"I'm not a coward, Joel," she said, and meant it. "Sure, those men scared the hell out of me, but I've never run or hidden from anything in my entire life, and I'm not about to start now. If they want me bad enough, they'll find a way to get me, whether it's on the street with you, or in my apartment. I'm not changing every aspect of my life just because I'm afraid."

He studied her for a long moment, then, obviously realizing that there was nothing he could do or say to change her mind, he exhaled a long, harsh breath. "Fine."

She relaxed, grateful that that particular fight was over. "Thank you. Now that we've settled that argument, I'm going back to bed to try to get some sleep." As if. But she felt so drained and exhausted, emotionally and mentally, and crawling back under the warm covers held immense appeal.

"Lora, wait," he said when she started to leave the living room. "There's something else we need to talk about."

She faced him again, and immediately knew by the reserved look in his gaze, coupled with the gruff, direct tone of his voice, that their conversation was about to take a more personal, intimate turn. She steeled herself for what he was about to say.

He didn't disappoint her. "About last night-"

"Don't." She cut off his apology before it could leave his lips. "Don't you dare say you're sorry for what happened between us last night."

Even though she now understood why he'd resisted her overtures for so long, there wasn't anything about being with Joel that she regretted. He might have been sent to protect her, but the feelings between them were real.

"We're both adults, and I knew exactly what I was doing when I asked you to make love to me," she went on before he could interrupt her. "And we've already had the discussion about your position on sex, relationships, and how you don't like messy emotional attachments, so we don't need to go that route again. I get it, Joel, and I'm not going to start making demands or become some kind of clingy female, so don't worry about it." Unfortunately, the dull ache in her chest contradicted those words, made a mockery of what she knew to be true.

She was falling in love with Joel Wilde, a man who liked things uncomplicated and commitment-free, and truly believed he wasn't capable of giving a woman what she craved beyond physical pleasure. Yet last night he'd been everything she'd ever needed in her life, everything she'd yearned for as a woman, and so much more. The desire between them had been mutual and real, soul-stirring, and deeply, irrevocably emotional.

And he obviously didn't have a clue. He was a typical, stupid, stubborn man when it came to admitting anything that had to do with his feelings or emotions. And she wasn't one to push or cling to false expectations. She'd learned with her last relationship that you couldn't force someone to love you back.

"I wasn't going to apologize," he said with a frown, clearly not happy about her tossing his own lecture right back at him. "But it won't happen again."

She knew exactly what "it" referred to, and though his abrupt about-face didn't surprise her, his steely resolve made her all too curious. "Because?"

"Because my attraction to you is too damned distracting, and it gets in the way of my job of protecting you," he admitted roughly, and dragged his long fingers through his tousled hair. "I need a clear, focused head, and thinking about having sex with you isn't conducive to maintaining a sharp and alert presence. That's what got you into trouble with those men last night. My mind wasn't one hundred percent on the job, as it should have been, and I'm not about to make that same mistake again."

She held back the smile threatening to curve the corners of her mouth. At least he'd admitted to their attraction, even if he was now trying to do the honorable thing by establishing a more professional relationship between them in order for him to keep her safe from harm. That he had to physically and mentally remove himself from the temptation of sleeping with her again said a whole lot about Joel and his true feelings-that sex with her hadn't been easy, casual, or forgettable like every other affair he'd ever had. Because if last night had been all about pure gratuitous sex, he'd be taking advantage of the no-strings-attached fling instead of scrambling to put distance between them, as he was attempting to do right this second.

She could tell him that by not sleeping with her he'd be twice as distracted, but decided to let him figure that out on his own.

For now, she'd let him have his way, and she'd respect those professional boundaries of his. For now, she'd let him believe that their involvement had been a one-night deal, a result of heated passion and the need for her to replace bad memories with more pleasant sensations.

And maybe, if she was lucky, when this situation was over he'd realize that there was more between them than just incredible lust, sizzling desire, and one night of sex.

Chapter Eleven

"SINCE you've never been to Santori's, I can personally guarantee you're in for a real treat."

Walking side by side through Little Italy toward the restaurant Daniel spoke of, Sydney smiled at her date, still unable to get over the fact that she was going out with a teacher. Cassie's math teacher to be exact. A man who wasn't nearly as uptight and stuffy as she'd originally pegged him to be. He might not possess those bad boy tendencies she was normally attracted to, but he was definitely hotter and sexier than she'd originally given him credit for.

Gone were the slacks, dress shirt, and tie he wore to work, replaced by casual, form-fitting blue jeans and a neatly pressed oxford shirt. The tan leather jacket added to his striking good looks and overall appealing package. One she was more and more tempted to unwrap and enjoy.

She planned to. Later. After an evening of being wined and dined by him. "I'm definitely looking forward to dinner. I was so busy with inventory at The Electric Blue this afternoon that I missed lunch, so I'm absolutely starved." Having taken off a Saturday evening, which she very rarely did, she wanted to make sure she left the bar well stocked and the place fully staffed.

"Ahhh, a woman with a healthy appetite for food." The tone of his voice was warm and appreciative, with just a hint of flirtatious innuendo, "How refreshing. Women like you who actually eat on a date are becoming a rare breed, you know."

She laughed lightly. "Trust me, I'm not a salad-with-dressing-on-the-side kind of girl." She pushed her hands into the pockets of her coat and shivered against the cold October evening breeze. "I love carbs. You couldn't have made me any happier than by feeding me authentic Italian food."

He grinned and his brown eyes sparkled mischievously, as if he'd just discovered the secret to capturing her heart and soul. "I'll be sure to remember that."

She had no doubt that he would. The man had proven to be far more direct and determined with her than she ever would have anticipated. Much to Sydney's surprise, and a bit of personal, private delight, he'd spent a few nights this past week at The Electric Blue, nursing a drink while she worked behind the bar. She'd given Daniel a good dose of her bold, daring behavior and equally brazen attitude, more than enough to scare him off, and yet here he was, still taking her out to dinner.

Which just confirmed that he was interested in the same thing that every guy wanted from her once they got a good look at her centerfold figure. Hot, fast, raucous sex. Daniel was just going about his quest in a more considerate and polite manner than all the rest, but the end result would be the same.

She'd already decided that it was going to be his lucky night, and hers too. Hell, she was as primed and ready as a woman could get, and it had been way too long since she'd been with a guy. She'd spent the past week tempting and teasing Daniel with plenty of naughty innuendo and dirty dances on the bar's countertop, deliberately building that delicious sexual tension that eventually led to a night of hot, satisfying, physical pleasure. Oh, yeah… she was definitely looking forward to getting down and dirty with Daniel tonight.

A group of young kids was heading toward them, and Daniel settled a large hand at the small of her back to guide them away from the teenagers and keep her near so they didn't get separated on the sidewalk. She was wearing a black winter trench coat, yet his touch, the alluring press of his palm, seemed to sear right though the heavy material and elicited a surge of awareness within her.

Her hip bumped against his, and he could have easily taken advantage of the opportunity to slide his arm around her waist and pull her closer to his side in a show of male possession, or to accidently graze the full underside of her breast while he was at it. She'd come to expect those not-so-subtle tactics from most guys, but Daniel's hand remained in place at the base of her spine. Protectively. Respectfully. In a way that unnerved her more than if he'd copped a feel.

Go figure.

As soon as they reached Santori's, Daniel opened the door for her to enter before him-another gentlemanly gesture she wasn't used to. With a murmured "thanks" she stepped into the establishment, grateful for the rush of warmth that replaced the early evening chill outside. She inhaled the rich, redolent scents of authentic Italian food, and her stomach growled hungrily in response.

An woman in her mid-sixties made her way through the crowded lobby of customers, her bright gaze focused on Daniel. She was wearing a pretty, flowery dress accessorized with a cute i love pasta pin with a fork and spoon twirling strands of spaghetti and a dangling meatball. As soon as she reached him, her lovely face lit up with genuine fondness.

"Well, look who decided to stop in for a visit!" The woman's lightly accented voice held distinct tones of pleasure and a slight reprimand. "It's been too long."

"I know. I know." Daniel ducked his head sheepishly, looking far too charming and appealing for Sydney's peace of mind. "I had a craving for some deep dish pizza, and we all know this is the best place in the city for that."

"You got that right." The woman gently patted his cheek before taking his face in both her hands to scrutinize him closer, as a mother would a young boy. "Just look at you. You keep getting more and more handsome each time I see you." Then she finally dropped her hands back down to her sides and shifted her gaze to Sydney, her curiosity evident in the slight arch of her brow. "Who's your friend, Daniel?"

"This is Sydney," he said, that clever hand of his finding its way back to her spine to urge her forward. "Sydney, this is Rosa Santori."

"It's very nice to meet you." Sydney extended her hand courteously toward Rosa.

"No, the pleasure is all mine," the other woman insisted as she took Sydney's hand and gave it a warm, welcoming squeeze that was far more affectionate and personal than a handshake. "I can't remember Daniel ever bringing a woman friend here before. He must be trying to impress you."

Sydney laughed. Oh, this woman was sly. And incredibly sweet. "He's well on his way to doing just that."

Daniel glanced around at the crowd of people waiting to be seated for dinner. "I didn't even think about it being a Saturday night and the restaurant being so busy." He checked the time on his watch then sent Rosa a hopeful look. "Do you have a table open, by chance? We have a movie to catch in about an hour."

The man obviously wasn't opposed to using his acquaintance with Rosa to pull a few strings and eliminate the long wait for a seat, which led Sydney to believe that maybe he did have a bit of a rebellious streak in him after all. That possibility made him all the more sexy and irresistible to her.

"For you, I have the best seat in the house available," Rosa said, happy to accommodate him. "Come this way."

She crooked her finger at the two of them, grabbed a few menus from the hostess stand, then led the way to a quiet, secluded table at the back of the restaurant, which was decorated in traditional, old-world pizzeria style. Here, the lighting was low, with a flickering candle in a Chianti bottle adding to the relaxing and cozy atmosphere.

Once they were seated in the booth across from one another Rosa handed each of them a menu and gave them the specials for the day. "Now you two enjoy your dinner, and I'll send Tony over with a bottle of wine, on the house."

She left, and moments later a good-looking man came up to their table, a bottle of Chianti in one hand and two wine glasses in the other. He greeted Daniel with a firm handshake and some friendly ribbing that made it obvious that they'd known each other for a long time. Then another round of introductions ensued for her, and she learned that this man named Tony was one of Rosa's sons.