I've Been an Awful Good Girl Read Online Free Page A

for
dinner. I’ll give your mother a call, Emma and see if she and Ryan can join
us.”
    Jesus
H. Christ, this meant he would be spending all day and part of the evening with
Emma. With Ryan there he was sure to pick up on the chemistry arcing between
them, but what could he say without being rude? “Sure, why not.”

 
     
     
     
    Chapter
Five
     
    Emma
helped Cam’s mother tidy the kitchen then she headed home to scrounge for the
boxes of outdoor lights down in the basement. She needed just a few minutes
alone with Cam to convince him the two of them hooking up for some let’s-get-hot-and-sweaty between the sheets was okay. She’d already spoken to her brother about how she
felt and he wasn’t bent about it. Her plan was to bring Cam over to her way of
thinking, have some sexy fun, then they could both
move on.
    Her
stomach took a dip when she saw Cam drive up. He climbed from his car wearing
jeans, a baseball cap and a worn leather jacket. Bright winter sun washed over
him. The man defined the word yum . She had the box of lights and the
stepladder sitting at the base of the tree. She waved as Cam walked toward her,
his hands stuffed into the pockets of his jacket. He didn’t look happy to be
here, but she was certain she could put a smile on his face if he’d only give
her the chance. The front door opened and her brother walked out. His light
brown hair was still damp from his shower. “Hey, ready to get to work?”
    “Yep,
then when we’re done let’s shoot a few,” Cam said.
    Ryan
smiled. “No problem. I’ll be glad to whip your ass.”
    “Good
luck with that. This time I’m stomping you until it hurts, brother.”
    Ryan
chuckled. “Whatever.”
    “If
you two are finished pawing the ground and snorting, I could use some help over
here.”
    Cam
climbed the ladder and she handed up a strand of lights. He wrapped them around
the very top of the tree then lowered himself down a step on the ladder. After
taking the strand, Ryan strolled around the other side of the tree. Emma placed
her hand around Cam’s hard, muscular calf to steady him, letting the warmth of
his skin seep through his jeans and into her hand. Closing her eyes, she filled
her lungs with his scent of fresh laundry and soap. Her lips curved as she
imagined gliding her hand up his leg to the fly of his jeans and—
     “Emma,
stop that.”
    Cam’s
voice shattered the tantalizing illusion and her eyes popped open. When she
noticed her hand curved over the bulge in his jeans, she jerked it away and
tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Stop what? I was just making sure you
don’t fall.”
    “Trust
me, I’m not going to fall,” he said in a hoarse whisper. “Every part of me is
at attention.”
    Ryan
came back around the tree with the strand of lights and handed them up to Cam.
A gust of icy wind shot up her coat making Emma shiver. “A couple of more times
around the tree should do it,” she said.
    Cam
stepped down from the ladder and circled the tree, placing the lights on the
blue-green branches until the strand ran out. The front door opened and her
mother shouted, “Ryan, Cindy’s on the phone.”
    Her
brother’s face brightened. “Be right there. You two finish up. This could take
a while.” He disappeared inside the house and Emma was left alone with Cam.
    Now
was her chance.
    His
jacket barely covered the tent in his jeans. “Cam, there is something I need to
tell you.” She told him about Ryan knowing about her feelings years ago. “I
told him about the kiss we shared in the kitchen just before you left town.”
    Cam’s
face blanched. “What?” He rubbed his palms over his face. “Shit. He’s never
said anything to me.”
    “I
asked him not to. Then you left and went into the army. I’ve always wanted to
follow up on that kiss and I thought now that it’s Christmas, the season of joy
and good will toward men—and women—maybe you might consider giving me some of
that good will by agreeing to just one