Craving Temptation Read Online Free Page A

late.”
    â€œI can definitely do one o’clock,” Harper answered.
    In agreement, the two women nodded as Amina shifted her eyes back to Troy. “It was very nice to see you again, Troy!” Everything about her body language confirmed the statement.
    He grinned. “It was nice to see you, too, Amina,” Troy said.
    As she turned and headed for the bakery door, Quentin and Michael both came to their feet and applauded, cheering Troy on from the peanut gallery.
    Laughing, Amina tossed Troy one last look as she waved good-bye. Her seductive stare hardened every muscle in his body. It was only after the bakery was behind her, Amina reaching her Toyota Corolla that she saw the oversize poster in the window. Troy Elliott’s smiling image was looking back at her, his campaign slogan printed in bold letters: TROY ELLIOTT FOR MAYOR—WHEN ALL ELSE HAS FAILED YOU!

3
    Troy stepped into a hot shower, tilting his head beneath the spray of water. He savored the sensation of wetness that rained over his face, down his broad chest, to the ceramic tiles beneath his bare feet. With both hands pressed against the shower wall he relaxed into the stinging pulsation that massaged his shoulders and back, the heated moisture feeling near perfect.
    His day had been long and tedious. Laying out the game plan for his campaign was time consuming. Between planning his calendar for appearances, the telephone calls for sponsorships, and everything else necessary to kick off his campaign, he was exhausted. And exhilarated. Because support was quickly coming from people and places he had only hoped for.
    He took a deep breath and then a second. He imagined that until the election he’d have little time for anything that didn’t revolve around the campaign. Under normal circumstances that wouldn’t have bothered him but for the first time it gave him reason to rethink what he wanted. Because for the first time he couldn’t get a woman out of his mind, thoughts of Amina consuming him.
    Since their encounter on Saturday, Troy hadn’t been able to stop himself from thinking about her. He was curious to know more about her. There was something intriguing about the woman and it had little to do with his being unable to see her face or the wardrobe that hid her body from view. There had been something in her stare that had warmed his spirit and he liked what he saw when she’d looked at him.
    Troy couldn’t help but think about the old English proverb about the eyes being the window to the soul. Having only had Amina’s eyes to look into had been engaging. She was spirited as evidenced by the fire in the pale orbs. And affable, her deep gaze filled with kindness and compassion. But there was something else about her eyes. Something intoxicating and sensual that fired his nerve endings with excitement.
    Troy was mildly disturbed by his body’s reaction to the nearness of her. Saturday had been a first for him, anxiety sweeping over him as her eyes had teased and taunted his sensibilities. He’d been nervous and tongue-tied, every ounce of rational thought melting beneath her gaze. And excited, her presence igniting a wave of heat through his groin as his muscles had hardened with the look she’d given him. Troy’s composure had been lost and no other woman in his life had ever affected him like that. Amina had him feeling some kind of way and he found it both intriguing and disconcerting.
    Blowing a deep sigh Troy reached for his washcloth and the bar of soap that rested below the showerhead. As he lathered his body, his hands gliding over his muscles, the scent of patchouli and vanilla teased his nostrils. He couldn’t help but smile, the organic cleanser representing yet another change in the family home since Harper’s arrival. Her feminine presence had completely transformed the all-male aura the home had once exuded.
    Troy hadn’t planned to stay over but his last