Wilde Thing (16 page)

She licked her lips nervously and shook her head. “Steve … I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

Cupping her cheek in his palm, he smoothed his thumb along her baby-soft skin, inhaled her shower-fresh scent. “Sweetheart, it’s just a party.”

“A
family
kind of party,” she pointed out, making it clear that she wasn’t related in any way.

“And what—I can’t bring a friend?” he countered wryly, and swiped a playful finger down the slope of her pert nose.

“Is that what I am to you?” she asked quietly, the question loaded with meaning. “A friend?”

She was his lover. A sexy siren who was tying him up in knots. A fascinating woman he couldn’t seem to get enough of. “I’d like to think we’re friends, yes. But you’re also the woman I’m currently going out with.” A woman he was falling hard and fast for.

So simple, yet so complicated.

She moved off his lap and sat on the cushion beside him, their warm and cozy moment over. “I don’t want to give your family the wrong impression about us. I mean, we’re not really
going out
going out.”

An unexpected wave of frustration swept through him. “No?”

“We’re not, well, dating.” She waved a slender hand in the air between them, grasping for the right words. “We’re just… having an affair.”

The corner of his mouth twitched with exasperation. She made their relationship sound so brief and impersonal, and he was unjustifiably annoyed that she wanted to keep things so superficial, when that was what they’d agreed upon in the first place.

“Maybe we need to go on a date so that we’re
officially
going out,” he suggested quite seriously.

She laughed, but there was no real amusement in the sound. “I’m not asking for a date, Steve, or anything else from you. I accept our relationship for what it is, and I know where we stand with each other.”

So she kept reassuring him, and she seemed fine with the arrangement. He was forced to admit that he was the one feeling restless, and wanting … more.

“I can promise you that my family will accept our relationship for what it is.” He reached for her hand. Her fingers were cool against his palm, and he wrapped them in his heat. “Unlike my brother Adrian, who believes inviting a woman to meet Mom and Dad is the curse of his beloved bachelorhood, I have no problems bringing a lady friend to meet my parents.”

He didn’t bother to tell her that she was the only female he’d wanted to bring home since his divorce. “My family understands that I’m not looking for anything serious, but I know they’ll like you.”

The lamplight in the living room softened her features and made her eyes appear luminous. He could tell she was wavering, and pressed his advantage.

“And it’s not like you won’t know anyone at the party.” His thumb caressed her knuckles. “You’ve met my partner, Cameron, and my brother Eric, and you know Jill, so that’s nearly half the family right there.” Not
counting the other fifty or so friends and relatives who would also be there. But there was no sense overwhelming her with that small detail.

“As for you,” he went on purposefully, “I think the break will do you good and take your mind off of things for a few hours.”

She opened her mouth to reply, and he instinctively knew what was coming, and thwarted her response. “And don’t give me the excuse that you have to work at the café, when I know you have capable employees who can handle things for an afternoon.”

A reluctant but humorous smile made an appearance. “What are you, a mind reader?”

“I’m just trying to head off every foreseeable argument you might come up with, because I’m not taking no for answer.” He placed a kiss in her palm and enjoyed her reaction.

A matching spark of desire lit her gaze. “You’re very bossy and persistent, you know that?”

“And you’re very stubborn, so I think that makes us just about even, wouldn’t you say?” He lifted a brow, daring her to still refuse him.

She rolled her eyes and conceded defeat. “All right, fine, I’ll go.”

“Good girl.” Framing her face between his hands, he brought her mouth to his and kissed her, long and slow and deep.

With a sigh of acquiescence, she entwined her arms around his neck, and he pushed her down onto the couch and stretched out beside her, so that he was half covering her body and one of his legs was insinuated between hers. With their lips still fused, he slid a hand beneath the hem of her pajama top and strummed his fingers along the underside of one plump breast in a featherlight caress, and felt the mound grow taut.

She sucked in a quick, aroused breath. His cock hardened in a rush.

Lifting his head, he flashed a wicked grin down at her. “I’m glad you changed your mind, or else I was going to have to resort to some very stimulating torture tactics.”

She laughed huskily, clearly unthreatened. “Maybe you could torture me anyway?”

He tugged on the drawstring of her pants, loosened the ties, and skimmed his palm over her hip, dipped his hand between her thighs, and discovered that she wasn’t wearing any panties. She was also hot and wet, and his fingers slipped inside her with ease, stroking deep. She moaned and arched into him, her eyes glazing over with passion.

“Oh, yeah,” he rasped as he drew out the tension he was building within her, watching as she shuddered with need. “It would be my absolute pleasure to torture you.”

And he did … a slow, sweet, delicious kind of torment that brought them both sensual enjoyment and immense satisfaction.

L
iz had been under the mistaken impression that Steve’s father’s birthday party was going to be a small family affair. Apparently, the man who’d coaxed her into coming to the celebration had failed to mention the fifty or so friends and relatives who’d been invited as well.

Sitting at a round table shaded by a large tree, Liz took a drink of her lemonade, completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of guests milling about in the Wildes’ large backyard, which had been festively decorated for the occasion in a country-western theme. A live band belted out all the latest country tunes as party-goers two-stepped on the patio. A catered barbecue buffet, the selections of which had been absolutely delicious, had been set up to feed everyone, and an open bar flowed with unlimited beer and drinks. Adding to the gaiety, the sun shone bright and warm, though a light breeze made the afternoon bearable.

The atmosphere was casual and fun, and while her appearance definitely drummed up interest and glances of speculation, especially with Steve insisting on holding her hand whenever he was by her side, his immediate family was just as accepting and genuine as he’d
promised. She’d been introduced to his mother and father, whom she immediately liked. The only brother she’d yet to meet was Adrian, who, according to Steve’s mother, Angela, was running late on a rock-climbing expedition he’d taken a client on earlier that morning. Adrian was expected to be there soon, and Liz was undeniably curious about the sibling both Steve and Eric referred to as the Wilde One.

A round of jovial laughter brought Liz’s attention back to the occupants seated at the table. With herself, Jill, and Steve’s good friend and partner, Cameron, as an audience, Eric and Steve were sharing humorous tales about years gone by, and their power of persuasion with the female gender at a very young age.

“Remember when you coaxed Tess Callen into our clubhouse and convinced her to play doctor with you, Eric?” Steve drawled, and took a drink from his cold bottle of beer. “The two of you were only seven, but even then she had a crush on you and willingly played as your patient.”

Eric ducked his head and chuckled. “Yeah, I remember.”

Jill slanted him a curious look, tempered with amusement, from her seat beside him, obviously wanting to hear more. “I can’t wait to find out how you took advantage of that situation.”

“Me?” Eric feigned innocence, though the naughty sparkle in his eyes gave him away. “I’d never do such a thing.”

“Uh-huh, sure. I know better.” Jill motioned for Steve to continue the story.

“Mom thought the kids might like some fresh-baked cookies, and when she peeked into the window of the clubhouse, she caught Tess with her pants down around her knees, and Eric giving her a pretend shot on her bare rump.”

Laughter erupted around the table, and Liz joined
in. She could easily imagine Eric as that precocious, mischievous little boy, flirting with girls to get his way.

Cameron saluted Eric with his beer and scooped up a handful of party mix out of the bowl on the table. “What a charmer you were.”

“Still am,” Eric replied with that trademark Wilde grin that had no doubt set plenty of pulses aflutter, but which now only belonged to one woman. “I’ve always been a sucker for a nice butt, even then. Lucky for me, Jill’s is world-class.”

Jill rolled her eyes, her cheeks flushing a becoming shade of pink. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”

Eric nuzzled her neck, not bothering to hide his affection in front of friends and family. “God, I’m hoping,” he growled playfully.

She jabbed him in the side with her elbow, a halfhearted attempt to make him stop. “You are so incorrigible. Try and behave yourself in public.”

“Now, what’s the fun in that?” He waggled his brows at her. “You know, if I remember correctly, I still have that doctor’s kit packed away at the house—”

Jill pressed a hand over his mouth, cutting him off.

“Here’s a bit of brotherly advice for you,” Steve said as he reclined back in his padded folding chair. “You’d better stop while you’re still ahead, or you’re going to end up sleeping in the clubhouse tonight. Alone.” He grinned.

“You’re the one who started this,” Eric groused good-naturedly. “In fact, you’re not so innocent of wrongdoing, either, big brother.”

“This I definitely want to hear.” Jill perked up now that the spotlight was off her. “How about you, Liz?”

Liz warmed to the female comaraderie, though she was certain that Steve had been just as much of a rogue in the female department as his brother. “Oh, absolutely.”

Eric smirked. “What about the time Dad took all three of us fishing at the lake for a weekend, and you
spent the majority of the time ogling all the girls in their skimpy bathing suits.”

Steve shrugged unrepentantly. “I was thirteen years old and my hormones were raging. Of course I was going to look.”

“The problem was, you were also trying to impress them by looking like you knew how to handle your rod and reel.”

Cameron snickered at Eric’s play on words. “Oh, that was a good one.”

Steve shot his friend a quelling look. “I knew exactly what I was doing with my rod and reel.”

“Really?” Eric arched a brow, letting everyone know that there was much more to the story. “Then how do you explain the fact that when you tried to cast there was so much slack in your line that your hook got caught on the bikini top of the sixteen-year-old girl who was standing behind you?”

“That was an accident,” Steve insisted, and draped an arm along the back of Liz’s chair.

“One you took full advantage of.” Eric munched on a few peanuts. “As soon as she squealed, you dropped your fishing pole and jumped right in to help her remove the hook from her itty-bitty bikini. Except from my vantage point, you ended up groping her breasts more than anything.”

Steve grinned roguishly, his fingers absently grazing along Liz’s arm. “She didn’t seem to mind my attempts to unhook her.”

“Until Dad stepped in to help your adolescent fumbling, and she found out you were only thirteen and still wet behind the ears.”

“It was an easy mistake for her to make.” Steve finished off his beer and set his bottle on the table. “I was
big
for my age.”

“There you go again, exaggerating about size,” Eric
countered right back, his sibling banter filled with masculine innuendo.

The entertaining tales continued, with each brother trying to top the other with a more outrageous story. As the party went on around them amid loud music, great food, and hearty celebrating, Liz had to admit that she was enjoying herself. Immensely. For a few wonderful hours, and before she had to go to work tonight, she pretended that everything was right in her world.

Guests and relatives stopped by their table to say hello to Eric and Steve and introduce themselves to the faces they didn’t recognize. There wasn’t a person that Liz met that she didn’t instantly like. A few had even been to her café and recognized her as the owner.

“Uh-oh, here comes trouble,” Cameron muttered beneath his breath.

Liz followed his line of vision, along with everyone else’s, to find a petite woman with silky black hair and silver eyes sauntering up to their table. She was wearing white jeans that rode low on her slender hips, and an off-the-shoulder top that bared her toned midriff and plenty of cleavage. Cameron, Liz noticed, was watching the other woman with a bland expression on his face that contradicted the hot look of interest in his eyes, while the other two men at the table welcomed her with a fond smile.

“I heard we had a new face in the crowd, and thought I’d come over and introduce myself,” the pretty young woman said as she came up beside Liz and held out her hand in greeting. “I’m Mia Wilde, Steve’s cousin.”

Liz slipped her hand into Mia’s for a warm and friendly shake. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Mia, also known as the Wilde child,” Cameron drawled, his tone deliberately taunting. “And the name certainly fits, now, doesn’t it, sweetheart?”

Mia merely smiled at Cameron, taking no offense at
his comment. “Being the only girl in a family of all boys does tend to spark a certain … wildness.” She smiled, the gesture as seductive and daring as the awareness crackling between her and Cameron. “Care to try and tame me, sugar?”

“Not in this lifetime.” Cameron tipped the beer bottle to his lips and took a long, thirsty drink.

“Aww, come on, Cam,” Mia teased, and trailed her fingers along his shoulders as she came to stand by his side. “Many have tried; none have succeeded. You could be the first.”

Cameron turned his head, and since his gaze was eye-level with her navel, he swept his glance upward, taking in everything between her belly and her face in a slow, lazy perusal. “What, have you run out of willing victims?”

“Not at all.” She tipped her head, and her slightly wavy hair brushed along her jaw. “I just like a good challenge.”

“Find yourself another plaything, Mia.” His tone was dismissive, but there was no mistaking that his body was tense and she was the reason he was so on edge. “I’m not interested.”

“What’s the matter, sugar, afraid I’ll bite?” She bared her straight white teeth for effect.

“Barracuda usually do,” he replied dryly, though his gaze blazed with green fire and barely restrained control. “And I like my manhood intact, thank you very much.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem,” she said huskily. “I like your manhood intact, too.”

“Oh, boy,” Steve murmured, so low that only Liz could hear over the music and din of conversation around them. But that simple statement was enough to let her know that the sexual attraction between Mia and Cameron was an ongoing battle that neither was willing to
let the other win. But it sure was fun watching the two interact, Liz decided.

Cameron shook his head adamantly. “Thanks, but no thanks, sweetheart. That’s not a chance I’m willing to take with such an important part of my anatomy.”

She caressed her palm along Cameron’s cheek. “I’d treat it with care. I promise.”

Across the table, Eric choked on the drink of beer he was swallowing. “Jesus, Mia, can you be any more blatant?”

Her delicate shoulder lifted in a casual shrug. “Men usually find a woman who’s up front about her intentions refreshing.”

“That’s where you’re mistaken about me,” Cameron said roughly. “I’m not like every other man you’ve wrapped around that little finger of yours.”

“No, you’re not. Maybe that’s why I find you so fascinating.” Her voice was soft and undeniably intrigued. “If you change your mind, you know how to find me.” Before Cameron could issue a response, she waggled her fingers across the table at Liz and said, “It was nice meeting you.”

Liz smiled. “Same here.”

With that, the other woman moved on and blended into the crowd of guests, leaving Cameron staring after her.

Cameron jerked his gaze back to the witnesses at the table and scrubbed a hand along his jaw. “I swear, I’ve never met a woman so goddamn aggravating.”

The corner of Steve’s mouth quirked with amusement. “Funny, she’s only like that with you.”

“Because I’m not chasing after her like she’s a dog in heat, like every other guy does?” Cameron downed the last of his beer and looked like he could use another one—or two.

“I’m sure that’s part of your appeal to Mia, but don’t
let that vixen act of hers fool you,” Steve said. “She’s only twenty-five, but there’s a whole lot of interesting layers beneath that tough facade of hers.”

Cameron shifted in his seat, a bundle of pent-up restlessness. “I don’t want any part of her act.”

But it was obvious that he did, and he was fighting her, and himself, for whatever reasons.

“One of these days, she’s gonna make you snap like a dry twig,” Eric said, expressing his own observations of Cam and Mia’s love-hate relationship. “And then look out, for both of you, because the two of you together are going to be combustible.”

Cameron snorted incredulously. “Not likely. Mia’s a handful I don’t want or need. I like my women soft and sweet, not infuriating me at every turn. She’s like a rose with a shit-load of thorns attached, and I have no desire to be pricked over and over again.”

“Maybe she just needs to be pruned,” Eric suggested.

The two other men at the table groaned, and Jill smacked Eric on the arm. “Gawd, that was an awful analogy.”

Cameron stood up and grabbed his empty beer bottle. “If you’ll excuse me, I think I’m going to trade up to something much stronger.” He stalked off toward the open bar, his agitation tangible.

Eric looked at Steve. “So, how long do you think it’ll take before those two finally realize that they’re perfect for each other?”

Steve laughed. “If you go by Cameron, it’s not gonna happen in this lifetime.”

“Hmmm, that’s too bad,” Eric said thoughtfully. “Because Cameron is exactly what Mia needs to ground her.”

Jill arched a dubious brow at the man sitting next to her. “And when did you become such an expert on relationships?”

“Since you, of course.” He gave her a quick kiss on her lips and abruptly stood, pulling Jill up with him. “Come on, they just cut the birthday cake. Let’s go check out what’s on the dessert table.”

“Notice how quick he is to change the subject when it comes to discussing our relationship?” Jill’s eyes sparkled with laughter, but she followed Eric, her affection and love for him open for anyone to see.

As soon as the other couple was out of earshot, Steve said, “That’s because my baby brother is nervous as all hell.”

“Nervous?” Steve’s observation peaked Liz’s curiosity. “He seemed perfectly fine to me. How can you tell?”

Steve reached out and smoothed wisps of hair off her cheek, his touch infinitely tender. “Because I know Eric and his moods, and I also know he’s got every reason to be nervous tonight.”

“Oh? Care to share those reasons?”

“Nope. I’m not at liberty to say, but you’ll see what I mean in a little bit.” He softened his refusal with a sexy grin that made her forget everything but him. “How about a refill on your lemonade?”

“Sure.” Hand in hand, they headed toward the table holding the soft drinks. “So, what was that all about with Mia and Cam?” she asked, finding that whole scenario equally interesting.