Tempting Mr. Wrong (Wrong Man) by Kerri Carpenter Read Free Book Online Page B

want you to play with your toys. I mean, unless you don’t have any favorite toys.”
    Her head snapped up. “I do, I do. I have lots of favorites.”
    “Okay. That’s good. Do you want to show me?”
    She nodded vigorously and then reached up and took his hand. They ascended the stairs and easily found Mya’s room. Hard to miss with the enormous pink and purple letters spelling out MYA on the door. Carly had pointed it out the previous night on her tour, but he hadn’t gone in.
    Pushing the door open, he stopped as his eyes were assaulted with what could only be described as more pink than he’d ever seen. It was like all the Pepto-Bismol in the world exploded and landed in this bedroom.
    “This is my dollhouse,” Mya said, as his eyes adjusted. “And these are my stuffed animals. See, they’re having a party right now.”
    “I see that.”
    “Do you want to have a princess tea party?”
    Lance hadn’t realized sweat had pooled on his palms. He wiped them on his jeans and studied the scene. He didn’t know what exactly a princess tea party consisted of, but he had a pretty good idea that he was not equipped for it.
    “I have a better idea,” he said, improvising.
    Mya seemed intrigued.
    “Ever play army?”
    He wiggled his eyebrows, and Mya giggled. Then they set in for an afternoon of fun, military style.

Chapter Four
    Carly pushed open the door of her favorite coffee shop and was happily assaulted by the enticing aroma of caffeine and baked goods. She spotted her friend Anna flipping through a magazine at a corner table. Anna spotted her and held up a cup to signal that she’d already ordered Carly’s favorite drink—a caramel macchiato with extra whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate on top.
    “Yay,” she said happily as she flopped down in the chair across from one of her former college roommates.
    Carly, Anna, and their other friend Piper had been closer than Kelly, Jessie, and Lisa in Saved by the Bell when they’d been in college. Not much had changed since graduation, either. They all lived in the area. Anna had really helped her out since the accident.
    She might look like your typical gorgeous model, with her jet-black hair and dainty features, but she’d really whipped Carly into shape by aiding her with spreadsheets for the monthly bills and helping out with Mya. Born in China, Anna had lost her parents as a young child before being adopted by an American couple. Carly suspected that Anna felt a kinship with Mya.
    Carly took a sip of her coffee. “You are the best.”
    “No problem. I’m so glad you were able to find a sitter after all. Although, I would have come over to the house.”
    “I know,” Carly said. “I just didn’t want you to drive all the way over there.”
    “So who’s with Mya?” Anna asked.
    Carly took a deep breath and quickly filled Anna in on Lance’s arrival, water drenching and all.
    “Oh man.” Anna couldn’t hold back a laugh. “I would have loved to have seen that go down.”
    “It was definitely something,” she said, glancing at the time on her cell phone. She didn’t want to stay away from Mya too long. Just in case Lance couldn’t handle it.
    Anna stuck a finger into the air. “Wait a minute. Lance. Lance?” She tilted her head in question. “Remind me who Lance is again.”
    Carly ran a hand through her hair, her curls bouncing and settling around her face. “Lance was one of my brother’s best friends.”
    “The one who lives in Virginia?”
    Carly shook her head. “No, that’s John. Lance just got out of the army.”
    Anna shot up into an alert sitting position. “I know who he is. Lance is that super-hot guy from Chris’s wedding. Isn’t he?”
    “Guilty.”
    “Oh Carly, why have you waited an entire day to tell me about this? Is he still as gorgeous as he was back then?”
    Carly squirmed in her seat.
    “Remember how much you guys danced and flirted and danced some more?” Anna grinned.
    “Shut up. That was a million