Craving Temptation Read Online Free Page B

meeting with his friend Mike had lasted longer than any of them had planned. Both Harper and Quentin had insisted he stay since both knew his day would be starting early. Troy had resisted at first, thinking nothing of making the thirty-minute drive to his Oak Ridge home. And then he remembered that the next day was Tuesday and Amina was coming back on Tuesday. He didn’t want to risk missing another encounter with the beautiful woman. Troy was suddenly grinning from ear to ear at the prospect of seeing her again.
    Stepping out of the shower Troy wrapped a large white towel around his solid frame, swiping at the moisture against his skin. As he stared at his reflection in the mirror he couldn’t help but wonder if Amina had given him a second thought since he’d made a bumbling fool of himself. His head waved gently from side to side as he imagined the thoughts that had to have run through her mind. Hopefully he’d be able to redeem himself when he saw her next, he mused. Hopefully seeing her again might be eventful for them both.
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    Amina whispered her last prayer of the day, then crawled into the twin bed in her sister’s room. Rasheeda was already snoring softly on the other side of the small space, the deep inhalation and exhalation of her breath muffled beneath the covers. It had been a long day and the next was going to be even longer as they officially announced her father’s run for the mayoral office. She was looking forward to that moment being over, when she could steal away to have lunch with her new friend Harper and maybe see Troy Elliott one more time.
    Amina smiled as she pulled the covers around her thin frame, a light chill running up her spine. She’d been thinking about Troy since their last meeting at the bakery, anxious to know more about him. She was also curious to know more about his run for mayor, to discover how his platform was different from or similar to her father’s. She hated to acknowledge that her attraction to the beautiful man was suddenly a conflict of interest that could easily prove to be problematic.
    She pinched herself, her head waving from side to side against the down pillows. She had no business being interested in any man. That wasn’t why she’d come to Memphis and it definitely didn’t fit into the plans her father suddenly seemed to have for her future. She rolled onto her back, pulling an arm up and over her head. As she stared toward the ceiling, Amina’s mind raced, conflicted by the mountain of emotion flooding her spirit.
    She was surprised that Troy Elliott had managed to capture her attention and hold it. There was something about the good-looking man that had her excited to know more. That interest went against the grain of everything she prescribed to. But the man’s presence was magnanimous and when he walked into a room he captivated everyone’s attention. Such an ability would make him a formidable opponent. It also teased her feminine spirit, striking heat deep in her center. That heat radiated into every nerve ending and left her in a thick sweat. Amina couldn’t remember any man ever making her feel that way.
    Since graduation from law school she’d been focused solely on her career and her ability to effect positive change in the community. A relationship had never been on the agenda. But since meeting Troy she was suddenly fantasizing about a relationship, pondering the mechanics of sharing her life with a man. She must have fallen and bumped her skull, she mused, a smile pulling at her mouth.
    Amina heaved a deep sigh. Even if she wanted a relationship, her father would never approve of her being with a man who was not Muslim, and her mother would be adamant that she not marry a Muslim man. Amina knew she’d be caught smack-dab between a rock and a hard place. The more she thought about it, she fathomed that it would be better if she abandoned all carnal thoughts she suddenly found