The Angel Tasted Temptation Read Online Free PDF Page B

conversation here," Travis muttered.
    "But I thought you swore off—"
    " Kenny ," Travis said again, with more growl in his voice.
    "I see a blonde I like over there anyway," Kenny said. "I'll leave you two alone. Provided I can trust you to go easy on my friend here." He gave Meredith a wink and hooked a thumb in Travis's direction.
    "Go easy on him?"
    Kenny's grin widened. "Don't tempt him. He's a weak man."
    "Kenny, I swear I'll—"
    "Leaving, leaving." Kenny waved a hand of defeat and walked away.
    Travis Campbell was a man who didn't want to be tempted. Now that was exactly the kind of challenge Meredith had come to this city to find. It was even better than her original plan to find a man who was ready, willing and able.
    A man who wasn't willing, wasn't ready but still able would force her to really act like a woman. Try out this new sexy siren persona she wanted to affect.
    And help her shed the image of a girl steeped in cow manure and homespun roots once and for all.
    "Can I buy you a drink?" she asked, forcing her voice not to shake as she spoke. Never before had she made a pass at a man.
    Hopefully she didn't fumble it and end up overshooting the goal line. Like the guy in the blue-and-red uniform on the TV above them just had, eliciting a few frustrated groans and several curses from the male audience in the bar.
    Travis turned to face her and rested his elbow on the bar. "I don't drink. Anymore."
    Anymore . There was a word that invited questions. Meredith opened her mouth to ask one, then shut it again. Her objective wasn't to form a relationship here, just to... complete her education. For that, she didn't need to know what "anymore" meant.
    "Meredith Shordon," she said, thrusting out her hand.
    He paused, then took her hand in his and shook. He had a firm grip. Long, strong fingers.
    Perfect.
    "Travis Campbell."
    "Nice to meet you, Travis."
    "Where do you come from, Meredith Shordon?" He cocked his head and studied her. "Your alphabet contains the letter "r," so I know you aren't from here."
    "Indiana."
    "There are people who live in Indiana? I thought they all left after the finale of Little House on the Prairie ."
    She laughed. "A few of us hung on in Walnut Grove."
    He released her hand. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Indiana."
    The beauty queen reference, coupled with the word pleasure, sent another round of heat roaring through her.
    Now or never. She only had so much time before she'd have to go back.
    Back to Indiana. Back to being Meredith Shordon. The woman everybody knew like the back of their hands. If there was anything Meredith hated about herself, it was her conventionality. All her life, she'd fit into the little square created by Midwestern values. No lying. No cheating on her tax returns.
    And most of all, no sex.
    She'd been a good girl. And what the hell had it gotten her?
    A mortician as an ex-fiancé. A job as a waitress in Petey's Pizza Parlor, despite two years of college. An associate's degree instead of a bachelor's because somewhere along the way she'd convinced herself that was good enough.
    And most of all, a fear of anything that took her outside that insular environment because that was where the big, bad wolves existed. Too much sin, she'd heard over and over again from Pastor Wendall at the First Presbyterian Church, and she'd be headed on a nonstop highway to hell.
    Hell, Meredith had decided, didn't seem such a bad alternative to slogging pepperoni pizzas around and being kissed by a man who smelled of formaldehyde.
    Meredith took a step forward and tossed all the rules she'd lived her life by out the window. "I'd like to make you an offer, Mr. Campbell."
    He gave her an inquiring look. "You hardly know me."
    "Exactly."
    His mouth lifted up on one side. "Only because I'm a curious man, I'll ask what this offer is."
    She swallowed. "As I mentioned, I come from a small town in Indiana."
    He nodded.
    "And, well, this is my first time in a city."
    "A good city to pick