Born to Be Wilde

by Janelle Denison

  Finally, Cassie said, "I wanted to know if I could go to the mall today with Becky, and maybe catch a movie, too."

  Normally, a fun day out with her girlfriend wouldn't be a cause for concern. However, coming only days after Sydney's meeting with Daniel about her why her daughter had been deliberately sabotaging her math grade, Sydney couldn't help but wonder if an outing to the local mall was a ploy to meet a boy.

  Sydney inhaled a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm. Since she'd been so upset and emotional after her conversation with Daniel, she hadn't talked to Cassie about her deception, but she knew it was time. Time to let her daughter know that she was aware of what was going on, and time to let her little Tinker Bell be the fifteen-year-old teenager she'd become-no matter how difficult that would be.

  But first, she needed to know what she was dealing with, and what, exactly, her daughter was up to. "Is Ryan going to be there?" she asked.

  Cassie's eyes widened into huge pools of panic at the unexpected question. "I… uh… how did you know about Ryan?"

  It wasn't a yes or no answer, but overall Sydney was grateful that her daughter hadn't denied knowing Ryan, or worse, lied and said she had no idea what Sydney was talking about. And if she wanted to keep that trust and line of communication open with her daughter, then she knew it had to start here and now.

  Sydney sat down on the bed, and patted the space beside her. "Come here and sit down, honey," she said gently, knowing that anger wouldn't resolve this situation. If anything, it would push her daughter away, and that was the last thing she wanted. "We need to talk."

  Reluctantly, and with a worried look on her face, Cassie did as she asked.

  "A few days ago, Daniel called me and said he needed to talk to me about your inconsistent homework and math tests," Sydney told her. "After watching you in class and at after school tutoring and seeing how Ryan was flirting with you, he realized that you might be deliberately dropping your test scores and grades for the sole purpose of getting into after school tutoring so you could be with Ryan. Is that true?"

  Tears filled Cassie's eyes, along with a healthy dose of dread. "Yes," she said, her voice cracking.

  Sydney closed her eyes, trying to process the truth, and trying, as well, to deal with this revelation on a rational level. When she looked at Cassie again, it was clear that her daughter expected her to come unglued over the situation. And oh, Sydney wanted to, in the worst way, but managed to tamp down the urge to yell at Cassie for doing something so stupid. She'd learned a lot from Lora over the years, and even more from Daniel.

  So instead, she gently thumbed away a tear making its way down her soft cheek. "Cass, why would you do something like that?" Sydney wanted, needed, to understand, even though she suspected she already knew the reason-that Cassie's overbearing, way-too-protective mother had pushed her daughter to sneak around to be with a boy.

  "Because I really like him, Mom, and I knew you'd never let me go out with him or see him after school," she said, confirming Sydney's greatest fears. "I'm so sorry."

  There was a wealth of regret glimmering in Cassie's gaze, which reassured Sydney. Cassie wasn't a defiant child-never had been-and Sydney didn't want to give her any reason to start now. But there were a few more questions she needed to ask her daughter.

  "Was he at the Halloween party you went to?" she asked.

  Cassie nodded. "Yes, but we didn't do anything. We just talked and danced. I swear!"

  Sydney chose to believe her, and as long as Cassie told her the truth, they could work through any situation together. "And were you going to meet him at the mall today?"

  Cassie swallowed hard. "Yes. But I was going to be with Becky, too." Then, she buried her face in her hands. "Oh, God, you're going to ground me for life, aren't you?"

  Holding back a smile at her daughter's dramatic display, Sydney pulled Cassie's hands away so she could look into her eyes. "Truly, if I had my way, I'd keep you my little girl forever, but that's just not going to happen, now is it?"

  Cassie shook her head. "No. I'm fifteen years old, and you need to let me grow up."

  "I know," Sydney admitted. "It's just hard for me to accept sometimes, but I promise to work on being better about it."

  Cassie stared at Sydney, a humorous look changing her expression. "Who are you and what have you done with my real mother?"

  Sydney laughed, knowing that this sudden change of hers must be a shock to her daughter. "I'm still your same old mom. I'm just trying to handle things differently, in a way that will hopefully strengthen our relationship."

  Reaching out, she smoothed Cassie's auburn hair away from her beautiful face. A face that had matured over the years and would no doubt turn male heads one day-if it wasn't already. Cassie was a good kid, and Sydney's goal was to keep her that way as much as possible. "It's important that you talk to me and tell me the truth, always, and I promise to listen and give you the best advice that I can. But this doesn't mean you have free rein to run wild and do whatever you want. I still have final say, okay?"

  Cassie rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to run wild, Mom. I just want to have fun, like the rest of my friends."

  And Sydney had to trust that her daughter would make the right decisions and not be swayed by peer pressure when it came to all those issues that every teenager came up against at some point in their lives.

  "Mom… what's going on with you and Mr. Barnett?"

  Just as she'd thrown her daughter off kilter with her unexpected question about Ryan, Cassie had just done the same to her. "Why?" Sydney asked curiously, unsure what her daughter knew. "Did he say something to you?"

  "No," she said, shaking her head. "But you've been crying the past few days, which you never do, and he wasn't in a great mood yesterday at school, so I thought that maybe the two of you had a fight or something."

  If she expected Cassie to be truthful at all times, her daughter deserved the same respect. "Yeah, we had a fight."

  A frown creased Cassie's brows. "Are you not dating any longer?"

  "No, but I'm hoping to change that." Then a thought dawned on Sydney. "Does my seeing Daniel bother you?"

  Cassie shrugged. "At first, I wasn't thrilled about it, but I really like Mr. Barnett and he seemed to make you happy. So even though it's not the coolest thing for my mom to be dating my math teacher, I guess I can live with it."

  Sydney grinned. "Thanks." She'd always kept the men she'd dated in the past out of Cassie's life because it made no sense to bring a man into her daughter's life who was only going to be around for a few days or weeks at the most. But Daniel was Sydney's first real, serious relationship, and her daughter's acceptance and approval mattered to her.

  Cassie bit her bottom lip again. "Ummm, you never did say if I could go to the mall today."

  Sydney thought a moment before answering, letting her daughter sweat it out just a bit. "I'll tell you what. I'll make a deal with you. How about I drive you and Beck to the mall so I can meet Ryan for myself, and then the three of you can hang out for a few hours, and go to a movie."

  A horrified look transformed Cassie's features. "Mom!" she wailed in protest. "Do I have to make Ryan meet you?"

  Apparently, it wasn't so cool to have the boy you liked meet your mom so early in the game, but Sydney held firm, needing her daughter to realize that she was still setting boundaries for her. "Yeah, you do. That's the deal, and a damn good one, I'd say, considering what you've put me through the past few weeks." She gently chucked Cassie beneath the chin. "So take it or leave it. It's your choice."

  "I'll take it," Cassie grumbled.

  "That's what I thought." Sydney stood, and so did Cassie. But before her daughter could walk out of the bedroom, Sydney pulled her into a tight hug.

  "I love you, Cass," she whispered into her ear. "You know that right?"

  Cassie pulled back and grinned. "Of course I know you love me. You tell me every single day. And, I love you, too."

  At that moment, Sydney felt mor
e content and fulfilled than she had in a very long time. Like she'd finally come to terms with her past, her fears, and just maybe it wouldn't screw up her future. She'd resolved her dilemma with her daughter, now she had one more issue to go. Sydney just hoped that Daniel was as easy to sway as her daughter had been.

  THE last person Daniel expected to find standing on his doorstep on a Saturday evening was Sydney. One, because he never thought he'd see her again after how they'd parted ways, and two, she normally worked at The Electric Blue on the weekends. So this was a surprise in many ways, though he was reserving judgment as to whether or not her visit was a good or bad thing until he found out why she was there.

  "Can I come in?" she asked, a slight, hesitant smile curving her glossy lips.

  No matter what happened between the two of them, he'd never turn her away. He also wanted to believe that if things didn't work out with them, they could at least be friends, and he extended that olive branch to her now.

  "Sure." He stepped back and let her walk past him into the entryway, then shut the door behind her, wishing she didn't look and smell so damn good. He led the way into the living room, switched off the TV show he'd been watching, and turned back to Sydney.

  "Would you like something to drink?" he asked pleasantly.

  She shook her head, though he could tell that she wasn't quite sure what to make of his amicable attitude. "No, thank you."

  While it was cold outside, it was warm in the house, and she was wrapped up in a wool coat. "Can I take your coat?" he asked.

  She shifted anxiously on her feet, which were encased in a pair of sexy red pumps, the kind that made him think of a dozen erotic scenarios that included her wearing those seductive heels. "I… ummm, sure," she said, and unbelted the sash.

  Once the coat was off, she handed it to him, and he laid it over the back of a nearby recliner. When he turned around and glanced at Sydney again, his mouth went bone dry. She was wearing a red blouse to match her shoes, and a pair of jeans that showcased her phenomenal curves. The bright, cherry color suited her normal outrageous personality and take-charge attitude, yet at the moment that brash and bold female was no where to be seen. In her place was a woman with uncertainty in her eyes who was wringing her hands nervously.

  He stood across from Sydney, fighting the urge to wrap her in the security of his arms and give her the reassurance she seemed to be searching for. He didn't, only because he had to know what she'd come here to say. "So, what brings you by?" he asked in his most casual tone.

  "You. Us." She glanced away from him and let out a low, defeated groan. "God, I am so not good at this sort of thing," she muttered.

  The first part of her reply gave him hope, and the second comment almost made him smile, because she just looked so adorable, like a young girl coming clean with her first crush. And in a lot of ways, he supposed he was exactly that for her.

  Even though he had a pretty good indication of where she was heading with her emotional statement, he prompted her to finish what she'd just started. She needed to say the words as much as he needed to hear them. "What thing are you talking about, Sydney?"

  She met his gaze, looking so sweet and vulnerable. So everything he wanted and needed in his life. "You know, that thing called a relationship?"

  He tipped his head. "Is that why you're here?"

  "Yeah," Sydney whispered achingly. "I don't know what to say or do to make up for the way I treated you the other night, and I wish I could take back some of the things I said. I never meant to hurt you."

  The relief that Daniel felt in that moment was incredibly profound-that he hadn't lost this woman he'd come to love. "I know. You were scared, and that was your way of protecting your emotions, and I understand that, Sydney," he said, and slowly walked toward her. "I understand you more than you realize."

  Because he cared. Because he hadn't allowed sex to get in the way of knowing her, really knowing her and who she was beneath the I-don't-give-a-damn façade she'd hidden behind for so long. Because he'd stayed around long after most men would have cut their losses and moved on.

  "There's more I need to tell you," she said. "I talked to Cassie about her math and Ryan."

  "And?" he asked curiously.

  "I think we've come to an understanding." She smiled, obviously proud of what she'd accomplished with her daughter. "I'm going to try and lighten up with her and boys and being a teenager, and she promised to be open and honest with me, though I know she'll slip up from time to time."

  He chuckled and folded his arms loosely over his chest. "Most teenagers do, but it's a fair compromise."

  "I think so," Sydney said, and wished she still didn't feel so uncertain about where she stood with Daniel. He'd yet to touch her, or give her any sign that he still wanted her to be a part of his life, and it was making her insane not knowing.

  "And it's a great start, Sydney," he said, his tone low and sincere. "I know you mean well with Cassie, but she'll be just fine out there in the big, bad world."

  She laughed, the sound more nervous than humorous. "God, I hope so."

  His features turned serious. "Now, back to you and me."

  She steeled herself for the very worst-like the brush-off she deserved after everything she'd put him through.

  He raised a blond brow. "So, what are we going to do about this thing that's a bone of contention between the two of us?"

  She'd always been the one to deny any form of a relationship, and now it was up to her to acknowledge that she was ready and willing to give one a try. "I want a relationship with you, Daniel, and everything that goes with it. But as you know, I haven't had a whole lot of experience in that department, so you need to be patient with me, okay?" She laid all her insecurities bare, trusting him to help her along the way, and especially when those fears reared their ugly head.

  Finally, finally, he reached out and caressed his fingers along her jaw, then cupped her cheek in his large, warm palm. "We'll do this together, every step of the way, I promise."

  Her throat tightened with emotion, and she closed her eyes, absorbing the strength and tenderness of his hand framing her face. He was the first man who'd ever touched her so gently, and without sexual intent, and it stirred feelings like she'd never experienced before. She felt so safe with him, so protected and cared for, and she knew deep in her heart that this man would never, ever intentionally hurt her.

  "I can't believe what a lucky man I am," he said huskily, and grazed his thumb along her bottom lip. "I'm even luckier to be your first."

  She blinked her eyes back open and frowned, certain she'd misheard him. "My first?" She was far from being a virgin.

  "Your first relationship," he clarified with a sexy, wicked grin. "And, I'm hoping, your last."

  Her heart felt full enough to burst. "I like the sound of that."

  With a sexy growl, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her flush to his body, which was hard and hot against hers, despite their clothing. Then he lowered his head and kissed her, and she opened herself up to him-her heart, her soul, and everything else that had been locked up inside of her for much too long. He took her mouth with an added depth and intensity that eclipsed every kiss that had come before. This was magic, the kind that made her believe in the possibility of a happily ever after. She tasted the sweetness of a lifelong promise, the assurance that he'd always be there for her, and the patience to trust and believe in the future and everything it had to offer.

  And underlying it all was all the heat and passion that always simmered between them… and the desire that had yet to be fulfilled.

  He ended the kiss and pressed his forehead to hers, and she knew there was one more thing she had to say before she lost the nerve. "Daniel…" She swallowed hard and forced out the words. "I'm falling in love with you, and I have to admit that it scares the hell out of me."

  "Ahhh, another first, huh?" he teased gently.

  She shot him a mock glare. "Stop gloating already. You're going to get a big
head."

  He laughed, and his chest rumbled against hers, creating a delicious friction that made her breasts swell and her nipples harden. "I can't help myself," he said, then the mischievous sparkle in his gaze faded to something warmer and more intimate. "And just so you know, I'm a little ahead of you on this one, sweetheart. I'm already in love with you, and I'm more than willing to wait for you to catch up."

  What an amazing man Daniel was, and she couldn't believe that he was all hers. Unable to help herself, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again, just because she could, but this time their embrace turned hot and hungry very quickly.

  When they pulled back, they were both breathing hard.

  Daniel skimmed a hand down her back and over the curve of her bottom, pulling her closer, if that was even possible. "God, Sydney, I want you so much," he groaned against her neck.

  The evidence of his desire pressed against her, hard and thick and needy. The feel of him made her equally hot and bothered. "Well, I've devoted myself to you and this relationship thing we've got going on," she drawled teasingly. "So, how long are you going to make me wait until we make love?"

  He lifted his head and stared into her eyes. "Make love, not have sex," he murmured, clearly pleased with her choice of words. "I think right now would be absolutely perfect."

  Taking her hand in his, he led her down the hallway to his bedroom, and it didn't take long for the two of them to strip off each other's clothes. Seeing him naked for the first time, his gorgeous body made everything feminine in her respond like it truly was her first time, and she absorbed the breathtaking feeling, then locked it away in her heart like a rare treasure.

  She reached out and flattened her hand on his chest, right over his rapidly beating heart. Then holding his gaze, she oh-so-slowly glided her palm downward, exploring hot skin and firm muscle, all the way down to his flat belly, then lower still. Eventually, she wrapped her fingers around his erection and stroked him once, twice, until he groaned deep in his throat and grasped her wrist to make her stop.