Operation: Tempt Me

by Christina James

  “The Women’s Choir has donated three boxes of goodies for your military man,” Mrs. Ginnity announced after walking into the library. “Place them in the volunteer office, young man,” she said to Greg, a member of the Teen Readers Group, drafted by the old woman to carry her packages.

  Cambrie laughed at how much the other woman acted like a drill sergeant, watching intently as Greg hauled the boxes into the rear office.

  “That’s wonderful. Be sure to thank them for me,” Cambrie replied before returning to the draft of her report for the Board of Directors outlining her progress with the grant program.

  “You look down, Cambrie. Is everything all right?” Mrs. Ginnity asked, stepping closer and gasping. “It’s not dear Annabelle, is it?”

  At the mention of her sick aunt, Cambrie sat up straighter. “Oh, no, ma’am. I’m sorry. I’m just a little tired I suppose.” And not at all distracted by the fact that Miller hadn’t been in touch with her since she’d avoided his second request to visit soon. Hopefully, he understood when she explained the need for a little more time to plan for his visit. The past month at work had been too busy for her to get anything done at home like she had wanted. And if she were to have a houseguest for a few days, then she needed—no wanted—to be there with him to enjoy his visit.

  “Well, with all the crazy hours you keep between this place and taking care of Annabelle, it’s a wonder you get any sleep at all.” Mrs. Ginnity placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. “Why don’t you go home early today and I’ll close up for you? It’s only another hour. And I won’t be taking no for an answer.” She turned to face Greg when he emerged from the back office. “Thank you, Greg. I wish all kids would be as nice as you. I’ll be baking you a batch of chocolate chip cookies for your efforts here today.”

  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 breastbo
ne. “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.

  When his tongue advanced into the depths of her mouth, lust hit her heavy in the gut. His tongue stroked against hers, each tangle more thrilling than the last. She expected to taste the coffee and mint. Instead, all she tasted was fire fueled by a desire that ran so deep within her shaking body that she lost all track of her thoughts. He devoured her with every lash of his tongue within her mouth.

  Without breaking their connection, Miller angled his head in the other direction and her head moved to accommodate his. His fingers manipulated her neck again and kept her where he wanted to continue this glorious kiss.

  She couldn’t, and wouldn’t, just stand there and not take her fill. Oh no. She loved to kiss, loved being kissed. But right now, she wanted to drive Miller so wild with need that he’d beg for more. Just the thought of making love to this handsome man made her pussy weep with a greedy need, small aches pulsing through her womb.

  Needing his touch as much as he evidently needed hers, Cambrie pushed past his tongue to plunge deep into his mouth, moving rapidly like she’d never get enough of him. A firestorm grew within her, a warring of passion desperate for release.

  He moaned. She moaned. It didn’t matter who did. Their sounds mixed within the confinement of the kiss. Her lungs begged for oxygen, but she just
couldn’t bear to pull away and deprive herself of his warm mouth and hard lips.

  To her disappointment, he broke the connection, but kept his lips against hers. Breathless like her, he stood holding her and sucking in air.

  “My. God. Cambrie.”

  “Ditto.” Cambrie couldn’t find words to explain how she felt, how that kiss just upended the world as she knew it. Now what the hell was she suppose to do? No other man would ever kiss her like that. Shit!

  “No, Cambrie. You don’t understand.” His words sounded desperate, or maybe it was his staggered breathing, or the wild look in his eyes when he pulled back far enough to make eye contact with her. His hands remained on her, holding her where he decided.

  “Then explain,” she demanded.

  He rested his forehead against hers for a long moment before stepping back again and gazing into her eyes.

  “I may need to take you with me.” He didn’t appear to be joking.

  “I think I’d go willingly.”

  When he burst out laughing and tugged her into a bear hug, she didn’t know if he had lost his mind or had suffered brain damage from lack of oxygen during that kiss. As long as he remained upright, she didn’t care. Being in his embrace was the best medicine for being tired. She felt like she could run a marathon. A wicked smile crept over her lips as she rested her cheek against his shirt. In his emails, he had promised to make love to her all night. It was time to take him up on that.

  She pulled away from the tight embrace but remained in his arms. “My bedroom is just through that door. Care to take this somewhere more appropriate?”

  His dark brown eyes blazed like melting chocolate. “Thought I said I was gonna seduce you?”

  She shrugged, running her fingers over his chest. “Maybe I’m tired of you taking your sweet ass time.”

  His laugh echoed throughout her small apartment. “I’m so going to enjoy spanking your very fine ass, Cambrie.”

  Before she could protest, he had her slung over his shoulder and strutted toward the bedroom. Only the flashing light on the answering machine could’ve distracted her at that moment. And it did. With her long hair hanging all around her, the blinking red light on the machine barely caught her eye.