He was still gasping for air when she moved away, a pleased smile on her face as she slowly licked her glistening bottom lip. He groaned, amazed at this woman's ability to turn him inside out with wanting, even after he'd just had an incredibly explosive orgasm.
"That was… fun." Mia's amused tone vibrated like a soft purr in the darkened cab of the vehicle. "It's nice to know you do have an adventurous side."
When it came to her, he realized he was game for just about anything-and that being adventurous did have its perks. She excited him and added an element of surprise to his life he was coming to enjoy. A whole lot. "Yeah, well, you seem to bring out a reckless, daring side in me."
She tipped her head, causing her hair to slide over her shoulder in a beguiling way. "Is that a bad thing?"
"No. Not at all." Now that his heart rate had slowed and his body was no longer shaking, he readjusted the front of jeans and zipped them back up. "Actually, I kinda like it."
"That's good to hear." Smiling, she glanced out the side window. "Hey, there's two women walking out of the restaurant. Is that who you're waiting for?"
A quick look confirmed it was Trish and the other dark-haired woman who had dinner with her. Swearing beneath his breath, he reached for the camera in the backseat. He'd almost missed her, and how in the hell would he have explained that to Doug Shelton?
I'm sorry, but I was lost in the most incredible blow job of my entire life and didn't see your wife leave the restaurant…
Oh, yeah, that would go over real well, he thought wryly.
He took the pictures he needed of Trish and the lady who'd accompanied her and came to the conclusion that bringing Mia on any future surveillance jobs wasn't a good idea. The woman was just too damn tempting and distracting. And resisting her, in any way, was impossible.
Chapter Ten
CAMERON'S home office printer spit out the report he'd just typed up, and he tucked the statement of recent events into the Shelton file to courier to Doug on Monday, along with copies of the pictures he'd taken of his wife and the woman he now knew as Margot Talbert, a graphic artist who worked for a reputable firm in Chicago.
Thank God he'd manage to shake the lustful fog after Mia's erotic lip service last Wednesday night enough to remember to get a close-up shot of Margot's car and license plate, which had enabled him to find out her name and home address. Doug didn't know who Margot Talbert was, so it was up to Cameron to discover what the other woman's relationship was to Trish. A casual acquaintance? A business associate? Or something more?
He typed up a few more case reports, answered e-mails, and downloaded some information he needed off the Internet before deciding it was time to call it a night. It was nearly ten p.m., and even though it was Saturday and the weekend, he'd spent the day doing background checks on a few witnesses, tracing a lead on an insurance fraud case, and meeting with Wesley at the office to follow up on the cases he and Steve had given the other man to work on.
So far, Wes was proving to be a huge asset to the company, especially when it came to computers and electronics. The kid could hack into a computer in the blink of an eye, and he knew the ins and outs of surveillance equipment like the back of his hand-including planting bugs and hidden cameras. Wes's knowledge blew Cameron away, and both he and Steve saw this as the perfect opportunity to expand the business to include a security division.
Done for the evening, Cameron shut down his computer and stretched his arms above his head to pull the kinks from the muscles along his back and shoulders. He needed a long, hot shower, and a good night's sleep-but not until after he called Mia for the evening.
It had become a nightly ritual to check in with her. His days were swamped, and she knew he was reachable by cell phone should she need him for anything, but he hadn't had the chance to see her since the night he'd followed Trish. There had been no more incidences with Mia, and despite her contrary nature, fear had her laying low at home per his instructions. He didn't want her out on her own after dark with the possibility of someone watching and stalking her.
They'd skipped going to The Electric Blue this past Friday because Cameron had a meeting with a client. Besides, even though he knew frequenting the popular bar was their best shot at finding the person behind the pictures, he didn't like using Mia as bait or as a plant. Not until he discovered who was harassing and scaring her.
Unearthing the person intimidating Mia wasn't turning out to be an easy process. For one thing, the pictures she'd received weren't traceable, and he only had a few key people as viable suspects-with Ray topping the list. And he was proving to be a very difficult man to track-a man seemingly without a past beyond his life in Chicago.
Releasing a tired sigh, Cameron pushed away from his desk, and from across the room his gaze landed on the hummingbird stained-glass design he'd bought from Mia a week ago for his sister's birthday tomorrow. He'd set the piece up against the window for safekeeping until Claude's party, and in the mornings when the sun shone through the window, the cut glass cast prisms of vibrant, sparkling colors across the walls and ceiling.
Every time the dazzling artwork caught his eye it reminded him of Mia, her talent, and her secret, erotic pieces no one knew about except him. He'd watched her excitement and enthusiasm that night and had known, without a doubt, that this was what she was meant to do.
He wasn't an art collector by any means, but unless he was missing something, he couldn't imagine her artwork not appealing to everyone on different levels. The range of her designs were so broad-from subtle, to striking, to extravagant and even eccentric. She even did custom work, and the erotic stuff… man, he knew that once the right people got wind of her specialty and the word spread, she'd be set. If only she had the confidence to take the risk and follow her dreams of making a living with her designs.
She needed to get her designs out there for people to find and buy-and not just in a consignment shop. She needed something bigger, with more exposure and the right clientele. And he had an idea of how she could accomplish exactly that.
With his mind still on Mia and her stained-glass designs, he headed to the master bathroom, stripped off his clothes, and stepped beneath the steamy-hot spray of water to take a shower. He'd purchased the hummingbird piece for Claude because he honestly knew she'd love the design and the way it lit up in the sunlight. But he had to admit he'd had ulterior motives in mind, because his sister's good friend owned an art gallery in the city that showcased everything from paintings to sculptures and anything else that could be interpreted as a rare and one-of-a-kind collectible. He was hoping Claude would see the potential in Mia's creations and possibly put in a good word for Mia and help give her that initial boost she needed to get started.
He shampooed his hair and washed his body, thinking that the introduction and recommendation had to be done in a way that didn't look like an obvious setup. He knew Mia and that stubborn streak of hers well enough to know she'd never accept what she perceived as charity. He needed the idea to be introduced casually and naturally, in a way that didn't come across as planned or contrived.
As he got out of the shower and dried off, he decided the best way to accomplish his goal was to invite Mia to his sister's birthday get-together tomorrow afternoon at his parent's place. When Claude opened her gift, he'd let her know Mia had created the design… and then he'd let things play out from there and hope for the best.
He laughed to himself as he thought about his family meeting Mia for the first time, and how they might react to her wearing something as sexy and wild as those lace-up boots of hers. And then there was her outrageous personality that had the ability to shock, and her open sensuality that was evident in the way she walked, talked, and dressed. Outwardly, Mia was the complete opposite of his mother and sisters in just about every way. And he was certain those contrasts were bound to make for an interesting and amusing evening.