Born to Be Wilde

She felt tears of frustration burn the backs of her eyes. Frustration and fear for Zach's life, she knew. 'He can't get professional help if he's dead!'

The tension riding across Joel's broad shoulders eased, and his voice softened, too. But not his words. 'Those people are still going to want the rest of the money, Lora.'

'I'll take out a loan,' she said, desperate for some kind of solution.

Joel shook his head sadly. 'I'm not going to let you do that. You have to understand that Zach's behavior has become a vicious cycle, Lora. Unless you make him accountable for his actions somehow, instead of making it easy on him every single time he finds himself in a bind, then this gambling addiction of his will never end.'

As much as it pained her, she knew deep down inside that Joel was right. It was hard to accept that truth, even more difficult to let her brother find his way out of this mess alone. 'There has to be something I can do.'

As if understanding her dilemma, he closed the distance between them and rubbed his hands down her flannel-covered arms, his caress as gentle and caring as the look in his eyes. 'Right now the best thing you can do for yourself, and for Zach, is to keep yourself out of harm's way. That said, I don't think it's a good idea for you to return to work, at the spa or the bar, until this is over.'

For her, that wasn't an option. 'I don't intend to cower or hide, or keep myself cooped up for who knows how long.' She lifted her jaw stubbornly, refusing to back down on the issue. 'I have a life, and I have a job that means a lot to me, and there's no reason for me to take a leave of absence. Now that I know what's going on, I'm not going to do anything stupid like I did last night. Besides, didn't you promise Zach you'd protect me?'

He narrowed his gaze at her, and his arms dropped back down to his sides. 'Yeah, I did, but I'm not Superman, Lora. It's difficult enough being responsible for someone without them making themselves a direct target.' He paced away from her, then spun back around. 'You saw what those men were capable of, and while I don't plan to let you out of my sight again, there are things that I can't anticipate, or that are out of my control, that can happen.'

'I'm not a coward, Joel,' she said, and meant it. 'Sure, those men scared the hell out of me, but I've never run or hidden from anything in my entire life, and I'm not about to start now. If they want me bad enough, they'll find a way to get me, whether it's on the street with you, or in my apartment. I'm not changing every aspect of my life just because I'm afraid.'

He studied her for a long moment, then, obviously realizing that there was nothing he could do or say to change her mind, he exhaled a long, harsh breath. 'Fine.'

She relaxed, grateful that that particular fight was over. 'Thank you. Now that we've settled that argument, I'm going back to bed to try to get some sleep.' As if. But she felt so drained and exhausted, emotionally and mentally, and crawling back under the warm covers held immense appeal.

'Lora, wait,' he said when she started to leave the living room. 'There's something else we need to talk about.'

She faced him again, and immediately knew by the reserved look in his gaze, coupled with the gruff, direct tone of his voice, that their conversation was about to take a more personal, intimate turn. She steeled herself for what he was about to say.

He didn't disappoint her. 'About last night-'

'Don't.' She cut off his apology before it could leave his lips. 'Don't you dare say you're sorry for what happened between us last night.'

Even though she now understood why he'd resisted her overtures for so long, there wasn't anything about being with Joel that she regretted. He might have been sent to protect her, but the feelings between them were real.

'We're both adults, and I knew exactly what I was doing when I asked you to make love to me,' she went on before he could interrupt her. 'And we've already had the discussion about your position on sex, relationships, and how you don't like messy emotional attachments, so we don't need to go that route again. I get it, Joel, and I'm not going to start making demands or become some kind of clingy female, so don't worry about it.' Unfortunately, the dull ache in her chest contradicted those words, made a mockery of what she knew to be true.

She was falling in love with Joel Wilde, a man who liked things uncomplicated and commitment-free, and truly believed he wasn't capable of giving a woman what she craved beyond physical pleasure. Yet last night he'd been everything she'd ever needed in her life, everything she'd yearned for as a woman, and so much more. The desire between them had been mutual and real, soul-stirring, and deeply, irrevocably emotional.

And he obviously didn't have a clue. He was a typical, stupid, stubborn man when it came to admitting anything that had to do with his feelings or emotions. And she wasn't one to push or cling to false expectations. She'd learned with her last relationship that you couldn't force someone to love you back.

'I wasn't going to apologize,' he said with a frown, clearly not happy about her tossing his own lecture right back at him. 'But it won't happen again.'

She knew exactly what 'it' referred to, and though his abrupt about-face didn't surprise her, his steely resolve made her all too curious. 'Because?'

'Because my attraction to you is too damned distracting, and it gets in the way of my job of protecting you,' he admitted roughly, and dragged his long fingers through his tousled hair. 'I need a clear, focused head, and thinking about having sex with you isn't conducive to maintaining a sharp and alert presence. That's what got you into trouble with those men last night. My mind wasn't one hundred percent on the job, as it should have been, and I'm not about to make that same mistake again.'

She held back the smile threatening to curve the corners of her mouth. At least he'd admitted to their attraction, even if he was now trying to do the honorable thing by establishing a more professional relationship between them in order for him to keep her safe from harm. That he had to physically and mentally remove himself from the temptation of sleeping with her again said a whole lot about Joel and his true feelings-that sex with her hadn't been easy, casual, or forgettable like every other affair he'd ever had. Because if last night had been all about pure gratuitous sex, he'd be taking advantage of the no-strings-attached fling instead of scrambling to put distance between them, as he was attempting to do right this second.

She could tell him that by not sleeping with her he'd be twice as distracted, but decided to let him figure that out on his own.

For now, she'd let him have his way, and she'd respect those professional boundaries of his. For now, she'd let him believe that their involvement had been a one-night deal, a result of heated passion and the need for her to replace bad memories with more pleasant sensations.

And maybe, if she was lucky, when this situation was over he'd realize that there was more between them than just incredible lust, sizzling desire, and one night of sex.

Chapter Eleven

'SINCE you've never been to Santori's, I can personally guarantee you're in for a real treat.'

Walking side by side through Little Italy toward the restaurant Daniel spoke of, Sydney smiled at her date, still unable to get over the fact that she was going out with a teacher. Cassie's math teacher to be exact. A man who wasn't nearly as uptight and stuffy as she'd originally pegged him to be. He might not possess those bad boy tendencies she was normally attracted to, but he was definitely hotter and sexier than she'd originally given him credit for.

Gone were the slacks, dress shirt, and tie he wore to work, replaced by casual, form-fitting blue jeans and a neatly pressed oxford shirt. The tan leather jacket added to his striking good looks and overall appealing package. One she was more and more tempted to unwrap and enjoy.

She planned to. Later. After an evening of being wined and dined by him. 'I'm definitely looking forward to dinner. I was so busy with inventory at The Electric Blue this afternoon that I missed lunch, so I'm absolutely starved.' Having taken off a Saturday evening, which she very rarely did, she wanted to make sure she left the bar well stocked and the place fully staffed.

'Ahhh, a woman with a healthy appetite for food.' The tone of his voice was warm and appreciative, with just a hint of flirtatious innuendo, 'How refreshing. Women like you who actually eat on a date