Slow Summer Burn: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

one spoke. “Good. See you here in the morning.”
    At Val’s dismissal, everyone gathered their work and packed up their bags. He knew Ellen would be heading home to her partner and Thalia would be thrilled to spend a few precious moments with Jaime before her son’s bedtime.
    Val stepped out into the humid evening air, reluctant to head back to his apartment right away. His head was buzzing with ideas for the operation, making him feel slightly unfocused. And something about the warm, sultry night stirred up emotions he’d thought long buried. No . He needed to be honest with himself. It wasn’t work or the weather—it was her .
    It made sense that he hadn’t zeroed in on Cameron before last night. Why would he have? She’d always seemed so distant, chatting quietly with Cole’s woman, Julie, at the LMK or fluttering around town in expensive-looking clothes. She’d ignored him, and he’d returned the favor. He’d been occupied with his own work, he supposed. It had been years since he’d focused on anything but work or his family.
    But that hint of vulnerability he’d seen—now that was something that spoke to him. Those bottomless violet eyes, a stunning mix of blue and purple, seemed to invite him closer. The way she’d trembled in his arms, tiny shivers radiating through him, just brought it all home. He knew she’d unravel when he kissed her. Damn , he wanted to kiss her! Despite her obviously worldly lifestyle, she radiated an aura of innocence.
    He hadn’t seen innocence in a long time.
    But he was from the other side of the tracks—so far away, he might as well be in a different universe. In Cameron’s world, just having money wasn’t enough. To belong, you needed prestige and an old family name. He’d done his research. The Endicott fortune had comefrom timber and steel over a century ago, and Clarissa Endicott had a massive trust fund when she met Frederick Stahl, the first-born son of another privileged family that had gotten its riches through real estate and finance. The Stahls had four homes, nine automobiles, one helicopter, and Lord knew how many servants to manage everything.
    The more he thought about it, the more their differences in social status rubbed him raw. Although he knew he was good enough to serve his country on top-secret matters of national security, the fact that he might not be good enough for Cameron Stahl burned him up inside.
    Thalia had been focused on other things. She’d taken him aside during one of their breaks to talk about his “party guest” and straight-up told him—without mentioning Cameron’s name—that she would make a great confidential informant. She would, of course, but aside from the ethical issues of getting her involved, he actually wasn’t sure where her loyalties lay. The last thing he’d want to do is to tip her off and then have her run to tell the congressman he was under investigation.
    And truth be told, one of his biggest concerns was the effect that would have on how she felt about him, because there was no doubt that he wanted her. Wanted to be the man who deserved her.
    And getting her tangled up in his investigation could only be a recipe for disaster.

Chapter 4
    “I need an ibuprofen,” Cameron muttered as she dragged herself home. It was barely nine, but her feet hurt, pressed into her stylish, pointed-toe shoes. Fashion shouldn’t have to mean pain. Why couldn’t they invent gorgeous shoes that felt as good as they looked? It was easy to concentrate on something other than her feet. Everything else hurt, too—her head, her eyes, even her hands.
    After a doozy of a meeting with Hermione Alcott, during which she’d displayed no fewer than seventeen bolts of fabric to the older woman who was contemplating a new chaise lounge for her Palm Beach home, Cameron and her staff had begun their summer inventory at the Newbury Street boutique. It was shaping up to be a grueling event. Hours of cross-referencing items, coupled with