. She looked slightly frazzled but happy with the party's progress so far. "I've been so busy with all the other guests, I haven't had much time to talk to the two of you."

"We understand," Steve said, completely at ease with his arm around Liz, with his mother and fifty other people looking on.

Angela smiled at Liz, her eyes just as blue as her son's, and her sable hair cut into a trendy style. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"I'm having a great time," Liz assured the other woman, and meant it. She was glad that Steve had convinced her to come along.

"Good." Angela sounded pleased. "Did you get enough to eat?"

"Plenty." Barbecue chicken, baked beans, and potato salad. "Everything was delicious."

"There's plenty more for seconds, so don't be shy about helping yourself to the buffet and desserts."

Steve's father, Paul, appeared next to his wife, a plate of birthday cake in his hand. "Be careful; she's raised three strapping boys-four if you count me-and she likes to make sure that everyone eats-a lot." To back up his claim, he patted his stomach, which was still lean and trim despite his sixty years. "Even now that the boys are grown and gone, she cooks enough for a small army."

Angela drew herself up to her full five-foot-six height and gave Paul a very wifely look. "I like to cook, and I never know when one of the boys might stop by, and they enjoy my 'CARE' packages."

"Well, it appears that Jill is feeding Eric quite well, because his dinner visits are few and far between." Paul eyed his other son speculatively. "And I have to say that Steve hasn't been by as much the past month, either."

"I've been busy at work," Steve said as an excuse, though Liz wondered if his reasons for spending less time at his parents' for dinner was due to the increased amount of time he'd spent at her cafe the past month.

"Besides," Steve went on pragmatically, "you can always count on Adrian to help out with the leftovers. His stomach is like a bottomless pit."

"Hey, are you talking about me when I'm not here to defend myself?"

Liz turned toward the deep voice and found herself looking at another Wilde brother. There was no mistaking that pitch-black hair, blue eyes, chiseled good looks, and especially that bad boy demeanor he wore as easily as his tight black jeans and sage green knit shirt.

"Ahh, the daredevil son finally arrives," Paul said jovially. "Glad to see you survived another expedition and could join the celebration."

"I wouldn't miss your party for anything. Happy birthday, Dad." Adrian gave his father a warm hug, then kissed his mother on the cheek. "Hi, Mom."

"Have you eaten dinner yet?" Angela asked, and before he could reply, she added, "I'm sure you haven't eaten anything decent all day long, and the food's still warm over at the buffet."

"I'll head over there in a little bit," he promised, dazzling his mother with another flash of a smile.

She patted his arm. "Be sure that you do."

Steve's mom and dad moved on to mingle with their guests, and Adrian turned and trained those vivid blue eyes on Liz. A slow, appreciative grin lifted the corners of his mouth. "And who do we have here?"

"This is Liz," Steve said, his fingers tightening just the tiniest bit against her waist. "Liz, my other brother, Adrian."

She extended her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Instead of shaking her hand, he picked it up and brushed his lips across her knuckles, the gesture gallant and incredibly flirtatious. "No, believe me, the pleasure is all mine."

His gaze flickered down the length of her, then back up to her face before he glanced at his brother. "Wow, she really does have a great set of…" Liz felt Steve stiffen beside her before Adrian finished with "eyes."

Adrian winked at her, and Steve blew out a taut stream of breath, clearly annoyed at his brother for a reason Liz couldn't phantom. It appeared that Adrian's compliment was attached to some kind of private joke between brothers.

"I'm sure you could use a cold beer." Steve hitched his thumb toward the long line waiting to order a drink. "The bar's right over there."

"Actually, why don't you get me the beer, and I'll take Liz for a spin out on the dance floor." He took the cup of lemonade from her hand and gave it to Steve to hold, despite his brother's sudden frown. "I'm still working on an adrenaline high from the climb today. You don't mind, do you?"

Steve looked like he wanted to crush the cup that Adrian had just given him in his fist, and Liz was surprised by the undercurrents of sibling rivalry between the two-though she knew that Adrian was completely harmless. It was Steve's possessiveness she found so entertaining, as if he couldn't stand the thought of his brother's hands on her.

A muscle in Steve's jaw ticked, but he showed remarkable restraint and managed a gracious albeit tight smile. "Of course I don't mind."

"Great." Adrian tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and whisked her off to the patio, where the guests were enjoying the band's lively music.

In a smooth, fluid move, he had her in his arms, with his warm fingers resting lightly on the curve of her waist, her other hand held in his, and him leading her into a two-step along with the rest of the crowd. The man certainly knew how to dance, and judging by Steve's narrowed gaze from the sidelines as he watched the two of them together, Adrian knew how to provoke his brother, as well.

Green-eyed monster aside, Steve had nothing to worry about. Adrian might be drop-dead gorgeous and quite the ladies' man, but he didn't send her pulse soaring the way Steve did, and he did absolutely nothing for her hormones or her heart. All of the above belonged to his brother, it seemed.

But she did enjoy Adrian's easy-going personality, and she felt comfortable with him even when he was doing his best to charm her.

She smiled up at Adrian and called him on his incorrigible behavior. "Why do I get the feeling that you did that on purpose?"

He blinked at her, his not-so-guileless blue eyes sparkling with feigned innocence and mirth. "Did what on purpose?"

Oh, he was good, and she imagined that many women had fallen for that playful, sexy grin of his. "You deliberately riled your brother by insisting on dancing with me."

He chuckled as he smoothly maneuvered them around a couple dancing slower than they were. "Guilty as charged, though don't doubt for a second that my scheme is giving me double the pleasure." His hand casually slid from her hip to her lower back, bringing them another few inches closer. "I always enjoy having a beautiful woman in my arms, and it's not often that I can ruffle Steve's feathers. You're obviously a hot button for him, and I can't help but press it, because his reaction is just so damn comical."

She caught another glance of Steve, who was watching them intently from his line at the bar. He also looked as though he'd cheerfully strangle his brother for making their dance position more intimate, though her body wasn't even touching Adrian's. "You call that scowl of his comical?"

"Yeah." His tone was low and indulgent. "I can't remember the last time he was so possessive about a woman."

That was something that scared her to hear, no matter how much it thrilled her. "I think, you're misreading his signals. Steve and I are just working on a case together, which should hopefully be wrapped up soon."

"Uh-huh." He twirled her in a quick circle and caught her around the waist again. "I know my brother, Liz, and I can assure you that his radar is tuned in on you and no one else. He'll never admit to being territorial, of course, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it. And you," he added with a quick wink. "Now that I've met you, I can see why Steve's so attracted to you. You seem very down-to-earth and genuine, yet open and fun, and that's exactly what Steve needs in a woman."

His sincere compliment warmed her, and since there was no sense arguing her temporary relationship with Steve to his brother, she accepted his flattering comments gracefully. "Thank you."

Adrian's gaze shifted to somewhere over her shoulder, and the gleeful grin that appeared on his face told her something was up. "Speaking of the devil, here he comes."

Seconds later, Steve was bringing their shuffling two-step to a halt and cutting in. "Here's your beer," he said, pressing the bottle into Adrian's hand. "Now it's my turn."

Without argument, Adrian disengaged his hold on Liz and relinquished her to Steve. "Don't worry, big brother, I promise she's unscathed, and her virtue is still intact."

"And not a moment too soon, I'm sure," he grumbled.

Adrian laughed and moved on, heading over to the buffet table and greeting people along the way. The band segued into a slow song, and Steve took advantage of the opportunity to pull her body flush against his and splayed his hand at the small of her back to keep their hips pressed close. She was wearing a sarong-style skirt and cotton top, and the heat of him managed to seep through the layers of her clothes, sending her hormones into a frenzy and accelerating the rapid beat of her pulse. It also made her wish they were alone, because she was aching to kiss him and let her hands wander. And have him do the same.

So instead of creating a public scandal, she let herself luxuriate in the delicious male scent of him and in being the sole focus of his attention.

Entwining her arms around his neck, which effectively crushed her sensitive breasts against his chest, she smiled up at him. "Your brother is quite the…"

"Pain in the ass?" he finished for her.

Seeing the glimmer of humor in his bright blue eyes, she laughed and shook her head. "I was going to say that your brother is quite the charmer."

"Hmmm." He gently tucked her head against his shoulder and stroked his fingers through her hair. "He has his moments, I suppose."

Content with just relaxing against Steve's solid strength, she closed her eyes and let him lead her around the patio to the slow beat of the music. It had been too long since she'd let a man take care of her, longer still since she felt so special. Much too soon the song ended, and instead of another one beginning, Eric's voice came over the speakers to address the party-goers.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make," he said into the microphone, and all eyes went to where he stood up on the band's platform. "First of all, I want to wish my father a very happy birthday. Steve, Adrian, and I made sure we bought him a present he's sure to get a lot of use out of now that he's retired, but I have a special gift today that's for both of my parents. Where are you, Mom and Dad?" His gaze searched the crowd of people in the backyard until he found Angela and Paul waving from a group of guests they were visiting with.

"Pay attention," he said to his parents with a big grin, and then he crooked his finger toward the table where Liz and Steve had been sitting earlier. "Jill, can you come up here, honey?"

His girlfriend looked momentarily startled to be summoned up onstage, but she did as he asked, her expression reflecting confusion and the slightest bit of hesitation. She obviously had no idea what he intended. And neither did anyone else- except for maybe Steve, who was looking on with a bit of brotherly pride.

Once Jill was standing by Eric's side, and with everyone quiet and watching the couple avidly, he picked up her left hand, held her gaze steadily, and said, "I can't think of a better place to do this, since I'm surrounded by good friends, relatives, and family." Reaching into the front pocket of his khaki pants, he withdrew a small black velvet box and flipped open the lid, revealing a gorgeous, sparkling diamond engagement ring.

"Jill, will you marry me?" he asked, his voice smooth, clear, and confident.

Jill gasped and slapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief as she glanced from the ring to Eric's face.

The silence stretched on, and a crooked grin tugged at Eric's lips. "What, is the ring not big enough?"

"It's perfect." Her voice trembled, as did the hand she reached out to touch the velvet-lined box. "Oh, Eric, are you serious?"

He rolled his eyes at the ridiculous question. "Honey, I love you. Of course I'm serious."

Her eyes welled up with tears as she gazed at him with pure adoration. "I love you, too, Eric Wilde."

"Tell him yes and put him out of his misery!" Adrian yelled from across the yard, and everyone hooted and hollered their agreement.

Eric grinned at his sibling's show of support and returned his hopeful gaze to Jill. "Well?"

"Yes," she said in a whisper, then louder, "Yes."

He slipped the beautiful ring onto her finger, making the engagement official. Clapping and cheers ensued, and Paul and Angela made their way up to the stage to congratulate their son and soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

Steve whistled, loud and shrill, adding to the merriment. "Way to go, baby brother!"

Angela hugged both Eric and Jill enthusiastically, obviously thrilled with the unexpected turn of events. Then she leaned close to the microphone, her blue eyes twinkling with delight. "One down, two to go!"

Steve groaned, and Adrian vehemently denied the possibility of such a fate, while everyone around them laughed at Angela Wilde's optimism.

The next few hours passed quickly, and the warm afternoon turned into a cool evening. Still the party continued, now with two reasons to celebrate and party, and the Wilde family did both quite well.

Liz was chatting with Jill and Mia and sharing in Jill's excitement while the men mingled elsewhere, when she realized it was nearly eight P.M. She excused herself and went to find Steve, who was talking to his cousins, Mia's brothers, Alex, Joel, and Scott, whom she'd met earlier. Three more gorgeous, single bad bays to round out the Wilde clan.

She touched Steve's arm to get his attention, and he glanced at her with one of those disarming smiles of his. "As much as I hate to leave, I have to go home and get ready for work tonight. There's no reason why you should have to leave, too, so I'll just call a cab."

"Absolutely not," he replied adamantly. "I'll take you home, then come back for a few hours. It's not a big deal."

She appreciated his offer and didn't argue. She said her good-byes, thanked Angela and Paul for their hospitality, and walked with Steve out to his SUV. Once they were both seated in the vehicle, Steve threaded his fingers through her hair, cupped the back of her head, and pulled her forward so that she was meeting him halfway across the cab. Without preamble, he melded her mouth to his, and her lips parted of their own accord, inviting a deeper, intimate possession. His tongue swept inside, bold and ravenous, and she shivered at the heat and desire his kiss evoked.

He pulled back, much too soon for her liking, and rested his forehead against hers. The interior of the vehicle was dark, but the air around them fairly crackled with awareness and sexual tension.

"God, I needed that." His lips skimmed along her jaw, up to her ear. "I missed you today."

She tipped her head to the side, and he laved the sensitive spot right beneath her lobe. Her nipples pulled tight, aching for the caress of his hands, the tug of his mouth, the wet rasp of his tongue. "Correct me if I'm mistaken, but I believe I was by your side for most of the day."

"Umm, but it would have been tacky to make out with you in front of everyone like I wanted to do," he said huskily. "To touch you intimately and give you my undivided attention."

"Ahhh." Now she understood, and smiled. "In that case, I missed you, too."

His mouth took hers again in a lazy, mindless, tongue-tangling kiss that seemed to go on for long, slow minutes. By the time he let her up for air again, her skin felt flushed, and she was breathing much too fast.

Somehow, she managed to hold on to rational thought. "We really need to go so I'm not late for work."

His thumb dragged sensuously across her damp lower lip. "You can always tell them that you were with a client."

"Ha-ha." She wriggled her nose at him. "We still have to put on a convincing act on the phone first."

"That hasn't been a problem for us yet." He let her go, his reluctance to do so tangible. He started up the truck, and a minute later they were out on the main road, heading back to her apartment.

She rested her head against the back of the seat, wishing she didn't have to go to work tonight. The last thing she wanted to do was field a bunch of sexual calls when she'd rather spend the rest of the evening alone with Steve. But she had a job to do, responsibilities to live up to, and a cousin to track down.

"Did you have a good time today?" Steve asked, gently rerouting her thoughts back to him.

"I had a wonderful time." With the lights from the dash illuminating his face, she took in his strong profile: the slope of his nose, his full lips, his strong jaw. "I like your family." And she envied him the closeness he and his siblings and cousins all shared, since that had always elluded her with Valerie.

Reaching across the console, he found the hand resting on her thigh and entwined their fingers together. "They like you, too."

Was he saying that just to be nice, to make her feel good? "And how do you know that?" she asked casually.

He came to a stop at a red light and glanced her way, the tenderness and caring in his gaze just as genuine as the tone of his voice. "Because they all told me so."

Little did he know, he'd just given her a perfect ending to an equally perfect day.