Bound to be Tempted: Emergence, Book 4 Read Free Page B

If Jason was right, Carlton was in trouble. What if he couldn’t separate his feelings for a long-dead girlfriend from his longing for Maggie? She wasn’t a substitute. It would be cruel to use her in that way.
    Carlton stared at the ornate, carved depiction of Christ hanging at the front of the church. He took a deep breath and pushed himself to standing as though his body weighed a ton. He made his way to the left wall, staring at the dozen or so candles burning already. Other people had come throughout the day and lit a candle for another loved one. He would join them as he always did, adding his flame to the rows of flickering orange light in hopes that he would feel one-tenth of the peace Karen had always professed.

Chapter Three
    The next Friday night, Margaret entered Emergence wearing her favorite outfit, a short black leather skirt that barely covered her ass and a red bustier that laced up in the back, leaving plenty of pale skin visible. It was her favorite because it made her feel sexy. The compliments she received when she wore it, and the sideways glances from both men and women, never hurt either.
    The clothes gave her confidence that warred with her emotions. She had thought about last Friday repeatedly during the week, both the scene with Steve and her reaction to Carlton. The doorman had undoubtedly just been looking out for her safety, like he’d said, but what if it was more?
    It was late when she arrived. The club was full. She barely nodded at Carlton as she passed him in the entrance. He was busy helping a couple of women fill out release forms. Did his gaze land on her longer than usual? She shivered. Surely she was imagining things.
    She wove through the throng of people and made her way to the bar, where she grabbed a bottle of water and turned around to survey the landscape. This section of the club near the bar was the only section where the noise level was so high. In the rooms lining the hall, people were respectfully quiet as scenes played out.
    A tap on her shoulder had her spinning to the left.
    A man she’d seen a few times in the past let his gaze roam up and down her body before coming to rest on her face. “Are you topping or bottoming tonight?”
    She smiled. “Neither.” She knew she appeared neutral in tonight’s outfit. She could go either way. But this man didn’t know her well enough to realize she was never a top.
    “Care to dance?” He either misunderstood her answer or chose to ignore it.
    “No. Thanks. I’m just going to mill around for a while.” She pasted a fake smile on.
    The man nodded and wandered away. Margaret exhaled, unaware she’d been holding her breath. What did you expect to happen? Just because a man asks you to dance doesn’t mean he won’t take no for an answer. Geez .
    Margaret gripped the water bottle with both hands. The condensation on the outside dripped onto her fingers, and she lifted first one hand and then the other to wipe her neck, cooling her heated skin marginally.
    Even though she’d gotten brave last weekend and allowed a man to top her, it didn’t mean she was ready to bottom for just any guy who approached. She knew she wanted to give another man a chance. Steve’s touch had been titillating, awakening a longing inside her. And then Carlton’s brooding looks had made her shiver.
    Was it just her, or was the noise level unusually high?
    In her candy-apple red stilettos, she lifted on tiptoe to see over the taller members of the crowd. She glanced around the room, searching for Jason Garwood, the owner. Any time she’d ever gotten freaked out at Emergence, she’d been able to count on him to bail her out, even if all she needed was a trip to the employee area behind the scenes to take a break.
    She didn’t see him. In fact, she didn’t see Carlton anywhere either, and that man was impossible to miss. He was taller than most men she knew and broad enough to fill a doorframe.
    Margaret worked her way through the crowd, hoping