Operation: Tempt Me (4 page)

Cambrie groaned, remembering the email she had sent out
earlier asking the local news station for a press conference to announce her
military support program. Hoping to use the press to gain support in the
community and assist her in catching up on valuable lost time, it had been a
great idea. But now with her plan backfiring and her adopted soldier bailing
before she even got started, Cambrie just wanted to sink under the covers and
fade into her dreams.

Or nightmares at this point.

Chapter Three

“Well done, Miss Brasher,” Mr. Hackler said after the press
conference held in the main lobby of the library.

“Thank you,” Cambrie said, glancing around, still amazed at
the outcome.

Every major news channel and newspaper in the area had
attended the event highlighting the library’s quest for the grant. After the
noontime news aired, the library had been under siege with community members
wanting to participate and support the efforts. Cambrie figured most thought
they could get on TV if they had come to the library, but the news crews had
since left and only a few reporters remained, mulling through the crowd and
interviewing people.

“I’m very pleased, Mr. Hackler,” Cambrie said, wanting to
get away from her boss. She needed to send an email. Oh, God. Keeping a
straight face while lying was damn hard.

“I can’t wait to see the response you get from the
community,” Mr. Hackler said, interrupting her panic. “I think we have a great
chance at winning that grant now that you’ve put on your thinking cap, Miss
Brasher. Splendid ideas.” He walked away to catch up to the mayor.

Cambrie ran in the opposite direction of the crowds. What
the hell was she going to do now? She had just promised Maddyville an adopted
soldier to support. Now she had to come up with one since the last time she had
checked her email an hour ago showed no response from Lt. Daly on her second
request to adopt him.

Why did she kid herself? The man wasn’t about to reply. He
had already said no, had declined politely. He didn’t need to waste his
valuable time with her.

But she couldn’t go down without a fight…or at least
one more try
.

Slipping into her office, while customers mulled around the
library hadn’t been easy. She had to claim an important phone call to keep
moving and avoid the clutches of the well-meaning but overbearing members of
the Auxiliary Women’s Club not to mention all the people who inquired about
Aunt Annabelle.

Cambrie locked her office door to avoid prying eyes. Privacy
is what she needed. Logging online, she pulled up her email, disappointed again
to not find an email from Lt. Daly. But there was one from Emma. Oh, how would
she tell her friend that she failed to gain Miller’s support?

Hey
Cam, Finn told me he got an email from Miller that sounded like he might’ve
turned you down or blown you off. Now, the Cambrie I know would never take no
for an answer when she set her mind to something. Don’t let Miller scare you
off, girlfriend. Go get him. Believe me, he will make your program win. Keep me
updated.

Hugs,
Em

Oh, those words were the fuel she needed for the fire in her
belly. Encouraged by Emma, and determined to win the grant, not just to save
her job but to keep the library open for all the deserving customers, Cambrie
typed.

Lt.
Daly, while it’s obvious from your lack of a reply that you’re ignoring my
requests for your participation with the adopt-a-soldier program, I must try
one more time. I have made a commitment to the program and to the library, so
there is no backing out now without losing everything—my job, the library, and
my Aunt Annabelle.

I
don’t expect you to understand my predicament nor is it your problem. I just
ask that, as a friend of Emma and Finn’s, you help me out. I’d do anything if
you’d just cooperate long enough for me to get my boss off my ass.

Listen,
I’ll be blunt since I gather you military types prefer it that way. I’m not
ugly, boring, or dull. We can and will have decent conversations. I may work
with books, but I also love adventure. I tend to be a bit clumsy, but that just
leads to more fun with my escapades.

I
read a lot but I love romances the most, especially the erotic ones, and I’m
not ashamed to admit that. I believe sex is healthy and testing our sexual
boundaries can only bring a heightened awareness of ourselves.

And
don’t even think about busting my balls because I read romances. I know men
don’t understand why women enjoy a good romantic story (and they are not all
about lovey-dovey crap), but maybe if you guys read one then you’d understand
what a woman is looking for. There’s a lot of information in those books that
may unravel some of the mysteries of the woman’s heart, LOL—but that’s a topic
for another time.

I’m
attaching a picture, not that I’m a beauty queen or anything but it’s to
dismiss any pre-determined perceptions you may have based on my occupation, and
it’ll be nice for you to see who you’re talking to. I don’t have gray hair
twisted in a bun or act prim and proper. Whatever you may think about
librarians, well, I’m the complete opposite. I have long, brown hair, light
brown eyes, average height, slender build, and am not shy about having some
fun.

Ask
me anything you want to know and I’ll respond truthfully. Be my pen pal for
this program and I promise we’ll have interesting conversations that will help
pass any boring times wherever you may be. Hell, it’ll give me some male
companionship and adult conversation that I’ve been sorely lacking due to other
commitments.

Come
on-just do it. It’ll be fun, I promise. I’m sure I met you at Emma and Finn’s
wedding, but I can’t remember because I met so many people that day. Please
reconsider, Lt. Daly, I really need you.

Cambrie

She hit the send key before she could think about what she
just wrote-how bold she’d been.

She sat with her forehead resting in her palms. If she could
find another job in Maddyville where she could stay close to Aunt Annabelle and
one that paid like this one then she’d give her notice now instead of
embarrassing herself anymore with Lt. Daly. What was she thinking writing all
of that stuff to a complete stranger? Oh, if he didn’t think she was a whack
job before, he would now.

She sighed. How did life get so damn complicated? One minute
she’s in Nashville pursuing a great career as a magazine editor and then life
threw her a curve ball, and sent Aunt Annabelle to nursing care after a heart
attack and breast cancer.

Well, Cambrie had to be grateful for the heart attack or
Aunt Annabelle’s breast cancer would’ve been discovered too late.

Ding!

Cambrie’s head shot up and she stared at her screen.
Incoming mail from Miller Daly.

Oh. My. God.

Here it came. He more than likely sent her an email blasting
her forwardness and demanding that she leave him alone. With a shaking finger,
she clicked and opened the message.

Cambrie,
please accept my apologies for not getting back to you sooner. The slow
response was in no way to avoid you. I was on a mission that lasted longer than
expected with no access to email until I returned to camp. Now that I see we
have something in common-I too enjoy erotic stories-then I’d be more than happy
to help you out but on one condition…

What? He had rules to play by? She could live with that.
Hope consumed her.

Okay.
Anything.
The message disappeared from her screen as soon as she hit
the send button.

Sitting at her desk, she wiggled her feet in a dance on the
floor. Yes! Finally some progress. If this worked out and Miller helped her
with getting the grant then she definitely owed Emma and Finn dinner.

Ding!

Clicking on his reply, she read it.

Ahh.
Careful what you promise. I’m a guy of many ideas with lots of time between
missions. We could be potent together.

Did she read that right? Did he just hit on her? Holy shit!

Ding!

Sorry.
Forgot to attach my pic since you were kind enough to share yours, Cambrie. I
couldn’t attend Emma and Finn’s wedding—if I had then I would’ve made sure to
make your acquaintance…and more. Wink!

Cambrie
swallowed hard, her throat dry. One look at the man in the picture on her
screen had her pussy awakening with tiny aches, creating a throbbing that she’d
never felt before.

The man was
so amazing. Dressed in military pants and sleeveless white T-shirt, he had to
be at least six-foot-three, maybe weighed two-twenty. Staring at the camera
with his massive arms crossed, he was indeed the epitome of strength. She
couldn’t see his eyes behind the dark sunglasses, but his light brown hair was
short.

A tattoo on
his upper arm caught her attention. She squinted to see it better but couldn’t
make out what it was. The grin on his face had her imagining kissing the
corners to nibble along his angular jaw.

Christ, what
had come over her? Okay. If he wanted to play with fire, she was game.

I
may be a librarian, but don’t let the title fool you, Lt. Daly. I bet I could
convince you to enjoy some books after a few sessions of…say…tutoring.

She
slammed her finger on the send button and twirled in her seat, laughing. Wow,
so this was what it was like to dabble in cyber sex. Holy shit, she was getting
excited. She could feel her wetness gathering between her legs. She couldn’t
remember the last time she had creamed her panties. Looked like she had gone
too long without a lot of things.

Still
smiling, she focused on the computer when the alarm sounded of an incoming
email.

OMG!
Sign me up. But only with you. Now tell me more…I have a passion for details.
Logging off now but I’d love to have an email when I get back on, Cambrie,
baby. Start doing your troop duties and work for this grant, LOL. Miller

PS—luv
the pic. You’re a woman a man can dream about.

That gorgeous
man could dream about her? Well, hell yeah! She could deal with that. What a
great perk it would be if her job allowed her to enjoy cyber sex with a
sexy-as-all-hell guy. A wickedness crept through her, naughty thoughts fighting
for recognition. Her boss said she had to do whatever it took to get the grant.
He never said she couldn’t have fun doing it.

Cambrie
laughed and began typing her reply, saddened that Miller had to leave for now
but at least she’d send him a sexy email to keep his attention. Wow, the rush
of adrenaline flowing through her compared to the arousal she felt in a man’s
arms. But never had she had a man as built as Miller or as dangerous. He looked
like a one-man fighting machine with those muscles.

“Miss
Brasher,” a woman called from the other side of the door after a faint knock.

Cambrie immediately
stood to move to the door, her body heated from head to toe, her head spinning
with a giddiness she hadn’t felt since her first kiss.

Opening the
door, Cambrie found Mrs. Ginnity dressed meticulously in a peach suit and
matching heels. “So sorry to bother you, but there’s a reporter needing to
speak with you. Shall I show him in?”

Cambrie
glanced back at the computer knowing her email to Miller would have to be
postponed. There was business at hand and Miller wasn’t going anywhere. His
interest in her was very much apparent. This day was turning out to be pretty
damn good.

Chapter Four

Miller had
finally found her after all of this time. The woman from his dreams now stared
back from his laptop. The picture Cambrie Brasher had sent him could’ve been
painted from his dreams.

Hell, yeah!

Sitting on
his hard cot in the tent, he couldn’t stop staring at Cambrie’s picture. And
what a name for the hot woman.
Cambrie
. It rolled off his tongue sweet
as sugar with a hint of spice. Miller knew the minute he set eyes on his
mystery lady there’d been no denying it was the right woman.

Fuck!
He couldn’t get leave for at least another month. After all this time,
wondering where she was out there, she happened to find him instead of the
other way around.

Now
he was stuck in this remote desert. The tour had lasted a month longer than
planned with still no end in sight. The goal hadn’t been achieved and the team
was fucked without reliable information from their local resources in the
Afghan village.