Slow Summer Burn: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance Read Online Free

skin without missing a beat, but she sure wasn’t prepared for her body’s reaction when he touched her.
    Maybe because Clarissa was watching.
    That put a damper on things. She tried to concentrate on the next day’s early-morning meeting—what fabric she’d present, what she’d offer in terms of import fees—but Val’s warmth kept creeping into her consciousness, curling around her like wood smoke.
    Through lowered lashes, she snuck a glance up at him. His eyes were half-closed, but she had no doubt he was taking everything in, memorizing every cranny of the room and its occupants, including her. He was far too perceptive to miss a thing. Tonight he might look the part of elite society with his elegant suit and artfully tousled hair, but it was obvious to Cameron that he was cut from an entirely different cloth.
    The Fitzgerald song ended, but Val didn’t let her go. The band segued into a slow Brazilian bossa nova tune. She’d heard this one before, even knew the words. She let the music seep into her, desperately trying to concentrate on the lyrics.
    “We’re still dancing,” she whispered. Way to state the obvious, Cameron . Val was no boring, polite society man who took her out for a spin and then returned her directly to her seat.
    “You are sharp,” he murmured, pulling her in more tightly. His heart beat steadily under the hand he’d so effortlessly captured. Through the gauzy material of her dress, she could feel hisbody’s heat.
    She glanced over at Clarissa, who was watching her with narrowed eyes. Quickly, she turned away, trying not to worry about what her mother thought as she gave in to Val’s pull. She could get lost in him. With him. Why should she fight it? Somehow, she knew it would feel right. Just when she’d resigned herself to surrender, she felt Val’s fingers give a little extra pressure on her back.
    “May I cut in?” The urbane voice of Congressman Kirkland resonated in the air around them.
    Cameron opened her mouth to speak, but Val beat her to the punch. “I believe the lady is spoken for,” he muttered, his lips tight. The interruption had broken the spell he’d cast. Slowly, she realized how awkward this must look.
    She tried to pull away, but he held her tightly enough that she couldn’t break free without causing a scene. Horrified, she watched as the two men did a face-off on the dance floor. Val caused her senses to reel, but it didn’t mean that she’d taken leave of them entirely.
    Ignoring the tension between the two men, and not bothering to acknowledge that Val had spoken, she turned her head to smile at the older man. “I’d love to dance,” she said breezily. “You don’t mind, do you, Val?” Her tone was easy, but firm.
    Val took the not-so-subtle hint. “Not at all,” he said smoothly, releasing her into the waiting arms of the congressman. “Enjoy the dance.”
    As soon as Val’s body was no longer touching hers, she could think clearly again. With a start, she realized that at least one of her finishing school classes—The Art of Extricating Oneself from a Potentially Embarrassing Situation—hadn’t entirely been a waste. Not that she’d ever tell Clarissa that.
    Deliberately, she focused her attention on the man in front of her. “Ted, it’s wonderful to see you again.” Small talk wasn’t much fun, but it came easily to her.
    He graced her with a perfect smile, his teeth bright and even. “And it’s wonderful to see you again. You look lovely tonight, my dear. I’m only sorry that Junior couldn’t make it. Had to get to bed early, you know. Big day tomorrow.”
    “Big day?”
    The congressman looked disappointed that she hadn’t remembered. “Press conference. Junior’ll do great. He’s a shoo-in for DA, but it never hurts to prime the pump.”
    “Ah, yes. Of course. Well, I wish him the best of luck.”
    “Luck? Luck has nothing to do with it. All in the genes, my dear, all in the genes.” He grinned proudly.
    Cameron