Janelle Denison - Too Wilde to Tame

She laughed at the playful threat, though she wouldn't put it past Cameron to do exactly that-and enjoy every minute of being in control of her and the situation. "All right, all right, I'll go."

"Good." His smug satisfaction was unmistakable, the arrogant man. "I'll pick you up at four, and wear something casual and comfortable."

She smiled. "I'll be ready."

"I'll see you then." His voice dropped to a low, husky pitch. "Good night, sweetheart."

She closed her eyes as his endearment drifted over her like a warm, sensual caress. "Good night, Cameron."

MIA double-checked her appearance in the tall, six-foot-long mirror hanging on the back of her closet door and scrutinized her final choice of attire-because Cameron was due to pick her up in just a few minutes and she had no time to change yet again. After spending the past two hours trying on an assortment of skirts, pants, and dresses in her quest to find the perfect, meet-the-parents kind of outfit, she'd finally settled on a pair of white jeans with a pink sleeveless turtle-neck top. Accessorized with a pair of pink suede heels and a matching Kate Spade purse, the look was simple yet sophisticated-the exact image she'd been striving for.

There was nothing overtly sexy or flashy about her outfit, and there wasn't any cleavage to be seen. She managed to be comfortable yet look feminine and pretty as well, and she was pleased with the end result.

Due to the negative photos she'd been sent and the revealing conversation she'd had with Cameron the night they'd sat in his truck together, Mia had spent a lot of time thinking about her overall appearance and personality. She didn't like the self-image she'd seen in those derogatory pictures, and it had become a startling eye-opener for her. Not to mention making her more aware of how she chose to dress and the more outlandish ways she sometimes behaved.

She'd come to the conclusion that maybe it was time to make some changes, to shed a bit of the wild, bad-girl persona and redefine who she was on the outside. That didn't mean she was going to start dressing like a nun. She still enjoyed her sexy clothes, the way they looked and made her feel, and she wasn't ready to give up everything in her wardrobe.

But a part of her felt as though it was time to make some necessary adjustments; let go of the reckless, attention-grabbing girl she'd become after her mother's death so long ago; and embrace a classier, stylish image instead. And tonight would mark the beginning of her new transformation to a subtler, more refined appearance.

The ringing of the doorbell, followed by a brisk knock, jump-started the nerves she'd managed to keep at bay throughout the afternoon. Quickly, she slid a pair of diamond stud earrings into her lobes and put her favorite silver bangle bracelets on her arm. She swiped pink shimmering gloss across her lips and fluffed her hair with her fingers one last time before heading for the foyer just as he knocked again.

Inhaling a deep, calming bream, she opened the door, her delight at seeing Cameron after so many days apart affecting every one of her senses in a heady, overwhelming rush of awareness. That disarming grin curving up the corner of his sensual lips. Those striking green eyes that made her melt inside. Then there was the arousing scent of his cologne that wrapped around her like a seductive spell.

The man was just too gorgeous for his own good. He was wearing casual khaki pants and a collared shirt, and his dark blond hair was slightly mussed, as if he'd combed the strands with his fingers right before he'd knocked on her door. Either that, or he'd driven over to her place with the car windows down to enjoy the balmy afternoon breeze.

"Hi." It was all she could do to keep from throwing herself at him and kissing him liked she'd dreamt about the past four days.

"Hi, yourself," he drawled in a low, intimate tone as his gaze slowly traveled down the length of her, then back up again. "You're dressed very… nicely," he said, a stunned expression on his face.

She laughed at his careful choice of description. No doubt he'd expected her to wear one of her normal racy, skin-baring outfits. "Nice and conservative?"

"You could say that." He leaned against the doorjamb but was close enough to reach out and run a finger along the high collar of her turtleneck, making her shiver from his touch. "Don't get me wrong. You look great no matter what, and for as much as I love how sexy you normally dress, you'll fit right into my family wearing a sensible, attractive outfit like this."

The thought of fitting into his family, or rather, not fitting in, made her stomach knot with anxiety. She so wanted to make a good impression with his parents and siblings. She wanted them to like her and accept her, and she hated that she was so worried they'd judge her and find her lacking. It was a stupid insecurity, but it was there nonetheless.

And it was too late to back out now, despite her concerns. "Let me grab my purse, and I'll be ready to go."

Once she returned with her handbag, she walked with Cameron out to his car. He'd driven his Porsche today, and she slid into the passenger seat and fastened her belt while Cameron rounded the front of the low-slung vehicle and settled himself behind the wheel. The sports car started on a smooth purr of sound, and with a shift into first gear, they were on their way.

Mia's mind was still on the conversation they'd just had at her apartment door. "So your family is more on the conservative side?" she asked, wanting to know what to expect when they arrived at his parents.

"Pretty much. That's probably why I'm so stuffy, boring, and uptight," he teased and flashed her a quick grin.

She ducked her head sheepishly, because she'd made many references to him being all those things over the year or so of them skirting their attraction-mainly, to provoke him, she had to admit. But she'd learned a lot about Cameron and his personality over the past few weeks of being with him. Although Cameron definitely had this serious, focused side to him, he wasn't nearly as straitlaced as she'd once believed.

Resting her head against the seat, she glanced toward Cameron, admiring his strong, handsome profile. "Give me a quick rundown on your family so I know what to expect."

"Okay," he agreed easily. "There's my mom, Barbara, who works for the school district, and my father, Ed, who's an insurance adjuster. The two of them have been married for more than forty-three years."

She was surprised to learn that his father wasn't connected to the investigative business in any way. "With your father working for an insurance company, how did you become interested in being a private investigator?"

"My first year of college, I took on an apprentice-type job at the local police department as an assistant to a detective doing grunt work." He turned the steering wheel as he spoke, and the car took a swerve in the road with ease. "It started as a part-time job to make some extra cash, but I came to realize that I was incredibly intrigued by the whole investigative process. I've always been one of those kids who loves puzzles and mysteries and solving them, so becoming a P.I. was the perfect career for me."

She had to agree that he was good at his job and seemed to really love what he did. She envied him that. "And your sisters?"

"There's three of them. All older than me. Like you, I'm the youngest."

She hadn't realized they had that in common, both of them being the baby of the family. "Except I'm sure you didn't have to worry about your sisters being overly protective of you, checking out your dates in high school, and threatening them with bodily harm if they dared to touch you."

He grinned, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "No, I suppose it's very different being the only boy, as opposed to being an only girl with older brothers. But trust me," he went on, his tone wry, "I had my own share of headaches having to deal with three hormonal girls in the same house." He shuddered for effect.