Wilde Thing (3 page)

“By the way, I normally charge one-fifty an hour, plus expenses,” he went on, laying out his fee and terms. “But on a case like this that might take hours of prep work, I can offer a flat rate of five grand for up to a month’s time, which will include my services, twenty-four-hour access to my pager, as well as my protection and professional advice in terms of you working for The Ultimate Fantasy.”

She visibly winced at the amount he quoted. “Five grand? Wow, that’s more than I expected.”

A shrug lifted his shoulders. “I may not be the cheapest PI in town, but I’m definitely one of the best.”

She laughed, but the sound was tinged with disappointment. “While I don’t doubt your abilities and professional expertise, that’s about four times more than I can afford.”

The defeat in her tone, along with the despair he saw glimmering in her eyes as she met his gaze, hit him hard and low.

Despite that, a semblance of a smile touched her lips. “I guess I should thank you for your time and advice and be on my way.”

An odd sense of panic clenched his belly, one he couldn’t fully define, but before she could clear the front of his desk, he blurted, “Wait.”

She stopped and turned back to face him, her expression both startled and curious. “Yes?”

He scrubbed a hand along his tense jaw and knew there was no stopping what he was about to offer. “Tell you what, I’ll take on the case for a thousand bucks.” Though he hated even taking that much from her, since she was obviously financially strapped despite the success of her coffee shop—a fact he found unusual and interesting.

She lifted her chin and squared her shoulders, and damned if he didn’t detect a hint of vulnerability beneath all that bravado. “Why would you do that for me?” she asked, her tone cautious and wondering.

Why, indeed. A variety of reasons popped into his head, mainly that he wasn’t about to let her traipse into The Ultimate Fantasy on her own without any outside connections to keep tabs on her. If something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself, especially since he knew the details of the case. She needed guidance and more advice, and he wanted to be the guy to dole out both.

He spread his hands out in front of him, striving for a casualness he didn’t completely feel. “Let’s just say I have some extra time on my hands these days.”

A bald-faced lie that she obviously didn’t believe, either, judging by the skepticism that etched her classical features. But she didn’t argue with him—that was how strong her desperation was to find her cousin.

“All right, if you’re sure about that, consider it a deal.” She exhaled a relieved breath and headed over to her purse and withdrew her checkbook. “And I’ll sign my paychecks from The Ultimate Fantasy over to you, as well. That should help compensate some of your expenses.”

“Don’t worry about my expenses.” He’d eat the rest himself, every last cent over a grand. “A thousand flat fee is fine.”

Her lips thinned into a determined line. “I don’t want to take advantage of you or your services, and I don’t like being indebted to anyone. Signing my paychecks over to you is part of our deal.”

He handed her the application to take, fill out, and return to him, impressed with her tenacity. “If it makes you feel better, then fine.”

“It does, and I insist.” She took the paper, then continued writing out the check. When she was done, she handed him the payment voucher.

He took their agreed-upon fee, folded it in half, and put it into his top drawer, to hand over to Beverly to deposit later. He glanced back at Liz and watched as her tongue darted out and dampened her bottom lip in a gesture that made him think of that sweet mouth and soft tongue of hers stroking elsewhere … lapping at his taut, heated skin, sliding along male erogenous zones, and swirling along the length of his rigid cock.

Oh, yeah, especially that.

The sexual tension between them was strong and undeniable, triggering a hunger in him that settled in his lap in the form of a killer hard-on.

If they were going to be working side by side, she deserved to know exactly how he felt about her, and just how much she tempted him. “I have to warn you, I don’t know how the hell I’m going to keep my hands off you,” he said.

Liz’s chest tightened at Steve’s unabashed statement, and an internal kind of heat rippled through her. Her pulse kicked into high gear, and she managed, just barely, to remain outwardly composed.

But she couldn’t deny that his blatant interest aroused her. As did the casual way he sat in his chair and held her gaze, so confident and one hundred percent male. A dark-haired, blue-eyed rogue who had no qualms about hesitating to go after what he wanted.

At the moment, she was the object of his desires.

And he’d been hers for weeks.

She knew a challenge when she heard one, and she displayed an ample amount of daring to match his. “Who says I want you to keep your hands off me?”

A dark brow rose over one of those disarming, see-everything eyes of his. He looked both taken off guard at her brazen response and pleased at her temerity. “Nice to know the sentiment is reciprocated, especially since I’ve wanted you since the first time I walked into The Daily Grind for a drink and you asked me what my pleasure was,” he said, stunning her with his confession. “It’s that ring on your finger that’s kept me from pursuing you sooner, but now that I know you’re single and our interest in one another is mutual, maybe it’s time we found out what my pleasures really are.”

She pressed a hand to the fluttering in her stomach. She couldn’t believe where this conversation was heading. Couldn’t believe what he was suggesting. Letting this irresistible fantasy man of hers become reality in the purest sense awakened her baser feminine needs and beckoned to the wanton woman within her, who was drawn to that intoxicating blend of bad-boy eroticism and adventure he exuded.

When she remained quiet, he went on. “As much as I want you, I suppose it’s only fair to let you know that I’ve been married before and I’m not looking for anything long-term or complicated—just in case that matters.”

She offered him a wry smile, appreciating his honesty, even while her mind absorbed the enormity of what he was proposing. “Well, we definitely have
that
in common.”

He tipped his head and regarded her speculatively. “You’re divorced?”

“Widowed, actually, though the marriage should have ended in divorce,” she said, revealing more than she’d
intended. She highly doubted that sharing details of their private lives was part of any deal between them.

“Yet you’re still wearing your wedding ring?” His curious gaze dropped to the ring on her left hand, silently asking for an explanation.

She twirled the gold band around her finger, for the first time ever feeling self-conscious for wearing it for the sole purpose of avoiding men’s advances. “The ring isn’t mine. It was my mother’s, and my aunt saved it for me after my parents died, then gave it to me on my eighteenth birthday. I wear it because I’m not looking for anything complicated right now, either.”

He rocked back in his chair and rubbed his thumb along his jaw in an absent caress, studying her from across the expanse of space separating them. Then, abruptly he asked, “Are you afraid of me?”

Odd question, she thought. “Should I be?”

“Depends on the situation and circumstances,” he said, giving her the distinct impression that he was testing her, though she had no idea why. “Yes or no?”

Her heart beat hard in her chest, the thrill of the forbidden heightening her anticipation. “No, I’m not afraid of you.”

Sliding back his chair from his desk, he crooked his finger at her, his striking blue eyes smoldering with a heady, come-hither invitation that made her insides turn to jelly. “Then come here, sit on my lap, and prove it.”

L
iz was coming to realize that Steve Wilde was a take-no-prisoners kind of guy, especially when it came to seducing women. Her, to be exact.

He sat casually in his office chair, so utterly male, so intensely sexual without trying to be, while waiting for her to obey his command. The arrogance in his gaze was entirely unapologetic, as if he had every right to be confident. As if he knew she found his calm self-assurance not only a challenge but a huge turn-on as well.

He was right.

She could only imagine what he had in mind for her, but she was ready for anything. Anticipation swirled low in her belly, and unable to resist his allure, she moved across the space separating them and settled herself across his lap. His thighs were firm and muscular beneath her bottom, and the denim material of his jeans scratched the backs of her bare legs in an arousing way.

Even though she wasn’t used to playing such impulsive sexual games with a man, she was determined to be as bold and confident as he was. After all, if she in-
tended to become a phone sex operator, didn’t she need to become a brazen, fearless vixen?

Slipping one arm around his neck, she splayed her other hand on the soft cotton T-shirt covering his wide chest and met his gaze. This close, she could see flecks of gold in his hot blue eyes, could smell the heady warmth of his own arousal, could feel his deep, even breaths beneath her palm.

He countered her advance by placing his big hand just below where the hem of her skirt ended. The heat of his long fingers branded her flesh while his callused thumb swept slowly, tantalizingly across the smooth, sensitive skin of her inner thigh.

“Kiss me,” he said simply, and left the next move up to her.

She’d instinctively known he wasn’t a man who’d let her go on her way with a politically correct, chaste handshake. Not after they’d brought their attraction out in the open and she’d all but told him she wanted his hands on her. It appeared Steve was a man who enjoyed the chase, as well as issuing outrageous dares. And right now, he apparently expected her to put her money where her mouth was and give him physical proof of her desire for him.

Surprisingly, she didn’t feel as though she was compromising her virtue—or anything else, for that matter—because she wanted him, too. After three years of being sensible, practical, and celibate, she was beyond ready to indulge in a little excitement and adventure—a sexy, temporary fling that would end as soon as they tracked her wayward cousin.

Lowering her head, she touched her lips to his warm, firm mouth—soft, slow, and sweet. He didn’t seem inclined to deepen the kiss, and confusion and uncertainty made her draw back to assess his expression.

He appeared unimpressed by her initial attempt to
seduce him. “Is that the best you can do?” A lofty smile quirked the corner of his mouth.

She should have been insulted, but she saw his taunting comment as the direct provocation he meant it to be. He was testing her to see how far she’d go with him, how willing she’d be to satisfy his every whim. She’d craved him for so long, she was eager to experience whatever he had to offer. And she intended to demonstrate that she was game for anything and everything he tossed her way, and that she wasn’t about to be a passive partner to his more assertive nature.

Threading her fingers through the thick, silky hair at the nape of his neck, she curved her other hand along his strong jawline and pushed his chin down with her thumb so that his lips parted for her. This time when her mouth met his, she bypassed all slow, coaxing preliminaries and went straight for hot and devouring. Her tongue swept into his mouth and tangled with his, and she tasted the pure, unadulterated sensuality that was so much a part of him. She shivered, unable to stop the slow, sultry ache spreading through her belly, or the slick moisture settling between her thighs.

Certain she’d given him more than enough proof of her enthusiasm, she started to pull back, only to have him thwart her attempt. He cupped the back of her head in his palm to hold her in place, and with a low growl she felt rumble up from his chest, he slanted his mouth across hers and took control of the embrace.

Presumptuous and dominant, he kissed her with potent male heat. Branded her with the strength and depth of his passion. Excited her with the heated stroke of his hand on her bare thigh, and the promise of forbidden, illicit pleasures to come.

His unmistakable erection pressed against her hip—long, hard, and thick, fueling her imagination of what it would feel like to have that impressive, solid length filling
her. Stretching her. Pumping deep inside her in a grinding, full-bodied rhythm.

She shuddered at the thought and groaned. Oh, God, it had been so, so long …

Her breasts swelled within the confines of her bra, and she shifted restlessly on his lap, wanton and needy as his lips and tongue continued their lush, hungry assault on her mouth and senses. Knowing their relationship was nothing more than a temporary diversion and purely for the sake of mutual pleasure gave her the freedom to let go of inhibitions. To give generously and take greedily. To grasp and enjoy one last provocative fling with an untamable bad boy before she turned her sights on a man more straitlaced and ordinary. A steadfast man who’d make her aunt and uncle proud of her choice and make up for the huge disappointment Travis had turned out to be.

With that thought filling her mind, and her body desperate for a more physical contact, she released three of the buttons on her blouse, then reached for the masculine hand still on her thigh. Lifting his long, warm fingers to her neck, she flattened his hand against the erratic pulse in her throat and brazenly skimmed his palm down to the slope of her breast, silently telling him what she wanted. What she needed.

He effortlessly took over from there, slipping his fingers into her stretch-lace bra and molding them to her feminine curves. A delightful sigh escaped her as he cupped and kneaded her soft flesh in a firm, sensuous caress.

The hand at the back of her head pulled her closer, and he continued to kiss her, damp lips melding and silky tongues mating intimately. He plucked at her sensitive nipple, rolled the stiff crest between his fingers, and she moaned into his mouth and shamelessly arched into his touch, begging for more.

Abruptly he ended their seductive interlude and buried his face against her throat, his breathing coming as fast and ragged as her own. “Christ,” he muttered in awe, the one word summing up just how fiery and intense their attraction was.

She laughed huskily, understanding just how dazed he felt. “I need to go,” she said, trying to hang on to a semblance of rational thinking.

He lifted his head from the crook of her neck, his lashes half-mast and a sinful grin in place. “Yeah, you do, before you end up sprawled on my desk with your skirt up around your waist and me between your thighs.” He gave her breast a possessive squeeze.

Her cheeks warmed at his blatantly sexual statement, and while temptation beckoned, other more immediate responsibilities demanded her attention—the kind of duty and obligation that took precedence over her desire for Steve.

“I don’t want to be late for my interview at The Ultimate Fantasy,” she reminded him.

“You’re right. We’ll have plenty of time to finish this later.” Slowly he withdrew his hand from her breast, buttoned up her blouse, and lifted his gaze to hers. “And just for the record, your second attempt was much better than the first, sweetheart. I like a woman who isn’t shy or modest about taking what she needs—or giving me what I want. You do both quite well.”

The compliment boosted her confidence in a way nothing had in a long time, and she couldn’t resist flashing him a quick grin. “Thank you.” She slid from his lap and straightened her skirt, doing her best to smooth out her appearance and regain her composure.

He stood, too, and grimaced as he adjusted the noticeable bulge straining against the fly of his jeans. Then he grabbed the keys on the corner of his desk and started for the door. “Come on, let’s go.”

Confused, she caught his arm as he passed her, forcing him to stop. “What do you mean, ‘Let’s go'?”

“Since I’m officially on this case, I’m driving you to the interview,” he replied simply.

She frowned. “Steve, I don’t need a chauffeur. I’m more than capable of driving myself.”

In a split second, his demeanor turned commanding, his expression reflecting a compelling amount of authority that made it clear who was in charge. “Look, in order for this partnership between us to work, when it comes to your involvement with The Ultimate Fantasy, you need to trust my judgment and reasons without questioning them. I need to stick close to your side whenever possible, especially where this case is concerned. I also need to know where the offices for The Ultimate Fantasy are located, and while you’re in your interview I can get a gut feeling for the establishment and decide whether or not I need to put the place under surveillance.”

Unable to argue against his valid point, she nodded and reached for her purse. “You’re the boss.” She turned back around, startled to find that he’d moved directly in front of her.

He clasped her upper arms in his big hands, his eyes direct and darkly sensual. “And I’ll advise you not to forget who’s in charge,” he said gruffly. Pulling her to his muscular frame, he kissed her—a hot, deep act of possession that left her weak-kneed and lightheaded.

Once he released her, she skimmed her tongue along her lower lip, growing used to the arousing taste of him and his aggressive nature. Both thrilled her. “What was that for?”

“Because I wanted to,” he said, most definitely staking a claim on her and letting her know he was a man who took what he wanted—sometimes without asking.
“And since you’re mine for the time being, you might as well get used to enjoying a bit of spontaneity.”

Anytime, anywhere.
She read the tantalizing message in his eyes and accepted his challenge. Spontaneity and impulsive acts, she could handle. It was what she
craved,
to add some spice and excitement in the current sensible, straitlaced life she’d led for the past three years.

And she was depending on Steve Wilde to deliver on both accounts.

From behind the dark lenses of his Oakley sunglasses, Steve casually surveyed the five-story brick building that Liz had disappeared into for her interview—which looked like every other building in the general vicinity of downtown Chicago. According to the directions the receptionist at The Ultimate Fantasy had given to Liz, the business occupied the entire third floor. He counted up three stories, but the tinted, reflective film on the windows protected the company’s privacy and hid their secrets well.

Over the course of the next twenty minutes he kept a low profile in his black SUV, situated in the back section of the parking lot. He watched people come and go from the building—some dressed in business suits and carrying briefcases, and others in casual wear. There was nothing out of the ordinary that caught his attention, or anything to indicate that an illicit sex operation dominated the third floor of the building.

Setting up surveillance was unnecessary, he concluded. If The Ultimate Fantasy hosted swinging, wild erotic sex parties, he was positive they didn’t take place here, in an openly public district. No, most likely there was another private, secluded haven in which their elite clients explored sexual fantasies and other illegal dealings. And it was up to Liz to gain them access to that
exclusive world of sin and iniquity in order to find out more information on Valerie’s whereabouts and on the boyfriend who’d accompanied her to a previous party.

But first, Liz had to get hired on as a phone sex operator, and he had no doubt she’d be successful in obtaining the position. She had determination and sass aplenty, along with an innate sensuality about her that would no doubt appeal to her employer—just as she’d stirred his baser male instincts from the first time he’d laid eyes on her.

As the minutes dragged on, he kept his gaze locked on the front entrance of the building, but his mind wandered to Liz’s enthusiastic participation in the kiss they’d shared earlier. They’d all but caught fire from that sizzling embrace, confirming that everything about their agreed-upon affair would be an equal give-and-take of untold pleasures. Hot, satisfying sex—lots of it, and any way either of them wanted it.

Despite the sampling he’d taken in his office, he was still hot and hard for her. Arousal buzzed through his veins, making him too damned restless and reminding him just how long he’d been without a woman.

Oh, he’d had plenty of offers, but there was no one else he’d wanted in his bed other than Liz. For the past month she’d played a starring role in the nightly erotic dreams that taunted him. Now those wicked fantasies were going to become reality. Soon he’d have Liz stripped naked beneath him, her voluptuous breasts and nipples all his to lick, suck, and feast on. Soon he’d be able to inhale the feminine scent that clung to her skin and taste all her hottest, sweetest places. Soon he’d finally get to bury his cock deep inside her and feel the tight clasp of her body around his sex as they drove each other to completion.

His groin throbbed in anticipation, and he shifted in his leather seat with a harsh exhale, which did nothing
to ease the fierce erection making itself known.
Soon.
He needed to be patient and bide his time. First and foremost, their main priority was to locate her missing cousin and ensure her safety. Their affair and mutual attraction was merely a bonus they’d indulge in after hours, when there was nothing to concentrate on but each other.

Giving himself a firm mental shake back to his present situation, he resumed his watch for Liz. Five minutes later, he released a grateful stream of breath when she emerged from the double glass doors, giving him something other than his unruly, sorely neglected libido to focus on.

She wasn’t alone. A petite brunette accompanied Liz out of the building, with the two of them carrying on a conversation until they reached the other woman’s car. They talked for another minute or so, then went their separate ways, with Liz heading toward his vehicle, hips swaying and a light bounce in her step that captivated him—as did everything about her.