Mia's first inclination was to agree, but there was no sense in aggravating the situation further. Besides, Carrie's tone held an edge of frustration, and Mia wondered if maybe her friend was just having a bad day.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned, and also wanting to give Carrie the opportunity to talk about whatever might be bothering her.

Carrie offered up a tight, almost pinched smile. "I'm fine."

Mia went back to eating her salad and didn't push the issue. Carrie had every right to keep things to herself. The thing was, she and Carrie were friends, and had been for more than a year now, but they'd never been close in the way best friends were-the kind who'd push for an answer until the other person finally opened up and spilled her guts.

So instead, Mia changed the subject and made sure Carrie was the focus of the discussion, not her. "So what's going on with you?" She reached for a piece of warm bread from the basket on their table and slathered butter on it. "It's been a while since we've really had a chance to spend some time together and talk. That's why I thought having lunch together would be nice."

"It's the same old thing with me," she said as she pushed her food around on her plate. "My job at the travel agency still sucks. My car's in the shop again. And my mother invited her newest boyfriend to move into our already-cramped apartment. Glad you asked?"

Mia laughed, though there was nothing remotely funny about Carrie's situation-it was just her way of breaking up the tension and negativity surrounding Carrie. Especially when it came to her mother's latest love interest invading their living space.

From snippets of conversation Mia had had with Carrie over time, she'd learned that Carrie's mother's need for the attention of men had been the reason why her parents had divorced when Carrie was just a little girl. Carrie had always claimed her mother had the morals of an alley cat, and she hated the constant parade of men that came through their home, yet even at the age of twenty-seven, Carrie had never made any attempt to move out on her own and seemed to depend on her mother to support her for the most part. All in all, it wasn't a great situation.

Mia kept the rest of their conversation as light as possible as they finished their lunch. She also deliberately kept her interaction with their waiter to a minimum, because she was now self-conscious about his flirting and how it made Carrie feel.

"Do you have time to do a little bit of shopping?" Mia asked after they paid for their bill and walked out of the café, thinking maybe the fun distraction would take Carrie's mind off of her problems for a while. "I have a party to go to this weekend for my nephew, and I'd like to find something new to wear."

"Sure, I'll go with you." Carrie glanced at her wristwatch. "I have about forty-five minutes before I need to be back at the agency to meet with a client."

They were on Michigan Avenue and within walking distance of Bloomingdale's, so they headed toward the department store. It didn't take Mia very long to find an outfit she couldn't resist-a flowing, calf-length gauze skirt and a matching blouse in blues and tans that would go perfectly with the beige lace-up boots she planned to wear. As an added bonus, the ensemble was on sale, which left enough in her budget to splurge on something pretty and ultra-sexy to wear beneath.

In the lingerie section she found a bra and panty set made of sheer stretch lace and embellished with delicately embroidered flowers in blue and beige tones. She imagined Cameron discovering the tantalizing, seductive underwear and how he'd react, and a slow smile eased up the corner of her mouth.

"That lingerie set is kind of trampy, don't you think?" Carrie said from behind Mia.

Mia turned around, startled by Carrie's comment, not to mention the descriptive word she'd used-one she was too familiar with lately. "Trampy?"

Carrie shrugged, though there was nothing in her expression to indicate she knew about the photos Mia had received recently. "It just reminds me of the kind of trashy stuff my mom wears, and it makes it her look like a tramp."

Tramp. Mia told herself Carrie's word choice was a coincidence, that her friend was still feeling raw from the discussion about her mother and her latest boyfriend. Obviously, some of that bitterness was lingering-and she was inadvertently taking her grudge out on Mia.

Besides, Carrie hadn't been at The Electric Blue the second night to take those other photos or to vandalize her car. And that was enough to convince Mia she was overreacting.

"Well, it's not as though the panties are crotchless underwear from Frederick's of Hollywood or anything like that," Mia said, a teasing inflection in her tone.

"It might as well be," Carrie said in disgust. "You can see right through them… everywhere."

Mia decided Carrie had to be a simple cotton type of girl and hadn't learned to properly appreciate pretty, intimate undergarments. Or maybe she just hadn't met the right guy to inspire her to be daring and adventurous with her sexuality.

"Well, so long as no one looks under my skirt, I think I'm okay." Mia flashed her a smile.

Done shopping, Mia carried her items to the register, and despite Carrie's disapproving frown, she purchased the panty and bra set, figuring it was Carrie's problem if she didn't like sexy lingerie, not her own.


CAMERON followed Irish's car at a discreet distance, wondering where in the world she was off to on a late Friday afternoon. He'd ruled out the restaurant she'd met Margot at the past few times, because they were heading in the opposite direction. All Cameron could do was sit tight and wait for Trish to arrive at her destination.

His cell phone rang, and he glanced at the hands-free unit in the company truck. Seeing Mia's number, he immediately connected the call.

"Hey there," he said with a smile. "How was your day?"

"Outstanding," she replied, her enthusiastic voice filling the cab of the vehicle. "I just got off the phone with Amy at the gallery, and you'll never believe what she just told me!"

It had been such a long, busy week for Cameron that he hadn't had any spare time to spend with Mia-just phone calls in the evening. And even though he looked forward to those intimate and amusing discussions they inevitably had, he had to admit that he missed seeing her in person and being with her. But hearing her voice, like now, was enough to make his entire day.

"So what did Amy tell you?" he asked.

"You know those erotic pieces I left with her during my meeting with her on Tuesday? Well, she had such a phenomenal response to the stained-glass art, and so many of her clients were interested in purchasing the pieces, that she decided to put them up for auction!"

Her excitement was infectious, and a huge grin spread across his face. "Mia, that's incredible!"

"I know! I'm just stunned. And that's not all," she went on breathlessly. "Amy wants to schedule a gallery show, just for me and my stained-glass artwork. Can you believe that?"

He laughed, resisting the urge to remind her he was the reason her art was on display at the Brennan gallery-because he'd seen the potential in her art, and her mass appeal. "Of course I can believe it."

She grew quiet and then said, "I guess at some point I'm going to have to tell my family about all this, huh?"

He followed Trish into the city, keeping his distance as she started traveling on surface streets. "I think they'd be hurt if you didn't."

"I know." Her soft sigh drifted through the phone. "It's just that they don't know about the erotic pieces, and I have no idea how they'll react to them. I mean, I've done many things over the years to shock my family, but this is just so… public. And personal."

Hearing the barest hint of insecurity in her voice, he sought to reassure her. "How can they not be anything but proud of what you've accomplished? A showing is not something every artist gets, so this is a huge testament to just how amazing your work is. And just for the record, I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks," she said, and this time he detected a smile in her tone. "Care to celebrate with me tonight?"

God, it had been too long since they'd seen each other. It had been nearly a week since they'd spent the day at his parents, and even longer than that since they'd been together intimately. And he honestly and truly missed being with her, in every way.

Unfortunately, he wasn't going to see her this evening, either.

"I'd love to celebrate with you, but I can't tonight," he said regretfully. "Right now I'm tailing Irish to some unknown destination, and after this surveillance I have to head back to the office to go over some open cases with Wes. Then, I'm meeting with a new client this evening, and I have no idea when I'll be done."

"I understand," she said, but he knew she was disappointed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow at Steve's."

See, but not touch because their affair was a secret, he thought in frustration. "Just insult me a few times, and everyone will think things are normal between us."

She laughed huskily. "Oh, I plan to do more than just insult you tomorrow, sugar."

That tempting, teasing note to Mia's voice aroused more than Cameron's curiosity. He had no idea what she had in mind, but he wouldn't put anything past her and had no doubt it was something that would include tormenting him in some way.

They said their good-byes and Cameron disconnected the call, though his thoughts remained on Mia and their affair. After spending the past few weeks with Mia and discovering the deep, emotional layers hidden beneath her wild ways and outrageous personality, he already knew he was in over his head with her. Way deeper than he'd ever intended to fall for the sexy, raven-haired vixen. And he was beginning to hate the fact that he couldn't openly date Mia and let everyone know they were a couple and see if they had any chance at a future together.

That thought made his palms sweat and his heart race. He'd never thought of himself and Mia in terms of the future. But somewhere along the way, he'd come to realize that the decision to have a hot affair with her to get her out of his system had given way to something far more intimate. For him, it wasn't just about sex anymore. It was about wanting this woman, despite how opposite they were. It was about viewing her as someone he could possibly have a strong and lasting relationship with because she excited him and made him feel things no other woman ever had.

Unfortunately, he knew Mia wasn't ready to take their relationship to an emotional level, and maybe she never would be. He was well aware of her past with men and her inability to sustain anything long term. And for as much as she'd shared with him, and he'd learned about her, there were still a few barriers left for him to scale. He planned to do his damndest to tear every one of those walls down before they were through.

But for now he'd let her believe she was safe with him, that he posed no threat to her heart and emotions. He'd go to the party tomorrow and pretend as though they'd never slept together, that he didn't know how funny she could be, or that she created erotic stained-glass art her family didn't even know about. But once they found out who was stalking her, they were going to have to face what was happening between them-even if it meant forcing her to do so.

He continued to drive a few car lengths behind Trish until she turned her vehicle into the circular drive of the St. Claire Hotel to valet park her car-leading him to believe she had a late-afternoon date with her lover. But who was the million-dollar question he'd yet to find the answer for.

Cameron opted for the regular parking lot so he'd be able to see Trish when she left the hotel-hopefully with whomever she was meeting there. He was lucky enough to find an empty space in the first row and took it, though he didn't have enough time to take any pictures of Trish entering the hotel since he needed to stay close behind her. As soon as she disappeared into the lobby, Cameron made his way inside as well, just in time to see her step into one of the elevators with a few other people, effectively putting an end to him following her.

Hands on his hips, he watched in frustration as the elevator stopped on four different floors, making it impossible to figure out what level she'd gotten off on. He swore beneath his breath, seeing yet another dead end to the investigation unless she ended up leaving the hotel with her lover and finally gave him some substantial evidence to report back to her husband.