the best way for me to keep an eye on Carrie and Ray, and maybe even your neighbor, Will, too,' he said, back to business. 'Because we're essentially trying to set up the culprit into doing something to draw attention to himself, you might want to mention to your friend Carrie and your roommate Gina that you'll be at The Electric Blue on Friday. We'll see who shows up and what happens.'
She nodded. 'That's easy enough to do.'
'Great.' He picked up the photos of her that were still on the counter and tucked them back into the envelope. 'I'll keep these for now, and any others you might happen to get.'
She shuddered to think there might be more. 'I really hope this is a one-time joke, even as sick and deranged as it is.'
'Me, too,' he said, though he didn't sound at all convinced this was the end to her predicament. 'Come on, I'll walk you out to your car.'
He stood, and she quickly placed her hand on his chest to bring him to an abrupt halt. She couldn't believe he'd arouse her to the point of unraveling with his carnally whispered words and bone-melting kiss and was then just going to send her on her way instead of following through on his seduction.
'You can't leave me like this,' she blurted out.
He looked genuinely confused. 'Like what?'
How could he be so dense when she was still so incredibly turned on from his detailed outline of what he'd like to do to her. 'Like I'm right on the verge of…
A crooked grin canted his mouth. 'It's called foreplay, sweetheart.'
'It's called cruel and unusual
He grabbed her wrist before she could jab him again, humor glimmering in the depths of his gorgeous green eyes. 'It's torture of the sweetest kind.'
She jutted her chin out stubbornly. 'Well, there's a cure for what ails me if you won't finish what you started.'
'Oh, I plan to finish you off,' he murmured wickedly and brought her fingers to his lips so he could nibble on the tips. 'But not tonight. And in the meantime, don't you dare take the edge off all this sexual tension I worked so hard to build up.
She opened her mouth to issue a smart-ass retort but lost her voice when his soft, wet tongue slid down between two fingers and flicked at the sensitive webbing connecting the two. She squirmed as if he'd just licked her intimately. 'Oh, God, I can't wait that long.'
'Yes, you can.' He placed an infinitely sweet kiss in the center of her palm, a direct contrast to the ripples of heat and awareness arcing between the two of them. 'You might be calling the shots about me being the one to handle your case, but I'm the one in charge of how and when you come.'
Her jaw nearly dropped open. 'That's ludicrous!'
'Yeah, probably so,' he agreed unrepentantly. 'But you'll do as I ask.'
Every one of her instincts rallied at her to object to his assertive and cocky attitude, as well as his arrogance in taking control of how and when she achieved her own sexual gratification. If it was anyone else, she'd tell them to take a hike. But much to her chagrin, she found herself swallowing back a scathing reply and once again playing the game his way.
Because, as she'd discovered last Friday night, Cameron Sinclair and his sexual expertise were worth waiting for.
CAMERON'S surveillance on Irish Shelton was turning out to be a complete bust, not to mention it was putting a major crimp in his Friday evening plans to meet up with Mia at The Electric Blue.
After a solid five days with no action, Trish had placed a last-minute call to her husband claiming she'd forgotten about a dinner meeting she had with a client. It was definitely cause for suspicion, and Doug Shelton had immediately called Cameron to let him know his wife's plans had abruptly changed.
Seeing it as a prime opportunity to catch the woman in action, so to speak, and put an end to the case, Cameron had grabbed the keys to the company's unmarked Ford Excursion, which was fully stocked with surveillance equipment, and had followed Trish from her office to a nearby restaurant where she was supposed to meet up with her 'client.'
After parking across the street, Cameron had entered the restaurant, scanned the dining area for Trish, and was lucky enough to find a seat at the bar that afforded him a view of her table. He nursed a bottle of beer and waited for a man to arrive to contradict what she'd told her husband. He was sorely disappointed when a woman showed up instead, shook Trish's hand in a professional manner, and sat down to discuss what appeared to be business over dinner.
So much for wrapping up this case, Cameron thought irritably. Once he'd finished his beer, he'd headed back out to the truck to wait for Trish to leave the restaurant so he could take a few pictures of her with the other woman, to show to Doug Shelton that his wife's business dinner had been completely legitimate.
He could have just taken off for the night when the other woman had arrived and written up a report for his client, but Cameron prided himself on being thorough in his surveillance and his investigations. Especially because there was no telling where Trish might be heading once her current business was concluded for the evening.
So in the meantime, he made some calls on his cell phone that he needed to return and set up the camera with the zoom lense so he could capture the evidence on film when the opportunity arose. Time slowly dragged on, and he grew restless and eager to be on his way.
Finally, Trish and the other woman walked out of the restaurant together, enabling Cameron to get the shots he needed. The two ladies went their separate ways, and he tailed Trish from a discreet distance all the way to her house, while placing a call to Doug Shelton to give him a quick update. Once Cameron was assured she was home for the night, he turned around and made his way back into the city.
By then it was nearly eight p.m., a good hour later than when he'd promised Mia he'd be at The Electric Blue. He'd called her earlier to let her know he'd be running late, but he didn't like the thought of Mia being alone at the bar, where someone was possibly watching her and waiting for an opportunity to do something more nefarious than just taking a photograph of her. And he definitely didn't like the thought of other guys hitting on her, dancing with her, or touching her in any way whatsoever.
He stepped on the gas and increased the speed of the Excursion, wishing he was in his power-charged Porsche instead. God, he was getting so sucked in by Mia, and even though she'd managed to manipulate him into helping her, he had to admit he'd agreed for purely selfish reasons, too. Having sex with her again was certainly an incentive, but the woman intrigued him on too many levels to count, and the two mixed together proved to be a dangerous combination not only to his unruly libido, but emotionally as well.
Beyond the scorching heat and attraction the two of them generated, he was drawn to her and all the different facets of her personality: the good qualities, her vulnerable side, and even her way of goading and annoying him. He'd always enjoyed unraveling mysteries, and Mia was one big giant puzzle he was determined to solve. It was all a matter of peeling away the different facades she hid behind and discovering the real woman beneath. Having her and all that fire, energy, and passion in his bed was merely a bonus he had every intention of enjoying to the fullest.
And hopefully, once he figured out her allure, he could get her out of his head and system and move on. Just another case closed.
The ringing of his cell phone pulled him from his thoughts of Mia. He glanced at the hands-free unit display, saw that the call was from his mother, and hit the connect button.
'Hi, Mom.'
'Hi, Cameron,' she said, her soft, cultured tone filling the cab of the vehicle. 'How have you been?'
He winced, knowing his mother's question held a deeper meaning, but she was too polite to outright say he'd been remiss in calling or stopping by lately. 'I've been good, Mom.' And then he wondered if maybe something was wrong. 'Are you and Dad okay?'
'We're fine, honey, though your father has mentioned he sure has missed having a golf outing with his son the past few months.'
