Free Bound to be Tempted: Emergence, Book 4 by Becca Jameson Page A

the driveway, she inched up alongside him. He rolled down the passenger window and motioned for her to lower hers. “I cleaned out the garage so you could park on one side.”
    She opened her mouth but said nothing. Her eyes widened. Finally, she nodded.
    Carlton eased into the left side while Maggie took the right. It felt…right. And that made him more nervous. This wasn’t meant to be a permanent arrangement. He’d told himself that over and over in the last week while his every waking moment filled with thoughts of Maggie.
    Nerves made his palms sweaty. Nerves that were strictly based on her right to turn him down.
    He could muster up all the tenacity in the world and it wouldn’t change the fact that the woman had a mind of her own and her own free will.
    As he exited the car, another vehicle passed his house, a little too slowly. He stepped onto the driveway, but the car kept going. Whoever it was apparently had an aversion to the gas pedal, or had his head buried in his cell phone.
    Carlton rounded to her trunk when she popped it and removed a large bag and a suitcase. She’d traveled light. Was that a good thing?
    “Come.” He nodded to the entrance to the house inside the garage and headed that direction with Maggie on his heels. Seconds later he had her inside, the garage closed and the door shut. “Welcome. Follow me.” He made his way through the kitchen and led her down the hallway to the master bedroom.
    “Nice.” She looked around his space before meeting his gaze and quickly lowering her face. “Sir.”
    Carlton shook his head and smirked as he put her suitcase unopened in the closet. She wouldn’t need it immediately. Hell, she wouldn’t need it at all in his home. Is that why she’d brought so little with her? He set her other bag at the foot of the bed. “How was your week?” He’d communicated with her through text, but he hadn’t spoken with her in seven long days.
    “Good. Stressful.”
    “Was this a difficult decision? Or did you have a lot going on at work?”
    She tipped her gaze to the floor, as she should, but he worried about her current motivation. “A little of both, Sir. To be honest, no, it wasn’t tough to decide to come to you tonight. I always knew I would. But I don’t want to disappoint you either. That’s stressful.”
    Carlton stepped in front of her and lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “You could never disappoint me.” He stared at her lips, wanting desperately to taste them but knowing the time wasn’t right yet. Soon.
    Carlton decided it would be best to jump straight into the arrangement. It would be confusing if he allowed her any leeway and eased her into her new role. “Before we discuss what I expect of you, remove everything and meet me in the living room.” He turned to leave the room and give her a last moment of privacy. He didn’t shut the door, however.
    Minutes later she emerged and padded across the room, head bowed, arms at her sides, flawless skin taking his breath away.
    It wasn’t as though he’d never seen most of her body before at one point or another, but he didn’t make a habit of ogling other people’s submissives. Now that she was here under his care, he couldn’t keep his gaze off her. He took a deep breath, reminding himself this was temporary for the millionth time. Why was that line such a blur?
    She stopped midway into the room, probably waiting for instructions.
    Carlton stepped up to her silently, his feet barely registering the command to move forward. Her creamy skin was so flawless she could be a model. He wondered if she ever had. “Assume a proper standing position please.” He watched while she straightened her shoulders, angled her chin toward the floor, spread her feet shoulder width and clasped her hands behind her back.
    “Good. You remember.” He circled her body slowly. Her ass was fantastic, and he couldn’t wait to mark it with the pink print of his palm, his flogger, his paddle. He’d seen her do