Tempting Mr. Wrong (Wrong Man) Read Online Free PDF Page A

insisted on bringing today. With a quick good-bye to Maria—who wiggled her eyebrows behind Lance’s back and gave a thumbs-up—they took off toward the house.
    The house sat at the end of the street. Even though the walk took a matter of minutes, it felt like a lot longer due to having Lance next to her. Carly was aware of his every move, every breath. How could she not be? The man was a walking wet dream. Literally, she thought with a smile as her own damp clothes adhered to her body.
    When they got to the house, Carly paused for a moment and smiled at the two-story brick house with its large front porch and big oak tree in the yard. She’d always dreamed of living in a place like this growing up. Playground at the end of the street, lots of trees to hang swings and build tree houses in, and plenty of kids riding their bikes in the street. But her moment of contentment vanished when Lance came up behind her. “I’m serious about your neighbor. And do you guys have any security? An alarm system?”
    “Um, I think there is one, but I don’t know how to use it. Actually, I don’t think it works.” She shrugged. “Anyway, come on in.”
    They walked up the steps onto the porch, and Carly used her key to let them in.
    “Mya, can you please change your clothes? You can put on your jeans and your favorite Frozen T-shirt.”
    “Yay.” With that, Mya flew up the stairs.
    Carly shook her head. “Hope you like animated movies because you’re about to be bombarded. Frozen is a definite favorite.”
    “Great,” he ground out.
    “Do you have any dry clothes with you?” Carly asked.
    “Yeah, I have my stuff out in the Jeep I rented.”
    “I’ll make some tea. That should warm us up.”
    “Thanks,” he said.
    He followed her through the foyer, past the formal living room on the right and dining room on the left. Right past the coat closet, the house opened up into the combination kitchen, dining, and family room.
    Lance gasped, and Carly spun around to face him. “What? What’s wrong?”
    He pointed toward the family room. “Oh my God, you’ve been robbed.”
    …
    Lance knew that neighbor broadcasting Carly’s business was a bad idea. His eyes swept the room again, searching for any possible intruders, even as he pushed Carly behind him. Then he remembered Mya.
    “Shit. Mya.” One hand tightly grasped around Carly’s upper arm, he walked backward toward the foyer.
    “Lance, what are you doing?”
    “We need to grab Mya, get outside, and call the police. Don’t worry. I’ll handle everything.”
    She was digging her heels in. What the hell was wrong with her? Although he did appreciate a female who didn’t freak out over every little thing, this was a bit over the top.
    “How long were you and Mya at the playground? What time did you leave? Were all the doors and windows locked?” His gaze darted from room to room as he began peppering her with questions he knew the police would ask, but a firm hand to his chest stopped him in his tracks.
    “Wait,” Carly said.
    “Carly, I really think—”
    “What makes you think we’ve been robbed? I didn’t see anything.”
    “Because, back there, didn’t you…” Was she serious? The family room had been completely ransacked, with pillows and blankets strewn all over the room, a chair overturned, and toys everywhere. He hadn’t seen any broken windows, but there had been a door leading to the backyard. With everything he’d learned about Carly in the last half hour, it wouldn’t surprise him one bit if she’d left it unlocked. After all, she’d climbed in a kiddie pool, took part in a massive water fight, seemed completely A-okay with her neighbor sharing her personal details with strangers, and she wasn’t running for the hills now.
    Not to mention that tattoo, or maybe the placement of it… Damn. He couldn’t get it out of his mind. He shook his head. This wasn’t the time to think about her ink. Or her body. Priorities.
    “I didn’t see