04 - Born to be Wilde.txt (23 page)

Undoubtedly, she was a man's walking fantasy, but it was the way she cared about her daughter that showed him another side to her personality. A softer, tender side that he suspected she didn't show to the outside world very often. Judging by her past, she had good reason to be cautious, even suspicious of other people's motives, and he hoped that in time she'd come to realize that his interest in her was honest and real.

Their waitress came by to deliver their order, which helped to relieve the tension that had settled over the table. Daniel served them each a thick slice of the deep dish pizza and refilled their wine glasses, then watched as Sydney ate her dinner with a gusto few women would have the nerve to display on a first date.

After a few bites, he decided to switch to a lighter, mutual subject between them. One they both could relate to.

Her daughter. "So, how does Cassie feel about the two of us dating?" he asked.

Just as he planned, the mention of Cassie immediately grabbed Sydney's attention and her gaze met his with amusement, all traces of their previous exchange gone. "She took the news about as well as any typical teenager would. She wasn't thrilled about us going out, but she does like you, so you do have that going in your favor."

"That's good to know," he said, and grinned. "By the way, I spent some time with Cassie this week during the afternoon tutoring sessions."

"And?" she asked anxiously. "How's she doing?"

"For the most part, it appears that she's comprehending the daily lessons, but there still seem to be a few areas that she's struggling with." Despite working directly with Cassie, he'd yet to figure out the source of her inability to grasp certain aspects of their lesson, yet understand the more complicated equations he'd given her. There was an inconsistency there that didn't make sense to him. "I had a lot of students show up this week for after-school tutoring, so I wasn't able to spend as much one-on-one time with her as I would have liked to, but she did do better on her review test this past Friday."

Finished with her first slice of pizza, Sydney reached for a second and set it on her plate, matching his own appetite without a hint of self-consciousness. "That's good, right?"

"Yes. Very good. Overall, it's positive progress." He grinned at her, trying to allay her concerns. "I told you not to worry."

She rolled her eyes as she took a drink of her Chianti. "Easier said than done. Being a parent breeds all sorts of paranoia and concern." Then she smiled at him, her gaze now soft and mellow from the wine and amicable conversation. "Besides, weren't you the one who mentioned all the things that could be a part of the reason her grades are falling behind, like peer pressure and other distractions?"

Now knowing what Sydney had endured as a teenager, her overprotective demeanor toward Cassie made perfect sense. "She's a good, smart girl and sometimes it's a matter of getting kids back on track before they fall too far behind. However, I'd still like for her to come in twice a week for after-school tutoring, at least until I know for certain she's back to working at grade level. I'll keep working with her when I can, and I also encourage the students to pair up, which helps to hone their problem-solving skills, as well."

She nodded in agreement. "Okay, I completely trust your judgment on this."

And trusting him, a man, said a lot from this wary, cautious woman. He decided he'd take whatever he could get at that point. "So, are you going to let Cassie go to that Halloween party next weekend?"

She blinked at him in surprise. "How do you know about that?"

Done with his dinner, he wiped his fingers on his napkin and set it on his empty plate. "I heard Cassie talking to a friend before class started, and she said something about wanting to go to the Halloween party, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to." Actually, Cassie had told her friend that her mother was being difficult, but Daniel didn't think that information was necessary.

She sighed, as if the decision was a tough one for her to make. "I haven't decided yet. I told her I'd consider letting her go if her math grades improved." She finished off her last bite of pizza and licked her fingers clean.

As Sydney's tongue swirled around each digit and she sucked the tomato sauce off the tips, Daniel felt his groin tighten with heat and desire. She had an incredibly sensual mouth, and it was so easy to imagine her using it on him in the same exact way. Her gaze caught his from across the table, and a small smile curved the corners of her mouth when she realized where his thoughts had wandered.

He shifted in his seat and forced his mind back to their discussion about Cassie. "Her grades have improved."

She pushed her plate aside and crossed her arms on the table in front of her in a way that accentuated those full, voluptuous breasts of hers that were straining against her lace-up top. "They could be better though, right?"

"Yes, but taking something away, or denying Cassie the opportunity to go to a party and have some fun, isn't going to help her grades."

She laughed dryly. "God, you sound just like Lora."

He casually swirled the last of the wine in his glass and took the direct approach. One that scraped off surface layers and tapped into more emotional issues. "What are you really afraid of, Sydney?"

She stiffened noticeably. "I'm not afraid of anything. I'm trying to be a good parent, one who makes sure that her daughter doesn't end up making bad choices or getting herself into trouble that can be avoided. Letting her go to a party at this age, any party, I'm taking the chance of her being exposed to drugs and alcohol and sex."

"Fair enough. But that's going to happen eventually, and a part of growing up is learning to make the right choices, even if that means making a few mistakes along the way. But she can't become her own person if you don't give her the chance, and sheltering her from the big bad world isn't going to keep her your little girl forever."

Just as he'd braced himself for a bristling argument from Sydney, their waitress came by to clear their dirty dishes from the table and ask if they wanted dessert, diffusing the potentially explosive moment between them.

They both declined, their waitress delivered their check, and Daniel paid for the meal, determined to make the next segment of their date far less serious and much more fun.

THE Will Ferrell comedy Daniel took her to see had been hilariously funny. Sydney couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so much during a movie, or been so aware of a man sitting beside her in a darkened theater. Especially at the same time. Most of her dates, if she could even call them that, consisted of going to a rowdy bar or a loud and crowded club with a guy. There'd be a few drinks and a few dances and a whole lot of expectation at the end of the night that resulted in mutual satisfaction. It was always the same… until tonight.

As she sat in the passenger seat of Daniel's sporty Volvo as he drove back to her place, Sydney couldn't help but wonder how their evening would end.

Despite the intense conversation they'd had about Cassie over dinner, the rest of their time together had been surprisingly relaxing and enjoyable. After the movie, he'd taken her to a nearby Starbucks for a coffee, and they'd sat at a table and talked—this time about inconsequential things. She learned that he loved to cook, that he collected old James Bond novels, and that he was a self-proclaimed computer geek. She was unexpectedly touched by the affection in his tone and expression when he talked about his two nephews and how he enjoyed taking them to the batting cages on the weekends and coached their little league teams during the season since his brother didn't have the time. He was a dedicated uncle, and it was clear that he connected with kids of all ages.

He shared bits and pieces about his parents and siblings and how he was treated as the odd man out for choosing a less-than-illustrious career as a high school math teacher. It was enough for Sydney to realize that she'd never, ever, fit in with his family, and she was grateful that she'd never have to make the effort.

But mostly, he made her smile and laugh and feel younger and more carefree than she had in a long time. Made her forget, for a little while, just how different their lives were while he made her the sole focus of his attention. There was nothing awkward or uncomfortable about being with Daniel. No pretenses, either. What you saw was exactly what you got—a man who was smart, amusing, honest, and caring to a fault.

As they left the coffee shop and were walking back to his car, their hands swung together in one of those accidental ways, and before she could pull her arm back, he laced his fingers through hers, securing her hand in his large, warm male grasp. Her stomach did one of those funny little flips, a silly, girlish reaction that was as thrilling as it was unnerving.

He was almost perfect. Almost too good to be true. Definitely the kind of guy a woman could fall hard and fast for given the chance.

But not her.

She reminded herself that he was just a temporary diversion, a pleasurable fling she had every intention of following through on tonight. To give them what they both wanted, and go their separate ways.

Now, as he walked her up to her apartment, hand in hand once again, she decided it was time to put her plan for seduction and sex into motion.

When they reached her door, she turned around and faced him. Giving him one of those inviting, come-hither smiles that made most men weak with lust, she brazenly slipped her hand inside his jacket, flattened her palm on his chest, and stroked her way down to the flat, hard contours of his abdomen. She could feel the heat of his body through his shirt, watched as his eyes darkened with desire, and experienced that powerful surge of excitement that came from being the one in control, the one to make a man, this man, want her.

Her own body thrummed in response.

"Would you like to come in?" she asked huskily, and there was no misinterpreting the sultry invitation in her voice.

He stared at her, dark-eyed and oh-so-tempting, with a sexy, bone-melting smile on his lips. "No, not tonight."

She dropped her arm back to her side and blinked at him, certain he was joking with her, or maybe was playing hard to get. That was the only thing that made any sense, because what normal, healthy, red-blooded man turned down a sure thing?

"Are you sure?" she asked, then wondered if he was worried that they might get interrupted. She cleared up that possibility real fast: "Cassie is staying the night at a friend's."

Undeterred, he shook his head in true gentleman fashion. "I'm sure."

A flicker of annoyance got the best of her and she exhaled a frustrated breath. "Daniel, you don't have to work so hard for it, you know." She was his for the taking. More than once, if he'd like.

Amusement—at her expense, no less—danced in his gaze. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Oh, he most certainly did. And because he was being deliberately difficult and obtuse, she was about to abandon subtlety and take the blunt approach, which was more to her liking anyways. "Then let's just get it out in the open so there's no mistaking what I'm talking about." She licked her lips provocatively. "I want to have sex with you." Hot, hard, mindless sex. The kind that had nothing to do with talking, and everything to do with sweaty bodies, tangled sheets, and if she was really lucky, an orgasm or two.

He considered her proposition for a moment, not at all shocked by her candidness. "You know, I'm really flattered, but I don't have sex on the first date."

She opened her mouth, then closed it again, disbelief rendering her speechless—and that certainly didn't happen often. He was flat-out turning her down. Was this guy for real?

He casually slid his fingers into the front pockets of his jeans, his smile never wavering. "What I would like, though, is to go out with you again. You name the day and time. Whatever works for you, since I'm open."

Oh. My. God. In that moment, Sydney realized that he was going to make her work for it. String her along. Build the tension and desire between them. Make her hot and bothered to the point that she was the one begging.

She'd never allowed a man that kind of control over her, and she wasn't about to start now, either. But she wasn't ready to say good-bye to Daniel just yet, not without finishing what he'd started. He'd just issued her a challenge, a seductive game between them, and one she had every intention of winning. They would have sex, and when they did, it would be on her terms, as it always was.

"Fine," she said, and mentally reviewed her upcoming week at The Electric Blue for the slowest evening to take off. "How about Tuesday night?"

"That's great." With their next date settled, he stepped closer, leaned in, and slowly lowered his mouth to hers for a kiss.

His lips were warm and sensual as they slid across hers in an enticing, heated caress. Surprisingly soft and damp… yet wholly, deliciously male. She wanted a hot and aggressive exploration, mouths fused, tongues mating, and bodies straining for more intimate contact and friction.

Figuring that this was as close as she was going to get to any satisfaction tonight, she attempted to make their kiss a good one, but Daniel wasn't cooperating with her efforts. Every time she shifted closer or pressed for a deeper connection, he'd pull back ever so slightly, teasing her with the promise of something more lasting and erotic… in his own sweet time.