near puberty.
Not a man existed she couldn’t
seduce.
Until now.
He was obviously attracted to her, but
still resisted her. Perhaps he trusted women about as much as she
trusted men.
Cam was complex and
mysterious, unlike the transparent men she’d typically dated. Any
sane woman would run from a man who’d threatened to squash her like
a bug. With a squeeze of his hand, he
could break her neck, silencing the sounds of her own screams,
screams that haunted her waking and sleeping
consciousness.
But his threats and size hadn’t
frightened her. She wanted to trust him and that petrified her
almost as much as the memories of that terrible night so long
ago.
Chapter Eight
The sun was setting and the temperature
had dropped. They approached a tree that had fallen across the
trail. He climbed on the trunk and offered her his hand. Maggie
braced a foot and hoisted herself up. Cam jumped down and took
Maggie with him.
They walked deeper into the woods,
following a well-worn path. Cam often took advantage of this spot,
like many other hikers. With any luck, it would be empty of any
squatters.
They came upon a clearing where the
tall grass had been packed flat. Rocks enclosed a circular patch of
scorched ground.
“ You shouldn’t make a
fire,” he said. “Try to leave nature the way you found it, as
undisturbed as possible.”
Maggie slid her backpack off.
“Somebody’s obviously made a fire here.”
“ Yup. So if we make a
fire, we won’t be disturbing nature.” He untied the casing to his
gray tent and shrugged it off. “Not as much as we would if a fire
hadn’t already burned here.” He finished pitching his tent and
reached for her backpack.
“ Could I sleep in your
tent? I hate sleeping alone.”
When Cam tore the pack from her, Maggie
dropped to the ground and crossed her legs.
As he anchored the last stake, he
asked, “Want some popcorn for the show?”
Maggie shrugged.
Cam headed toward the woods. He
returned shortly carrying a stack of large branches. He made a fire
and they sat on the ground and watched the flames dance.
Maggie tried to spark conversation, but
he never a spoke a word, just poked at the fire until darkness
surrounded them.
“ Goodnight.” She stood and
looked down at him, probably waiting for him to protest her
departure. Not going to happen.
“ Whatever,” she muttered
and disappeared into her tent.
When the second whiz of a zipper
sounded, the tension in Cam’s muscles faded. He just had to get
through this weekend then he could concentrate on opening his
restaurant. He’d never have to see or speak to her
again.
One problem. He wanted her, wanted her
bad.
Maggie was bold,
adventurous, and silly, not to mention, stunning. She was cute and
at the same time sexy. Her fair skin clashed brilliantly with her
cherry red hair and green eyes. And her perfume! He had to find out
the brand. Like an addict, he could use it to diminish the
cravings, spraying his curtains, sofa, and bedding. Cam squeezed
his head between his hands. You’re a
monster! Let her go.
# # #
An animal shrieked. Cam’s
lids flipped open. He lifted his head from the tent floor and
propped his weight on his forearms. An owl? Another shriek. Nope.
Not an owl. He jerked to a sitting position. Maggie!
The three-quarter moon illuminated
Maggie’s shaking tent. He whipped her flap open to find her jumping
up and down and slapping at her arms. Grimacing, he snatched her
wrist and yanked her from the tent.
“ Calm down,” he
growled.
“ They’re biting me!
They’re everywhere!”
Cam willed his temper to cool as he
tried to still her movements. “I can’t get them off, if you don’t
stop jumping.” He slapped at the ants crawling up his arm. “Take
off your clothes!”
Still jumping and screaming, Maggie
struggled with the bottom of her princess shirt. Cam swatted her
hands away, yanked her shirt over her head and tugged her shorts
down her legs.
Maggie stood in her fire engine
Not a man existed she couldn’t
seduce.
Until now.
He was obviously attracted to her, but
still resisted her. Perhaps he trusted women about as much as she
trusted men.
Cam was complex and
mysterious, unlike the transparent men she’d typically dated. Any
sane woman would run from a man who’d threatened to squash her like
a bug. With a squeeze of his hand, he
could break her neck, silencing the sounds of her own screams,
screams that haunted her waking and sleeping
consciousness.
But his threats and size hadn’t
frightened her. She wanted to trust him and that petrified her
almost as much as the memories of that terrible night so long
ago.
Chapter Eight
The sun was setting and the temperature
had dropped. They approached a tree that had fallen across the
trail. He climbed on the trunk and offered her his hand. Maggie
braced a foot and hoisted herself up. Cam jumped down and took
Maggie with him.
They walked deeper into the woods,
following a well-worn path. Cam often took advantage of this spot,
like many other hikers. With any luck, it would be empty of any
squatters.
They came upon a clearing where the
tall grass had been packed flat. Rocks enclosed a circular patch of
scorched ground.
“ You shouldn’t make a
fire,” he said. “Try to leave nature the way you found it, as
undisturbed as possible.”
Maggie slid her backpack off.
“Somebody’s obviously made a fire here.”
“ Yup. So if we make a
fire, we won’t be disturbing nature.” He untied the casing to his
gray tent and shrugged it off. “Not as much as we would if a fire
hadn’t already burned here.” He finished pitching his tent and
reached for her backpack.
“ Could I sleep in your
tent? I hate sleeping alone.”
When Cam tore the pack from her, Maggie
dropped to the ground and crossed her legs.
As he anchored the last stake, he
asked, “Want some popcorn for the show?”
Maggie shrugged.
Cam headed toward the woods. He
returned shortly carrying a stack of large branches. He made a fire
and they sat on the ground and watched the flames dance.
Maggie tried to spark conversation, but
he never a spoke a word, just poked at the fire until darkness
surrounded them.
“ Goodnight.” She stood and
looked down at him, probably waiting for him to protest her
departure. Not going to happen.
“ Whatever,” she muttered
and disappeared into her tent.
When the second whiz of a zipper
sounded, the tension in Cam’s muscles faded. He just had to get
through this weekend then he could concentrate on opening his
restaurant. He’d never have to see or speak to her
again.
One problem. He wanted her, wanted her
bad.
Maggie was bold,
adventurous, and silly, not to mention, stunning. She was cute and
at the same time sexy. Her fair skin clashed brilliantly with her
cherry red hair and green eyes. And her perfume! He had to find out
the brand. Like an addict, he could use it to diminish the
cravings, spraying his curtains, sofa, and bedding. Cam squeezed
his head between his hands. You’re a
monster! Let her go.
# # #
An animal shrieked. Cam’s
lids flipped open. He lifted his head from the tent floor and
propped his weight on his forearms. An owl? Another shriek. Nope.
Not an owl. He jerked to a sitting position. Maggie!
The three-quarter moon illuminated
Maggie’s shaking tent. He whipped her flap open to find her jumping
up and down and slapping at her arms. Grimacing, he snatched her
wrist and yanked her from the tent.
“ Calm down,” he
growled.
“ They’re biting me!
They’re everywhere!”
Cam willed his temper to cool as he
tried to still her movements. “I can’t get them off, if you don’t
stop jumping.” He slapped at the ants crawling up his arm. “Take
off your clothes!”
Still jumping and screaming, Maggie
struggled with the bottom of her princess shirt. Cam swatted her
hands away, yanked her shirt over her head and tugged her shorts
down her legs.
Maggie stood in her fire engine
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