Tempting Cameron Read Online Free Page B

your secret,” Ali called after her as she chased Chloe up the driveway and into her front yard. “So give me a break.”
    “Ah, you know I’m just kidding. And are you implying you have a secret?”
    Ali grabbed the bottle of water she left on Chloe’s porch, unscrewed the cap, and took a long drink before answering. “I’m not going to lie. I find Mac very…attractive.”
    “Oooh,” Chloe started but shut up when Ali slanted her a look.
    “I wondered more than once if he had something for you.” At Chloe’s incredulous expression, Ali continued. “You two are together a lot. He’s protective of you. At one point, when I first moved here, I thought you were dating.”
    “We’ve never dated. One mistaken drunk kiss a long time ago when I was still in college, but that was it.” Chloe screwed up her nose. “And it wasn’t even that great of a kiss. Felt weird. Like I was kissing my brother.”
    “Eww.” Ali shook her head, took another drink. “So you’re saying he’s a bad kisser.”
    “No, I’m saying that when it comes to the two of us, kissing will never be an option.” She couldn’t say that about Cam, though. The minute his lips had touched hers, her body had flared to life, tingling everywhere. She’d been filled with a needy ache ever since.
    Ali’s phone dinged and she checked it, her lips curling into a little smile. “He mentioned Cam in his list of everyone going tonight.”
    Nerves clanging in her stomach, Chloe swallowed past the sudden nausea that threatened. “Great,” she said weakly.
    Ali laughed. “Wear your Sunday best, my friend. You’ll want to look good for your new kissing partner.”
    Chloe smiled in return but worry consumed her. What if Cam didn’t want to be her new kissing partner? And was that the lamest thing to call him, or what? What if he ignored her the entire night instead?
    She didn’t think her fragile heart could take it.
    …
    “I can’t believe you dragged me here,” Cam grumbled irritably as he followed Mac into the Pine Tree Bar and Grill.
    Mac flashed a grin over his shoulder. “It was either here or hang out with Mom and Dad for another fun-filled night. You tell me which option sounds better.”
    Cam didn’t answer. He’d been staying at the ’rents house but had already spoken to Patrick earlier about crashing at his and Lyssa’s place for the summer. He craved privacy. Jane and her kids had moved out a few weeks ago, since now they lived with Chris.
    Tomorrow he was grabbing his bag and going to Patrick’s. Patrick’s family had already headed back home to the bay area. They’d bought the cabin years ago and usually stayed there when they came to visit Lone Pine Lake, the only exception being when Jane had lived in the house with her kids for almost a year.
    A huge-ass empty house on the lake sounded perfect to Cam’s loner soul.
    “I offered you to stay at my place.” Mac had a condo not too far from the town’s center.
    “Your place is too small. Besides, Patrick said I could stay at his house,” Cam answered.
    They stood by the bar counter, scanning the room, looking for Mac’s group of friends. “How long do you plan on staying here, anyway?”
    Cam shrugged. “I don’t know. A couple of months.”
    “Seriously? Through the summer? I’m surprised.” When Cam scowled at him, Mac laughed. “You try your hardest to avoid this place. It’s like you hate your hometown.”
    He didn’t reply, kept his gaze trained on the flat screen TV that hung over the old jukebox, which had stood there since he could remember. The place was less than half filled. No surprise, considering it was a Sunday night. Most locals stayed home before they started the workweek and the weekend tourists were already gone.
    But Cam had no place to go tomorrow, nowhere to work. He was on a semi-permanent hiatus. Hell, even his family didn’t know the extent of what he suffered while overseas. He hadn’t wanted to worry anyone, strike panic in