Janelle Denison - Too Wilde to Tame

"A temporary affair while I help you figure out who sent the pictures, while leaving your brothers and cousins out of the equation?"

"It works for me."

But despite her grand plan, Mia was well aware that she'd have to protect her heart in the process, because she was beginning to fear that this man had the ability to affect her on a much deeper level than any guy she'd dated before. And a broken heart at the end of their affair wasn't something she wanted, or needed, because there was no doubt in her mind they would go their separate ways. No matter how good the sex between them might be, she could never be what Cameron wanted in his life-someone demure and sweet and accommodating. Everything about what he wanted in a woman went against who she was, and she wasn't about to change for any man. And especially not that drastically.

"So what do you say, sugar?" she asked in a cajoling tone of voice. "Do we have a deal?"

He stared at her for a long moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons of accepting her deal . "I'd say you drive a hard bargain."

" Hard being the operative word?" She grinned shamelessly at him.

He chuckled and shook his head. "You're something else, you know that?" Then he grew serious once more. "I'll agree to help you out, with a few conditions."

She should have known he'd set down rales. The man was a straight shooter and did everything by the book. "Which are?"

"When it comes to the case, you do as I say and don't do any kind of investigating on your own or without me knowing about it," he said succinctly.

She didn't care for his terms, which were too restrictive for her tastes, but she had no choice but to comply. "Fine."

"And if you do anything stupid that jeopardizes your safety, you can guarantee Steve is going to find out what's going on."

That wasn't a condition to their deal or even an idle threat, but a firm, unnegotiable statement she knew Cameron would back up in a heartbeat if she went against his wishes.

He lifted a brow when she remained uncharacteristically quiet. "Agreed?" he prompted.

"Agreed," she said begrudgingly.

He did a poor job of smothering the smile trying to make an appearance. "With that settled, I'm thinking the two of us should hit The Electric Blue on Friday night."

"Together? As a couple?" she asked with feigned shock that he'd be seen with her out in public.

"Together, but separate. I'm certainly not letting you go there by yourself when someone could be stalking you," he replied, not committing to anything in terms of their relationship. "I'll be there watching everyone and how they interact with you, but I think it would be best if it looks like you're single and on your own."

"So you want me to do what I normally do when I go to The Electric Blue? Mingle. Dance. That sort of thing?"

"Yeah, except no entering the wet T-shirt contest," he said, with a frown.

She caressed her hand along his cheek and ran her thumb along the groove turning down the corner of his mouth. "That was all for you , sugar. That was my first time entering a contest like that."

"And your last," he muttered beneath his breath.

She lifted a brow, surprised to hear the possessive tone to his voice. To think he might be even a tad bit jealous sent a tiny thrill racing through her. "Be careful, or else I'll start to think I matter to you."

She was teasing him, but her traitorous heart skipped a beat when she realized he wasn't the least bit amused. His serious, piercing, protective look said more than words ever could-mat maybe, possibly, she was beginning to matter too much. And she wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

Then he glanced away, severing the profound moment. "I figure with you and I arriving separately, this will be the best way for me to keep an eye on Carrie and Ray, and maybe even your neighbor, Will, too," he said, back to business. "Because we're essentially trying to set up the culprit into doing something to draw attention to himself, you might want to mention to your friend Carrie and your roommate Gina that you'll be at The Electric Blue on Friday. We'll see who shows up and what happens."

She nodded. "That's easy enough to do."

"Great." He picked up the photos of her that were still on the counter and tucked them back into the envelope. "I'll keep these for now, and any others you might happen to get."

She shuddered to think there might be more. "I really hope this is a one-time joke, even as sick and deranged as it is."

"Me, too," he said, though he didn't sound at all convinced this was the end to her predicament. "Come on, I'll walk you out to your car."

He stood, and she quickly placed her hand on his chest to bring him to an abrupt halt. She couldn't believe he'd arouse her to the point of unraveling with his carnally whispered words and bone-melting kiss and was then just going to send her on her way instead of following through on his seduction.

"You can't leave me like this," she blurted out.

He looked genuinely confused. "Like what?"

How could he be so dense when she was still so incredibly turned on from his detailed outline of what he'd like to do to her. "Like I'm right on the verge of… something ." Something that felt so very close to an explosive, breathless orgasm.

A crooked grin canted his mouth. "It's called foreplay, sweetheart."

"It's called cruel and unusual punishment ." She couldn't resist poking him in the chest with her finger for extra emphasis.

He grabbed her wrist before she could jab him again, humor glimmering in the depths of his gorgeous green eyes. "It's torture of the sweetest kind."

She jutted her chin out stubbornly. "Well, there's a cure for what ails me if you won't finish what you started."

"Oh, I plan to finish you off," he murmured wickedly and brought her fingers to his lips so he could nibble on the tips. "But not tonight. And in the meantime, don't you dare take the edge off all this sexual tension I worked so hard to build up. I want to be the one to make you come, not some battery-operated device."

She opened her mouth to issue a smart-ass retort but lost her voice when his soft, wet tongue slid down between two fingers and flicked at the sensitive webbing connecting the two. She squirmed as if he'd just licked her intimately. "Oh, God, I can't wait that long."

"Yes, you can." He placed an infinitely sweet kiss in the center of her palm, a direct contrast to the ripples of heat and awareness arcing between the two of them. "You might be calling the shots about me being the one to handle your case, but I'm the one in charge of how and when you come."

Her jaw nearly dropped open. "That's ludicrous!"

"Yeah, probably so," he agreed unrepentantly. "But you'll do as I ask."

Every one of her instincts rallied at her to object to his assertive and cocky attitude, as well as his arrogance in taking control of how and when she achieved her own sexual gratification. If it was anyone else, she'd tell them to take a hike. But much to her chagrin, she found herself swallowing back a scathing reply and once again playing the game his way.

Because, as she'd discovered last Friday night, Cameron Sinclair and his sexual expertise were worth waiting for.

CAMERON'S surveillance on Irish Shelton was turning out to be a complete bust, not to mention it was putting a major crimp in his Friday evening plans to meet up with Mia at The Electric Blue.

After a solid five days with no action, Trish had placed a last-minute call to her husband claiming she'd forgotten about a dinner meeting she had with a client. It was definitely cause for suspicion, and Doug Shelton had immediately called Cameron to let him know his wife's plans had abruptly changed.

Seeing it as a prime opportunity to catch the woman in action, so to speak, and put an end to the case, Cameron had grabbed the keys to the company's unmarked Ford Excursion, which was fully stocked with surveillance equipment, and had followed Trish from her office to a nearby restaurant where she was supposed to meet up with her "client."