Operation: Tempt Me (7 page)

The boy
offered a slight smile, the most Cambrie ever saw on him. The fifteen-year-old
stood tall but his slight build made him appear scrawny. He slouched when he
walked away with his hands in his pockets to return to the table he shared with
three of his buddies.

Mrs. Ginnity
shook her head. “Who would guess that such a sweet boy could come from the
loins of the meanest man in this county?”

Cambrie
studied Greg from afar. She had heard the rumors of his father’s temper but
hadn’t witnessed it herself. The younger Greg never spoke of his family when
she moderated the Teen Readers Group. He was always the first to arrive for the
group and last to leave. Odd because he had never really read any of the
assigned books and hardly participated in discussions.

Cambrie
looked back to the woman waiting for an answer. “Mrs. Ginnity, would you really
mind closing for me today? I think I’d like to take you up on that offer to
leave early.”

“If I didn’t
mean it, I wouldn’t have offered. Now scoot. I’ve got work to do. Will that be
all the books today, Mr. Belfrey?” she asked, as a middle-aged man stepped to
the checkout counter.

Cambrie
locked her office and stopped at Greg’s table before leaving. “Greg, may I
speak with you for a minute?”

The kid’s
face paled. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

She frowned.
“No, of course not. I just need to ask you a huge favor.”

He slowly
stood and walked with her to the front doors. He stared at the ground, kicking
his toe into the floor.

Cambrie held
her briefcase in front of her with both hands and spoke in a low voice. “Greg,
I wanted to ask if you’d be willing to email the library’s adopted soldier
while he serves oversees. We’re competing for a special grant that could give
us enough money to keep the library open.”

His head rose
until his gaze met hers. “Yeah, I heard you started that program. Sounds pretty
cool.”

She smiled.
“So does that mean you’ll do it?” She had hoped he’d agree. Maybe talking with
a bad ass like Miller would give the kid some backbone and help him learn some
self-esteem. God knew his father wouldn’t do it.

“I just have
to email? And say what?”

Cambrie
shrugged. “Whatever you want to talk about. Sports. School. Hobbies. Anything.
His name is Lt. Miller Daly and he’s a pretty cool guy. See me tomorrow for his
contact info, okay?”

“Sure. But I
don’t have a computer at home.” He didn’t look her in the eyes, instead staring
everywhere else.

She shrugged,
not seeing that as an obstacle. “There’s computers here you can use after
school. I’ll set you up an email account.”

“Cool.” He
walked away without another word.

Cambrie felt
a stab of pain in her chest. The boy didn’t look like his friends did in their
happy-go-lucky teenage way. He looked lost.

Dead on her
feet, Cambrie gave in to the luxury of an early end to her workday and walked
to her car as fast as she could. It wasn’t that she was truly tired, just
couldn’t stop kicking herself for appearing inhospitable with Miller. Was he
mad about her last email? Did he think she was blowing him off?

God, she
hoped not because that wasn’t her intention. But if she were going to meet a
man who blatantly expressed his interest in hot, wild sex with her, she damn
well wanted to be at her best. To do that, she needed some time, time she just
didn’t have. She’d just email Miller when she got home and explain what she
meant. Beating herself up about it wouldn’t help, so the ball would be back in
his court.

Driving home
only took five minutes, although she was tempted to stop and grab a burger and
fries. But since she’d splurged on the sex toys, every penny counted and she’d
have to forego the temptation of fast food and just microwave her pizza for
dinner.

After pulling
into her driveway, Cambrie walked to her stairs, fumbling with her keys. She
really needed to get a separate key chain for work. Finding the key she needed,
she walked up the stairs only to stop mid-step, her mouth falling open.

A man sat on
the wicker chair on her porch and was fast asleep. His body slumped with arms
crossed couldn’t hide his identity. She knew exactly who he was.

Lt. Miller
Daly.

Oh. Holy.
Hell.

As if he
sensed her, his head shot up and his eyes opened, blinked once, and glared.
There was no way for her to retreat, run, or hide until she was more
presentable.

The heat from
that stare was unmistakable. The dark brown eyes shimmered with amusement. A
smile formed by lips made for kissing.

When he
stood, the old floorboards creaked under his weight. She was totally unprepared
for his physical appearance. The picture he had sent hadn’t done him justice at
all. Simply said, he was gorgeous beyond any man she had ever met.

“Hello,
Cambrie,” he said, the casual tone showcasing a deep voice, strong like she had
dreamed.

What was she
supposed to say? She struggled to find her voice. “Hello, Miller. This is a big
surprise.”

“I was hoping
it would be.”

She swallowed
hard when he scanned her body head to toe and focused on her face again, his
smile growing. “I’m sorry. Did I miss an email or something? I didn’t expect
you.” She stepped onto the porch and felt so much smaller. He towered over her
even with her in heels.

“That’s
because I didn’t tell you I was coming. After the last email you sent, I didn’t
want to take any chances of you shooting down my visit. And I really do like
surprises.”

That smile
was intoxicating, making her feel at ease when she should be shaking. A man she
barely knew had traveled halfway around the world to see her. She cleared her
throat. “I’m, well, not really prepared for company. I just got off of work
and, oh God. Miller, look at me. This isn’t how I wanted you to see me.”

With one
giant step, he stood toe to toe with her. The only way to look him in the eyes
was to raise her chin. When his hands landed on her upper arms, a heat so
potent spiraled through her, threatening to knock her on her ass. What the
hell?

“This is
exactly
how I wanted to see you, Cambrie Brasher. Just the way you are everyday. This
is the Cambrie I’ve fallen for and not some primped up girl.”

Her heart
thudded hard against her breastbone. “Fallen for? How can you say that when you
don’t even know me?”

His breath
rushed out in a long sigh. “Shit. I’m sorry. Please don’t let me scare you off.
Sometimes I come off as demanding. I’ve just been dying to meet you and, well,
you’re even more than I expected. Just when I thought you couldn’t get any
prettier, I open my eyes to find you standing here more beautiful than your
pictures. I only came without notice because if you had told me not to come it
would’ve killed me. But if you tell me to go, I will.”

This guy
should open a greeting card business. He said everything right, but it was also
sincere. Had he blown smoke up her ass with fancy words or frilly compliments,
she would’ve sent him packing. But his eyes said it all. They never avoided
hers, each word he spoke was emphasized by his solid gaze. A man who looked her
in the eye when he spoke was worthy of a chance to prove himself.

“I never sent
you my address,” she said, narrowing her eyes, suddenly reminded that he
probably had access to all sorts of information civilians didn’t. Like her
private information. The sneaky bastard!

The corner of
his mouth lifted into a smirk. “Thank your friend Emma for that.”

Cambrie made
a mental note to give Emma hell for not warning her. “You sent me the wrong
picture, Miller,” she said, her hand holding her keys squished between their
bodies. “Looks like you’ve packed on some muscle since then. That wasn’t fair
to mislead me.”

He studied
her before speaking. “Okay. My bad. I sent you an older picture. But it was
only a year old. That’s all I had available at the time. But I’m not much
bigger. Just been working out like crazy this past year after I got promoted to
lieutenant.”

She leveled a
glare, tapping her foot. “Try again.”

He glanced
down at her foot then back at her face and laughed. “It’s true. Besides, if I’d
sent you a current pic then you might’ve thought I was too bulky or something.”

“I’d never
think that,” she said, shocked at his response.

“Well, it’s
been said before, so I’m a bit cautious.”

“Oh? Are you
in the habit of sending strange women your picture?”

His laugh
sounded like it came from his belly, deep and loud. “I won’t lie. I’ve belonged
to a few dating sites. But for a very short time. They weren’t worth my
effort.”

Her heart
broke. She had thought they had something special. “Ah, so you’ve done this
before? Been a pen pal?”

He frowned.
“What? No way. I’ve never had a pen pal. Really never even thought of having
one. I’ve always passed the time on a mission with a good book. But once I got
your email, well, I’m pretty damn grateful I have one now.” His eyes twinkled
with amusement. “Do you want to continue this conversation inside in privacy?”

Suddenly
aware of how real this was, Cambrie was at a lost for words. Staring at the
wide chest in front of her, she blinked.

His fingers
lifted her chin. “I promise I won’t jump your bones as soon as the door shuts
or anything like that. I’m a gentleman and plan to remain one. Although, I
fully admit that it’ll be hard being around your loveliness. But you have my
word. Besides, if I fuck things up and upset you, Finn will have my ass. I’ve
already been threatened by the bastard,” he said, the smile never leaving his
face.

Cambrie’s
muscles loosened and her heart slowly stopped pounding like a freight train.
She took his hand and tightened her fingers around it. “Come on, Lt. Daly. Let
me show you where I sleep.”

His low growl
had her laughing as she inserted her key in the door.

“Laugh now.
Scream my name soon, baby,” he said roughly into her ear, his chest at her
back.

When she
opened the door, they practically fell through it. She had all of a second to
drop her briefcase next to his duffel bag before he shut the door and faced
her.

“First a
kiss.” His tone floated through her ears, serenading her with promises. A kiss
would most definitely lead to much more. She had every intention of making sure
it did.

“I think you
owe me one after all those steamy emails and the promises they held,” she
whispered as he advanced on her.

He moved like
it took no effort at all. His arms encircled her like steel, strength oozing
from him. “Your emails were just as naughty, darling.”

With his
large hands rubbing up and down in zigzags across her back, she looped her arms
around his neck and stood on her toes. Just an inch from his lips and he
stopped her. What the hell?

“I just want
to remember this moment, Cambrie. We only get one first kiss, no matter how
many millions we share later.”

She tilted
her head a little to study him. “Awww. That’s so sweet, Miller.”

“It’s true.
The first kiss can make or break the rest of the evening.”

“I’m not sure
I understand.”

The corners
of his mouth lifted to show off a slight grin. “Think about it. If you don’t
enjoy my kiss, then how will I ever seduce you into bed so I can enjoy this hot
body?” His hands trailed to her hips and rested on her ass.

Heat pooled
between her legs, her wetness growing by the second. Trying not to squirm under
his touch was near impossible. “Oh, I have no reason to think I won’t enjoy
your kiss.” Her finger trailed across his parted lips before he sucked it into
his mouth. The slow suckling only aroused her more. Kissing him now became a
matter of life and death—she’d die if he didn’t kiss her soon.

Releasing her
finger, he licked his lips. One hand cradled her ass while the other skimmed up
her side to slip to the nape of her neck. The heat from his touch blessed her
with goose bumps so large she shivered.

His eyes
stormed with desire she had never experienced before. “Glad you’re as nervous
as me, baby. Makes for a fucking great first kiss.”

The fingers
at the back of her neck pulled her into his personal space. Together they
hovered with lips touching in the slightest way. His warm breath escaped his
parted lips to bathe hers in it. She smelled mint and coffee. With the slowest
of movements, Miller pressed his lips against hers and held. Inhaling took real
effort. His fingers massaged her neck in gentle circles.

She moaned
and sagged against him, her hands resting on his chest to brace for whatever he
meant to share with her. She was positive that his kiss would be brutal and
demanding, that he’d overwhelm her with his power. Damn, she couldn’t have been
more wrong.

His tongue
slid across her lips, encouraging them to open, licking at them like she was
the sweetest treat. Allowing him access was the easy part. Remaining upright
was the hard part. Her hands grasped his shoulders to anchor herself for his
possession. His hands remained on her back but ceased their movement. The
steady support of his hands assured her that he meant to hold onto her.