Too Wilde to Tame

being coerced by his three sisters to be their miniature-sized doll to do with as they pleased, was just too funny to imagine.

During the next half hour, as they finished with dinner preparations, Cameron's sisters and mother regaled Mia with more amusing tales that had her in absolute stitches. Each story was more outrageous and hilarious than the last.

Hearing how Cameron had grown up, surrounded by fun-loving girls, made Mia realize just how vastly different her life had been with three older brothers watching over her. While the Sinclair sisters had treated Cameron with affection and open candor and acceptance, her own brothers had taken their jobs of protecting her very seriously. Too seriously, she thought, knowing that was part of the reason why she'd rebelled at such an early age.

The kitchen was teeming with feminine giggles and chuckles when Cameron walked in, a playful scowl on his face. 'I can hear you girls laughing all the way out in the living room, and I have this sneaking suspicion that I'm the butt of the tales you're sharing with Mia.'

'Of course you are,' Susan said unapologetically as she grabbed knives and forks from the silverware drawer to set the table for dinner.

From across the wooden island, Mia watched Cameron roll his eyes heavenward. 'Did you happen to tell Mia how I had absolutely no privacy in this house and how you'd barge into my room without ever knocking, even while I was changing?'

'Hey, I helped Mom change your diapers when you were a baby,' Claudia reminded him with a cheeky grin. 'I saw everything there was to see, so it was no big deal.'

'Well, it was certainly a big deal to me' he stated with feigned gruffness. 'And what about how the three of you hogged the two spare bathrooms for hours on end and used up all the hot water so I had to take cold showers?'

Heather reached out and patted Cameron on the cheek, summoning a sympathetic look. 'Awww, poor baby,' she said, though it was obvious she was holding in her laughter.

'We were just trying to help prepare you for the future,' Claudia piped in as she refilled Mia's empty glass with more wine. 'You know, get you used to taking cold showers after your dates.'

'Thank you very much.' Cameron shook his head ruefully and cast a grin at Mia. 'It's amazing that I turned out to be a normal guy without any issues or hang-ups.'

'You turned out just fine.' Barbara poured the cooked spaghetti into a large bowl and said over her shoulder, 'and I have to add that because of your sisters, you learned to treat women with respect. You were a polite boy, and every mother on this street wanted her daughter to end up with someone like you. They knew they could trust you not to take advantage of their daughters.'

'Yeah, you were quite the catch during your high school years.' Susan picked up the large platter of heated garlic bread and started for dining room.

It was easy to envision Cameron surrounded by a slew of pretty young girls, all vying for his attention. With his good looks and charm, Mia had no doubts he had the pick of the litter. Probably still did.

Barbara placed a big bowl of steaming, fragrant spaghetti sauce in Cameron's hands. 'Now help us set the table so we can eat dinner,' she said, treating him no differently from the girls she'd had in terms of domestic tasks-even though he was grown man and no longer lived in the house.

He feigned an exasperated sigh, though he was smiling when he glanced Mia's way. 'Some things never change.'

Chapter Eleven

AFTER dinner and cleanup, the family converged back in the living room with their stomachs filled with a delicious meal and the atmosphere mellowed by good wine. From across the room, Cameron glanced at Mia, who was sitting on the couch next to Heather, while conversing with his family. Thank God his sisters had finally run out of embarrassing stories about him in his youth and had moved on to other topics that no longer centered around him.

Mia laughed at something Susan's husband, Ted, said, the light sound brimming with genuine amusement. Cameron smiled at just how beautiful she looked when she was happy and was glad he'd invited her to come tonight. Not only because he wanted Claudia to meet the woman who'd created her birthday present, but because Mia obviously needed the distraction from the more uncertain issues going on in her life. Even if it was just for a few hours.

She appeared relaxed and very comfortable around his family, which didn't surprise him at all. Despite her initial nervousness, her outgoing personality made it easy for everyone to like her-including his nieces and nephews. The younger ones, especially, seemed drawn to her. And who wouldn't be, considering Mia's warm smile and the way her gray eyes lit up when one of the children came up to her or tried to get her attention-which she always gave them. And that kept them coming back for more.

Three-year-old Marissa, who seemed completely infatuated with Mia, had managed to maneuver her way up onto Mia's lap in that mischievous way of hers no adult could resist. The little girl leaned against Mia's chest, fascinated with the shiny silver bracelets Mia was wearing on her arm and the tinkling sound they made whenever she moved her hand.

'If she's being a bother, just set her down and tell her to go play with the others,' Claudia said about her young daughter.

'She's no bother at all,' Mia said and gently ran her finger through the little girl's soft curls. 'She's just as sweet as can be.'

'At the moment, yes,' Heather jumped in. As Marissa's aunt, she was very aware of her personality and mood swings, as they all were. 'But that's subject to change at a moment's notice.'

Marissa, oblivious to the conversation about her, blinked up at Mia, her dark lashes framing her pretty blue eyes. 'Bwacelets on my hand?' she asked and pointed to her own wrist.

Mia gave in to the request without hesitation, and Cameron had to swallow a chuckle at what a soft touch she was. 'Sure you can wear them, so long as you give them back before I leave, okay?'

'Okay.' Marissa beamed happily, and it was clear to everyone in the room that Mia had just been conned by one very sly little girl.

Mia removed the bracelets from her wrist and slipped them onto Marissa's arm. She immediately shook her fist and squealed in delight as the silver trinkets made that musical, jingling sound for her.

'Tank you!' Marissa said and then scooted off Mia's lap and scampered off to show the others what she'd managed to confiscate, the little imp.

Once the laughter in the room subsided, Barbara made an announcement. 'It's time for Claudia to open her birthday presents.'

Susan helped stack the wrapped gifts on the table in front of Claudia, and his sister spent the next half hour opening each one. She received her favorite perfume from Heather, a luxurious bath and body gift set and certificate to spend the day at the spa for pampering from Susan, a pair of gold and diamond earrings she'd had her eye on from her husband, and a crystal figurine from their mom and dad to add to her growing collection.

'I didn't forget about you, sis,' Cameron said once she was done opening those gifts. Standing, he went to retrieve the present he'd left over in the corner for her to open last and handed it to her. 'I actually managed to get you something unique and original this year.'

'What, no gift card to a department store?' she teased, knowing Cameron had given up long ago trying to figure out what his sisters wanted or needed and had resorted to purchasing gift certificates to their favorite places to shop instead.

'Hey, it's your fortieth birthday,' he said as he sat back down in his seat. 'I wanted to give you something special to commemorate you being so old.'

She narrowed her gaze at him, though laughter sparkled in her eyes. 'After that remark, this better be a great present.'

As she eagerly ripped off the wrapping paper and opened the box, Cameron glanced at Mia. She was watching