Temptation Read Online Free PDF Page A

face. His fingertips were as rough against her skin as the bark had been to her palms. “What are you doing in a girls’ summer camp?”
    â€œRunning it,” she said coldly. It wasn’t a complete lie. Because it would have bruised her dignity even more to squirm, she settled on sending him an icy look. “Would you mind?”
    â€œRunning it?” Since she had dropped out of one of his trees, he had no qualms about ignoring her request. “I met someone. Bartholomew—red hair, appealing face.” He scanned Eden’s classic features. “You’re not her.”
    â€œObviously not.” Because his body was too warm, too male, and too close, she sacrificed some dignity by putting her hands to his shoulders. He didn’t budge. “I’m her partner. Eden Carlbough.”
    â€œAh, of the Philadelphia Carlboughs.”
    The humor in his voice was another blow to her pride. Eden combated it with a withering stare. “That’s correct.”
    Intriguing little package, he thought. All manners and breeding. “A pleasure, Miss Carlbough. I’m Chase Elliot of the South Mountain Elliots.”

Chapter 2
    Perfect, just perfect, Eden thought as she stared up at him. Not the foreman, but the bloody owner. Caught stealing apples by, falling out of trees on and pinned to the ground under, the owner. She took a deep breath.
    â€œHow do you do, Mr. Elliot.”
    She might have been in the front parlor pouring tea, Chase thought; he had to admire her. Then he burst out laughing. “I do just fine, Miss Carlbough. And you?”
    He was laughing at her. Even after the scandal and shame she had faced, no one had dared laugh at her. Not to her face. Her lips trembled once before she managed to control them. She wouldn’t give the oaf the pleasure of knowing how much he infuriated her.
    â€œI’m quite well, thank you, or will be when you let me up.”
    City manners, he thought. Socially correct and absolutely meaningless. His own were a bit cruder, but more honest. “In a minute. I’m finding this conversation fascinating.”
    â€œThen perhaps we could continue it standing up.”
    â€œI’m very comfortable.” That wasn’t precisely true. The soft, slender lines of her body were causing him some problems. Rather than alleviate them, Chase decided to enjoy them. And her. “So, how are you finding life in the rough?”
    He was still laughing at her, without troubling to pretend otherwise. Eden tasted the fury bubbling up in her throat. She swallowed it. “Mr. Elliot—”
    â€œChase,” he interrupted. “I think, under the circumstances, we should dispense with formalities.”
    Control teetered long enough for her to shove against his shoulders again. It was like pushing rock. “This is ridiculous. You
have
to let me up.”
    â€œI rarely have to do anything.” His voice was a drawl now, and insolent, but no less imposing than the bellow that had first greeted her. “I’ve heard a lot about you, Eden Carlbough.” And he’d seen the newspaper pictures that he now realized had been just shy of the mark. It was difficult to capture that cool sexuality in two dimensions. “I never expected a Carlbough of Philadelphia to fall out of one of my trees.”
    Her breathing became unsteady. All the training, the years she’d spent being taught how to coat every emotion with politeness, began to crack. “It was hardly my intention to fall out of one of your trees.”
    â€œWouldn’t have fallen out if you hadn’t climbed up.” He smiled, realizing how glad he was that he’d decided to check this section of the orchard himself.
    This couldn’t be happening. Eden closed her eyes a moment and waited for things to fall back into their proper places. She couldn’t be lying flat on her back under a stranger. “Mr. Elliot.” Her voice was calm