Naughty by Nature

by Judy Angelo

  Wolf came forward to do as his mother instructed.

  As Tessa felt him come close she lifted a hand and he took it and she could feel the tension in the strength of his grip. She stole a glance at Lydia whose head was bowed, her eyes shut.

  Now what? Was she supposed to say a prayer? But then Wolf would know who she was. He would recognize her voice instantly. She frowned. Lydia had gone and set up this little prank and then had left her to follow through.

  Never one to back down from a challenge, Tessa bit back a giggle then peeked up at Wolf. Eyes closed? Good. Like a nun gone wild she began to stroke his hand with her thumb, all the while watching his face.

  Immediately, a frown appeared on Wolf’s face and as she stroked, it deepened. His eyes popped opened and he was staring into her eyes.

  “Tessa?” He jerked his head back, obviously startled. Then his gaze flew to his mother and then back to her. “What the…? What’s going on?” Then a look of horror crossed his face. “You’ve decided to become a nun?”

  Tessa and Lydia burst out laughing and only then did Wolf’s face soften, because now he knew he’d fallen victim to the dastardly duo.

  “I’m going to get you for this,” he growled at Tessa even as his face broke into a grin. “One day when you least expect it I’ll get you back.”

  “That’s not fair,” Tessa protested in between giggles. “What about your mom? She started this. It never even crossed my mind to prank you till she started this whole ‘sister’ thing.”

  “Speaking of which,” he said, looking pointedly at her, “why are you wearing that get-up? Costume party?”

  “Just coming from one,” Tessa said as she slid the covering from her head and let her hair fall free. “I played the part of a nun at one of Indie’s charity events. I was skeptical at first, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Hey, this might grow on me.” She held out her arms and looked down at herself. “And the dress doesn’t look half bad.”

  Wolf looked at her askance. “You, a nun? Please, no. You may corrupt the whole convent.”

  “Okay, I promise I won’t corrupt the good sisters. But then you have to promise me something in return.” Tessa relaxed back into her chair and looked up at Wolf. She felt comfortable enough with Lydia that she didn’t mind teasing Wolf in her presence.

  “You’ve got it,” he said. “What is it?”

  “Wrong move, Wolf.” She wagged her finger at him. “Always ask before you commit.”

  He shrugged, seeming unconcerned. “Whatever you come up with can’t be that bad.”

  “Oh, really?” She looked from Wolf to Lydia, who gave her a wink. Tessa took that as permission to proceed with her ultimatum. “Okay, then. I want you to go on a road trip with me. To Niagara Falls.”

  At first Wolf looked pleased that she’d asked him out but then he pulled back. “What? At this time of year? We would freeze to death.”

  “Wimp,” was her rejoinder.

  “I’m afraid he’s right, dear.” Lydia was smiling at them indulgently. “There won’t be any boats to take you under the falls. The Maid of the Mist shut down operations at the end of October and won't re-open till after the winter.”

  “Oh, right.” Stupid Tessa, of course they’d shut down when things got too cold. She’d been hoping to find a way to spend some time with Wolf, time when they could get to know each other, not just bury themselves under a pile of educational materials.

  “I have a suggestion,” Lydia piped up, looking eager to share her idea. “Why not go somewhere warm, like India?"

  Tessa stared at Lydia like she’d gone wacko. “I meant somewhere we could drive to, not the other side of the world.”

  “Great idea, Mom. I could take a break from the office. I’ve been working too hard, as you always say.”

  “Great idea?” Tessa now turned to Wolf. “If you’re going by yourself, it is. I’m not my own boss, remember? I can’t just walk out of the classroom on a whim.” Then she set her mouth in a firm line. “And anyway, I’m not going to India with you.” She didn’t tell him what she was really thinking. Of course she'd really love to go to India but how could she just get up and go all that way with him when they weren’t even seeing each other? Now how would that look?

  Although his mother didn’t seem to mind at all. It had been her idea, after all.

  “No problem. We can do the India thing some other time when you're free. What else did you have in mind?”

  Tessa almost smiled. Do the India thing – as if India was just a hop and a skip away. No, she wasn’t setting foot out of Canada with Wolf. Not right now, anyway. “There’s still lots to do in Niagara Falls,” she said, “even if we can’t do the boat ride.”

  “I have another idea,” Lydia said, cutting in.

  “Please, no more ideas involving international flights to distant countries.” Tessa shook her head.

  “No,” Lydia said with a laugh. “I was just thinking – why don’t the two of you just visit the Arrowsmith School in Peterborough? Wolf told me you’re collaborating on an educational project and they’ve done some good work there with children with learning disabilities. It could be a real eye opener.”

  Tessa gave her an approving nod. “That’s a wonderful idea, Lydia. That way I could kill two birds with one stone. I get my road trip plus we get a chance to do some research on a learning program that I've always been curious about.”

  Wolf nodded. “I’ve heard about that school. Don’t they have a branch in Toronto?”

  “It all started in Peterborough where the founder is from. Why not visit home base?" Lydia asked. “And anyway, Tessa seems to have her heart set on a road trip. Toronto is too close to qualify as a road trip, don’t you think?”

  “I agree,” Tessa said, not waiting for Wolf to respond. Now that the idea had been planted in her mind she had every intention of acting on it. She glanced over at Wolf. “I’m due a personal day. I need to give a couple weeks' notice so a sub can be assigned to my classes for the day. What do you think?”

  Wolf shrugged. “I’m game. I was all for India but I’ll settle for Peterborough for now.”

  And just like that, Tessa arranged a date with Wolf. Well, she’d never been known for shyness. And Lydia didn’t seem to think that she was being forward. All was good with the world.

  Assuming, that is, that a certain shadow from the past did not rear its ugly head.

  Because, Tessa had to admit, she really liked Wolf. But if it came to the test was she prepared to fight for him? And anyway, did she have the right to?

  Right now all she could do was wait and see where this would lead...

  CHAPTER TEN

  Vanessa Smythe. A statuesque brunette with the striking beauty of a runway model – long, dark lashes that framed her almond-shaped eyes, soft black hair that fell in a silky veil down her back, and the elegance and grace of a queen. This was what Wolf had fallen in love with.

  He stared at the photo in his hand then let it fall to the desk. He didn’t bother to slide it back into its envelope. Instead, he pushed his chair back and went to stand in front of the window, his thoughts anywhere but there in his office.

  What the hell kind of game was Vanessa playing? Why had she sent him the photograph?

  When she’d called two weeks earlier it had knocked him off balance, no doubt about that. He’d been in the office with Tessa then. He’d told her it wasn’t a good time, fully expecting her to call him back that same day. Nothing. Until now.

  On his desk was an envelope that had arrived in the mail just that morning and right beside it was the photo that had been enclosed. And Vanessa looked even better than when he’d last seen her over a year earlier. Instead of wearing her hair straight down her back with bangs cut straight across her forehead, everything was now in waves that fell softly around her face.

  An alluring picture...but to what end? She’d been the one to dump him so why was she reaching out now? He shook his head and walked over to the closet where h
e grabbed his coat and shrugged it on. He needed some air.

  He went out the door, his face still set in a frown. He would never understand women, and especially not that one.

  ******

  “Will you slow down?” Wolf yelled for the third time as Tessa zipped past a Mercedes Benz SLK which was clipping along at a healthy speed. “Are you crazy?” Why the hell had he agreed for Tessa to pick him up for this road trip to Peterborough? Normally, he did his own driving but she’d insisted – only to prove herself to be a lunatic on the highway.

  “Sorry,” she said with a sigh and slowed to a speed that was maybe twenty kilometers per hour over the speed limit. Small consolation. Based on his experience with the over twenty minutes they’d been on the road he knew she’d be back up there soon enough.

  “How come you still have a driver’s license?” he demanded, glaring at her. “You must wallpaper your house with traffic tickets.”

  Tessa glanced at him and grinned. "Let’s just say I know how to talk to highway patrol cops.”

  “Oh, really?” Wolf said, his voice stern. “Well, you may be able to out-talk the cops but not me. You’re not putting my life on the line with your reckless driving-”

  “I’m not reckless. I’ve always been careful.”

  “That’s your opinion. You either slow down or pull over so I can take the wheel.” Wolf folded his arms across his chest. He was serious. Tessa needed a firm hand to keep her in check or she’d be out of control. He should have known better than to set foot in a car with a woman who drove an orange Audi sports car.

  “Excuse me? This is my car.” She’d begun to pout but even as she said the words she was easing up off the accelerator and bringing the car in line with the rest of the highway traffic.

  She’d better, or else he would follow through on his threat. And clearly, she knew it.

  Almost two weeks had passed since he’d last seen Tessa at his mother’s house. They’d spoken once in between that time, just to confirm where and when they would meet. And now, on this crisp Friday morning, they were on their way to the innovative learning center he’d heard so much about. If they ever made it, the way Tessa was driving.

  “I'm sorry, Wolf.” She did not take her eyes off the road but her voice was low and apologetic. “It’s a bad habit of mine. Hard to break. I love speed. I just can’t help it.”

  He gave a snort. “Don’t wait for a couple of broken bones or a stay in the hospital to get you out of that habit. That would be a high price to pay.” He glanced over at her as she deftly handled the wheel. “You don’t have to compensate for your tiny size by blowing everybody else off the road.”

  “I’m not,” she retorted.

  “Yes, you are,” he said matter-of-factly. “But I can think of better ways for you to show you’re a grown woman.”

  There was no answer to that but he could see the color rise in her cheeks. He’d obviously made her uncomfortable with his remark, but no matter. Sometimes it was good to remind a woman that she was a woman. Bring out the feminine side of her. And hopefully for Tessa, with her feminine side awakened, she’d find better ways to work off whatever suppressed aggression she had. It had to be that, that made her drive so darned fast.

  The smile on Wolf’s face widened as he closed his eyes and settled back in his seat to enjoy the images of Tessa playing in his head. Tessa working off her aggression…on him. She was probably a suppressed little spinster whose only outlet was behind the wheel of a fast car. Poor substitute for a man, if you asked him.

  But he was in the picture now and he was willing and ready to oblige a woman with all that tension – especially if that woman was Tessa Tyndale.

  A little bundle of blonde energy, she was the exact opposite of the woman who had used his heart as a doormat. In appearance they were a striking contrast – tall and dark-haired against tiny and blonde. In personality there was an even greater difference. Where one was sophisticated and reserved, the other was playful and outgoing. Perky was Tessa’s middle name.

  And there was one other, very important area in which they were different. Vanessa’s reserve had hidden a side of her Wolf never knew existed, a side that determined that he was not man enough for her. She of all people, Miss Reserved, decided she wanted to date other men.

  Now Tessa – here was a girl who was open and honest, who let you have it just the way it was. There was no guile to her, no deceit. She wouldn’t pretend to be one way and then end up being the polar opposite. Here was a girl who was not afraid of commitment. He was sure of it.

  And he liked her. A lot. She was refreshing, like a blast of energy-filled sunlight to his soul. Bitter after his break up with Vanessa, he’d sworn off women for too long. And although he’d been smitten with Tessa from the first time he laid eyes on her he’d waited months before giving in and asking Stone about her. But he was ready now – to open himself to someone who he was sure could love him back.

  The only thing was, he had to make that first step. He had to make her like him enough to want to go further. Okay, so she hadn’t seemed too impressed at their first meeting but she’d come around. And, if he played his cards right, she’d soon be eating out of his hand.

  To his surprise she slowed down and drove calmly the rest of the journey. Apparently his threat of taking the wheel from her had done the trick. He’d spoken to her twice before with no impact but now he knew her secret – she wanted to be in control.

  They cruised into the city of Peterborough just fifteen minutes later. It was a small city by Canadian standards, a quiet city, and it was home to fewer than one hundred thousand people. But regardless of its relatively small size Peterborough was home to several major enterprises, including a huge PepsiCo factory and a strong presence by Quaker Oats and General Electric, from which the community got its nickname, the Electric City.

  As they cruised down Parkhill Road toward the Arrowsmith School Wolf relaxed in his seat, enjoying the sights and sounds of Peterborough. They were soon driving through the gates of the Arrowsmith School.

  After checking in at the main office they ended up spending half a day on the compound observing the innovative techniques they’d heard so much about. The school was known for taking a different approach from the traditional method – instead of compensating for deficiencies they, instead, focused on the elasticity of the brain, working to change the brain through strenuous mental exercises. One exercise included covering the left eye with a patch while tracing symbols, to force the left side of the brain to work harder. Another involved individualized computer exercises that tracked and reported progress. This was the one that really piqued Wolf’s interest. The question was, could he duplicate such exercises in his DVD programming.

  “Look at that clock.” Tessa drew his attention to a child reading a clock that had ten hands. They soon learned that this graduation of the child from reading a two hand clock to three hand and step-by-step up to ten was an integral part of the training of the brain.

  “This program is not for everyone, though,” their guide for the day warned. “It is most effective with children of average to above average intelligence who have the challenges of dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, problems with reasoning, logic and problem-solving. From time to time we may assess a child with Asperger Syndrome but we have to look at those on a case-by-case basis. Unfortunately, the program is not for the severely autistic.”

  Once the tour was over Wolf and Tessa thanked their host then jumped back into the Audi and cruised along Parkhill Road past Jackson Park. On an impulse they turned onto George Street where they found a group of quaint restaurants offering a variety of choices.

  “Which would you like to try?” Wolf asked as he slipped on his sunshades and peered down the road. The day which had started out partly cloudy but pleasant had suddenly turned bright and sunny, casting a glare on the cars ahead of them.

  “Hmm.” Tessa put a finger to her chin. “I heard about a place called Hot Belly Mama’s. It’s
supposed to be on this street.”

  “Straight ahead,” Wolf said, pointing to the sign just about six store fronts away.

  “Great. And lucky me, there’s even a free parking space in front of it.” Tessa flashed him a smile.

  He shrugged. “So what’s so special about this place? Aside from the name.” Then he laughed. “Hot Belly Mama’s? Seriously?”

  She chuckled. “Yeah. Seriously. I mentioned to one of my co-workers that I’d be heading to Peterborough and she said I had to check this place out. Great Cajun cuisine. If you like spicy food, which I do, this is the place to be."

  “And what about people like me who can’t even stand the sight of pepper?”

  “No,” she said in an exaggerated gasp. “You, who grew up in India? Tell me you’re joking.”

  “Nope. I’m as bland as they come.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t call you bland,” she began then broke off with a laugh that almost sounded nervous.

  Tessa? Nervous around him? Hard to believe.

  “Anyway," she continued, "I’m sure they don’t only cater to lovers of spice. What about kids? Children can’t usually handle peppery stuff so I'm sure they have some bland food on the menu.”

  “Are you calling me a kid?” he growled.

  “Maybe,” came her cheeky reply.

  And then they were pulling up, almost exactly in front of the door of the restaurant. It was like they’d been expecting them.

  Wolf hopped out immediately and went around to hold the door open for his driver for the day. And as she turned to slide out of the car and her skirt rode deliciously up her leg, he had to admit she was one of the sexiest drivers he’d ever had.

  When his gaze slid over her body and up to her face he saw a hint of a smile on her lips. She’d seen him staring and she didn’t seem to mind at all. A very positive sign. Maybe she did like him after all.

  She took the arm he offered her and together they strode into the restaurant, looking casual and totally relaxed in each other’s company as if this was something they did every day. He wished.