The Wilde Side (16 page)

He heard her suck in a sharp gasp of breath and bit back an exultant grin as he caught her stunned, wide-eyed expression. For the first time in his recent memory, she was at a loss for words with him or a quick, smart-ass response.

Score one for me
, he thought triumphantly. It wasn't often that he was able to shock the unshockable Mia Wilde, and it felt so, so good.

She made her way back behind her desk. Narrowing her gaze at him as if she was still trying to figure out a witty comeback, she punched a button on her phone and spoke. "Scott, Cameron is here to see you."

"Send him on back," came her brother's deep, male reply.

"I know the way," Cameron said before Mia could say anything more to him and destroy his moment of victory. Gracing her with a charming grin, he brushed past her as he headed down the short corridor to Scott's office.

*

Scott was up and around his desk by the time Cameron entered the room, too anxious to hear what the investigation on Ashley had revealed, yet also dreading that sense of unknown that was about to become cold, hard, indisputable facts – the good, the bad, and even inconsequential details. But to Scott, there wasn't anything he'd consider insignificant about Just Ashley, not when this woman had made such an impact on his life, his emotions, in such a short time.

The past two days of waiting and wondering and speculating had been pure hell – on his attitude, his stomach, and his concentration. And it was all finally about to come to an end.

He reached out and shook Cameron's hand in a firm grip. "Hey, Cam, how's it going?"

A wry grin tipped the other man's mouth. "I survived Mia, so that in itself elevated my day from good to great."

Scott groaned, all too familiar with the turbulent relationship between his sister and Cameron. "Have a seat."

He waved a hand at one of the leather chairs in front of his desk for Cameron to take. Scott opted to stand. There was way too much restless energy burning through him to sit still for the duration of their meeting.

"What did you find out for me?" Scott asked directly, getting right to the crux of Cameron's visit.

Cameron tapped the edge of the file folder against his knee. "Do you want the good news or the bad news first?"

Scott was grateful that there was something positive to report and figured he'd at least begin this afternoon of revelations on an uplifting note. "Let's go ahead and start with the good news."

"She isn't married," Cameron told him.

"Thank God," Scott muttered, feeling a giant weight lift off his shoulders.

"Steve mentioned that was a concern."

Scott nodded. "Having been down that path before, getting a firm confirmation is a huge relief."

"I thought it might be." Cam's easy-going smile faded a bit. "I want to warn you to brace yourself for what you're about to hear next."

Scott grimaced, and his stomach pitched with an unwelcome surge of apprehension. "That bad, huh?"

"Well ... I'm sure what I'm about to tell you is going to come as a huge shock."

Scott released a gust of incredulous laughter. "Trust me, over the past two days I've imagined some pretty upsetting scenarios, and you just settled one of my worst fears."

Cameron eyed him hesitantly and didn't look completely convinced of Scott's ability to deal with the truth.

"Out with it, Cam," he said, growing impatient and, admittedly, nervous with each passing second of Cameron's silence. "I swear, I can handle whatever it is you've got to tell me."

"All right." Cameron's gaze held Scott's, serious and all business. "This woman you've been seeing, she's a wealthy socialite. An heiress, in fact."

Though Scott was surprised to discover that Ashley was an heiress to some as yet unnamed fortune, he didn't find that tidbit of information overly shocking. He'd already come to the conclusion that she had money.

"Okay," he said with a shrug. "What else?"

Cameron exhaled a long, deep breath. "Her last name... Her last name is St. Claire."

Scott shook his head, certain he'd misheard the man standing in front of him. "Excuse me?"

A pained look flashed across Cameron's face, as if he knew he was imparting painful news. "Her full name is Ashley Elizabeth St. Claire."

Scott felt himself stumble back a step, until the edge of his desk gave him something to brace himself against. His head spun, and his lungs seemed to compress in his chest.

"St. Claire?" he echoed like an idiot. "Is she related to the family that owns the St. Claire Hotel here in Chicago?"

"Oh, yeah. She's related big-time." Dry laughter escaped Cameron, but the strained sound was devoid of any real humor. "Her father, Charles St. Claire, owns the chain of hotels. One here in Chicago, another in New York, and a third in San Francisco. Ashley is the oldest of two daughters, and she's the only one who actually works in the hotels, managing all of the boutiques in the different cities. Her younger sister, Madison, is married to an investment banker, they have a baby, and she's never actually worked for the hotel. So, it seems that Ashley is more vested in the family business."

He remembered her phone call from San Francisco, her mention of traveling in her line of work, and how she was considering moving to the northern California city. Now it all made sense, in a new and different way, in a way that twisted up his guts into a tight, painful knot and left him reeling from the truth of who Ashley was.

"Where does she live?" Scott asked, the question a tension-filled rasp in his throat.

"In a penthouse suite in the hotel." Cameron finally opened up the folder he'd set on the desk and scanned the contents of the report.

This was where the other man imparted the small, trivial details of Ashley's life that paled in comparison to the knowledge that she was an heiress, a St. Claire, a woman who'd gone to an out-of-the-way bar, picked him up for a night of hot sex, then had no intentions of ever seeing him again.

Scott took it all in, trying to process what he was hearing from Cameron, trying to sort through all the implications of having had an affair with Ashley St. Claire.

And there was a wealth of them.

That grim feeling of being used as a rich girl's plaything escalated within him, but there was also the issue of Nolan and Sons handling the renovation work for the St. Claire Hotel which reeked of a direct conflict of interest.

Un-fucking-believable.

"Her most recent dating history was with the CEO of the company, Evan Monterra," Scott heard Cameron say, bringing him back to the present. "That was a little over a year ago, and according to my resources, they aren't currently seeing each other, though at the time it appeared to be serious between the two."

Great. Just great.
Scott had no doubt this Evan guy was wealthy and polished and exactly the kind of blue blood who'd fit perfectly into Ashley's life, with the added bonus of being entrenched in the family business, unlike himself: a middle income tile layer who spent more time working out in the field, wearing worn jeans instead of tailor-made business suits, had callused hands rather than soft, manicured fingers, and most likely wouldn't measure up to her prominent family's expectations.

Which was why Ashley had sought a secret, clandestine affair with him, he realized, a one-night stand with no ties. And he'd been ripe pickings for her night of sexy fun to celebrate her birthday, a regular kind of guy who'd never find out who she was.

Cameron watched Scott with equal amounts of concern and commiseration for the predicament he'd found himself in. "Do you want me to go farther back on her dating history?" he asked.

"No. I think I've heard more than enough." He'd heard enough to finally understand why Ashley kept her identity under wraps, enough to know that he'd been nothing more than a temporary diversion for her, just as he'd been the same for Elaine.

He swore out loud, cursing himself for being so damn gullible, so incredibly stupid, a sucker in the purest sense of the word. And now he had to deal with the fact that his clandestine affair with Ashley had the potential of screwing up the very thing he'd worked so hard to achieve – the St. Claire Hotel restoration project.

The entire situation had the elements of a sleeping-with-the-boss's-daughter scenario, considering her father, or her ex-boyfriend, Evan, would be signing the paychecks for the restoration work. And in this case, he had a whole lot at stake, personally and professionally.

Judging from Ashley's actions, he highly suspected that she wanted to keep their liaison just as quiet as he did. Yet with him supervising the work at the hotel, they would now be forced to maintain some kind of civil, businesslike facade between them.

"I'm really sorry about all this, man," Cameron said with genuine sincerity.

Scott exhaled a heavy sigh. "Yeah, me too."

A few moments of silence passed before Cameron asked, "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Pay a visit to Ms. Ashley St. Claire and finally settle a few things between us." She was about to learn just how personal their involvement was about to become.

Chapter 10

"I
need your help."

 
Ashley glanced from the mannequin she was dressing in a new end-of-the-summer designer outfit, to Madison, who'd just five minutes ago told her that she'd been out shopping and just stopped by the boutique to say hello. Apparently there was more on her sister's mind than just a friendly visit.

For the first time in weeks, Ashley wasn't worried that her sister's request was related to something upsetting or deeply emotional, as their last few conversations had been. Today, amazingly enough, Madison showed no signs of being depressed or discouraged. Her eyes were bright with exhilaration, and an air of optimism seemed to radiate off her.

Ashley was thrilled to see the transformation. "What's up, Maddie?" she asked as she made an adjustment to the pink capris and floral tank top she'd just put on the mannequin.

Her sister bounced Sophie on her hip, who was busy gnawing on a plush ladybug rattle. "I've come to an important decision about the problem I told you I was having with Adam."

"Okay." Ashley's tone was cautious, because she wasn't altogether certain she knew where this was heading. In a positive direction, she hoped. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

Madison glanced around, and though they were standing at the front of the boutique near the window display, there weren't any customers or employees within hearing distance. "I know things have changed between Adam and me since Sophie was born, and I've come to accept that some of those changes are inevitable."

Ashley smiled, her relief profound. Since the night her sister had confided in her about the troubles she was having with Adam and their lack of connecting sexually, she'd been so concerned that Madison might let the problems fester, instead of finding a way to resolve them. "I'm so glad to hear that."

Madison's chin lifted in a show of bold determination. "But some of the changes that have taken place between Adam and me, like the intimacy in our marriage... Well, I want that back to the way it used to be. And I intend to make that happen."

Ashley maintained a calm but interested facade as she straightened the matching lightweight sweater over the mannequin's shoulders. But inside, she was stunned by her sister's announcement. Madison's unexpected show of fortitude revealed a different, more confident side to her personality that Ashley had never witnessed before, at least not to such a strong-willed degree.

Ashley was fascinated and intrigued by the change. Her sister was so used to everyone else taking care of her. It had always been that way, since the day she'd been born. Madison had been such a sweet, affectionate baby, a little princess whom everyone had adored and coddled – from their mother who'd doted upon her, to their father who'd indulged her every whim, to Ashley's own protectiveness and natural instinct to nurture and guide her sister that undoubtedly made Madison depend on her more than she should have. Even Adam was guilty of keeping Madison safe and far removed from any significant concerns – all out of love, of course. In the process they'd all sheltered her way too much, possibly even kept her from growing into the independent woman she needed to be.

But somehow, Madison was finding her way to being that self-reliant woman herself, and that strength was something Ashley greatly admired.

"So, what do you plan on doing about that aspect of your marriage?" Ashley prompted, curious to hear all it entailed.

"I'm going to seduce Adam," she said with a delightful grin that Sophie followed up with a blubbering sound of glee.

Ashley blinked at her sister, her hand stilling in the middle of smoothing a small wrinkle from the mannequin's top. "Excuse me?"

Madison laughed, a sound that was light and carefree and warmed Ashley deep inside. "You heard me correctly, Ash." She glanced around once more and lowered her voice. "Adam's always been the sexually aggressive one in our relationship, and I think it's time that I try and do my part in keeping the excitement alive and meet him at least halfway. I'm going to
seduce
him."

Ashley studied her sister, who looked so pleased with her idea.
"Wow."

"Wow?" Madison rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Is that all you have to say?"

"Honestly, you caught me off guard. In a good way."

"So what do you think?" Madison asked, anxious for Ashley's input and approval.

Reaching for the Louis Vuitton handbag that complemented the mannequin's ensemble perfectly, she looped the handles through the model's bent arm, then turned back to her sister, giving her the support she sought. "I think it's a wonderful idea, Maddie."

Madison switched Sophie to her other hip, and the baby just went with the flow of things, perfectly happy to be juggled around by her mother. "I'm so glad to hear you say that, because this is where I need your help and expertise."

Heading behind the nearby jewelry counter to find just the right accent to accessorize the outfit, she scanned the items behind the glass case. Nothing had gone missing since James's departure, and that was a huge relief, so long as she didn't think about her ex-employee's threat still hanging over her and what she was going to do about it.

Dismissing that thought, which had the potential of dragging her spirits down, she instead focused on her sister's latest comment and lifted an incredulous brow Madison's way. "What makes you think I'm any kind of expert at seduction?"

Madison shrugged, as if the answer to that was obvious. "You're just so much more naturally sensual than I am and more experienced about those kinds of things."

Ashley nearly choked on that bit of insight from her sister. "You think so, huh?"

"I know so," Madison verified matter-of-factly. "It's in the way you dress and walk and carry yourself. No matter where we go or what you wear, if there's a man in the vicinity, you always turn his head and draw his attention. It's always been that way with you."

Ashley made her selection and returned to the display window, silently mulling over her sister's evaluation of her power over the male gender. Ashley had never seen herself as overtly seductive before, wasn't aware of her effect on men, and she certainly hadn't been looking for that kind of reaction. She'd always considered herself modest and reserved, especially after her relationship with Greg, and just thought that a more provocative persona had recently emerged with and for Scott only.

Maybe that sensuality had always been there, subtle and inactive, just waiting for the right guy to come along and unleash all that uninhibited passion simmering beneath the surface. That's exactly how it had been with Scott from the moment their gazes connected across a crowded barroom.

Her chest tightened with so much emotion as thoughts of Scott crowded her heart and her mind – from longing to desire to regret. She recalled the last time she'd seen him, at The Daily Grind, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget the desperate way he'd called her name as she'd run out on him, and her own cowardly retreat because she was afraid to take risks and chances.

Swallowing the hard lump in her throat, she slipped a set of Hermes enamel bangle bracelets on the mannequin's wrist, and Sophie squealed at the clinking noise they made and reached out to grab one. Ashley caught her niece's chubby little hand before it could grasp the jewelry and nibbled on her fingertips, distracting the little imp and making her giggle.

Ashley welcomed the diversion, too, from her impossible and disheartening thoughts. She tickled Sophie in the ribs, wishing that her life was as uncomplicated as her niece's. "You've got good taste in jewelry already, don't you, sweetie-pie?"

Sophie bounced in her mother's arms and answered her with an exuberant, "ga-ga-ga!"

Ashley laughed at the baby's cute antics. "That's my girl. Nothing but the best for you."

Madison smiled at Sophie, too, then glanced back at Ashley, growing serious once again. "So, if you were out to seduce a guy, how would you go about doing it?" she asked, obviously intent on keeping their conversation on track.

Ashley automatically flashed back to her birthday night and how she'd gone about tempting Scott, and eventually reeled him right in. Or had she been the one who'd been ensnared by him? No matter who'd beguiled whom, it was a fact that they'd both been equally sated by the end of their night together.

Knowing she could never share the details of her affair with Scott and the greatest seduction of her life, she kept her mind focused on Madison, and Adam, and how her sister might entice her husband. "I think you should start with a sexy outfit to initially attract Adam's attention. You know, the kind of dress or skirt that will make him look twice."

Madison winced. "I have to admit I've been wearing a lot of overalls and sweats since I've had Sophie. They're quick and easy to toss on in the morning."

"There's nothing wrong with wearing comfortable clothes when you're being a mom. But if you want Adam to treat you like a sex goddess, you need to look the part." Ashley winked at her. "And we're talking from the outer wear to making sure you've got your sexiest lingerie on beneath it all."

"My underwear drawer could definitely use an overhaul." Madison set Sophie in her stroller and buckled the little girl into the seat. "Will you go shopping with me and help me pick out something really hot and sexy to wear for Adam?"

"Sure. That would be fun." A customer strolled into the boutique, and Ashley greeted the well-dressed, middle-aged woman before moving on to the second half of the window display. As her salesgirl, Sara, helped the woman find what she needed, Ashley surveyed the area, trying to decide what to showcase next to the mannequin.

Once they were alone again in the front of the store, Madison continued where they'd left off. "Okay, so I'll be dressed to kill...I mean seduce," she amended wryly as she gave Sophie a bottle of apple juice and dropped a handful of Cheerios on the tray in front of the baby girl to keep her occupied. "What else should I do?"

Still undecided what merchandise to use in the display, Ashley glanced back at Madison, who was staring at her with avid, need-to-know, eyes. Her sister, who'd been married for three years, honestly had no idea how to go about taking charge in the bedroom with her husband.

"I think you need to pick a time, day or night, when you want to pull off this seduction," Ashley suggested.

"The evening is probably the best," Madison mulled out loud, then worried on her lower lip. "Would you be able to baby-sit Sophie that night, so there's no interruptions? That seems to be half our problem when we try to ... well, you know."

Yes, Ashley did know. "Of course I'll watch Sophie for you. I'd love to have some extra bonding time with my niece." Especially before she moved to San Francisco.

Excitement wreathed Madison's entire expression. "Okay, so I'll plan an evening soon, maybe after this week when Adam's finished with the big corporate trial that's taking up so much of his time."

"Sounds perfect," Ashley said, nodding her agreement.

Having finally decided on featuring the new set of Kenneth Cole luggage that had arrived last week, Ashley retrieved the matching pieces in a jacquard tapestry pattern and brought the suitcases back to the display area.

"I want to do something different and completely unexpected with this whole seduction thing," Madison said as soon as Ashley returned. "I want to make Adam so hot for me that he just totally loses it and ravishes me."

Her sister's face was flushed, her tone husky as she spoke her desires out loud. Ashley took it all in, amused by the soft, dreamy look in Madison's eyes. Obviously, being ravished was the kind of lustful act that appealed to her sister's inner vixen.

Ashley contributed a few of her own ideas to help Madison succeed in luring Adam into giving her what she yearned for. "How about sending him a sexy picture of yourself when he's at work, either by e-mail or in his briefcase, along with a note telling him in exact detail what you plan to do to him when he gets home. That way, he'll do nothing else but think of you all day, and by the time he walks through the door in the evening, he'll be ready to tear your clothes off and take you right then and there."

Madison placed her hand over her mouth in an attempt to contain her giggle, but failed. "Oh, I like that one, Ash. See you
are
good at this!"

Ashley waved away her sister's claim. "It's pure fantasy, Madison." Scott held the starring role in her own mind.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Madison sighed, her mood turning much too melancholy. "God, Ash, I'm going to miss you so much when you move to San Francisco. I don't know what I'm going to do with you being so far away."

Ashley abandoned the set of luggage she was arranging, in lieu of comforting her sister. Reaching Madison, she gently chucked her beneath the chin. "Hey, I'll only be a phone call away any time you need me. And you know I'll visit often since I still need to check up on the boutique here in Chicago, just like I do in New York."

Madison drew a wavering breath. "It's just not going to be the same without you here, so close and always available when I need you for something."

No, it wasn't going to be the same, but that's what Ashley wanted, wasn't it? She'd finally put some distance between the familial expectations and demands of being a St. Claire and instead be the independent, self-sufficient woman she craved to be. San Francisco was a place where she'd be responsible only for herself, where no one knew her past, and there were few there who would scrutinize her actions.