Too Wilde to Tame (17 page)

She shrugged as she ran a finger along a half-finished sketch that looked like a spotted leopard in the midst of a jungle. "At one time I hoped it would evolve into a career, but I'm beginning to think it wasn't meant to be more than a leisurely pursuit. You know, one of those pipe dreams that's not quite attainable."

"You can't mean that." He couldn't believe that with Mia's drive and determination she'd give up on something she wanted so easily. "There's real talent in these pictures and drawings." And he hated to think such a gift would never be appreciated as more than just a hobby.

"What are these drawings for, anyway?" he asked curiously.

She hesitated for a moment, just long enough to make him think she wasn't going to answer his question. Then she met his gaze and trusted him with something that was obviously very personal for her.

"I create stained-glass art from these designs," she replied as her fingers played with the silk sash tied around her waist. "I even have a degree in 3D glasswork."

He couldn't have been more stunned. "Really?"

She nodded, a wry grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Yes, much to my father's dismay. He was hoping for a business degree of some sort, so that was a huge disappointment for him. But I really wanted to give my glass artwork a shot."

"Once you graduated, why didn't you?"

"Oh, I definitely tried," she said and combed a hand through her disheveled hair. "When I came back home after college, my brothers were in need of a secretary, so I took the job, thinking it would be a temporary thing. Except being family, I get paid very well, which makes it very hard to just outright quit and start a new career on my own. Either that, or the inflated pay was a calculated attempt to keep me in the family business."

Cameron highly suspected the latter, that this was her brothers' way of protecting Mia and keeping an eye on her.

"So I decided maybe I could incorporate my stained-glass designs into the business," she went on. "Maybe offer it on the side for customers and companies who were looking for something unique and different to compliment their new tile or restoration work, and let things build from there."

"That's a great idea," he said enthusiastically.

"I thought so, too, but Scott, and even my father, disagreed." A look of tired defeat passed over her features. "They both felt there wasn't a big enough market for my artwork, and that easily, the idea was dismissed."

Cameron absently ran his thumb beneath his lower lip, wondering if her brother and father believed they were making a decision that was in her best interest, a way of protecting her from possible failure. That certainly seemed like the Wilde family way when it came to Mia.

"So now I create the stained-glass artwork and designs for me, as an outlet and for gifts," she said, seemingly resigned to that fate.

He'd been impressed with her drawings and designs and pictures. Now he wanted to see the completed product. "Do you have any of the stained-glass art that are finished and I can see?"

She rolled her eyes. "Do I ever! I've got dozens I've made and have stored in the closet and beneath the bed, but if you're just being polite about your interest, I'd rather not drag them out."

This last bit was said almost defensively, and her chin had even lifted a notch. But beneath that stubborn act was a woman with real and deep insecurities, along with the inability to believe in herself when it truly mattered.

Reaching out, he touched a finger to her chin and slowly lowered it, telling her without words that she had no reason to put on a tough act with him, because he was beginning to see right through that facade. "My interest is genuine, Mia, or I wouldn't have asked," he said gently. "Can I please see your stained-glass art?"

This time, she didn't fight him. "All right."

She turned around and he watched as she got on her hands and knees next to the bed, then reach beneath it, treating him to a spectacular view of her curvaceous backside covered in slippery silk. For a moment, all thoughts of her artwork fled and his interest drifted in an entirely wicked direction. Luckily, before he acted on the carnal fantasies heating his blood and making him hard, she stood back up and lifted a large plastic container up onto the mattress.

Exhaling a low, harsh breath, and putting his own desires on the back burner for the time being, he stepped up beside Mia as she tossed aside the lid and withdrew a carefully secured panel of stained-glass art. She removed the bubble wrap, revealing a stunning piece of artwork that exceeded even his own expectations.

He took in the array of colorful orchids that were tied off with flowing ribbon, all made out of shards of cut glass, and found himself completely in awe of just how gifted Mia truly was. She showed him a celestial design, a fairy with golden blond curls and shimmering wings sitting in a meadow of wildflowers, and an intricately designed dream catcher. All the pieces were breathtakingly beautiful, with rich hues, a vibrant kaleidoscope of colors, and striking jewel tones. Bright. Alive. Passionate.

Just like the woman who'd created them.

He was so impressed with her artistic ability and that she'd managed to keep it hidden from everyone except her family and close friends. "Mia… these are incredible."

"Do you really think so?" She bit on her bottom lip.

He nodded sincerely. "Yeah, I really do."

She shifted on her bare feet, and he wondered what was going through that mind of hers. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long to find out.

She looked up at him, a tentative smile shining through her bout of uncertainty. "There's something else I'd like to show you. Designs no one else has ever seen."

He couldn't imagine anything more sensational than what she'd just shared with him, but he watched quietly as she went to her closet, opened the door, and stepped inside the spacious area. Standing on the tip of her toes, which caused the hem of her robe to ride high on her thighs, she grabbed another container from a top shelf and brought it back to the bed.

Inside was more stained-glass artwork, just as meticulously crafted, lovingly detailed, and exquisite as all the other pieces. She carefully picked up a panel that depicted a peacock with its tail fanned out in full bloom—an intricately designed piece that was created in an array of arresting hues. She held it up to her bedroom window, and the morning sunlight shone through the stained glass, throwing prisms of bold, rich blues, greens, and golds flickering across the walls and ceiling.

Stunned by the dazzling, radiant display, Cameron could only stare in silent amazement.

"What do you see in this design?" Mia asked, her excitement nearly tangible.

He laughed, because it was so obviously a peacock. "Is this a trick question?"

She gave him one of those sassy looks of hers, along with an infectious grin. "Maybe."

Bracing his hands on his hips, he shrugged. "Okay, I see a peacock."

"Very funny, wise guy." She scrunched her pert little nose up at him, though that did nothing to diminish the laughter glimmering in her slate-gray eyes. "Do you see anything else?"

Realizing she was serious, he narrowed his gaze and looked hard, studying the cuts of glass and the metal casings around each shard as he tried to figure out what he was missing.

He was about to give up when it finally happened. Like one of those 3D magic eye illusions, where if a person stared long enough at a picture a hidden object within the image slowly came into focus, as was the case with this particular piece of Mia's stained-glass artwork.

Then again, he supposed his eyes could be playing tricks on him, because she was insisting that something was there. Still, he went ahead and told her what he thought he saw. "Is that an image of a naked woman along the peacock's feathers?"

"You see it?" she asked, the disbelief in her tone mingling with a dose of excitement. "You really see it?"

He chuckled, enjoying her girlish exuberance. "Either that, or it was a damn good guess. But what I see, other than the peacock, is right here." He stepped closer to the panel and used his finger to trace the slim silhouette of woman, from her tipped back head and flowing hair, to her high, full breasts, and down her long, lean body.

When he was done, he met Mia's gaze. "Am I right?"

She nodded. "It is a naked woman!"

He shook his head, bowled over once again. "And you put that illusion into the design deliberately?"

"Yes. And the best part is, no one has to know about that naked woman unless you want them to."

That was true, because he'd had to search for the image and wait for it to mesh into the vision of a woman. "Show me another one," he said, finding himself caught up in her enthusiasm.

This time she presented him with a Celtic design, a continuation of brightly colored patterns and interlacing scrolls. Again, he stared at the picture, and within seconds a shadowed outline appeared—of a man and a woman face to face, with one of the woman's legs entwined with the man's in a very provocative position.

The images were very sensual and arousing, erotic even—made more so by the fact that they were hidden within a design that appeared innocent at first glance.

He looked back at Mia, and her expression held so much joy—more than he'd seen in her before—and he knew, without a doubt, that this was what she was meant to do.

"Mia, all these stained-glass designs are incredible. You just can't not do anything with them."

She shrugged and started wrapping each individual picture to put them away. "Maybe I'll take them to a consignment shop and start there."

He was thinking of something on a grander scale, because he was certain she'd draw a very elite clientele with her unique designs, and especially with the erotic and custom-made stuff that had blown him away. But for the moment, he wanted to bolster Mia's confidence, and he knew the perfect way to do it And in the process, it would also save him from having to go shopping for a birthday present for his sister.

He picked out a substantial piece, which depicted a hummingbird sipping from a vine of bright, colorful bougainvillea. There wasn't any hidden images of naked people embracing in this particular design, which was perfect for his older, more sedate sister.

"So if you did sell your designs, what would something like this one go for?" he asked casually.

She thought for a moment as she finished packing the container that went into the closet. "It's one of my larger pieces, so I'd probably sell it for about two hundred and fifty dollars."

He didn't even hesitate. "Consider it sold."

Her gaze jerked to his in startled shock. "What are you talking about?"

"I want to buy it," he said simply and lifted the sealed container and put it back into the closet for her.

She watched him, her arms crossed over her chest and her gaze narrowed almost suspiciously. "Why? I really don't think hummingbirds are your thing."

He laughed as he set the stained-glass art he wanted on the drafting table and then slid the other filled container under the bed for her. God, she was so skeptical, as if she suspected he was offering her a pity purchase, which was far from the truth. If her work wasn't top quality, he never would have expressed an interest.

"It's not for me," he said, turning to face her again. "I need a birthday gift for my sister, Claudia, who's turning forty next weekend, and she loves anything with hummingbirds on it. She has a window in her front living room where the sun shines through midday, and that stained-glass picture would look beautiful there."

"Okay," she said and dropped her arms back to her sides, which caused the silky material of her robe to shift enticingly across her breasts. "But I'm not letting you pay for it."

Her nipples puckered, and he slowly dragged his gaze from her chest back up to her face. "Oh, yeah, you most certainly are, because I'm not taking it for free. Consider it your first real sale."

She sighed. "Cam—"

He pressed his fingers against her soft, warm lips to stop what was bound to be the beginnings of an argument. "I'm not taking no for an answer, either."

He watched her give in, an acquiescence that was slow in coming, but it was a victory for him, nonetheless.

Grabbing his wrist, she pulled his hand away and gave an exaggerated huff. "And you think I'm stubborn."

"Stubborn and talented and sexy." Aiming to distract her, he caught her sash and tugged her closer, and the strip of silk gave way in his hand. Her robe parted down the middle, revealing a line of smooth, soft skin from her chest down to her lovely thighs.

Unable to resist temptation, he brushed his knuckles across the hard nipples straining against the fabric, heard a soft purr escape the back of her throat, and a thick knot of lust tightened his groin.

"I'm thinking maybe I need to give you a deposit of some sort for the design," he murmured huskily. "You know, a show of good faith."

She quickly caught on to the suggestive innuendo in his words and played along, sliding her hands around his waist and down to the back pockets of his jeans, where she began to feel him up. "You've got that kind of cash on you?"

He grinned down at her. "No, something better, and far more pleasurable. Check my front pocket."