Tempting Cameron by Karen Erickson

could say a word, he kissed her. His mouth was warm, soft, the kiss simple and sweet. A sigh escaped her when he slipped his hand behind her head, cradling her, holding her still for his delicious kiss.
    This was the kind of moment she’d dreamed of since she was a gawky fourteen-year-old mooning over Cameron McKenzie. Now it was her reality. Held in his strong arms, his mouth on hers, his tongue darting between her lips, his hand running up her side…
    “Ow.” She broke the kiss first, her side aching from his too possessive touch. His expression turned immediately contrite.
    “Hell Chloe, I’m sorry. I forgot about your ribs.” He disentangled himself from her carefully, arranging her on the couch so she was propped on the comfy pillows once more, the blanket draped over her legs despite her heated skin. That simple kiss had riled her up more than she cared to admit. “Better?”
    She kicked off the blanket, watched it fall to the ground with a perverse sort of satisfaction. “I am now. I would be even more if you were still kissing me.”
    God. If she could clap her hands to her cheeks to hide her embarrassment, she would. How bold could she be? What had this man done to her?
    He chuckled, the sound warming her from the inside out. “That can probably be arranged. But later. First, I need to go do a few things.” Propping his hand on the arm of the couch, he bent over her, dropped a deep, soul-stirring kiss on her lips. She gaped at him as he pulled away, a satisfied smile curling his too beautiful mouth. “I’ll come by tonight with dinner. Is that okay?”
    She nodded mutely, too surprised to answer. What had happened? What made his attitude change? First he told her he was no good for her and then he kissed her and acted all warm and sweet. His behavior was confusing.
    He was confusing.
    Chloe didn’t know what to think. But as she watched him leave her house, her gaze glued on his very fine butt, she knew one thing.
    She wasn’t going to complain.

Chapter Six
    It was hard to plan an adventure when one of the participants was laid up with injuries at home, her ribs cracked, her head battered and bruised and her spirits generally down.
    “Hold still,” Cameron commanded, impatiently waiting for her to stop moving.
    Chloe squirmed, driving him crazy, but damn it, he had to do this. It would help the healing process tremendously and lessen the chance of scarring, at least according to the woman at the natural supplement store down in Oakwood.
    “It hurts.” She hissed when he touched the cut just above her eyebrow. “What are you putting on my face anyway? It smells awful.”
    He did his best not to react to the scent of the salve he was coating each of her scrapes and cuts with. But Chloe was right. The stuff smelled like absolute hell. Sharp and minty, with hints of…damn, he had no clue but it was bad.
    “The salve came recommended. It’s from a line of the most highly regarded natural products on the market.” That’s what the saleswoman had told him as he handed over his credit card with a wince. The tiny jar of salve had cost him a ton.
    And he was rubbing the greasy, smelly stuff all over Chloe’s pretty face.
    At least it afforded him the chance to do right by her. Oh, and gave him the opportunity to sit close to her, his face close to hers as he carefully rubbed the salve on her wounds. Even with the cuts and bruises, she was stunningly pretty.
    Long, thick eyelashes surrounded those dark brown eyes as she watched him; her nose was pert, the tip curving upward so subtly, the average person wouldn’t notice. But he did, sitting this close.
    And then there was her mouth. It was the stuff of dreams. All lush and pink, a little bit pouty. Memories came to him, her intoxicating taste, the way she opened to him so easily, and he blinked. Hard.
    “Something in your eye?” she asked with a frown.
    Yeah, you , he wanted to tell her but he kept his mouth shut. This go-around, he brushed the