04 - Born to be Wilde.txt (37 page)

She lifted her chin a fraction and said nothing. The woman was so damn stubborn, and deeply wounded, and she wasn't nearly as tough as she wanted everyone to believe.

"I'm going to go, just like you asked me to," he said, leaving any chance at a future together solely up to her. He managed a small smile. "If someday you decide you want to give the whole relationship thing a try, you know where to find me."

On impulse, he stepped back toward her and brushed his lips along her cheek in a soft kiss, and took a few selfish seconds to breathe in her scent so he could memorize it for later. When he pulled back, he had to steel himself against the devastated look on her face, and it took every ounce of strength he possessed to turn around and walk out of her life.

Chapter Eighteen

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"YOU'RE awfully quiet. Are you okay?"

Lora turned her gaze from the passenger window of Joel's SUV to the man sitting in the driver's seat as he navigated the way to his sister's gallery opening in downtown Chicago. Between watching the road and glancing at her, she caught glimpses of concern in his gaze and summoned a reassuring smile.

"Yeah, I'm good." As good as to be expected, she supposed, considering it was only a matter of time before the two of them went their separate ways.

It had been three days since they'd left Zach behind at the cabin with Kevin, and Joel's guys had begun the process of tracking down Lanny Mendoza to pay off her brother's debt. Once that was done, and her safety was no longer an issue, there was no reason for Joel to be by her side twenty-four/seven. He'd already made mention of a security case that was previously lined up for him, and he seemed anxious to get back to real work.

She knew the end was inevitable, yet there was that deep-seated hope she couldn't help but harbor that Joel would come around and give the two of them a chance. But he'd made his stand on relationships more than clear, and she was forced to accept that their affair had been as temporary as his presence in her life.

"Try not to feel too overwhelmed by my family, okay?" Joel's tone was light, as was the easygoing grin he cast her way. "According to Mia, just about everyone is going to be at the opening, so I'm sure you'll be whisked around for a dozen or more introductions. There's my brothers and their wives, and my cousins and their spouses, too."

"Actually, I'm looking forward to meeting everyone." And, she was interested in watching his family dynamics in action.

"The only ones you won't get to meet are the parents, and the little ones." He put on his blinker and made a right-hand turn down a side street. "Mia felt too uneasy about having toddlers in the gallery with all the glass designs, so the grandparents offered to stay at home and watch the rugrats."

She rested her head against the back of the seat and smiled at him. "That was nice of them."

"Are you kidding? They're loving having grandkids and want to be around them any chance they get." He pulled into a parking lot, which was already half filled, and found a spot near the entrance of the gallery. "Before long we're going to have an entire soccer team at family gatherings," he said, genuine affection in his tone.

She laughed, easily imagining Joel as an uncle, with little ones clamoring for his attention. Despite his rough and tough exterior, the man had a huge, caring heart. She'd seen it numerous times over the past few weeks, and it was just one of the many wonderful qualities he possessed that she'd fallen in love with.

Yeah, she was in love with Joel Wilde. Deeply. Irrevocably. In ways that defied anything she'd ever felt before, and she instinctively knew her heart would never be the same again.

Refusing to dwell on those thoughts tonight, she got out of the car with Joel and they headed toward the front of Wilde Designs. Joel's hand lightly touched that sensitive spot at the base of her spine that he'd kissed just days ago while doing other more erotic things to her body, and she shivered at the delicious memory.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"Ummm, no." It was the first week in November, and there was a definite autumn nip in the air, but she'd worn a sweater top with a calf-length skirt and stylish boots, so she was plenty warm. It was other, more intimate things giving her the chills. "I'm okay."

He continued to escort her toward the gallery, the front of which was all framed in plate glass, enabling people who were window shopping to see directly into the shop and admire all the gorgeous stained glass designs glimmering beneath bright, strategically placed lights. Joel held the door open for her, and they stepped inside the shop, where a small crowd was already milling about and viewing all the dazzling works of art on display and for sale. The showroom buzzed with light chatter and bursts of delighted laughter, and an exuberant energy added to the lively atmosphere.

Since Joel didn't see any of his family right away, the two of them casually strolled from one partitioned room to the next to view the amazing artwork. There were butterflies and flowers and various animals all reproduced in colorful shards of glass, along with other abstract patterns, but Lora found herself drawn to one of the stained glass designs in particular—a stunning picture of a beautiful blond-haired fairy with iridescent wings who was sitting in a meadow of exotic flowers. The name of the piece was "Midsummer Dream," and it was absolutely breathtaking.

Because Joel had explained to her that his sister's designs had a sensual twist to them, it didn't take her long to see the entwined couple meshed within the riot of wild-flowers.

"They're right here, aren't they?" she said in awe, and pointed to the subtle shades of glass that formed the couple's erotic embrace.

"Yes, they are," a female voice said from behind them, before Joel could reply.

Both she and Joel turned around at the same time. Lora smiled at the beautiful woman, with her thick, shoulder-length black hair, smoky silver eyes, and striking features. She was wearing a silk sapphire blue dress that was both elegant and sexy, and her face glowed with happiness.

The woman glanced from Lora to Joel, and she gave him a wide-eyed once-over. "Joel?" She asked incredulously. "Is that really you?"

He rolled his eyes at her dubious tone. "Cut the crap, Mia," he drawled good-naturedly, and pulled her into a heartfelt hug, which she returned just as warmly.

Mia was laughing when she pulled back. "You clean up real nice, Joel," she said, more sincere this time. "You were way overdue for a haircut, and it's always nice to see you in something other than black," she teased.

"You wound me." Joel spread his arms wide, showing off his black silk dress shirt, black slacks, and equally black loafers. "And here I dressed up just for you so I'd look presentable tonight."

"And you do," she insisted. "You look very handsome."

Lora had to agree. She'd only seen Joel in denim and cotton shirts, and now, with his new haircut, fashionable clothing, and smoldering masculine features, he looked as though he could have stepped right off the pages of a GQ Magazine.

Mia turned her attention to Lora, her gaze bright with interest and speculation, before looking back at Joel. "And this must be Lora, the woman you told me about on the phone, right? The one that's a client of ESS?"

"Yes," he confirmed, obviously going with the client perception. "Lora, this is my pain-in-the-ass sister, Mia."

"Nice introduction," Mia said, and wrinkled her nose at her brother before grinning at Lora and extending her hand. "It's very nice to meet you."

Mia's handshake was friendly and welcoming. "Yes, it's a real pleasure," Lora said. "Joel has told me so much about you." Well, as much as she'd been able to drag out of him while they'd been at the cabin, anyways.

The other woman narrowed her gaze playfully at Joel. "All wonderful things, right?"

"Absolutely." His grin was full of charm, and his gaze was affectionate, making the bond between brother and sister evident to anyone who happened to see the two together.

"You've been trained well," she replied sassily. "Now, there's champagne and a dessert table, and soda if you prefer, so please enjoy whatever you'd like while you're browsing."

Joel frowned. "What, no beer?"

"Funny, but Cameron asked the same thing, as did Steve." She put her hands on her slender hips and shook her head in mock distaste. "Now come on, Joel. Does this look like a beer kind of joint to you?"

He chuckled in amusement. "Okay, I get your point." He glanced at Lora. "How about something to drink?"

"Sure. I'll take a glass of champagne."

"Me, too," Mia added with a persuasive smile.

"Two glasses of champagne, coming right up," Joel said, and headed over to the bar that had been sent up for the evening.

"Your designs are absolutely amazing," Lora said, once Joel was gone.

"Thank you." Mia beamed, basking in the compliment, and rightly so. "I have to admit, it's such a thrill to be able to open my own gallery. There was a time when I thought my designs would never see the light of day, let alone have people purchasing them."

"They're unique and gorgeous. All of them," Lora told her, then looked back at the one with the exotic fairy. "Though I do have to say that this piece is my favorite so far."

"I just finished that one a few days ago." Mia seemed to consider the jewel-toned design with a fresh perspective. "It was probably one of my most challenging designs I've ever done. Piecing together the shards of glass for the fairy's wings was a true nightmare."

Despite the complaint, Lora could tell that Mia loved what she did and was happy with the end results of this "Midsummer Dream."

"You know, I can't help but think that you look so familiar to me," Mia said, studying Lora through inquisitive eyes. "Have we met before?"

"I don't think so." If they'd been introduced in the past, Lora would have remembered someone as vibrant as Mia. But she did get that do-I-know-you question every once in a while, due to where she worked. "Unless maybe you've been to The Electric Blue? I'm a waitress there."

Mia snapped her fingers. "That's it! That's exactly where I've seen you before, though I have to admit it's been a while since I've been there."

"Too busy working on your designs?" Lora guessed.

She flashed a nice sized diamond solitaire encircling her left ring finger. "That, and The Electric Blue isn't quite the place an engaged woman should frequent." Her gray eyes took on a mischievous sparkle. "But I have to say that I did enjoy myself at that bar immensely when I was single."

"Ahhh, there she is." A tall, good-looking man with sandy blond hair and a charming grin approached the two of them, with Joel walking beside him. "No wonder I couldn't find you. You've been hiding out in this corner over here."

"I'm not hiding," Mia said, and took the glass of champagne that the man handed to her, while Lora thanked Joel for hers. "I'm just enjoying a conversation with Joel's… client." Mia slanted her brother a sly glance that said she didn't quite believe that their relationship was that simple. "Lora, this is my fiancé, Cameron. Cam, this is Lora."

Once the introductions were made, confusion creased Cameron's brows as he glanced back at Mia. "Did you say that she's a client of Joel's?"

Joel jumped in to explain the situation, but it was obvious that Mia had her doubts. Those expressive eyes of hers made it clear that she was wondering what the real scoop was when it came to her and Joel. Unfortunately, their relationship had truly reverted back to a platonic business arrangement and it didn't show any signs of changing back to something more intimate anytime soon.

Cameron gently touched Mia's arm. "I hate to be rude and steal you away, but there's someone I want you to meet."

Mia smiled at her fiancé. "Oh, okay." Then she transferred her gaze to Lora. "Don't be a stranger. Stop in at the gallery anytime. Oh, and I give a nice discount to family and friends."

"That's good to know. Thank you." Lora took a sip of her bubbly champagne, finding it incredibly nice of Mia to extend the discount to her, as well. "I'll be sure to bring my best friend by soon. She'll love your artwork."

"Wonderful." Mia waggled her fingers at them as she walked away with Cameron. "I'll see you two around."

"She's a little whirlwind, isn't she?" Joel said, chuckling and more relaxed than Lora had seen him in days. "Here one minute, gone the next."

"I really like her."

"The feeling is definitely mutual," he said, and smiled. "By the way, I saw my brothers and cousins when I went to get your champagne. Come on, and I'll introduce you to them."

His hand came to rest at the small of her back again as he guided her around the various partitions to the other side of the gallery, where it was more crowded. Guests were gathered in circles, talking and laughing, while others mingled from group to group to visit with everyone. Joel led her toward a fairly large cluster of people, and that's when she was introduced to his large family as a client—including his two brothers, Scott and Alex, his three male cousins, and all their spouses. The Wilde men were similar in looks, with their thick black hair and gorgeous blue eyes, and after a round of handshakes and friendly hellos, she felt quite overwhelmed.

She latched on to a familiar face standing next to her, Ashley St. Claire, who was married to Joel's older brother Scott and managed the hotel where Lora worked. They chatted for a few minutes, then Ashley glanced at the other women in the group.