"I believe it is a dare, sugar." Wrapping her arms around his neck, she brought his mouth down to hers and murmured huskily against his lips. "So what are you going to do about it?"
Over the next few hours, he proceeded to make good on her challenge and gave her a night of erotic, forbidden pleasures that left her limp, spent, and physically fulfilled.
And earned him every right to gloat.
Chapter Eight
CAMERON woke up the following morning, momentarily disoriented and confused about where he was, until his sleepy vision and mind cleared and his feminine surroundings came into focus-a noticeable contrast to his own masculine domain and a direct reminder that he'd spent an amazingly sensual night in Mia's bed. He could still smell her scent on his skin, taste the sweetness of her body on his lips, and recall the breathy way she'd called his name the last time he'd made her come.
That final recollection made him smile to himself and think of all the different, uninhibited ways they'd made love. He'd always known Mia was a vibrant woman, but last night she'd exceeded his expectations. She had an incredible amount of passion and an abundance of energy when it came to sex, and she was an adventurous lover. There wasn't anything he'd asked for that she'd denied him. No request made her blush. No invitation she refused.
Simply put, she was a man's dream between the sheets.
His dream. His fantasy woman come to life. A temptress who knew exactly how to turn him inside out with lust and a need unlike anything he'd ever known. A shameless nymph who wasn't afraid to go after what brought her the greatest pleasure. Physically, they were a match made in heaven.
Emotionally, however, she shook him up inside and left him reeling… and trying to decipher exactly what it was about her that affected him so profoundly. Unfortunately, he had no definite answers for that question, but he was coming to realize, and accept, that she was starting to mean more to him than a brief fling. And he had no idea what he was going to do about that, especially when a long-term commitment between the two of them was highly unlikely.
With a low exhale, he turned his head and glanced toward Mia's side of the bed, where she was still fast asleep. Her silky black hair was tousled over her pillow and around her face in a wild disarray, and the sheet was twisted around her naked body. She was on her side in a fetal position, with her arms pulled in tight against her chest and her knees raised up high against her stomach-as if protecting herself in her sleep or maybe to keep anyone from getting too close emotionally.
Even in sleep, she was such a paradox. She'd been confident and assertive last night, but now she looked vulnerable and almost childlike. And while most women wanted to cuddle after sex, once Mia thought he'd fallen asleep, he'd felt her move out of his arms and curl up by herself.
He thought it interesting that she didn't desire the simple human need to be held. He wondered if she felt stifled when she should have felt comforted. Instead, it was as if she preferred to be alone. He wondered if that's how it had always been for her, if being alone was all she'd known. Was she afraid of relying on one particular person too much, even for something as simple as tenderness and a warm, secure embrace? Or was he reading too much in to her actions?
She had three brothers who loved her very much, that much was obvious to anyone who knew her family. Three brothers and three cousins who took their job of taking care of her, and protecting her, very seriously. So this need to be self-sufficient obviously stemmed from something else that had happened in her life.
As he folded his hands behind his head and continued to watch her sleep, he wondered if he'd ever figure her out and then realized that was such a part of her allure and what intrigued him so much. All those facets and layers showed him that the person she presented to the outside world wasn't necessarily who she was inside.
Finally, nature called and he slid as quietly as he could off the mattress, then headed to the adjoining bathroom. On the way out he found his jeans on the floor and pulled them on, figuring he'd go and make a pot of coffee and watch TV in the living room until Mia finally roused herself from sleep.
But as he fastened the top button to his pants, he caught sight of a drafting table, which wasn't something a woman normally had in her bedroom. Last night the room had been shadowed and dim and his sole focus had been on Mia, but in the morning light, the drafting table piqued his curiosity, especially considering Mia worked as a secretary for her family's tile company. And as far as he knew, her duties didn't require such a large, oversized desk for her to use at home.
He moved closer and glanced at the drawings laid out on the surface, surprised at the talent evident in each one. Some were completed, others only half finished, but all of them were beautifully drawn with eye-catching and vivid details. Some of the pictures were floral designs, others of exotic animals, and some abstract. A few of the sketches were filled in with colored pencils, giving the picture a striking dimension that was sharp and rich looking.
Hearing a rustling sound from the bed, he glanced in that direction and found Mia gradually coming awake. She uncurled her body and stretched with her arms over her head, drawing his eyes to the way the sheet pulled tight across her full breasts and over the curve of her hip. His groin stirred-no big surprise there-and he forced his gaze back up to her face, which was beautifully flushed and glowing with sexual satisfaction.
His heart skipped an odd little beat in his chest, and he grinned at her. "Good morning."
She blinked slumberously, her lashes still weighing heavily with sleep. '"Morning," she murmured and then sighed blissfully, the sound rife with utter contentment.
A contentment he was solely responsible for.
As if he'd spoken his thoughts out loud, one of her eyes peeped open at him. "There you go again with that smug look," she said, the soft accusation in her tone tempered with humor.
He leaned his backside against the table and crossed his arms over his bare chest. "Can you really blame me?"
"I suppose not," she admitted softly, huskily. "You were pretty amazing last night, and you did manage to prove, numerous times, that you sure do know how to rise to a challenge."
"Believe me, the pleasure was all mine." He winked at her and then swept a hand across the surface of the drafting table. "I was just looking at these drawings. What are they for?"
The light-heartedness between them faded as he watched her expression shut him out and she started to withdraw-from him and the new topic of conversation he'd just introduced. Intrigued, he continued before he completely lost her.
"I didn't mean to snoop or pry," he said, not giving her the chance to shut him out. "I was on my way out of the bathroom and the sketches caught my eye. They're very good. Did you draw them?"
She sat up in bed and reached for the silky robe she'd retrieved from her closet at some point last night. "Yes, I drew those designs," she said, the reluctance to admit as much evident in her tone.
Without an ounce of modesty, she let the sheet unravel from her body as she stood up, baring her to his gaze for a handful of arousing seconds before she slid into her robe and tied the sash. He swallowed to ease the dryness in his mouth so he could speak again, determined not to let anything distract him from the course of their conversation.
"So you're an artist?"
She rounded the bed to where he was standing and smiled at his surprise, though there was a bit of reserve in the depth of her eyes. "That all depends on who you're asking."
He thought her comment odd but suspected there was a wealth of meaning behind her words and that glimpse of emotion he'd seen in her gaze. "I'm asking you." He didn't care about anyone else's opinion.
"I'd like to think I'm an artist," she said as she came up beside him. "It's what I love to do. Drawing. Creating unique designs. Bringing them to life." The brief excitement he'd heard in her voice was suddenly eclipsed by a somber sigh. "My family, however, thinks of this as just a hobby."
"But you want it to be more," he guessed.
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.
Too Wilde to Tame Page 12
