Born to Be Wilde

time in his class when Cassie had never had an issue with math before. Daniel had found the whole cause behind Cassie's apparent struggle in math amusing and typical of a teenager, but he'd learned enough about Sydney, and how overly protective she was of her daughter, to know that she was not going to take the news of Cassie's deception well at all.

He knocked hard on the establishment's main door, and less than a minute later Sydney was there, letting him inside, looking gorgeous and sexy, as always. Soft auburn curls spilled over her shoulders in a sultry disarray, and she was wearing a long-sleeved, low-cut cotton top that hugged her voluptuous curves, as did her skinny jeans. After a quick hello, she led him back to her office, where they could sit down and talk. She sat down behind her desk, and he took one of the chairs in front of her.

'So, what's up with Cass?' she asked, getting right to the point.

As Sydney stared at him impatiently, Daniel had the distinct and unsettling feeling that today's conversation was going to be a turning point for them, and not in a good way. That all the emotional headway he'd made with her over the past few weeks, all the dates and getting-to-know-you conversations they'd had, and the hot foreplay that he never let turn into the actual sex she wanted from him, was going to go up in smoke right before his very eyes.

He could tell by her rigid posture and the guarded look in her gaze that she'd already erected those frustrating barriers between them. The ones that told him she was falling back into that self-preservation mode of hers that shut down her emotions and kept him at a distance. It was such a natural, ingrained response from her that he was pretty sure she didn't even realize she'd done it. But he read those signals loud and clear, and it didn't bode well for him at all.

'Earth to Daniel,' she said, waving a hand in front of him to get his attention. 'Are you still with me?'

'Sorry.' He shook his head to wipe those other thoughts from his mind, and redirected his focus on the reason he was there. 'You know I've been working with Cass over the past few weeks, and watching her during tutoring, and I'm pretty sure I've discovered what's up with her inconsistent homework and test scores.'

She folded her hands on top of her desk, her fingers clasped tight. 'Is everything okay?'

'Well, that depends on your definition of 'okay,' ' he said lightly. Knowing they were about to tread upon a very serious topic, he choose his words, and explanation, carefully. 'The good news is, Cassie is completely capable of doing the math homework I give out, and her test scores have improved.'

'Thank God,' she said, breathing a sigh of relief that also released the beginnings of a smile. 'I've been trying to stay on top of her at home on a nightly basis, and I'm sure the after school tutoring is helping, too.'

'Tutoring does have something to do with her improvement, but not in the way you think. The thing is, Cassie never needed the help in the first place.'

Sydney's smile immediately faded, and confusion creased her auburn brows. 'I'm not quite sure I'm following you on this.'

Standing, he came around to where she was sitting, and propped himself on an edge of the desk that wasn't piled with paperwork. 'Remember when I told you that I encourage students to pair up during after school tutoring sessions to help one another while I'm working one on one with someone?'

She leaned back in her chair and nodded. 'Yes.'

'Well, I noticed that when I made the suggestion that the students choose a partner, Cassie was quick to pick hers.' There was no easy way to tell Sydney what he knew, no way to sugarcoat the truth that would send this protective mother over the edge. So, he attempted to keep his tone and demeanor casual, in hopes that it would keep Sydney calm, too. 'She chose a boy named Ryan, who I noticed also tends to flirt with her during regular class time.'

Sydney's complexion paled, and her eyes grew wide with something akin to fear. 'Oh, God, are you saying that Cassie deliberately dropped her test scores and grades to get into after-school tutoring in hopes of being with this boy?'

He slid his hands into the front pockets of his khaki trousers. 'That's definitely how it looks, though I didn't want to call Cassie on her behavior until after I talked to you.'

'Well you can be damn sure I'll set her straight as soon as I get home!' she said adamantly, then ran a shaking hand through her hair. 'What the hell is she thinking, playing dumb and risking her grades for some boy?'

Daniel could tell that Sydney was on the verge of hysterics, and decided to share with her the positive aspects of the situation. 'What's funny is that Cassie did most of the helping when she was paired up with Ryan, because she knew the problems, and as a result they both ended up with an A on a test I gave the class.' He grinned.

'Hell, if she can tutor the boy and get his grades to improve, too, what's wrong with that?'

Her gaze narrowed at him. 'What's wrong is that she has no business getting involved with this boy!'

'He's a nice, decent kid, Sydney,' he said, trying to soften the situation and reassure her that Cassie hadn't gone after some hoodlum. 'He's even a little shy. I've met his parents, and they're good people, too. The kind that care about their son and his education. Just like you do with Cassie.'

'I don't give a shit if he's the Prince of England!' She abruptly stood up, her tone angry, 'Jesus, was he the reason why she wanted to go to that Halloween party so badly?'

'I'm sure he was there,' he said automatically, then wished he'd kept his mouth shut when Sydney grew even more furious.

She paced to the other side of the office, and he felt the distance she put between them like a cold chill. 'God, now she's lying to me and sneaking around, too. What's next?' Her voice broke with anguish.

He sighed, trying to keep his own frustration in check. 'I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems.'

She spun back around and glared at him. 'You did not just say that.'

He truly didn't understand her extreme reaction to the situation, 'It's normal teenage behavior, and I see it all the time at school. She's a fifteen-year-old girl who has a crush on a boy and wants to get his attention. In her mind, playing down her math skills so she could get into after school tutoring was her subtle way of doing it.' He moved off the desk and stood, facing her. 'Trust me, kids do stupid things sometimes, and while I agree that Cassie never should have jeopardized her grades, I've seen kids do much, much worse.' Cassie's actions were mild in comparison to the kind of the peer pressure some girls caved into in order to impress boys.

Sydney's chin jutted out, and she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. 'Yeah, well, I know what that 'much worse' is, and there is no way I'm going to let Cassie make the same mistakes that I did.'

He had the feeling that they'd just crossed over into uncharted territory for him-that for as much as he knew about Sydney and her past, there was a whole lot more he didn't know that tied into her need to insulate her daughter from the real world. 'What are you talking about, Syd?'

'I know exactly what teenage boys want from girls who show them the least bit of interest,' she stated adamantly. 'I already told you about my past, about my mother's heroin addiction and overdose and how I was sent to a foster home. Well, what I didn't tell you was that it was my own foster brother who took my virginity and got me pregnant with Cassie.'

What came to mind was the worst kind of scenario he could imagine. 'He raped you?'

She shook her head, causing her curls to tumble wildly around her face. 'Oh, no, he didn't have to force me.' Her tone was infused with bitterness and regrets. 'I was fourteen years old, I already had the body of a centerfold, just like my own daughter does, and Tim Carson was two years older than I was. He said all the right things and led me to believe that he loved me, and because I was so young and naive and wanted more than anything to be loved, I gave in and had sex with him. Three months later I'm pregnant and Tim's denying that he's the father, and his parents chose to believe him. In fact, they accused me of trying to trap their son by claiming the child was his, then promptly called the state to come and pick me up.'

The pain etched on Sydney's expression made Daniel's heart break. He'd known she'd had a rough past, but he had no idea just how bad it had been. Now he understood that tough attitude of hers, but he also knew it masked a more vulnerable, insecure side to Sydney, as well. Like the woman who craved love and acceptance, but had never received it. A woman who'd opted to be brash and bold in order to protect her emotions.

And most especially, a woman who based a relationship purely on sex, because she didn't believe herself worthy of love.

'After that, Tim told his buddies at school that I was nothing more than a whore who put out, which had most