Janelle Denison - Too Wilde to Tame

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.